Demonstrate the Allegory

[-57]

I've certainly never viewed the two Genesis creation accounts as allegories explaining evolution, so I couldn't make a point-by-point comparison.

Oh, and saying that "the Genesis creation account is just allegory" is like saying the story of the Good Samaritan is just a parable. The fact is that allegories and parables play very important roles in scripture.

True, but why should we take Genesis as a parable...especially when it is presented as literal history in other places in the bible?

 

[Archivist]

True, but why should we take Genesis as a parable...especially when it is presented as literal history in other places in the bible?

You are free to interpret Genesis as you wish. I read it as an allegory. To me it is irrelevant that it is cited in other places in scripture as literal history.

 

[-57]

You are free to interpret Genesis as you wish. I read it as an allegory. To me it is irrelevant that it is cited in other places in scripture as literal history.

It should be relevent to you what other parts of the bible have to say about a particular topic.
For example back a few post I presented this question in post 18. Perhaps you missed it.

 

[Archivist]

It should be relevent to you what other parts of the bible have to say about a particular topic.
For example back a few post I presented this question in post 18. Perhaps you missed it.

None of us know what Paul's reasoning was. He is long dead, we can't ask. I assume that Paul read Genesis as a literary account. That is probably how it was understood at the time. That doesn't mean that he was correct. I choose to read it as an allegory. I suspect that most Christians today read it that way. You are, of course, free to interpret it as you wish.

 

[-57]

None of us know what Paul's reasoning was. He is long dead, we can't ask. I assume that Paul read Genesis as a literary account. That is probably how it was understood at the time. That doesn't mean that he was correct. I choose to read it as an allegory. I suspect that most Christians today read it that way.

You can..but what is your reason to interpret Genesis as allegorical?

What do you attribute our sin nature to if Adam wasn't real and the fall never happened?

 

[PloverWing]

I'm looking for those who claim it didn't happen as the scriptures say, such as Adam wasn't real, and explain the allegory, point by point. That is a statement I've heard over and over around here. I don't know why you seem to be wanting to drag it off topic.

I wouldn't use the term "allegory", exactly (that's a slightly different kind of literature), but neither do I think Genesis 1 is intended to be scientific literature. If I were to explain what I think the author is saying, it's something like this:

Day 1) Those of you who think the earth is a god: It's not. God made it.
Day 2) Those of you who think the sky is a god: It's not. God made it.
Day 3) Those of you who worship agriculture and the forests as gods: They're not. God made them.
Day 4) Those of you who worship the sun as a god: It's not a god. God made it.
Day 5) Birds and sea creatures aren't gods either. God made them.
Day 6) Land animals aren't gods either. God made them. And you, human reading this: God made you. You are extra special, because you are a little bit like your creator God. But don't forget: You're not God either. God made you. God made all of it.

As to the question of the exact mechanism that God used to create a variety of species -- I don't think Genesis 1 is trying to address that at all.

 

[SeventyOne]

I wouldn't use the term "allegory", exactly (that's a slightly different kind of literature), but neither do I think Genesis 1 is intended to be scientific literature. If I were to explain what I think the author is saying, it's something like this:

Day 1) Those of you who think the earth is a god: It's not. God made it.
Day 2) Those of you who think the sky is a god: It's not. God made it.
Day 3) Those of you who worship agriculture and the forests as gods: They're not. God made them.
Day 4) Those of you who worship the sun as a god: It's not a god. God made it.
Day 5) Birds and sea creatures aren't gods either. God made them.
Day 6) Land animals aren't gods either. God made them. And you, human reading this: God made you. You are extra special, because you are a little bit like your creator God. But don't forget: You're not God either. God made you. God made all of it.

As to the question of the exact mechanism that God used to create a variety of species -- I don't think Genesis 1 is trying to address that at all.

These are good points, but He does tell us the mechanism by which man was created, and He also gives His order of creation, which is different that the process we are being told in schools.

He also tells us that the plants and animals were made according to their own kind, not merging from one kind to another. Again, the opposite of evolutionary thought.

 

[Archivist]

You can..but what is your reason to interpret Genesis as allegorical?

I've said this in another thread so you should be aware of it, but here it is again. First, the definition of allegory: "An allegory is a piece of art or literature, like a poem or story, in which people, things or happenings have a hidden or symbolic meaning." The characters in allegories are often animals or objects that are given human feelings or thoughts, and they usually represent a generalization about life or an abstract idea.

What are some of the characteristics of an allegory?

Writer's Values In the case of Genesis, God created everything.

Polarizing Relationships In the case of Genesis, good versus evil.

Poety Genesis 1 is a Hebrew poem.

Object Personification A talking snake, a tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

What do you attribute our sin nature to if Adam wasn't real and the fall never happened?

Sin entered the world. Exactly how that happened, to my mind, does not matter. It certainly did not enter the world through some forbidden fruit.

You are, of course, free to your own interpretation.

 

[Speedwell]

I've said this in another thread so you should be aware of it, but here it is again. First, the definition of allegory: "An allegory is a piece of art or literature, like a poem or story, in which people, things or happenings have a hidden or symbolic meaning." The characters in allegories are often animals or objects that are given human feelings or thoughts, and they usually represent a generalization about life or an abstract idea.

Your definition of "allegory" raises an important issue. There is nothing in it which precludes some or all of the characters being based on real people. Calling the Garden story an allegory does not ipso facto deny the existence of a real, historical Adam or a real, historical event which could be seen as The Fall.

The claim that it does so is a red herring, because the real issue with creationists is their "literal and inerrant" interpretation, not whether there was an actual Adam or not, or an actual Fall.