Why read the Bible literally?

God doesn't DISCUSS his Law, He explains it. Jesus is God. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. He condemned the Pharisees' interpretation of the Law and taught its true meaning Himself. If you are with Jesus you are against the Pharisees.

I posted plenty of proof that you are wrong. See my Message 109 for a list of CHURCH FATHERS (from the Religious Tolerance website) who read Genesis literally, among many others.

YES, WILFUL IGNORANCE SHOULD BE TOLERATED. Anything people do short of criminal behavior should be permitted in a FREE SOCIETY! The idea that you have the right to dictate what people believe and teach their children is an abuse of freedom in a free society, a denial of BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.This message has been edited by Faith, 06-23-2005 01:21 PM

Read my list at Message 109, read what it says at Religious Tolerance, and while you're at it take a look at the links at my Message 179 where the literal interpretation of Genesis is strongly argued as the TRADITIONAL INTERPRETATION OF THE CHURCH against the liberalizing revisionist view of the Liberal Theology of the 19th century.

Read the Origen quote about Genesis. It is very odd, but it doesn't support an allegorical reading. The quotes of the other Church Fathers are, however, indisputable.

Ran across this post again and have a better answer:No, all it takes is "faith like a mustard seed" and your understanding will grow from there.But the tiniest faith if it is true faith means not dismissing any part of scripture simply because it doesn't make sense to you. Even if 99% of it doesn't make sense, faith means suspending judgment, just leave it for later, and faith will gradually reduce the percentage that doesn't make sense. That's how it happened with me.

I will stick my neck out to say that it is NOBODY'S BUSINESS what people teach their children. NONE. I don't care if they are the craziest racists you ever heard of. Again, personal BELIEFS, THOUGHTS, OPINIONS MUST BE TOLERATED if a society is to remain free, no matter how obnoxious you or anybody else thinks those views are. NOTHING SHORT OF CRIMINAL ACTS is the state's business. Life has a way of teaching people all kinds of things over time. Let life take care of anti-social opinions. Leave people alone!

That's a vile slander. The Chosen People is not a racial concept, and superiority over others was NOT what it ever meant.

I wasn't talking about your quote, I was talking about the quote at Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance is not my friend but what they have quoted is Church Fathers who believed in the literal six-day creation. They no doubt think this is stupid but the quotes appear to be legit.

As opposed to letting you define what is false, absolutely!

EVOLUTION IS NOT 2+2=4 but even if it were, those who think it's not have the right to believe that and be left alone to believe it and not be harassed by self-appointed dictators like you enforced by the state.

You aren't getting something.People have the right to be wrong. Even about 2+2.All freedom, all human rights and civil rights have to do with protecting people's rights to believe differently from other people. They all believe they are right and the others wrong. SOME OF THEM ARE NECESSARILY WRONG, but they have that right.

How do YOU justify harassing and coercing ordinary people to teach their children what YOU want them to teach them by YOUR definition of "falsehood?"

Let people be wrong. You have no right to force them to be right. You have no right to interfere with what parents teach their children. You are simply giving the same rationale that every do-gooder dictator has done who ended up imprisoning and murdering people to make them agree with the Factual Truth.

The thing is I don't have time. I'm merely angry and *taking* the time because of that, but it's going to cost me. What you want of me would require more thought and probably some research to show you how it isn't as obvious as it looks to you. Please allow me to address it later. Thanks.