A fresh interpretation, focusing on metaphor rather than literal meaning, could knock the whole athiest movement to pieces.
2007-11-28 13:06:59 · 23 answers · asked by Digital Age 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The bible should be in two volumes. 1) (a thin volume) "To be taken literally" 2) (very thick volume) "Not to be taken literally." Soon number one will cease to exist.
2007-11-28 13:12:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Metaphor focuses on the value systems of the people who wrote the Bible, as opposed to any physical claims.
I think religions can be interesting for their social and cultural aspects.
Why not take the supernatural claims metaphorically, though?
Why not see the claims of an afterlife for what they are, a human desire to live beyond the grave? And why not consider god for what it is, a desire to justify ancient societies and governments, and to give humans an elevated place in the world?
When it all comes down to it, the only interpretation of religion that fits is as an expression of human views. Not of reality. Some Christians have realized how ludicrous the physical claims of the Bible are. Hopefully they will take logic to its natural course.
2007-11-28 21:17:54 · answer #2 · answered by Dalarus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"A fresh interpretation, focusing on metaphor rather than literal meaning,"
OR if you thought about this logically, if the book is a metaphor then your god would also be a metaphor. If the book was not literal then the part about the book being perfect and "god breathed" would mean what exactly? If the book was no longer literal then it was no longer a guideline on how to live life.
Maybe you should think a little more.
2007-11-28 21:37:02 · answer #3 · answered by meissen97 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Even with a very metaphorical interpretation of the Bible, it still sounds extremely irrational and silly (although it does help somewhat).
No matter how you look at the Bible, any Christian still believes in God. It's still unnecessary and unreasonable to postulate such a being, when everything can be explain by natural phenomena.
I didn't become an atheist because I disagree with the Bible, but because I reject all gods. People seem to be getting that confused.
2007-11-28 21:11:47 · answer #4 · answered by Alex H 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No because my parents are christians who never believed in the literal interpretation of the bible. I was taught by them to question and to see a book that makes claims without being able to substantiate them with proved fact is the reason I do not take the events of the bible to be real.
2007-11-28 21:11:09 · answer #5 · answered by genaddt 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. Numerous religions have already done that. It is just a small-minded loud-mouthed minority that support Biblical Literalism. Even if they were to abandon the discredited doctrine, there would still not be a shred of evidence. The atheists would no longer have to deal with people who try to impose as real their reading of a book that contains numerous factual errors internally as long as with reality.
2007-11-28 21:14:27 · answer #6 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
And what do you propose for a "fresh interpretation, focusing on metaphor" for the mass murdering, rape, and slavery of dozens of races and/or tribes in the OT ?
2007-11-28 21:12:18 · answer #7 · answered by ultraviolet1127 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, we don't believe the bible, not because we take it literally but because we know that it was written by men who claim to be acting in the service of a god that no longer works in the lives of his "servants". (or at least this is part of the reason I don't). It stands to reason that if a deity spoke to his faithful servants 3000 years ago he would continue to do so in modern society. But, realistically, god has nothing to do with man today. Which begs the question, why was he so involved in the early stages of humanity but not now? Because he was never there to begin with.
2007-11-28 21:11:38 · answer #8 · answered by lupinesidhe 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well, if you wish to treat the Bible as metaphor, that's fine with me, but you can get your metaphors from anywhere. You can get your metaphors from Star Trek. In that case, what's so special about the Bible?
2007-11-28 21:18:12 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Not really. The reason is there isn't a shred of evidence for any god. The fact that the Bible can't be taken literally is rock solid evidence that it wasn't inspired by god.
"When one reads Bibles, one is less surprised at what the Deity knows than at what He doesn't know."
-- Mark Twain
2007-11-28 21:11:20 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋