If I quote this:
"If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell." Matthew 5:30
And everyone says that shouldn't be taken literally, and it's just a metaphor - how do they know that it was intended to be a metaphor?
If we can pick and chose which parts are metaphorical, can't everyone just interpret it how they want?
Can't Jesus, the son of God - just mean Jesus, the nice person?
And can't genesis just be a metaphor for evolution?
Where does the interpretation stop?
If that wanted you to take some parts metaphorically, don't you think they would tell you instead of just stating it literally?
The Bible is far from poetry.
2007-12-16 13:11:24 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Same stupidity second time AROUND.
"... They that are unlearned and unstable do wrestle, as they do other Scriptures, to their own destruction". (II Peter 3:16)
2007-12-16 13:15:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I think for sure that there are metaphorical parts to the Bible, but it is incredibly difficult to distinguish the literal from the figurative, in that there is little to no distinction that is visible, and, I must say that the basis with which one decides that things like the example that you give is metaphorical seems arbitrary in that they will gladly accept less absurd passages with the same style as literal.
(And Satan should be a metaphor for guiltlessness, or indulgence, since guilt is a symptom of the conscience).
2007-12-16 13:20:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Bible CONTAINS some metaphor.
It also contains poetry, history, and a variety of parables of which some are teaching tools based in true fact and others based in allegory.
The context of each passage will determine which ones to take literally.
2007-12-16 13:21:26 · answer #3 · answered by Bob L 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You are a very inquisitive person. maybe you should keep reading the bible and decide for yourself if "Jesus is just a nice perosn"
God Bless
2007-12-16 13:16:40 · answer #4 · answered by GodisLove 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should get a job at Cliff Notes
2007-12-16 13:56:54 · answer #5 · answered by youngmoigle 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its also far from logic, consistency or reality as well...
2007-12-16 13:15:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋