10-16-2015, 09:03 AM
(10-16-2015, 08:48 AM)GodHatesBengals Wrote: Whilst I'm glad there are many Christians who don't take the Bible literally, a. there are still many, especially in this country, who do and b. I've yet to hear any kind of a real explanation as to how we should determine what parts of the Bible are literal and what parts are not. It seems to me a rather convenient card that is pulled whenever any of the countless absurd parts of the Bible are being discussed--"don't take it literally!!"
Is the resurrection of Jesus literal, and if it is, how do you know?
Honestly, each person is different, as was mentioned before, in how they interpret the Bible. It speaks to them in different ways. What parts each person takes literally or as an allegorical tool will differ. Some people look at entire books and question their veracity (I often equate Revelation to the psilocybin induced rantings of a hermit). Each person's relationship with God, and therefore the Word which is the Bible (and Jesus, but that just complicates things) is going to be different. There are how many denominations out there? And then the millions of people within all of Christendom, most don't fit neatly into the little boxes that exist within those denominations or the non-denominational churches and their teachings. The faith is about your relationship. It's not about the guidelines handed down by church elders or the hierarchy. It's not about what you are taught in Sunday school, or the sermon your pastor preaches. It's about you and God. Nothing more, nothing less. The liturgy is just a way of celebrating the relationship, or at least that is my opinion of it.
And through faith we believe the resurrection of Jesus is literal. For it is through his resurrection that we receive God's grace.
Edit: I am aware that I got a little heavy handed on the religiosity there, which is a bit uncommon for me. You must understand that while I have always followed the teachings of Jesus because, well, whatever your faith he had a lot of good shit to say, I have, as of late, been doing a bit more soul searching and discovering my personal faith a bit more. I don't plan on getting preachy often because the modern form of evangelism bugs me, but I may end up trying to start discussions that may seem out of the norm for me.
"A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy..." - TR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
