(June 15, 2015 at 12:44 am)CapnAwesome Wrote:(June 14, 2015 at 6:26 pm)Parkers Tan Wrote: Internal contradictions remove the argument from metaphor.
How much can the argument from metaphor be stretched though? In the New Testament they talk about a pool of water where angels would literally decend and heal people. There was a crippled man who couldn't reach it and Jesus came along and healed him. It's written like a clear account of events. I think they people who can finagle their way into saying things are a metaphor can use the same twisted logic to say that the bible contradictions aren't really contradictions.
Of course; pretzel logic is a requirement for parsing the Bible without retching.
However, for those Christians, and they are many, who believe without having read much or any of the Bible, its internal contradictions can be just as powerful a demotivator as its conflicts with science.
There are many paths up the mountain. Let the climbers choose the one best for them -- but they can only do that when they have information about the different routes.
