Not entirely random thought

[hummingwolf]

The problem with fundamentalists isn't that they take the Bible literally. Many of them are quite well aware that the scripture is full of symbols and metaphors and complex ideas and oblique references to other bits of scripture as well as ideas floating around in the air at the time of writing. The problem is that instead of reading the poetry they find there, they listen to bad poetry teachers. They think they know better than you, not because they have breathed in, drunk, eaten, digested the poetry and made it a part of their being; but because they've memorized the Cliff's Notes and you haven't.

Comments

[rialian.livejournal.com]

===Nicely put.

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

Hey, the most important thing is looking like an expert. As long as everyone else thinks you're right, the rest is irrelevant.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I think the most important thing isn't convincing everyone else you're right so much as convincing yourself that you're right. At least, a lot of these people don't seem to care what I think about them so much as what they think God thinks.

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

ooh! I see hair-splitting potential!

Nah, I won't bother.

[mystified13.livejournal.com]

I agree! Literal interpretations of events are often not as cool as their poetical implications-- not to mention prophetical--

[laurelindel.livejournal.com]

Hello. Just popped over to tell you that this is an excellent insight.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Thank you.