diana

Upon what do you base your belief that the bible is allegory?

Amos

An allegory, in this case the bible, is a description of a metaphysical event that is real and native to mankind. The bible is not just a description of the event but also shows how this event can be intensified in at least some of its followers. The risk of this is that it can fail and so both the success stories and failures are part of it.

Ideally the event must take place during MENO-pause which is the only time during life that man-as-the-animal-man can gain eternal life (MENO means "I remain" as in "I am eternal)."

Some would call it metamorphosis. Erikson called it "Mature Adulthood."

To be sure, from my point of view allegory and myth are word stories of a non-rational event. Since all words are conventional, conventional words must be used to express ideas and if this idea is not conventional words must be grouped together to describe the meaning of this non conventional, or non rational, event. I use the word non-rational here because our faculty of reason must be defeated for a non ratioanl event to happen.

In this sense an allegory is like an icon. If bible reading is to be effective it must speak to our lyrical vision and never to our rational mind (hyletic vision). Following this analogy a poetic intepretation is a good interpretation. Icons are much like parables because they only speak to our soul (if ever we allow them to speak).

Amos

Ron Garrett

Rich posted:

I shall struggle with all my might to conceal the despair your abandonment provokes.

How is direct quotation a "tactic" and how can it offend someone who believes the Bible 100% as you claim?

And your mother wears Army boots Little Richie.

Ron Garrett

Dear JIB:

Do what you gotta do friend. I wrote what I wrote beceuse you conveyed that the people of significance in your life believe you believe what you don't believe and this created some serious dissonance for you, which I thoroughly relate to. I'm glad you have people you relate openly to, but I still think it's sad that some of your most importance relationships are not in this group.

I've had the coming out as "fundie no more" experience go both ways as you have, but the overall result has been positive and has deepened the relationships that were real to begin with. As for confrontational fathers, my dad invented the idea and we differ and argue on almost everything, and yet we are very close, indeed closer than when I went along with everything he said.

However comfortable accomodation may be, I find open and real is better.

diana

So...upon what do you base your belief that the bible is allegory?

Amos

How about, because it is posterior to that which is prior to me by nature? This would allign with Jn.5:39-40 where it can be prior to us by nature and hence posterior in the bible. In other words, unless we can write our own gospel we should not read someone elses.

diana

Amos,

I have carefully read and reread this post and I consistently fail to grasp the tiniest thread of coherency in it. "Posterior" means "behind" to me (adjective or noun), whie "prior to" means "before." "Posterior" denotes placement of an object in space, while "prior to" denotes placement of an event in time.

Do you suffer from Wyrneke's Aphasia?

d

Amos

The bible can only make sense to you if it is prior to you by nature. If it is prior to you by nature it must be posterior to your experience when you read about it in the bible.

This means that sola scriptura salvation is just opposite to salvation.

Amos

diana

I see. If the bible is nonsensical to you, it follows that it is up your posterior.

In my case, it makes some sense in the sense that it shows the mindset and beliefs of primitive men, so I'm thinking it's somewhat lateral to me in time, but by design, not nature. That may be because my posterior views are slanted, time-wise. My anterior experiences are inconsistent with the lack of coherency of the bible, which is of course only peripheral to said experiences in time. My nature precludes understanding the ramblings of the mentally deficient, but only because my nature is just prior to me in the space-time continuum.

This means that my ex cathedra pronouncements are the reciprocal of pronunciation.

Thanks for clearing that up.

d

Cornelius

I could not have said it any clearer myself!!

regards,

Cornelius