do you take the bible literally?

[seerly]

hello, hope you are well, here is something that fascinates me as an atheist who lives my life with down to earth common sense. do christians here take everything in the bible as literal fact, that if it is said in the bible then it happened exactly that way? heres just a few questions i would like to see some honest answers to;

do you believe that noah was 600 years old?
did moses really part the red sea?
adam and eve began human life on earth?

i wont go on, i am just fascinated because we are all human beings with human brains and i would like to see how people who believe this can logically accept it as true without saying, because its in the bible. its rational thought im enquiring about.

 

[drich0150]

do christians here take everything in the bible as literal fact, that if it is said in the bible then it happened exactly that way?

Yes because literal facts are facts that can be proved or disproved literally.

do you believe that Noah was 600 years old?

Yes, but we also know we count years differently than people in Noah's day did.

did moses really part the red sea?

God parted the Red sea. Moses was just the conduit of that act.

Adam and eve began human life on earth?

Again no, God did. Adam and eve were simple apart of that equation.

i wont go on, i am just fascinated because we are all human beings with human brains and i would like to see how people who believe this can logically accept it as true without saying, because its in the bible. its rational thought I'm inquiring about.

Truly rational thought often requires one to think beyond one preconceived ideas...

 

[ChrisLeishy]

hello, hope you are well, here is something that fascinates me as an atheist who lives my life with down to earth common sense. do christians here take everything in the bible as literal fact, that if it is said in the bible then it happened exactly that way? heres just a few questions i would like to see some honest answers to;

do you believe that noah was 600 years old?
did moses really part the red sea?
adam and eve began human life on earth?

i wont go on, i am just fascinated because we are all human beings with human brains and i would like to see how people who believe this can logically accept it as true without saying, because its in the bible. its rational thought im enquiring about.

What you have to understand is this, you live in the 21 st century and were probably educated in the 20th century. Our communication and recording methods are different.

A LOT of people have made careers of trying to disprove whats in the bible. I haven't seen any headlines in the last 50 years to any success.

Oral tradition was used to record the events in the bible over years until it was recorded. This does not mean the central themes are in any way inaccurate. If you are content to believe the rest of history, like if the Caesars lived the method of recording history is the same as was used in the bible.



look at this.



Psalm 23 (New King James Version)

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD
Forever.


The Valley of the shadow of death is a real geographical place, not just a metaphor, it is a road linking Jericho and Jerusalem with steep walls either side and is dangerous to walk through because of lack of light.

http://www.olivebranch.com/isreal/mtemp.htm

the Bible has lots of historical Facts in it.



It is literal in parts see.



Parts of it are poetic & parts are literal.

Much is wisdom that is timeless.

From the bible you can gain insight into gods character and mans interaction with God from recorded highlights in history.

It is best read in the context of when it was written and for who it was written in what language.

Sometimes our translations don't do it justice.

The bible is trustworthy.


If you find it hard to believe stuff try this:

I take this absolutely literally as good advice-

Proverbs 25:24 NIV

Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.




Ecclesiastes 1 (New International Version, ©2011)

Ecclesiastes 1

Everything Is Meaningless

1 The words of the Teacher,[a] son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
3 What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
7 All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.
8 All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.
9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
11 No one remembers the former generations,
and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow them.

Think of this last one in terms of who it was written to and when

 

[Bear.Fr00t]

Yes it all happened as written in the Bible.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:14)

 

[LWB]

I believe Jesus represents absolute truth, so if the laws of nature say it is impossible for a man to walk on water, I know the laws of nature are fallible.

Quantum Mechanics and observations regarding singularities reveal that our common sense view of the world has limitations. If there is phenomenon that occurs beyond our horizon of understanding, I'd expect the one who transcends everything to cause ripples of paradox upon entering our world, like a stone breaking the clean surface of a pond.

I know faith is not rational from the impartial human perspective, and make no apologies for this circumstance.

 

[aiki]

hello, hope you are well, here is something that fascinates me as an atheist who lives my life with down to earth common sense.

Really? You live with common sense? Well, let's see about that. Please answer these two questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? Where did everything come from?

do christians here take everything in the bible as literal fact, that if it is said in the bible then it happened exactly that way?

Some of what is in the Bible is to be taken literally, some not. The context, style of writing, and purpose of what is written have a strong bearing on how one reads it.

heres just a few questions i would like to see some honest answers to;

do you believe that noah was 600 years old?
did moses really part the red sea?
adam and eve began human life on earth?

Yes, I believe Noah lived to a very old age.
Yes, I believe, with God's help, Moses parted the Red Sea.
Adam and Eve didn't begin human life on Earth, God did.
I also believe Jesus rose from the dead and that I will one day go to live with him in Heaven.

i wont go on, i am just fascinated because we are all human beings with human brains and i would like to see how people who believe this can logically accept it as true without saying, because its in the bible. its rational thought im enquiring about.

I'm not sure what you're asking - if anything - here. I think the Bible has been proven to be what it claims to be. Here are some reasons why:

1. Historical/archaeological/cultural accuracy.
2. Incredible thematic unity despite being written over 1500 years by 40 different people on 3 different continents in 3 different languages.
3. Survivability and popularity.
4. Fulfilled prophecy.
5. Profound impact upon societies and cultures.

None of these points stand alone as knock-down proof of the Bible's divine origin, but together they represent powerful cause to believe the Bible is indeed the Word of God.

Selah.

 

[John Jay]

do christians here take everything in the bible as literal fact, that if it is said in the bible then it happened exactly that way?

I do.

do you believe that noah was 600 years old?

The Bible says he was 950 years old when he died so that would mean that he had to be 600 years old at some point.

did moses really part the red sea?

No. God did that.

adam and eve began human life on earth?

No. God did that one too.

i would like to see how people who believe this can logically accept it as true without saying, because its in the bible.

What's wrong with saying because it's in the Bible?

 

[paul1149]

I take the Bible literally unless doing so would do violence to the full counsel of God. For instance, if the Bible says that Noah was 600 years old when the Flood commenced, I have no reason to doubt that (I have reason to believe that Noah's age is reasonable, if you're interested).

But when the Bible tells me to "turn the other cheek" or "walk the second mile", I also must consider that it says things like, "when you're persecuted in one place, flee to another". Clearly, there's a time to work with our persecutors, and there's a time to get out of Dodge. The trick is to know the difference.

And that leads to a great truth in understanding and interpreting the Bible: the Holy Spirit is the One who gives true understanding and true interpretation. Without His work, we are left to our human devices, and that is not going to turn out well - just as history shows.

So you see there is need for wisdom in reading the Bible, and critically, for reliance on God. But as for the Bible itself, it has been tested as has no other book, and it has been proven. It is the completely trustworthy Word of God, given to man for his benefit and salvation.

 

[visionary]

hello, hope you are well, here is something that fascinates me as an atheist who lives my life with down to earth common sense. do christians here take everything in the bible as literal fact, that if it is said in the bible then it happened exactly that way? heres just a few questions i would like to see some honest answers to;

do you believe that noah was 600 years old?
did moses really part the red sea?
adam and eve began human life on earth?

i wont go on, i am just fascinated because we are all human beings with human brains and i would like to see how people who believe this can logically accept it as true without saying, because its in the bible. its rational thought im enquiring about.

Yes, God parted the sea, and adam and eve are the first humans.. It is when I met God, that is when the rest made sense..

 

[John Jay]

Seerly, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be snarky.

 

[salida]

Info. about bible:

The Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell a former agnostic- (its overwhelming circumstantial evidence of bible) and Examine the Evidence by Muncaster a former athiest/The Case for Christ and The Real Jesus by Lee Strobel a former athiest.
Internal Evidence (prophesies confirmed within bible)
Life of Christ
The Tribe of Judah, Gen 49:10 - Luke 3:23-28
(Genesis was written 4004 BC to 1689 BC)
(Lukes time period 60-70 AD)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Royal Line of David, Jer 23:5 - Matt 1:1
(Jeremiah 760 to 698 BC)/(Matthew 60 - 70 AD)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Born of a Virgin, Isaiah 7:14 - Matt 1:18-23
(Isaiah 760 to 698 BC)/(Matthew 60 - 70 AD)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rise of Empires
In the book of Daniel, Chapter 2 - four kingdoms are described in the interpretation of a dream of
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greek - Daniel 8:21, 10:20/and the fourth
great kingdom to follow- part iron and clay-which is the Roman Empire. During this empire Christ came and his church was established.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Historical Accuracy
The bible is loaded with historical statements concerning events hundreds of years ago and has not
been proven incorrect in any.
(Bible compared to other ancient documents):
New Testament starts - at 25 years between original and first surviving copies
Homer - starts at 500 years
Demosthenes - at 1400 years
Plato - at 1200 years
Caesar - at 1000 years
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Manuscript Copies-New Testament - 5,686/Homer - 643/Demosthenes - 200/
Plato - 7/Caesar -10
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consistency/Written by God
Written by at least 40 men over a period of time exceeding 1400 years and has no internal inconsistencies.
It claims to be spoken by God, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. No other religious book makes such claim.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
External Evidences (prophesies outside bible)
These cities were prophesied to be destroyed and never built again.
Nineveh - Nahum 1:10, 3:7,15, Zephaniah 2:13-14
Babylon - Isaiah 13:1-22
Tyre - Ezekiel 26:1-28
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible before Science- He hangs the earth on nothing-Job 26:7/Earth is a sphere-Isaiah 40:22
Air has weight-Job 28:25/Gravity-Job 26:7, Job 38:31-33/Winds blow in cyclones, Eccl 1:6
(Job was written at least 1000 BC; some scholars think 3000 BC)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Documents that Prove Bible is True
Gilgamesh Epic, The Sumerian King List, Mari Tablets, Babylonian Chronicles
Archeological Finds
Excavations of Ur, Location of Zoar, Ziggurats and the foundation of Tower of Babel

 

[elman]

hello, hope you are well, here is something that fascinates me as an atheist who lives my life with down to earth common sense. do christians here take everything in the bible as literal fact, that if it is said in the bible then it happened exactly that way? heres just a few questions i would like to see some honest answers to;

do you believe that noah was 600 years old?
did moses really part the red sea?
adam and eve began human life on earth?

i wont go on, i am just fascinated because we are all human beings with human brains and i would like to see how people who believe this can logically accept it as true without saying, because its in the bible. its rational thought im enquiring about.

NO I do not take the Bible literally. I believe we have a soul and have a destiny after this life is over if we obey the command of Jesus to love.

 

[solarwave]

do you believe that noah was 600 years old?

Probably not. I also don't think there was a world wide flood either.

did moses really part the red sea?

No. God could have. Its possible, but it is also possible that it was actually the reed sea and that a volcano that erupted mediterranean caused a tsunami which pulled that water back from the reed sea and then came back again as a tsunami. Have you heard that theory before? It is also possible that much of it is made up, but I have no reason to think that right now.

adam and eve began human life on earth?

No, evolution is true.

i wont go on, i am just fascinated because we are all human beings with human brains and i would like to see how people who believe this can logically accept it as true without saying, because its in the bible. its rational thought im enquiring about.

To answer your first question, I don't think the Bible is inerrant or infallible, but that the writters of the Bible were inspired by God. I did used to take the Bible much more literally and the reasons for believing everything in the Bible literally is more complex than simply because 'the Bible says so'.

 

[elman]

Probably not. I also don't think there was a world wide flood either.



No. God could have. Its possible, but it is also possible that it was actually the reed sea and that a volcano that erupted mediterranean caused a tsunami which pulled that water back from the reed sea and then came back again as a tsunami. Have you heard that theory before? It is also possible that much of it is made up, but I have no reason to think that right now.



No, evolution is true.



To answer your first question, I don't think the Bible is inerrant or infallible, but that the writters of the Bible were inspired by God. I did used to take the Bible much more literally and the reasons for believing everything in the Bible literally is more complex than simply because 'the Bible says so'.

Ditto--Me too.

 

[ebia]

Nobody takes everything in the bible (or pretty much any other text) "literally".

 

[John Jay]

Probably not. I also don't think there was a world wide flood either.

Do you think that Peter wrote his epistle under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?

No, evolution is true.

OK. Here's my question for you: The Bible says that sickness and disease entered into the world as a result of Adam's sin. But the same scientists who tell us that the world is billions of years old also tell us that they've found the fossilized remains of dinosaurs that carried disease.

If sickness and disease didn't enter into the world until Adam's sin, then how could these dinosaurs have carried disease before Adam's sin. Also, the same passage in Romans tells us that death entered the world as a result of Adam's sin. What happened to all of the un-evolved people who lived before Adam?

I don't think the Bible is inerrant or infallible, but that the writters of the Bible were inspired by God.

If they were inspired by God, then how could they be wrong about the flood?

 

[solarwave]

Do you think that Peter wrote his epistle under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?

I think Peter was inspired by God and saw God in many different ways throughout his life. I also think there is a difference between inspiration and mind control. The deep truths are inspired, the way it is expressed is bound to that individual and culture.

OK. Here's my question for you: The Bible says that sickness and disease entered into the world as a result of Adam's sin. But the same scientists who tell us that the world is billions of years old also tell us that they've found the fossilized remains of dinosaurs that carried disease.

This could be interpreted metaphorically, that sin is a sickness and causes spiritual death. The creation story gives us spiritual truths, not physical ones. The Bible isn't generally meant to be a history book, but a guide towards God. It does have history in it, but only because it is meant to bring us closer to God.

What happened to all of the un-evolved people who lived before Adam?

They died and Adam may not have been real.

If they were inspired by God, then how could they be wrong about the flood?

Spiritual truths can be learnt from the story, but I don't think it actually happened. I'm sure you can agree that alot can be learnt from stories that never happened.

 

[Varicose Brains]

What's wrong with saying because it's in the Bible?

Because the Bible is riddled with historical errors and contradictions. For example, Matthew and Luke give different reasons as to why Jesus was born in Bethlehem; the census excuse offered in Luke is highly doubtful (Census of Quirinius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Not only that, no record exists of Herod (who died in 4BC) killing babies in and around Bethlehem outside of Matthew, and the incident is not mentioned at all in Luke.

Also, take the resurrection as further example. In Matthew 28 an angel appears to Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary".

1Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

In Mark 16 a man in a white robe appears to Magdalene, Mary mother of James and somebody named Salome;

1When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" 4And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.

But with Luke, things get interesting. From Luke 24, verse 1;

1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb,(B) taking the spices they had prepared. 2And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." 8And they remembered his words, 9and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marvelling at what had happened.

This time it was the two Mary's (mother of James and Magdalene) plus someone called Joanna (not Salome as in Mark) and some other women who saw two men/angels at the grave, not one.

In John, things get even more interesting. From John 20, verse 1;

1Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."

In John, Magdalene is alone and she sees NO men/angels. Rather, she runs off to Peter instead.

So tell me, all you who declare the Bible to be the infallible, inerrant Word of God, which of these accounts is true? Are they all true? Because if they were all true then we'd have not one, not two, but three angels at the tomb and a whole crowd of women (including Salome and Joanne). Also, if all the accounts are true then why does each Gospel not say this in a collective manner? Why do they all have different accounts with different people and a different number of angels? One can only conclude that the Gospels contain irreconcilable errors.

 

[Walter Kovacs]

The parts that are meant to be taken as such, I do. The parts that aren't, I don't.

YouTube - N.T. Wright and Pete Enns: What Do You Mean by Literal?
http://youtu.be/mbG46dO6P28

You cannot read the Bible flatly as a work of one genre. You MUST understand how ancient texts were written, and often times, especially in our western culture (which in my mind is vastly inferior in terms of imagination and thought to the ANE world) we forget that there is far more than just LITERAL OR NON-LITERAL/FICTION OR NON-FICTION.

 

[Sketcher]

do you believe that noah was 600 years old?
did moses really part the red sea?
adam and eve began human life on earth?

Yes, yes, and yes.

Now, you may believe that these and other Biblical events are not naturally possible (except perhaps the third one). But that doesn't mean that a supernatural God can't make them happen. I believe in a God that can part the waters of a sea, that can extend or shorten the human lifespan by hundreds of years, that can raise the dead, that can heal illnesses, that can bamboozle armies, and that can create all that we know in a week. The emphasis is God, and what all those "impossibilities" say about him.