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Originally Posted by irateplatypus
while i agree with you about the problem of people taking too literal a interpretation, it's innaccurate to describe the book primarily as a book of lessons and such.
the bible, first and foremost, is meant to be a revelation of God's role as creator and sustainer of the world as revealed in his love for his people (Torah and Old Testament) as well as redeemer and savior of mankind through Christ (New Testament).
Moral lessons are part of it, but they compliment the larger message of the supremacy/sovereignty of the Father and the redemption of mankind. whether or not you buy this aspect of scripture, that was certainly the intent of its authors.
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Yes. Very much so, yes.
I was really just trying to keep my explanation simple, while conveying the main overall point that it wasn't meant to be taken literally. In doing so, I (foolishly and regrettably) took a shortcut to a small, crude explantion for what is a really complex and beautiful thing.
You have corrected my short answer for me, thank you very much.
asaris: I believe that in the form the Bible was created, it is not a collection of works to be taken literally. Historical accuracy and literal meaning are, in this case, not mutually exclusive of each other.
Did Adam and Eve really exist? That's not the point of the book- humans exist, and there is a story to explain God's involvement in and devotion to our creation, His love for us, etc. That's the real point i'm making. You can convey things that actually, really happened in a way that is not a literal representation, but an easily transferred notion of it. Imagine if the bible were a literal work in any way- Genesis would be physics equations on how to explode stars into universes, and chemistry problems on how to bake up our primordial ooze. Try explaining that to average Joe, circa ANYTHING B.C. Hell, try it now. I hate chemistry.
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Originally Posted by SecretMethod70
believing something and believing it should be taken literally are two *completely* different things.
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Very much agreed.