Posted by thor on July 14, 1998 at 23:23:28:
In Reply to: Here's where you find it. posted by blue on July 14, 1998 at 21:01:41:
:
: : look. is it really that black and white? is there
: : nothing in the bible that is mildly fuzzy or grey
: : to you? filling the ark with two of every living
: : creature....c'mon now...its a metaphor...it is
: : figurative...it's a mythology...as people we are
: : wired to believe in god, to have religion...frankly,
: : we need some kind of belief system...but one truth, the rest is a
: : lie? well, let's here it...what is the one truth?
: : thor
: The truth is in the Bible, taken in its entirety. I offer that as axiom, I guess. Much of the Bible is, indeed, metaphorical. I've used the example of "in his mouth was a two-edged swod," obviously metaphorical. Usually we use the term "typical" in Bible study, where one object, such as the ark, is a "type" of another object, such as Christ. We then see the story as:
: Just as Noah and his family were saved from judgment in the ark, so the true Church is saved from final judgment in Jesus.
: Now determining what is historical, metaphor, or both (such as Noah) requires an extensive knowledge of scripture. Also, when you see what appears to be a contradiction, you need to carefully study the context of each passage and see what is really being meant -- you can't lift a passage out of the Bible and build a religion on that, as so many religions are prone to do. That simply takes disciplined Bible study, which any true Christian had better do.
: You are correct that God created all of us to search for Him. We have a "God-shaped vacuum" that needs to be filled. But why do you seem to see that as evidence that God does not exist? The contrary seems true to me.