On Monday 2004-02-16 18:46, Dan Minette wrote: > OK, let me quote some numbers: > > . > > "I'm going to ask about a few stories in the Bible. [See below.] Do you > think that's literally true, meaning it happened that way word-for-word; or > do you think it's meant as a lesson, but not to be taken literally?" > > . > > > "The story of Noah and the ark in which it rained for 40 days and nights, > the entire world was flooded, and only Noah, his family and the animals on > their ark survived." > > Literally True 60% > Not Literally True 33% > No Opinion 7% . > > "The creation story in which the world was created in six days." > > Literally True 61% > Not Literally True 30% > No Opinion 8% > . > > "The story about Moses parting the Red Sea so the Jews could escape from > Egypt." > > Literally True 64% > Not Literally True 28% > No Opinion 8% > > 1) The Bible is the actual Word of God. > 42% > > > 2) The Bible is the Word of God but not everything in it should be taken > literally. > 37% > > 3) The Bible is a book written by men and is not the Word of God." > 14% > > 4) Don't Know > 6% > > Considering a lot more people take Genesis literally than choose #1 (almost > 50% more), I'd argue that folks who choose #1 are very literal in their > interpretation and don't just agree with Pius XII who said "The Bible is > inherent insofar as it teaches those truths essential to salvation." > > Dan M.
Interesting. Do you have any background on what appear to be survey results? The discrepancy is between 42% agreeing that the Bible is the actual Word of God and responses of 60% to 64% of respondents beliving that any *specific* Genesis narrative is literally true. The "face validity", naive interpretation would be that about 22% of respondents are quasi-literalists. They do not believe that one is *obliged* to use a literalist hermenutic, but in the specific case of passage-X they think some sort of literalist interpretation is appropriate. So one might not want to burn witches, one might be an amillinealist vis-a-vis the Appocalypse of St. John but one belives that Moses parted the Red Sea in some sense that can be squared with literalism. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
