Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

Ok then does this mean you also reject the idea that one single being we call "God" spoke and created the Universe? I never thought I would hear Apostolics belittling that which is written in scripture.

I guess to some the Bible is just a series of fairy tales.

No Michael. It's your interpretation of the Bible that I apparently take issue with... though I had no idea that this was your understanding until now.

The Bible, in the Book of Genesis does appear to lay out a series of events that if interpreted literally would make the earth appear to be just 6,000 years old. This age is of course ridiculous. So, what do we do? Do we throw out the Bible just the way the atheists have told you to? Or is it worth another look?

That's where I stood several years back. I was honestly willing to embrace atheism or at least agnosticism if that's where the evidence led me. But instead, I was led to take another look at the Bible.

Today, I can say that my faith and my belief in God is stronger and more confident than it has ever been. The only things I had to give up were the traditions of men and then I had to accept the Bible on its own terms. The text of the Bible does have a history and that history is shown within the very pages of the Bible itself.

In Luke 10:30-37, Jesus tells a story with a great bit of detail. He follows up that story with a very direct commandment that we are to actually follow the example of one of the characters in the story.

Yet you don't believe that this story ever actually happened - no one does. It was a parable. But the parable contains divinely inspired truth and a commandment that we all still should follow today.

What would happen if someone said about the parables of Jesus what you said earlier...

Ok then does this mean you also reject the idea that one single being we call "God" spoke and created the Universe? I never thought I would hear Apostolics belittling that which is written in scripture.

I guess to some the Bible is just a series of fairy tales.

That's all Jesus really did? Did He just tell a bunch of "fairy tales" (parables) that we can just all shuck out with yesterday's potato peelings and coffee grounds?

I think His words are rather more important than that, even if many of His stories were just made up to make a point. I'd like to be able to consider the point of the story and not be told that I have to believe the obviously parable-like details.

This approach, to me, seems to give a greater amount of respect and authority to the Scripture then forcing nonsensical ideas into the text.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Brother David

Like? Gimme an example.

Have you never heard of the temple of Baalbek? The Trilithon? The Hadjar el Gouble (Stone of the South)

Below you will find a picture of Hadjar el Gouble (the stone of the south) entitled megalith. It is perfectly hewn (as is the trilithon). This particular stone weighs in excess of 1000 metric tons and is still in the quarry location about 1/2 mile from the actual temple of Baalbek.

You will also find a picture of what is known as the trilithon. The 3 stones were brought from the same quarry 1/2 mile away and they each weigh in excess of 800 tons each.

In each picture there are people located in the picture for size reference.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Have you never heard of the temple of Baalbek? The Trilithon? The Hadjar el Gouble (Stone of the South)

Below you will find a picture of Hadjar el Gouble (the stone of the south) entitled megalith. It is perfectly hewn (as is the trilithon). This particular stone weighs in excess of 1000 metric tons and is still in the quarry location about 1/2 mile from the actual temple of Baalbek.

You will also find a picture of what is known as the trilithon. The 3 stones were brought from the same quarry 1/2 mile away and they each weigh in excess of 800 tons each.

In each picture there are people located in the picture for size reference.

Are you saying we couldn't move those things today if we wanted to?

Cause I've seen whole houses lifted off their foundation and relocated before (on tv of course)... Now I imagine the house doesn't weigh nearly as much as those rocks, but it is a whole lot larger and fragile and still weighs quite a bit. The fragile part I think it a lot harder to get around than the weight personally. There's not much u can do to a 1000 ton rock thats goina break it...

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by jfrog

Are you saying we couldn't move those things today if we wanted to?

Cause I've seen whole houses lifted off their foundation and relocated before (on tv of course)... Now I imagine the house doesn't weigh nearly as much as those rocks, but it is a whole lot larger and fragile and still weighs quite a bit. The fragile part I think it a lot harder to get around than the weight personally. There's not much u can do to a 1000 ton rock thats goina break it...

I'm saying that, in the year 2010, if we even have the ability to carve, move & place these stones it would require the very best of what we have to offer in the technologies of these fields.

[Timmy]

Originally Posted by Brother David

A lot of claims are made due to a misunderstanding over semantics. For example...

"We still don't know how the Egyptians built the pyramids..."

. . .

Maybe they didn't know it was impossible to build them, so they did it anyway. Like bumblebees don't know that it's impossible for them to fly.

[Twisp]

Originally Posted by Timmy

Maybe they didn't know it was impossible to build them, so they did it anyway. Like bumblebees don't know that it's impossible for them to fly.

Technically, flight isn't impossible for them "because their wings encounter dynamic stall in every oscillation cycle." Their wings create an effect of "dynamic stall, an airflow separation inducing a large vortex above the wing, which briefly produces several times the lift of the aerofoil in regular flight."

Very cool to me. Link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee#Myths

[Timmy]

Originally Posted by Twisp

Technically, flight isn't impossible for them "because their wings encounter dynamic stall in every oscillation cycle." Their wings create an effect of "dynamic stall, an airflow separation inducing a large vortex above the wing, which briefly produces several times the lift of the aerofoil in regular flight."

Very cool to me. Link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee#Myths

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Have you never heard of the temple of Baalbek? The Trilithon? The Hadjar el Gouble (Stone of the South)

Below you will find a picture of Hadjar el Gouble (the stone of the south) entitled megalith. It is perfectly hewn (as is the trilithon). This particular stone weighs in excess of 1000 metric tons and is still in the quarry location about 1/2 mile from the actual temple of Baalbek.

You will also find a picture of what is known as the trilithon. The 3 stones were brought from the same quarry 1/2 mile away and they each weigh in excess of 800 tons each.

In each picture there are people located in the picture for size reference.

Not to mention Machu Picchu. http://www.sacredsites.com/americas/...hu_picchu.html

The location and appearance of this Inca city built HIGH in the Andes is right out of the Lord of the Rings.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Not to mention Machu Picchu. http://www.sacredsites.com/americas/...hu_picchu.html

The location and appearance of this Inca city built HIGH in the Andes is right out of the Lord of the Rings.

And that the megaliths of the world don't appear to be random but appear to be in a grid which would require some amazing knowledge to lay out.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

And that the megaliths of the world don't appear to be random but appear to be in a grid which would require some amazing knowledge to lay out.

Right... And if I find 1 that isn't on that "grid" what does that mean? Not to mention why use that kind of map instead of the rectangle one we are more familar with...

Besides when I look closely at that map, half of those "mehaliths" are somehow in the middle of the ocean... hmmmmmmmmm