symbolism won't prove or disprove the existence of god...
It wont and that isn't my point. The bible is full of interesting windows into human psychology and great symbolism. Reading it from a scholarly point of view is almost guaranteed to give you a different outlook on life or, if nothing else, a new found respect of some of the beliefs.
It's a metaphor for burying the dead. And how the dead decompose into soil. Thus they are made from dirt. Also, lots of the elements found in us are found in soil. Like carbon.
That too, religiously it's also supposed to show the frailty of man. I suppose that also can translate to life as we know it.
unless it has an epic light saber duel with the devil i won't like it our family is 'catholic' though we've never been to church and i never read the bible let alone touched it
I recommend you read the Bible, along with other version of it. It just makes arguing against it that much easier.
Fair, however, what about moral grey areas? Then again God's word is an absolute truth so I guess that argument wouldn't work either.
What about moral gray areas? If we are imagining a world without evil then we would have to imagine a world where either everyone thinks alike, thus there would be no gray areas. Or one where nobody cares about individuals moral standards that have no effect on them, so moral gray areas would be meaningless.
On Gods word being absolute couldn't God change his mind?
Then take the people who believe it seriously, they're still people and they deserve respect even when they wont respect you. Also if you've never read the bible I'm not sure you can say that the Christian god it illogical.
That's actually a pretty good point, it's like saying a song you never heard sucks.
It's symbolism for the fact that man came from dirt and to dirt he will return. We will all die can you deny this? Woman means roughly from man the rib shows the connection between the two genders.
Until the 18th century this wasn't taken as symbolism and many such as evangelicals still regard it as fact today.
Reading it from a scholarly point of view is almost guaranteed to give you a different outlook on life or, if nothing else, a new found respect of some of the beliefs.
Honestly it didn't for me. I fond it almost laughable anyone would completely buy into what's in there.
No, but he does. Leading to some nasty little contradictions.
If he changes his mind then it's no longer an absolute.
Even if you take it as fact you can't miss the symbolism, or at least you shouldn't.
If it's being regarded as fact it's no longer symbolism.
Not even the odd parable?
The key word is completely, I will agree there are good morals in there, however I do think they are heavily diluted by many immoral points. But to regard it as absolute truth...
How? It's either real or it's just a representation of something else.
Just ignore the Old Testament for all purposes other than study. The immorality tends to go away.
Considering the New often refers back tot he old that's kinda hard to do with out some heavy cherry picking. Also the New isn't without it's own immorality.
It's a metaphor for burying the dead. And how the dead decompose into soil. Thus they are made from dirt. Also, lots of the elements found in us are found in soil. Like carbon.
I, or any other living being, am not formed out of dirt, and though I may become dirt one day, I may as well partly become part of a worms body, or part of a plant. And carbon is found in so many organic and anorganic matter that it is a pretty bad example.
Anyway I do get the symbolism of this, but like Mage says some believing people don't. Some religious people still take the bible literally. Although I didn't read the bible, I do see how religion acts, how religious people behave. I'm basically not against religion or faith, I'm against how some people practice it, and to contest this I don't think I need to read the bible.
Eh... is this all arguments with winners to you noob?
I find it hard to actually dislike someone, but Noob, you are coming close. I dont care if you say you care, because I know that the world does care
Although I didn't read the bible, I do see how religion acts, how religious people behave. I'm basically not against religion or faith, I'm against how some people practice it, and to contest this I don't think I need to read the bible.
