If the Bible is metaphorical, couldn't it all mean something completely different?

Question

Fundamentalists take the bible literally, as if it all actually happened.. But if the Bible is metaphorical, it would then be down to interpretation and therefore could mean something completely different?

Answer 1

To me, the most interesting parts of the world's major religions is that they were concocted by men claiming to have been spoken to in private by God. If Moses or Mohammed came to you today and claimed God had a little chat with them, you'd dismiss them as lunatics. Yet because someone wrote it down a long time ago, somehow it's true? Smh...

Answer 2

Yes, and that is why there are thousands of denominations. Christianity is the 'Pic-n-mix' of Faith.



...and all the nonsense about 'personal connection to god' etc. is just another way of saying "I am totally right and everyone else is wrong." That is total arrogance not understanding. I have listened to so many who claim that 'God (or the Holy Spirit) gave them the 'true' meaning of the Bible, and guess what... none agree with each other... funny that!



It is also interesting that if the Bible was indeed the 'true' word of a super intelligence; and that being was going to punish billions on the misunderstanding of said book, then why does it take hundreds if not thousands of books to interpret the Bible?

Answer 3

So did virtually every Hebrew and Jewish person until the last generation when Jews began to leave the religion completely, or only use it as culture versus religion.



The Old Testament was put together to give a history of the Hebrew people. They believed in was history. The New Testament was also put together to tell the history, this time to the next generation because they finally realized Jesus wouldn't return in their lifetime and the original disciples were beginning to get old and die.



But....regardless of whether you feel it was a historical book to be taken literally....there is NO DOUBT they believed it literally.

Answer 4

No,not if you study and learn the meanings of the words used as metaphors. Take for instance (water) probably the most used metaphor,it represents truth and knowledge.

Answer 5

some of it is metaphor, some is history, some is poetry, some is wisdom.

There are a lot of different parts of the Bible written by a lot of different people. Understanding the people who wrote it, and their culture is a big part of understanding the meaning behind various parts of the Bible.

Answer 6

It's written that way for a reason. The bible isn't written for the unsaved. The bible is only for those indwelled with the holy spirit who helps us discern the scriptures proper meanings.

Answer 7

It is not only metaphorical maybe 1%, it is mainly real life.



1Co:2:14: But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Answer 8

Do you actually know what "metaphorical" means? Here is the research: 1300 pages of it!

http://openlibrary.org/search?q=e.+w.+bullinger+figures+of+speech

Answer 9

That is the opt out clause for Christianity.



Either way it is still horseshit in essence.

Answer 10

That is what preachers are for, they are there to interpret and apply to modern life.

Answer 11

And if your grandmother had testicles, she'd be your grandfather.