Vance said:Why did He not just explain to us exactly what He did in its strictly historically and scientifically accurate detail? Why use a figurative description? Surely God could have found a way to describe it in a literal way we could all understand over all time, right? Is it "lying" to us to say He breathed when He did not breathe? No, of course not. And, sure, God is God and could have chosen to convey exactly what He did in a historically and scientifically accurate way. But He chose to tell it in a single, powerful, evocative figurative phrase. I happen to think it works pretty well. We don't need to know the details, we all get the important point. Good job, God.
I don't really know what my 'label' would be here, but I'm probably a 'literalist'. I happen to really dislike using labels cause it just makes stereotypes and they are just wrong.
For me, when God breathes into Adam the breath of life. This does not mean God doesn't breathe. It means that when God breathes into dust its very much different from when I breathe into dust. I don't know what God is like physically, he could have taken the form of a man, he could have taken the form of a penguin, he could have breathed the air into Adam using the wind, (how do I know how God breathes? Who does?), but whatever happened he breathed into Adam, like Susana says, air filled his lungs. I don't know how.
But that doesn't seem to really be what you are asking. To say that God breathed into Adam doesn't mean God needs oxygen to live. This is like you say very similar to the whole 'resting on the seventh day' thing. We both know God doesn't get tired and God won't die without oxygen, does that mean He can't stop from constantly doing things and take a pause? does that mean he can't fill Adam's lungs with air? No.
Maybe again this is a question for a Hebrew schollar (sp?) to answer.
The only further thing I have to say is you are in danger of saying God can't breathe. If you are to limit what God can do like that you will need a lot more justification than: 'surely this makes more sense metaphorically'.
You are right though: more people should have commented on this. I hope I have given you the alternate opinion you were looking for
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