Family Man

While on a recent trip, I happened to fall in behind a pickup with the following bumpersticker:

It got me thinking about how Christians frequently seem to gloss over inconvenient passages, claiming they are figurative or metaphorical, as if that allows them to interpret said passages any way that pleases him.

The point I'm making is that figurative speech is still speech with a message. Consider the above mentioned bumpersticker. Obviously, the guy didn't slap that on his bumpersticker with the expectation that people would think fish actually fear him. But he did want to suggest that he's a great fisherman.

And, yes, the Bible is full of metaphorical language. For instance, there is this famous passage from Psalm 23:

The author of this passage obviously isn't suggesting that he was literally walking through a specific valley, but he was referring to the death and tribulations that we all live with everyday. In other words, he chose his metaphorical language to convey a specific message.

Yet, many times, we'll find theists dismissing counter-evidence to their arguments from the bible as being figurative as if slapping that label on it completely invalidates the message of the passage. For example, in this thread Billy Graham is cool wants to believe that hell is just a separation from God. Jinto pointed out that many biblical passages contradict that view. Below is a partial list:

Clearly, even if we consider the above to be figurative, the hell being described is excruiatingly unpleasant place. And BGIC's response to this?

And that's all he has to say to Jinto's evidence. Somehow, he has the idea that if the language is figurative, we can ignore it, but that simply isn't true.

Figurative language has just as much meaning as language meant to be taken literally. It doesn't mean it can be ignored, nor does it mean it can be interpreted to fit one's preconceptions.

Not that this will stop anybody.

Cross Examiner

Family Man,
Taking a cue from your analogy, I doubt seriously that those fish actually "hear" your fisherman or "tremble", but I have no doubt that the man thinks himself a great fisherman. Similarly, I doubt seriously that hell is red devils, flames and pitchforks, but I have no doubt that hell is the worst possible fate. I think you say as much, no? It should be avoided at all costs.

Regards,
BGic

Doctor X

Indeed, my sources state that in hell they play Hank Williams, Sr. and "The Sons of the Pioneers" music continuously. . .

. . . and they serve cookies without milk. . . .

--J.D.

Cross Examiner

Dr. X,

Sounds like Branson

Regards,
BGic

Magus55

Family man,

Hell is a place of torment and punishment because it is nothing but evil and sin. You are separated from God, and therefore no good things exist in Hell. The torment in Hell from the fire and brimstone can't even begin to compare to the agony and torment you will experience from being eternally separated from God. Atheists all mock God and laugh now, saying they'd love to be away from Him, but you just can't even fathom how terrifying it would be if you were completely separated from God, with no chance of redemption for eternity.

Secular Pinoy

Your conception of hell is un-Jewish. Sounds like something borrowed from Arab and Greek gentiles.

Rhaedas

You say this often...

Realize, a-theists don't believe in said being, or any supernatural beings called "gods". Period. The a- means "not". Not rebeling, or god hater, or whatever meaning you want to spin.

Were a god to make an appearance that only a god could make, atheists would probably question the evidence first, but most would become theists, given sufficient reason.

Thus far, the evidence is lacking, and we see no being to rebel against.

Family Man

Hey, I doubt that there is a hell at all. And you're free to doubt that "hell is red devils, flames, and pitchforks" if you like. But that's hardly the point. You're not free to declare any passage figurative or metaphoric and then ignore it as it doesn't mean what it clearly means. If you don't think those biblical passages are correct, you need to declare them wrong, not figurative. That isn't what figurative means.

And please excuse me if I seem to be picking on you. You are hardly the first (or last) person I've seen do this. It is, however, fast becoming a pet peeve of mine.

Family Man

Magus --

I could care less about your childish view of the world. The nature of hell is not what this thread is about.

Folks, please don't feed the troll on this.

Magus55

Oh really?

This statement from JaeisGod, an atheist:

"I have to go for the Christian god ,mainly because I just cant stand him =o "

Now why would an atheist not be able to stand something that you don't even believe exists?

And its not like hes the only one to make those claims. I've heard many times that even if God was proven real without a doubt, many atheists wouldn't worship Him.

This entire board is a rebellion against God, whether you realize it or not. You have nothing better to do than argue with Christians over a being you claim to be fake, and then you just insult and ridicule the Christians with sarcasm. You can't even see that you are fulfilling the claims in the Bible as we speak. The more time i spend on this board, the more I realize the wisdom and claims of the Bible are right.