Hi guys,
I was going through the back pages here and came across this thread. Wish I'd have been here when this started. I made my way through about half of it, and then decided to just post a little bit of my own thoughts and background-since this topic is, believe it or not, one of the central topics of my life.
I didn't grow up in church, but was aware of the religion called 'christianity'. It was alla roud me, and in my family. I have spent a lot of time reading the bible in my life. I've read it through some many times I can't count them. Parts of it literally thousands of times, if not more. I also listened to all the preachers and teachers try to explain it, until finally after many years I put it down and threw all my bibles away, because it did not makes sense as they insisted on interpreting. Long story short, sevral years later god brought me back to it, with new eyes, and I began to see what I had been blind to before.
The scripture is a spiritual book. It is full of allegories and symbolism, and if you are approaching it as simply history-and judging it as such-then you will find plenty to contradict. If you are going to understand scripture at any real depth, you need to have a handle on the symbolsim and allegories, because all of scripture is, from beginning to end, one great allegory/parable based on real people and real events that have been overlayed by the author-God-with the unseen spiritual reality recorded in ways that look out of place if you are taking it all literally. For example, the apostle Paul briefly sketches an allegory from Abraham to Israel at Mount Sinai that contradicts what you would expect the conclusions to be from the literal reading of that broad passage of scripture.
Secondly, if you are reading english translations, you are at the mercy of the translators-and their doctrinal biases. The truth is 'in the beginning' the language is that of a recreation of something that existed previously. Adam is not a literal first man; but you will only understand this through the symbols used to describe his creation. 'Dust' is a symbol refering to a vast number of peoples. Eve is not made from his literal rib either. That word translated as 'rib' there also refers to a clan related to a larger family.
One of my main passions is writing about these things, and others, related to the scripture. I own several yahoo discussion groups where these things are discussed and debated. Since I came back to it, I have spent countless hours being led to understanding-because I submitted to God's way of doing it. And that only because He granted me to see through His eyes, and not my own human eyes.
Just thought I'd add my bit, as I said. I know that after 35 pages you guys probably burned out on the discussion. I've been at it hot and heavy for the last 8 years, discussing and debating what God has allowed me to see so that I could share it.
