Do you take the Bible literally?

[Aardvarks]

Well, see women ARE smarter. We've always known one DH was enough.

Why a man takes a wife is a mystery

Why a man takes two wives is an even bigamistry............


and not to forget

...a man without a wife is like a duck without a bicycle



( i hope Mrs Aardvarks doesnt see this.....she is gonna kill me)

 

[allison443]

There is a book out now that some of you may be interested in. It is called "The Year of Living Biblically" by AJ Jacobs. He spend a year following all the laws and rules in the bible. Wow!
Here is a description from Amazon:

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. What would it require for a person to live all the commandments of the Bible for an entire year? That is the question that animates this hilarious, quixotic, thought-provoking memoir from Jacobs (The Know-It-All). He didn't just keep the Bible's better-known moral laws (being honest, tithing to charity and trying to curb his lust), but also the obscure and unfathomable ones: not mixing wool with linen in his clothing; calling the days of the week by their ordinal numbers to avoid voicing the names of pagan gods; trying his hand at a 10-string harp; growing a ZZ Top beard; eating crickets; and paying the babysitter in cash at the end of each work day. (He considered some rules, such as killing magicians, too legally questionable to uphold.) In his attempts at living the Bible to the letter, Jacobs hits the road in highly entertaining fashion to meet other literalists, including Samaritans in Israel, snake handlers in Appalachia, Amish in Lancaster County, Pa., and biblical creationists in Kentucky. Throughout his journey, Jacobs comes across as a generous and thoughtful (and, yes, slightly neurotic) participant observer, lacing his story with absurdly funny cultural commentary as well as nuanced insights into the impossible task of biblical literalism.

 

[golfgal]

In Genisis it states "The Earth was void". Meaning that there was nothing on the Earth but it was here.

I was talking about what happened previous to this 6000 years-before written history--Neanderthal man, dinosaurs, etc. According to her church none of that happened and 6000 years ago Adam/Eve appeared and it went from there.

 

[metalis4ever]

The sad part is that there are millions of people who do take it literally and those who don't and don't speak out against it are just as wrong..The below excerpt is just one of thousands of examples that backs up my opinion:

 

[jimmiej]

Personally, I do think God is all powerful and did give humans free will. I believe God created humans for relationship with Himself. I think He wants us to choose to love Him.

I think God is pwerful enough to keep His Word for us. Sure, there are English translations and words used in my Bible that may not be the same as the original. So, we have learned to look to the original for the correct translation of a word. I do not agree that it would take a lot of interfering to keep it pure--not with the original.

As far as your examples of literal vs. not as protestents--well, that is interpretation. Whether you believe the bread and wine to turn to blood or body is not something that your salvation depends on. I believe Christ was saying "this is (represents my body), take and eat"...etc. My Catholic friends would say it turns to the actual body once taken. Although these are different views, they do not matter in the plan of what they are or why we do them. If they are just bread and wine, they'll be just bread and wine for the Catholic also. If they are His blood and body, they'll also be that way for me when I partake of them too.
Maybe I am supposed to have a head covering in church--that isn't something I do and I might be wrong for not doing it. I'd have to look into it more to give you a thought.

I think the Bible is pretty clear on works and salvation. Salvation brings works but works is not required for salvation itself. If I am saved and not doing works then yes, I definitely have trouble there and it would need to be looked at. But there is no work that will earn me Heaven. Jesus's Work did that for all of us who choose Him.

I've been dunked as I believe Jesus was also by John the Baptist. Is sprinkling wrong? I have no idea but personally do not think it is. I do not believe baptism is a requirement for heaven although I do believe if you have time and can be baptized, you should do it as an outward sign of what has taken place within your heart and life.

I respect your thoughts and views and I'm sharing mine with you. I believe the jist of the bible is to show the lineage of Christ, whose life was planned by God aa the way of salvation for sins for His people. The stories of the lives of Abraham, Noah, David etc. show us many things about life and about the nature of God. These people were part of the linage of Christ (IMB) and their stories are of value to me and, I think, to all of us.

I believe that the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ is so simple that interpretations cannot change it. We can add all kinds of church and denominational rules around it but it is still what it is. Man-made rules are just that, man made rules. I do think man has taken liberties with the bible and tried to twist things into what they want it to say or a way to control people or a reason to fight when God was not leading. Those things are wrong and I feel people will be held accountable for it. I just think people tend to try to complicate a very simple plan that God planned for man once sin entered the world.
I do not have all the answers; I am filled with lots of questions myself. But honestly, none of the questions make me doubt salvation through Christ. They are more or less just details.

Thanks for responding Brenda. I was sick yesterday & had no desire to get on the computer. Didn't mean to ignore you all.

 

[Kath2003]

I view the Bible as stories crafted by men to support a specific perspective, often, though not always, admirable. Therefore, some if it is useful, some of it useless, and a lot of it is in between.

Exactly. It's a lot of nice stories but like everything, it's written for a purpose.

 

[Cee]

I would never put a plank in my eye. Though I've often felt like there was one
in there.

 

[Iluvfrenchquarter]

As many times as the Bible has been translated and retranslated, I don't know how anyone could take it literally.

Only someone who can read the texts in the language in which it was originally written (sanskrit, I believe. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong)knows the truth of what the Bible really says.

 

[bicker]

The sermon this morning outlined a set of misinterpretations commonly adopted by people who assert that they literally interpret the Bible -- very enlightening.

 

[Disney Doll]

I see it as a fairy tale or a book of short stories. Way to many inconsistancies to be anything but, IMO.

To be sure there is much that can be learned from this (and any) storytelling I'm just not one to literally believe in magical hoodoo.

Thank you for the very respectful tone of your post.

I am sure all of for whom the Bible is one of the bases of our religious practice are most appreciative of your tact.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

Thank you for the very respectful tone of your post.

I am sure all of for whom the Bible is one of the bases of our religious practice are most appreciative of your tact.

You're welcome. Is my POV irrelevent because it differs drastically from yours?