2007-12-29 09:18:46 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Please don't use scripture. I prefer open ended conversation and your own thoughts not just lazy replies. Thank you.
2007-12-29 09:41:21 · update #1
It's like a child reading and an experienced person comprehending. One just reads words and the other sees complete meaning.
2007-12-29 09:28:51 · answer #1 · answered by Amarillo Slim 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I notice that some people say the difference is in "intelligence" or "education". I don't know that those convey the religious differences, though.
The thing I notice is that biblical literalists have two tendencies: they tend towards bibliolatry (veneration of the Bible and the written word, rather than the God towards which those words are meant to point), and they tend towards judgementalism. I'm not sure why the latter is the case - and it isn't true for all Christians that take the Bible literally - but it seems to be far more prominent than among those that don't read it literally.
Peace to you.
2007-12-29 09:37:34 · answer #2 · answered by Orpheus Rising 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you will find that the more educated ones do not take the Bible literally. The ones with more independent thinking. It is a shame because there are some beautiful messages found within the Bible. If only some people would stop insisting that fables be taken literally, more people would be open to the beauty. I think ones that take the Bible literally are actually non-spiritual. If one is truly spiritual, they instantly tune into the symbols and metaphors. Which goes back to higher intelligence and more education, plus the ability to think creatively and independently.
2007-12-29 09:29:38 · answer #3 · answered by An Independent 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It seems all the answers provided to your questions are subjective in nature. So, I will do my best to provide an objective answer to your objective question.
It might be hard to answer your question because there are many camps in Christendom who claim to take the Bible literally and do not while there are some who claim to not take it literally and end up not using it at all.
For those who do not take it "literally" American sensibilities tend to dominate how they live their life instead of Biblical teaching. Perhaps our Greco-Roman heritage is the credit of such an attitude. "Man as the measure of all things" seems to be a driving force behind such movements.
Those who take the Bible literally often also have American Sensibilities dominate how they live their life. It is unfortunate but not always true. I saw some claiming intelligence is the dividing force but that is absolutely absurd.
Not to be a prime candidate I am almost done my bachelor's degree in the Bible and then I will go to seminary to earn a Masters and then possibly a PH.D. I can assure you there are people within the "literal" camp who are intelligent.
2007-12-29 09:35:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christians who take the Bible literally have to ignore just about everything in the scientific world. This keeps them out of important jobs that require intelligence and deductive reasoning and places them firmly into the sales and food service industries. I guess the world always needs ditch diggers. Besides, deep introspective thought sometimes causes headaches. Maybe, they're just avoiding the pain of thinking.
2007-12-29 09:32:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The bible at times uses figurative language to convey literal truth. But at all times contains literal truth IMO.
The problem for some Christians when they don't take it to be literal truth is what do you take as true and what not? What do you include and what do you exclude? What can you trust and what can't you trust?
The question really is, is the bible inspired of God?
2007-12-29 09:28:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fundamentalist Christians take the Bible literally.
A Spiritual Christian does not... they still believe in God and even the scripture as the Word of God but they don't adhere to it as strictly.
For example... A Fundamentalist says the world was created in exactly 7 days and Adam and Eve were the very first humans on the planet.... which would mean we all came from Adam and Eve having sex with their own children.
A Spiritual Christian knows that God's time is not like our linear time... a thousand years could be one day for God.. no one really knows.
Adam and Eve are symbolic of mankind.... from many different tribes of people. God set all of it in motion according to His plan, according to His time frame.. not ours.
2007-12-29 09:37:42 · answer #7 · answered by Kaybee 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Literal, or literal only? I do believe the scriptures are literal; but there is also an additional meaning to those same scriptures at the same time.
2007-12-29 09:58:19 · answer #8 · answered by jefferyspringer57@sbcglobal.net 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Some people have actually told me, "It's literal but what it means is -"
Apparently some don't know the meaning of "literal" so they would not know how to answer the question. Actually there are many who say they take it literally but disagree about what it means.
2007-12-29 09:34:01 · answer #9 · answered by supertop 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a big difference in IQ.
The Christians who do not take the bible literally are the more intelligent of the two.
2007-12-29 09:24:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋