[allmendream]

“Dust” is obviously an analogy. Genesis says God commanded the oceans and the land to bring forth life. Yet elsewhere the Bible says that all animals are formed ‘from dust’ and says ‘to dust they shall return’.

One may as well say “from molecules animals are formed, and to molecules they shall return”. Perfectly and completely 100% true. Only one slavishly devoted to literalism would insist that “dust” was actually small particles of dirt.

[atlaw]

“Dust” is obviously an analogy.

Analogy, allegory, metaphor, and all those other literary weasel words just mean lie, fable, and fiction. All of it is either literally true or literally a lie.

Only one slavishly devoted to literalism would insist that “dust” was actually small particles of dirt.

Well, I've been told in no uncertain terms that if you're not "slavishly devoted to literalism," you're not a Christian. So we're either made of dust and air or God is a liar.

[tpanther]

Only one slavishly devoted to literalism would insist that “dust” was actually small particles of dirt.

Contrast this with those devoted to the PC cult of evolution and demand that everyone believes man came from primordial soup..., i.e., dirt.

I've always associated dust with dirt, although, when dusting the house I wound't call a dusty house necessarily "dirty", as in unclean or virulent.