Question by TheKitten: Aren’t Bible literalists actually missing the point entirelly?
Here we have people defending Noah’s Ark, the Bible’s story of creation, the might of the kingdom of king David against historical fact, what have you…
But this is what struck me…
They end up arguing over material fact because their beliefs are, in fact, materialistic. None of this should matter to a truly spiritual person. It is history and should have nothing to do with metaphysics. It certainly should not be a reason to argue with people who are actually experts on science.
So again:
Aren’t literalists in fact missing the point entirelly?
Best answer:
Answer by Wolfechu II
If you’re going to take the Bible literally, I’d be fascinated to see how you deal with the self-contained contradictions, often in the same section.
Give your answer to this question below!
they just might be the only ones getting the point the Bible is the true word of God and is our final authority
Since the Bible is supposed to be the bedrock of Christianity – but you can’t take it literally as it talks about material hstoricity (and gets it wrong) and not metaphysics – then what exactly is the point of the Bible?
Is Christianity not missing the point entirely?
“They end up arguing over material fact because their beliefs are, in fact, materialistic.”
Very, very well put. Biblical literalists have completely lost the meaning behind what they believe. Its quite clear from the bible that the beliefs and foundations of Christianity are a mystical, spiritual thing, and it always struck me as odd that people would so slavishly adhere to the literal meaning of words in a metaphor.
I would say yes.
In addition to what you said, and I’m not a Christian so I don’t even claim to know what the true meaning of Christianity is but I would imagine that it would have something to do with being Christ-like and I find it amusing that so many Christians completely gloss over so many of the things in Matthew (Sermon on the Mount).
Anyway, back a few months ago I read “The Year of Living Biblically” by AJ Jacobs and while the book is not that fantastic – it’s pretty much a one gag deal and the author is a journalist and would be better suited to short articles, not long books – it did prove the point that it would be impossible to truly live Biblically. There are so many rules and things you must do and must not do that they start to contradict. It just isn’t possible to take the Bible literally and abide by all that it says. Unless you start making concessions like, “well, that doesn’t really mean that…” and then you aren’t taking it literally then are you?
NO! BUT U are missing the point entirely.
Well when people say they are atheists because they don’t believe the literal interpretation of scripture I think thats what drives people to have to defend their text in that way.
There is nothing less factual in any academic field than secular antique historical “facts” ; the historian of ancient cultures is nothing more than an interpreter of hints ; if that’s no flaky enough then you have to deal with the agenda of the historian ; the point he is trying to push (consciously or not)…
No, the only error that Christians make when they are in love with a literal reading of the Bible is not because of their faithfulness to the biblical historical facts (for important facts these are) but rather because of their unwillingness to broaden their mind in accepting that it is well within the Power of God to weave a spiritual tapestry with biblical historical facts ; which is the very reason why these biblical historical facts are non-negotiable ; because they carry in them a spiritual message that is far more important than the petty human historical reality you seem so concerned about.
Oh yes yes. of course they are. The writings in the old testament tell the tale of a group of people and their encounters as handed down. There is mention within these writings who live in other parts. The new testament deals more with the life, teachings, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who was born, preached among and live with a group of people who existed within a certain part of the world. There where others at the time who explored Christs message and detailed a different meaning for his teachings. So really we have a whole host of sources to decide for ourselves what these teachings mean to us, but we also have the various meanings as recorded by those organised religions of the day, who may have been on the worlds first ever marketing gimmick. Well lets face it do we listen to the priest or some other bloke that is disrupting our community?? I mean the priest we know but this other guy? Its a journey of self discovery that only needs faith.
To the kitten: You are exactly on. Yet to toss this out in front of literalists is like throwing a handful of rocks into a pack of dogs. The one that gets hit the hardest will yelp the loudest. Here is an interesting addition to your proposal: “Go on, search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life”.— Jesus (a metaphysical expert)