[QUOTE="Lethal_Gopher"]It really depends on your approach to the bible. Some see it as literal and others as a collection of parables. I am pesronally an orthodox christian. I'm also not a literalist. Yes, there are a slew of "technical" issues, but that is not the heart of the matter. Its easy to point out this and that and feel all clever. The issues you have addressed are nothing new, people have been condemning the bible for these things for as long as it was hip. The bible is not a history book, its a story of a faith. I seriously hope you don't consider yourself more clever than millenia of Jews and Christians. The bible is written as the word of god, but it is documented by humans who, as part of the gift of free will, are fallible. Take for example the tired old, creation vs. evolution debate. Simple minded evlolutionists (I personally am a strong believer in evolution and can easily reconcile it with my faith) like to say that creation is crap because 7 days aren't enough time. The first "seven days" may have taken millions of years and gods creation of evolution may have been the means to the end. A system created to hum and give life to itself. As for the single figure you discuss, is it not possible that these are compacted social groups? The lessons of the bible are not that cut an dry, its important to learn from it in your own way. I know this all sounds very preachy, if you can't connect with the book, then another faith may be more inline for you (and yes atheism is just another faith, the faith you know there is no higher order). I just want to defend the bible from a personal level. All too often people use bible bashing as a spring board to feal hip and clever. That approach is just as predjudice and bigoted as the misguided religious right. I find it interesting that all religion are supposed to be respected, but christianity in modern "cool" counterculture. Frankly thats just a sad double standard.SalaZar-
I disagree, if you take some of the bible as literal, and some as symbolic, how do you tell the difference between the two?
As for the 7 days, in the original greek, the word "days" used in Genesis means literal days, not figurative.
[QUOTE="Lethal_Gopher"]It really depends on your approach to the bible. Some see it as literal and others as a collection of parables. I am pesronally an orthodox christian. I'm also not a literalist. Yes, there are a slew of "technical" issues, but that is not the heart of the matter. Its easy to point out this and that and feel all clever. The issues you have addressed are nothing new, people have been condemning the bible for these things for as long as it was hip. The bible is not a history book, its a story of a faith. I seriously hope you don't consider yourself more clever than millenia of Jews and Christians. The bible is written as the word of god, but it is documented by humans who, as part of the gift of free will, are fallible. Take for example the tired old, creation vs. evolution debate. Simple minded evlolutionists (I personally am a strong believer in evolution and can easily reconcile it with my faith) like to say that creation is crap because 7 days aren't enough time. The first "seven days" may have taken millions of years and gods creation of evolution may have been the means to the end. A system created to hum and give life to itself. As for the single figure you discuss, is it not possible that these are compacted social groups? The lessons of the bible are not that cut an dry, its important to learn from it in your own way. I know this all sounds very preachy, if you can't connect with the book, then another faith may be more inline for you (and yes atheism is just another faith, the faith you know there is no higher order). I just want to defend the bible from a personal level. All too often people use bible bashing as a spring board to feal hip and clever. That approach is just as predjudice and bigoted as the misguided religious right. I find it interesting that all religion are supposed to be respected, but christianity in modern "cool" counterculture. Frankly thats just a sad double standard.SalaZar-
I disagree, if you take some of the bible as literal, and some as symbolic, how do you tell the difference between the two?
As for the 7 days, in the original greek, the word "days" used in Genesis means literal days, not figurative.
Too bad Genesis wasn't written in Greek... :|
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