Confusion between symbolism and literal is a huge problem Church wide. Jesus was hugely symbolic. The bread and wine for communion are symbols. Baptism is symbolic for what is happening spiritually. The CoC so emphasizes the physical that they forget its spiritual aspects. Other churches see them as works oriented. The real problem is that I was told that if you die with unconfessed sin you will go to Hell. So the Church is taking on God's job when there is no one in the entire organization is qualified. I guess God is now unemployed.agricola wrote:Yes, Cootie. Which is exactly why I would call the overarching 'religious story' a 'myth': analogous to a 'theory' in science, a religious myth is a total explanation of Everything About Humans and the Supernatural, using symbolic language (and literal symbols) to convey a complex subject in understandable terms (which absolutely WILL not work if you try to think everything is supposed to be literally factual).Cootie Brown wrote:I'll offer a reason why I believe the c of c was able to get away with this tactic. I'm currently reading Jesus, Mything in Action by David Fitzgerald. In the book he references this.......
John Dominic Crossan, a noted Bible scholar and former Catholic Priest wrote, “My point once again, is not that those ancient people told literal stories and we are now smart enough to take them symbolically, but that they told them symbolically and we are now dumb enough to take them literally.”
As to science and the Bible. I some readings as figurative not literal. The planet is older than 6000 years. There is no evidence of a world wide flood. There are sea shells on mountain peaks caused by upthrusts of ocean floor. Did Noah save insects that have a shorter lifecycle than the time spent on the ark. How about fresh water fish. Yes, Salmon exist in both worlds because they have kidney adaptions that allow it. What about penguins. I agree with agricola.