This post is part of the January 16th God or Not blog carnival based on the topic of scriptural literalism to be held at Back of the Envelope:
I’m a theist who asserts that the stories of the Bible, that some say literally happened, did not. They are allegories intended to convey a deeper spiritual meaning. In this article I’ll interpret three examples of popular stories that are assumed to literal by many and I’ll conclude with a thought on why my “opposition”, atheists and theist who interpret the Bible literally, will presume, incorrectly, that I’m wrong.
Bible Stories
- Noah’s Ark and the story of the flood are not literally true despite the claims by some who found a splinter on a mountaintop and say it’s the Ark. Let’s review the story. God creates the world but doesn’t like how wicked and evil everyone, except Noah who lives in fellowship with God, is. God tells Noah to build an Ark and put two of every animal onboard. God floods the earth and destroys everything except Noah’s Ark. As the flood ends Noah makes a sacrifice to God and God makes a covenant to never again destroy the earth. So what does this mean? When we don’t live in fellowship with God we will figuratively be destroyed in the sense that we’ll be confused, suffer and live in fear of death. When we are in fellowship with God, but more specifically our immanent divinity (i.e. the soul), we can never be destroyed, as we know that our true nature is wise, loving, eternal and immortal. The duality that we are, as symbolized by two of every animal, becomes One. We let our redemptive divinity rise above our wicked humanity like a rainbow after a storm.
- Adam and Eve did not literally exist. Their story is an allegory for the creation of our divinity (i.e. the soul) and our human self (i.e. the personality). God created Adam, who symbolizes the soul, and Adam, since it was his rib, figuratively created Eve, who symbolizes the personality. This order, and the fact that Eve’s is intended as a companion for Adam, implies that Adam is suppose to be in charge. This has nothing to do with the relationships between men and women. It teaches us that we are to identify with our divinity and follow its intentions. What are the soul’s intentions? To become one with the personality so together they can grow in wisdom, express divinity and fulfill God’s plan. This intention was so strong that they were willing to eat the apple and figuratively die, which leads us to…
- Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross but did not literally rise again after three days. This death and resurrection story predates Jesus. Osiris, Adonis, Mythra and others were said to have died and rose again. So what does this mean? It symbolizes the death of the personality and the rise of the soul. We have a dual nature. We’re both human and divine. We are meant to grow in our spiritual understanding and awareness to realize that we are the soul who uses the personality to express itself in this world. We are not born with a conscious awareness of our spiritual self. The human self thinks that it’s suppose to be in charge of life and of course the result is suffering and confusion. Eventually we realize that there’s something more and that ideally this spiritual side should be in charge. Figuratively the personality dies and the soul rises. It’s important to stress however that the personality has to be strong. After all it is the agent of the soul in this world. The soul needs a healthy personality to bring its divinity into this world.
Why might these seem wrong to the “opposition” namely atheists or theists who take the Bible literally? Because, with all due respect, their ability to intuit (i.e. use their intuition to “think” abstractly) is not well developed. Both groups, but particularly the atheists, have a strong ability to think concretely. They approach all of this God stuff with a sharp mind and they try to “figure it out” with reason. This does not work! You use your body to act, your emotions to emote, your mind to think and your soul to intuit. The difference I’m making between thinking and intuiting is that thinking is reasoning and making sense of the things of this world while intuiting is abstract thinking and making sense of the divine world, namely the divine qualities of love, joy, wisdom, peace, beauty, harmony and goodwill. To be able to approach an understanding of God and the meaning of life you need to develop an ability to intuit abstract ideas. Without it it’s easy and reasonable to conclude that there is no God. With it you know that there is a God and that you are His child!
Cheers,
Brendan
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Wow, I’m so sorry to hear more people relying on their own wisdom for answers about God. Please stick to the Word of God. God’s Word is for everyone, not just people who have “the ability to intuit”. He loves us dumb people too.
The people in Job’s day had preconceived notions on the way God “must” be, because it made perfect sense in human wisdom. But God said they were wrong in Job 42:7. It’s dangerous to stray outside the Word of God. Job realized his error and said in Job 42.3 … “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. … 42:6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
IMO, your third point probably has the most truth in it.
In the second point, there is conflicting evidence (in the Bible) as to whether the first two humans were created in a single act (Gen 1:27) or in the manner you described (Gen 2:22 – woman from man). Under the former version, what, in your opinion, would be the symbolism?
I’m not sure it’s a matter of a person’s ability to intuit. I think it’s just easier for people to take what their church tells them about the Bible than it is to expend the time and energy to discover the truth for themselves.
Where would Christians be without ‘circular reasoning?’
Literalism (as a Biblical interpretation) is fraught with too many inconsistencies to be listed. Intuition may suggest the hint of a creator, but absolute faith in the “word of God” (as suggested in the Bible) is not arrived at through bonfide intuiting. The truth is something far removed from our human language, our human history and (even) humanity itself – all of which are vanities of the sort we have yet to comprehend and accept.
Circular reasoning is exactly correct. That’s often the only way for a Christian to argue anything beyond just saying the old “you just have to have faith” argument. There’s no reason for a Christian to fear these truths to come to light, it doesn’t change the message and your meaning for existence, etc…it just means that your “god” was not necessarily a man from 2,000 years, but rather something you’re never going tob be able to define. Certainly, Christians do not have “copyright” on God, or Jesus, yet they claim their religion to be “the true religion.” How convenient and lucky of them to have chosen the 1st place team!! Ha! Of course if you’re going to be religious, you’re going to choose the religion you think is “the right one.” That’s gets back to the circular discussion, it’s always about being “right” and not having to defend faith as a fear+hope equation.
Of course we can shoot holes in everything said here, including the “word” of God, being written by men with agendas and a lack of information available to them. Secondly, “the word” of god, of course we know that there were MORE words SAID than “written”…and we can and must interpret the rest, unsaid, and unwritten, ourselves.
The only good argument I’ve ever heard (and I grew up in a very religious family) for us to follow the teachings of Jesus, was this; My grandfather said once, “well, whatever you think, Jesus’ message was a good thing, and so it can’t hurt to follow it.” Now, years later, I will admit, I do not think my grandfather meant for me to NOT think Jesus was God. Rather, I’m sure he thinks Jesus is God. For me, I focus on the message, because it’s the only ‘truth’ that we can confirm.
Well – if anyone ever bothered to study the scriptures – and the history related to them – together with the writers of the scriptures and the whole ‘all-entwining’ story – it is quite easy to determine.
It can be surmised that the canonised bible is simply the collection of corrupted/altered teachings; given by Moses, Joshua, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and many other prophets prior to Yehoshua’s arrival (the original name of ‘Jesus’) – then Yehoshua (Yeshua/Joshua or Jesus) and other apostles/teachers gave truer, more spiritual teachings (which were altered until eventually deemed safe) to give to the finally accepted and ‘formalised’ religion, that was run and ordered by the newly formed Roman Catholic church (through Emp. Constantine) during the fourth century.
There are still many truths within it – but also many lies and misleading, irrelevant teachings. There are also many elements of actual history but – again – many falsities. Brendan’s view of the spiritual likeness of Adam & Eve was, in my opinion, excellent. Both his first and third points were good too – I’m not saying they are correct or incorrect; if they produce the correct reaction or enlargement of your Spirit, then it’s correct for you!
If the bible was entirely literal, what would be the point in it – that would make Yahweh solely into a history professor – of course our Creator knows of the history, but He is also our Teacher, Physician, Saviour, Controller and ‘life-coach’. Yehweh is NOT the same as Yehoshua, they are not one and the same person – Numbers 23:19 says, quite clearly;
God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind.
Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfil?
Ye’shua is called ‘son of man’ about 83 times in the gospels alone!
In the fourth century, mankind decided to ‘deify’ this righteous man, that directed many to our Father, originally called Yehoshua but was misaligned (made into a god) and incorrectly called ‘Jesus’. Yahweh is ONE, in agreement with the first commandment. His Spirit is simply His will or power – but Christianity have produced the ‘Trinity’ doctrine, incorrectly making Yehweh, Ye’shua and the ‘Holy’ Spirit all separate but all the same being, which many claim they don’t understand but accept as a mystery! Yehweh is our Father, not a mystery…….
Do some dedicated study people, to determine the truth for yourself!
Don’t just read the bible – open your mind and read other apocryphal (non-canonised) writings as well – follow the truth, for the truth will set you free!
I have a suspicion God meant for the bible to be taken literally, if not I am afraid I missed the passaged prior to Genesis which read…
DEAR CHRISTIAN, HELLO! PLEASE ENJOY THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES; HOWEVER WHAT EVER YOU DO, DO NOT TAKE IT LITERALLY! JESUS, YOU’LL BE WANTING TO GO TO THE BLOODY MOON NEXT!
KIND REGARDS
GOD (OR JEHOVAH, DEPENDING ON YOUR POST CODE)