Replies

When Jesus spoke in parables, were all those stories exactly true? Probably not.

Most 'Christians' do not know anything about Jewish literature or Hebraisms. If they did they would be able to quickly dicern a figure of speech or a mashal [parable]. The fact is that just because a mashal is used or an idiom does not make it 'not literal'.

Americans speak in a very literal language when it is heard by Americans. A non-American hears the multiplicity of idioms and thinks we are speaking in parables. We're not. We just use a language of idioms. Hebrew is very much like that. When you read it in English, as an American you think that it should not be treated literally - but that is because you are ignorant of the original language.

BTW, if you are ever interested in REALLY understanding what the Bible teaches you will not rely on English (or worse Latin). You will learn the culture and language of the writers. Jewish culture, expressed in Hebrew and Greek.

I laugh everytime some biblical neophyte makes a comment about a not thinking the Bible is speaking of a literal 24 hour day being represented in Genesis 1. Anyone with any Hebrew background could tell you that no matter - those are literal days, and 24-hour ones. The use of the idiom "evening and morning" in addition to the explicit hayom ensure it in the most explicit Hebrew sense. Anyone who tells you other wise is only looking for excuses.

One thing I've never understood about Genesis is how there could be morning and evening if the sun wasn't created until the fourth day. For that matter, how could there be days before the sun was created, since a day is one revolution of the earth around the sun? This is one of the reasons I don't think it could be six literal days.