[Arkinsaw]

God has designed the Bible for his own purposes. He remains vague when he wants, he makes parables when he wants, he explains specifically when he wants, he includes poetry when he wants, he writes allegorically and symbolically when he wants. He does it for reasons. There are reasons why different versions of the gospel are included in the one book (to reach out with different angles of the same story for minds that think in different ways IMO).

To insist that the Bible must speak literally at all times and on all subjects is an attempt to limit an omnipotent and omnipresent God and bind him to literalism. He won't be bound. But people may bind themselves with it. He can write symbolically, allegorically, poetically, artistically, literally, or however he wants and needs for his own purposes and to reach and instruct different people at different times.

[freedumb2003]

To insist that the Bible must speak literally at all times and on all subjects is an attempt to limit an omnipotent and omnipresent God and bind him to literalism. He won't be bound. But people may bind themselves with it. He can write symbolically, allegorically, poetically, artistically, literally, or however he wants and needs for his own purposes and to reach and instruct different people at different times.

Why would you go and be reasonable and rob people of their badly-needed superiority? ;)

ps: Good post!

[ToryHeartland]

To insist that the Bible must speak literally at all times and on all subjects is an attempt to limit an omnipotent and omnipresent God and bind him to literalism. He won't be bound. But people may bind themselves with it.

Bravo, an excellent post! Thank you.

As I see it, it is really only through science we begin to understand the astounding elegance and beauty of creation -- complexity far beyond the compass of any one book of scripture.

To limit God to the pages of scripture, with all the viscitudes to which any transmitted text is subject, while ignoring the splendours of creation itself is, IMHO, a shameful folly. It is the closest to what I might even describe as 'sacrilege.'