(October 27, 2013 at 11:59 pm)Einharjar Wrote: The contradictions in the Bible pile up horrendously, especially when a skeptic looks at the scriptures and takes them too literally. I know it's annoying that, from a Theological standpoint, Christians can simply wave a magic wand and go "well, it may not have meant that entirely" but their point of view is actually legitimate at times. I myself saw this when I was a Christian, seeing that most of the Bible is poetically and artistically written. It's practically made for a Bard's work. You can chant scripture from easy memory, and in certain tongues it chimes will with rhythm and repetitiveness to make it easily learnt by those whom are listening. Thus the "verses" are very convenient.
That would be fine, if the world accepted it as the work of fiction it is, but when this book is used as an instruction manual for 2.5 billion people on how to live their lives (and to mistrust and convert the rest), when it has a real and serious impact on the entire world, it loses the privilege of being read as a work of poetic prose. Nothing less than the cold knife of literal interpretation is acceptable. We would never stand for allowing our governments to write laws which impact our lives in such a style, and there's a good reason for that.
