21 November 2009

The real challenge to biblical literalism is in the Bible itself

Nice one: Face to faith: The real challenge to the biblical literalism held dear by creationists is in the Bible itself, says Judith Maltby | Comment is free | The Guardian:
the real challenge to biblical literalism and fundamentalism is to be found in the Bible itself. The first two chapters of Genesis contain two creation stories, not one. In Genesis 1-2:3, the earth, the plants, the animals and the first two human beings ('male and female he created them in his own image and likeness') are created in that order. In the rest of Genesis 2, Adam is made first, then all plants and animals, and then Eve. Awkward. ... Genesis chapters 1-2 can be seen as an inspired elephant trap – or should I say an inspired dinosaur trap? – for biblical literalism.
I think that's where I'd got to on this text ... if it's divinely inspired then we pay attention to the obvious 'mismatches' like this as being a message about the kind of literature and hermeneutics we're dealing with. You see: certain kinds of 'liberalism' are, in fact, 'evangelical'.

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"Spend and tax" not "tax and spend"

 I got a response from my MP which got me kind of mad. You'll see why as I reproduce it here. Apologies for the strange changes in types...