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Author Topic:   The Bible: Literal or Figurative
nipok
Inactive Member


Message 13 of 40 (129961)
08-03-2004 4:35 AM


I don't see a problem (part 3)
I submit that the holy texts are figurative works because had God tried to relay the true nature of the world and universe with scientific explanations, the holy texts would not be comprehended by the masses. Even now the masses cannot fully appreciate the true complexity of the universe and the full scope of scientific progress and knowledge we have accumulated. A man (with or without God's guidance) wrote every holy text in such a way as to attempt to explain the unknown and control a fear of the unknown. In doing so many also supplied a moral guide to help civilize those who followed the teachings. I submit that the holy texts may have basis in accurate depictions of events but they are not literal depictions of events. Many passages are figurative and metaphorical in order to put the literal nature of the universe in a terminology, language, and conceptualization that the general public at the time could understand and accept. Things such as the creation of this planet, the origin of life, heaven and hell were explained in such a way that the general public at the time could comprehend them. The fact that science may now or in the future be able to explain certain things that at one time were unexplainable does not mean the holy texts were wrong, just that figurative explanations were used that can be interpreted many different ways to fit the literal scientific explanations that will become available as time goes on.
As science progresses on every inhabited planet organized religion will continue to digress until such a point as one of 4 things happen.
1) Science can once and all either fully prove or disprove God beyond any shadow of a doubt.
2) Religion dissipates over thousands of years to be replaced by a godless science.
3) Religion and science merge and over thousands of years into a doctrine that does not negate the possible existence of God and but instead puts a literal accepted meaning to the figurative works thus keeping the best of all the holy texts without the need to compare rights and wrongs between the texts.
4) Due to the moral decay associated with the digression of religion the primary society at the top of the food chain fails to provide a sustainable habitable environment to secure the evolutionary chain into the next thousand years let alone the next hundred thousand years or longer.

Replies to this message:
 Message 15 by Loudmouth, posted 08-03-2004 6:11 PM nipok has not replied

  
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