Heyas,
I don't frequent this forum often, but I am now all ears. I would like to hear from all those who believe Genesis is a figurative/poetic/story/mythical telling of Creation, and what in Genesis makes you believe that.?
So, one more time, what (in Genesis) leads you to believe that it is a figurative story?
All the best,
Digit
Let's say we look at the Gospel, and read of Jesus' resurrection. When we read the account it's quite apparent that the writers are writing of an actual occurrence. The writers of the gospel continually place Jesus in historical settings, the dialog the manner of speech of Christ, clearly shows a person who actually existed, that is apparent to believers and non-believers alike.
Some non-believers even go on to say that the writers really did think Jesus resurrected, rather than assume that they made it up, they just chalk it up as delusion, because the Gospel is so persuasively written as a literal account.
Even a child can see the difference between how the gospel is written, and how Genesis creation is written, can you?
Let's look at Genesis. We have the Tree of Knowledge, a talking snake, a man named Adam, which means Mankind, a Woman created by God removing the rib from the man etc..
We have Moses who does not write that he was there, or even that God told him this is how things were created, he just writes the story, and versions of the story have been around in other religions, a long time before Moses penned his version in Genesis.
Let's explore what an allegorical Genesis might mean:
God is God, and he intended for his creation to eat the tree of life, it was not Adams will, but the will of the creator that created Adams will.
It was God's plan for Adam to not continually live in the Garden of Eden.
I believe that when God created man, a pre-Fall man did not exist, and that we were created as fallen-men, and Moses was concerned with this state, and where it comes from, and what it means, and where do we ultimately want to return.
I believe that innate in all of us is a desire to return to a Garden of Eden like state, I believe this state is what Christ speaks of when he talks of the Kingdom of God, and how it is within us and among us. And what Solomon refers to, when he speaks of the eternity hidden within us, as well.
Moses described Adam and Eve as if they were children, who grew up, and wanted to leave their play pen, who wanted to leave their parents comfort, and build comfort on their own, to leave the roof their parents provided, to toil and build a roof themselves.
He describes them as Jesus describes the prodigal son, who demanded his fathers inheritance, so he can venture out own his own. He said he does not need his father, the same as Adam and Eve said, when they ate the fruit, that the serpent told them would make them as God, because if we are as God, then we do not need God.
Mankind wanders around aimlessly, and squanders his inheritance on a life of dissipation, only to realize his life is meaningless without his Father, and the Father awaits the son's return Home, so that he can greet him with Joy.
I believe Moses is writing a figurative story, of Man's desire to be independent, free of God, only for him self, and his will, until he realizes that life is meaningless without God.
The creation story, is there to show man's place in the universe, that God has given man his inheritance, by giving him dominance in this kingdom, and man has squandered his inheritance throughout time, and when it is all spent, that is when we find man of his knees, seeking to return to the Father's house.
To me, the literalist is one, who ignores, Moses' meaning of Genesis, of what he writes of the human condition. They would rather see Adam as Adam, and not as what his name implies (mankind), they would rather see a tree by chance named the tree of knowledge of God and evil, rather than explore what such a symbolic name means.
They would rather see a God who needed to pull out Adam's rib to create Eve, rather than see Moses' intent to say that man and women are connected.
They would rather seek out physical evidence of the Flood, and their heart flutters every time they hear of some phony scientist claim that he has found Noah's ark, I seek none of those things.
My heart flutters when I hear of God's offering after the Flood, and when I read of Abraham's plea to save the innocent, what beauty in such passages, far greater than a creationist museum, and the wood that built Noah's ark.
Literalism implies that these latter pursuits are what God desires, allegory tells me that he desires more, and the treasure is hidden in the words, not on the surface.
I find the literalist take on Genesis, to be the one void of meaning, and if I have to sacrifice the meaning for such a take, then I'll tell you, you can have your wood, and I'll keep my treasure.
