Why does everyone take the bible so damn literally?

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This is what I don't get because to me the bible is so contradictory that it's impossible to trust whether or not such verses were intended to be a literal interpretation or metaphorical. If Jesus Christ had written the book himself (or if the book had been more claimed to be written by Jesus) then it would be easier for someone like me to take the book more literally. But it's much harder to trust a book made by a series of individuals who may have opposing views on such and such.

But let's not the count the Atheists out on this issue. Everytime I hear the Atheists use the Bible as a means of criticizing Christianity, they always go for the violent stuff from the Old Testament which to me makes no sense because once Jesus Christ enters the scene everything from the Old Testament would be considered irrelevant to the Christian religion wouldn't it? Back when I was a hardcore Christian, I believed that the Old Testament was merely a large backstory building up to the New Testament. There are so many verses however that contradict other verses and it's for the most part rather confusing. The way I see it, the Bible shouldn't be taken as a literal rulebook. It doesn't take a genius to grasp the whole concept behind Jesus Christ but so many people on both sides want to over-analyze things to the point of losing touch with reality.

I mean the Bible isn't even translated for English readers in a way that makes any sense.

Oh well.

Last edited by raisedbyignorance on 22 Jan 2011, 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If only the NT testament matters, then why must the OT be in the bible at all?

To be honest I think of religious debates, including most Atheistic viewpoints (and I am an Atheist, but one who doesn't demonize religion) are like a room full of farting people. The atmosphere just gets worse and worse the more people contribute

Firstly, one thing you can find out about God, is that he is a very Jealous God, the first of the 10 Commandments is to have no other gods, not purely because hes a selfish God, but because he wants us for himself, if we are found to be worshipping the Devil in disguise, he knows the Devil can laya claim on us.

In Haggi, it is quite specific that God will reject even true and clean worship if it is contaminated by false worship.

Hense, if people dont take the Bible as literally as they are able to understand it, people are free to make thier own religions which if they do not conform to Gods idea of his religion, they would miss out on the rewards of belonging to God.
In effect, without a literal guiding book, you could just make up a religion, say its from God, and who would know?
So, we have no choice but to take the Bible literally.

If you read the Bible a lot, it does actually harmonise, but in a deep way.
What you said about the violence of the Old Testament can be viewed like this for instance.
We left God at Eden, we no longer have any place on the planet he made, its his world, he can chose who he wishes to live on it, hense, for enemies of God and his people, the world is a dangerous place and he is a dangerous God.
The law given to the Jews demonstrated that even when God told us how to behave, we couldnt.
Hense, the old testament has given us this picture of the real implications of Gods promise to Adam as to what would happen to man if he disobeyed.

Then, along comes Jesus, one of the parables of Jesus was of two men who owed money they couldnt pay, one a litlle, the other a lot, both where let off, Jesus said that the man let off a lot, would Love his benifactor a lot more than the one a little.
So, Jesus has taught that though we dont deserve salvation, God is so loving that hes going to let us off the heavy price for our sins that the Old Testament showed us, by Jesus himself payin the price with his death.

The result being, we feel so gratefull to the Love of God and to Jesus as well, that it is our Love for them, that makes us try to be good, not just selfish self preservation.


Another clue about the Bible, its written in a sort of code, I dont mean like numerology, but in a way that you can only see it if you really look hard and God helps you, this is what Daniel said about his own writtings in the book of Daniel.

Chapter 12

4But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

8And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

9And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

10Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

My theory: To put the fear of God into us. To make us realize how easy we have it living under Grace instead of Law. In OT times, people worked their tails off for the hope of possible salvation. Nowadays, all we have to do is confess that Christ is the Lord of our life, and we are guaranteed salvation.

Also, the OT gives a framework of how we should strive to live, the NT tells us that Christ broke the shackles, that we would not be held accountable to the law, He did that for us already.

Well it was written by many different people over a long period of time. Obviously there will be contradictions and inconsistencies. Men are imperfect beings.

Any sort of editorial oversight didn't come about until the Council of Nicea. Even then, it was in the interest of rulers then to keep faith intentially vague so gullible masses could be controlled better. Any contradictions pointed out were just refuted as being "the mystery of faith" and God's will being unimaginable and unknowable so don't question it.

Most people seem to know better nowadays, but there are still some who revel in taking it litterally. Let us hope they do not be fruitful and multiply.

Thanks for the laugh! Thats a good way of putting it!

for a moment, i thought you meant the neuro-typical testament


most people only take certain bits seriously, ie they pick which bits to adhere to.


i do not "believe" in God, but if there is solid evidence to prove that he/she/it exists, i will have no problem accepting it.




the NT is pretty much "we want to eat shellfish and wear mixed fibers, but we still hate gays"


i also wrote this while eating a fish supper.

I'm just saddened that they cut out the Apocrypha and the Book of Enoch.

Christianity is based on the fulfillment of some of the prophecies. In particular the prophecy of the Messiah.

ruvveyn

Many people accept the Bible and consider it worthwhile because it was pounded into their heads when they were children and the dents never get smoothed out. It is a huge compendium of folk tales, imaginative nonsense, great poetry, social advice and all sorts of wishful thinking which, at end, is amusing but of little if any of practical value. The whole theological dogma and hierarchy was assembled by ignorant people trying to make some sort of sense of the world with almost no valid data. It is taken seriously because there are scads of people more addicted to ignorance than attempting seriously to understand the world with sophisticated data. Too bad, but that's how it goes.

Assuming you want a viable answer to a sincere question, which seems to fit with your wording:

certain people take the bible or other available texts and doctrines and little red books literally because they are programmed to buy into the program, learn the rules and spit back rather than think.

certain other people take them literally because that is the best way to fimd something to make fun of.

The Bible, the Constitution, Mein Kampf, On the Origin of Species - they can and will do it to anything.

Because people like to believe in fairy tails? the mind is a powerful thing, hardly anyone today understands with modern science. Now imagine your a guy living thousands of years ago

exactly.

What sort of tails do fairies have/

ruvyen

You may want to watch the movie to find out.

[img][800:656]http://mizorui.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Fairy-Tail-OVA.jpg[/img]

Do we really need another reason to love japan?