Yes, you are probably right. And its because this topic makes me extremely frustrated and angry. Its also because DUE to the fact that so many believers believe these "heretical or wrong" beliefs IMO, it has indirectly caused me MUCH unnecessary suffering and problems when I came to believe.
My opening post really is the whole thrust:
The crux of my question is whether people who hold various "unorthodox" or "heretical" views all have in common that they do not take the bible literally?
Meaning as plainly written and MEANT to be understood by the original authors.
This topic absolutely makes my blood boil.
Remember the context that I had a NDE/OBE encounter with God as an atheist that was so scary and terrifying, and also merciful and loving, that when I came to the Bible as God's word, it was so utterly terrifying and powerful. "The Hammer" so to speak.
Reading the bible as you do, or as you describe, and as so many others do, in all this allegory and myth and eisegesis, explaining away so many things that seem to be stated plainly, puts the bible literally in the trash bin for me.
It makes the bible is PIECE OF SH_T in regard to how SO MANY Jews and early Christians held up God's word as holy and plainly literal and utterly powerful and terrifying. Literally, early church father apologists DEBUNKED the evolutionary ideas of their time and would turn over in their grave hearing that Christians now are embracing another version of it! Its utter nonsense! It totally dismantles the internal consistency of God's revelation to man. Its VERY DAMAGING! And they knew it!
(I know they are not in their graves, but heaven)
What in the "supposed God's word" can you actually ever trust if you take it the way you do? It casts major doubt on the whole of the bible for me. Which is a VERY big deal to me.
It reminds me of good ol William Lane Craig in his intellectual psycho babble explaining away all kinds of God's word, with superior "high" intelligence. But to me he seems just like an idiot savant.
Yes it pisses me off. Yes it makes me get on my high horse. Do I regret that? Yes. But I am pissed about it. I should not take it out on you.
Anyway, I give up on hoping for a fair, honest and Christ-like exchange here, or making any difference in your life.
I am sorry about that. But you are probably right, because its too much of an emotional subject for me.
Remember though, mocking did have a place in the bible. Prophets did mock people for their stupidity. I know you hold you self up high as a smart and prayerful person, which is fine I would think, but you wont like me saying that.
Evolution though... wow... so many believers think its actually plausible and some how compatible with the Bible and God and Jesus.
I'd also like to see you at the judgement seat, and to see the reaction on your face when you realize how much damage the theory of evolution has done to human kind and the gospel mission. How it has literally been the most damaging thing the devil has done in the history of the world, affecting more people than anything else in history.
The fact you don't see this, as a prayerful person, kind of astounds me. Yet, like I've said so many times in this thread... so many people have the holy spirit and pray and yet hold many conflicting beliefs/theologies with each other.