I know there is symbolic language, and that's exactly why I posted what I did.
Its literally impossible to take the Bible "100% literally".
I don't like that either but that doesn't mean there isn't symbolic language in the bible that is obvious. No biblical scholar of any stripe takes the bible 100% literally.
Nope, gallup asked if people do and some people said yes so it must be true.I know there is symbolic language, and that's exactly why I posted what I did.
Its literally impossible to take the Bible "100% literally".
Yet 28% of Americans put the lie to your words.Nope, gallup asked if people do and some people said yes so it must be true.
Absolutely absurd.
Guys, no Christian takes the bible 100% literally word for word. It is as simple as that.
Speaking ex cathedra now, you're a very silly person.Nope.
Thankfully I am not Catholic.Speaking ex cathedra now, you're a very silly person.
Nope.
Me neither, and you are still a very silly person. Thus it has been written and thus it is.Thankfully I am not Catholic.
Thankfully I am not Catholic.
Pope doesn't take the bible 100% literally either. I'm right. Bowfinger et al is wrong.
Thankfully I am not Catholic.
Pope doesn't take the bible 100% literally either. I'm right. Bowfinger et al is wrong.
I don't take you literally. You are just a metaphor.Me neither, and you are still a very silly person. Thus it has been written and thus it is.
Exactly. It's hilarious that in his childish compulsion to save face, he's demonstrating my original point. Evangelicals like to assert that the Bible is the perfect word of God, and must be taken literally. The problem is they then brush off texts that contradict their particular dogma. The Bible is the perfect word of God ... except for all the parts they subjectively decide don't apply to them today. They pick and choose which parts of the Bible to accept, and which to ignore.If the Bible is not to be taken literally, then you're just picking and choosing what you want to accept as true, according to your own fallen nature and relying on your fallible human judgment. ...
I was using my phone and sometimes things get a little scrambled so sorry if i quoted the wrong person.You've confused me with someone else. As I said, you're welcome to your faith (as long as you don't try to force it on others). While I think it's irrational to insist the Bible be taken literally, word for word, it's a free country. The downside to that belief is it pushes many people into extreme positions, e.g., the Earth being only 6,000 years old and it being created in literally seven days. As the majority of Christians show us, neither belief is required in order to believe in God, nor even to believe God created the heavens, the Earth, and life.
I agree completely.That's fine, you don't have to believe it. If you prefer to believe God created the universe, go for it. From your perspective, science is just saying God created the universe with the Big Bang. Science and God don't have to be mutually exclusive.
As far as your children are concerned, I suggest you be truthful. We live in a secular country with diverse beliefs. Tell them they will be exposed to different views and different values. This means other people will be "sinning" according to your beliefs. But also tell them that Christ told you to love the sinner, even if you hate the sin. Tolerance should be a key Christian value.America is fine for me and I realize that I will offend others and others will offend me. Moving to a different country wont change that.
If I cant teach them that then ive failed in teaching them anything about Christ and not a very good parent. (But thats when im married and have children)
I will recheck on that. The last I heard was that the law was passed. The govt saying that if you dont comply you will lose your tax exempt status. In any case this was something the govt was trying to pass.I will point out one error in your comments. You claim that the government is requiring ministers to marry homosexuals. To the best of my knowledge, that is completely false. While businesses have been required to provide their commercial services to homosexuals, that does not apply to churches.
You've confused me with someone else. As I said, you're welcome to your faith (as long as you don't try to force it on others). While I think it's irrational to insist the Bible be taken literally, word for word, it's a free country. The downside to that belief is it pushes many people into extreme positions, e.g., the Earth being only 6,000 years old and it being created in literally seven days. As the majority of Christians show us, neither belief is required in order to believe in God, nor even to believe God created the heavens, the Earth, and life.fortunatley the Bible doesnt say that the earth is 6000 years old. It does say God created the earth.
If the Bible states a scientific fact then it should hold up under scientific scrutiny.That's fine, you don't have to believe it. If you prefer to believe God created the universe, go for it. From your perspective, science is just saying God created the universe with the Big Bang. Science and God don't have to be mutually exclusive.
people will get offended anywhere they go. I was merely pointing out the it works both ways.Yep, the drawback to living in a free country is you will be offended (see my .sig). America has both freedom of religion and freedom of speech. If you cannot abide that, you should probably be looking for a country with a theocracy. Sadly, the ones I'm most familiar with are Islamic theocracies, but I haven't looked into it.
If I dont do that for my (future) children then Ive failed in teaching them about Christ.As far as your children are concerned, I suggest you be truthful. We live in a secular country with diverse beliefs. Tell them they will be exposed to different views and different values. This means other people will be "sinning" according to your beliefs. But also tell them that Christ told you to love the sinner, even if you hate the sin. Tolerance should be a key Christian value.
This was a big issue and maybe still is. I will check into it as I may have been mistaken if the law finally passed. The govt wanted to force all churches to marry homosexual couples if they wanted the church to marry them. If the churches didnt comply they would lose there tax exempt statusI will point out one error in your comments. You claim that the government is requiring ministers to marry homosexuals. To the best of my knowledge, that is completely false. While businesses have been required to provide their commercial services to homosexuals, that does not apply to churches.
elitejp,
For me, the fundamental question is the epicurean question. No religion has answered that question to my satisfaction. Why would an omnipotent and omniloving God allow the mountain of suffering associated with life?
These people think that it does.Fortunately the Bible doesnt say that the earth is only 6000years old.
Ask them how they read this.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+84:11&version=ESV
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
Have you found a Christian who thinks God is a literal sun yet?Exactly. It's hilarious that in his childish compulsion to save face, he's demonstrating my original point. Evangelicals like to assert that the Bible is the perfect word of God, and must be taken literally. The problem is they then brush off texts that contradict their particular dogma. The Bible is the perfect word of God ... except for all the parts they subjectively decide don't apply to them today. They pick and choose which parts of the Bible to accept, and which to ignore.
Nobody is saying this.If the Bible is not to be taken literally, then you're just picking and choosing what you want to accept as true, according to your own fallen nature and relying on your fallible human judgment. ...
If you're not a father, you might find that becoming one widens your perspective on this question. This question troubles me still, but it troubles me less than it did when I was childless. Fathers are called upon to permit and even inflict pain upon the children they love, for those children's own good. It's not hard to see that as an allegory to God's nature regarding pain.
At any rate, if you sincerely are trying to answer this question, I invite you to read the Problem of Pain by CS Lewis.
because the Bible doesnt make any certain statement saying the earth is 6000 years old. Nor does it matter in the scheme of things if the earth is 6000 or 6 million.These people think that it does.
So do these people.
So do these people.
So do these people.
Why are you right and they're wrong?
You're just re-stating your dubious claim in the face of evidence which seems to suggest your claim is false. Why should we believe you and not the multitude of Christian organizations that claim precisely the opposite?because the Bible doesnt make any certain statement saying the earth is 6000 years old.
I don't really agree, but that doesn't change the fact that a large number of Christians believe that the Bible does say that the world is only 6000 years old, in contradiction to your claim.Nor does it matter in the scheme of things if the earth is 6000 or 6 million.
Have you found a Christian who thinks God is a literal sun yet?
Are you more knowledgeable than them? What are your credentials?