I live in the UK, where people's Christian beliefs tend to be less extreme than your average US believer (or so i am led to believe by what I hear about Americans and by their comments on the internet). I have some friends and family who are quite strict Catholics but even they, when pressed, imply that they view much of the Bible as allegory. I don't like to harangue them too much about their beliefs for fear of causing upset in the family, but when we have had a philosophical debate, we can generally agree that there may well be some sort of 'God' which is an explanation for why we are here rather than science, which explains how things came about since the Big Bang. Where we differ is that I don't see this god as being interventionist, and certainly not as being the Biblical God. I think that God and the Bible is a human, poetic way of expressing the inexpressible.
Here in UK i have only ever met one person who is a proper creationist and who thinks that the theory of evolution is plain wrong. I was quite shocked that he thought the world was thousands rather than millions of years old etc.
What is your belief about different stories in the Bible? Which parts are literally true.
I have read quite a few books given to me by my Christian friends which claim to prove things about the Bible, but i did not find the arguments convincing because in the end I just can't believe that a man died and then came back to life.
Sorry about the rambling nature of this post. And it is my first post on here so if it is in the wrong place or whatever then i apologise. I am just curious as to how someone can make the leap from believing there is some sort of higher power to believing that it is the higher power specifically described in the Bible (or the Quran, for that matter).
Cheers.
To what extent is the Bible allegorical?
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Post #2
I believe the Bible should be interpreted as normal everyday language. Unless the context demands it, I believe the Bible should be taken literally. Obviously, there are figures of speech, metaphors, and symbolism in scripture just like in everyday language. Then you have books like the book of Revelation that are highly symbolic, but I believe these symbols represent a literal truth.
The allegorical approach to scripture opens the flood gates to an endless amount of interpretations. A Bible that can mean anything, is a Bible that doesn't mean anything. God used language and words to reveal truth to us. At some point, words have to mean what they say. So I feel the Bible should be interpreted literally.
The allegorical approach to scripture opens the flood gates to an endless amount of interpretations. A Bible that can mean anything, is a Bible that doesn't mean anything. God used language and words to reveal truth to us. At some point, words have to mean what they say. So I feel the Bible should be interpreted literally.
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ttruscott
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Post #3
To what extent is the Bible allegorical?
I don't think this can be closely estimated. Some but not all, might be close. Chrstphr's answer was pretty good.
There is also another type of symbolism used in which a prophecy is given in the lives of people and not in words, that is, an experience called the type points to a fulfillment by repetition of the experience, called the anti-type in the future.
The animal slain (type) for the skins for Adam and Eve is a prophecy fulfilled in Christ (the anti-type ) as the slain lamb. Whole country's histories are prophecies of this kind.
Seek GOD for understanding (read prayerfully), that is, do not seek understanding to find GOD... GOD wants a relationship, not someone who academically knows about HIM no matter how scholarly, eh?
Peace, Ted
I don't think this can be closely estimated. Some but not all, might be close. Chrstphr's answer was pretty good.
There is also another type of symbolism used in which a prophecy is given in the lives of people and not in words, that is, an experience called the type points to a fulfillment by repetition of the experience, called the anti-type in the future.
The animal slain (type) for the skins for Adam and Eve is a prophecy fulfilled in Christ (the anti-type ) as the slain lamb. Whole country's histories are prophecies of this kind.
Seek GOD for understanding (read prayerfully), that is, do not seek understanding to find GOD... GOD wants a relationship, not someone who academically knows about HIM no matter how scholarly, eh?
Peace, Ted
PCE Theology as I see it...
We had an existence with a free will in Sheol before the creation of the physical universe. Here we chose to be able to become holy or to be eternally evil in YHWH's sight. Then the physical universe was created and all sinners were sent to earth.
This theology debunks the need to base Christianity upon the blasphemy of creating us in Adam's sin.
We had an existence with a free will in Sheol before the creation of the physical universe. Here we chose to be able to become holy or to be eternally evil in YHWH's sight. Then the physical universe was created and all sinners were sent to earth.
This theology debunks the need to base Christianity upon the blasphemy of creating us in Adam's sin.
