Howardism Musings from my Awakening Dementia
My collected thoughts flamed by hubris
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Note From The Author

The following is an open letter written to all people who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible … the Creationists. While this may sound like an invitation for "belief bashing," it is not. I just thought that an open dialog would be nice, and I'm starting it. If this page offends you, I'm really sorry, as I have no such motivation.

Letter to the Creationists

To whom it may concern:

We have all heard the views and the debates between the so-called Creationists and the Evolutionists, and I thought that I would pen this open letter to the Creationist camp.

This letter is not an attempt to "prove" evolution or to ridicule beliefs. My message is simply to point out that many creationists are … well, they are missing the whole point of the Bible.

It isn't that I don't believe in literal or historical aspects of events in the Bible, it is just that these things don't matter. I mean, who Joiakim fathered in 829 BC? Who cares. How does this really relate? The point of the Bible and the rest of the world's scriptures is the meaning behind the written word.

For example, did Adam and Eve exist? What does it matter? Where is the Garden of Eden? Is it in Jerusalem or Missouri? How about we look at it another way… What if the Garden of Eden still exists, but it is located inside your soul? What if I said the Garden of Eden is a symbol for your soul?

Then the commandment to "work and take care" of the Garden is really a commandment to take care of your soul. To bring forth fruit and flowers for God, means to bring forth good works and beautiful thoughts…

Or do the flowers mean "art"? … Now you might start to see why a literal interpretation is flat and meaningless, where a symbolical view is so much deeper.

The Bible is, therefore, not a history of the world as such, but a poem that describes a person's spiritual journey.

As a poem, it is subject to poetic interpretation. This means that as you read it, you relate it to your personal soul. Since this makes the Bible personal, and since no two people are the same, personal interpretations will also be different. We are all on a spiritual journey, but we are at different points in the road.

I could read and think that eating of the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is the selfish indulgence of using knowledge for wrong pursuits. And in this case, we have all fallen from the grace of God that is inherent in all people. But that is just one meaning as I see it. You may see it different, but both interpretations would still be correct.

Now, it isn't the case that people who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible are "wrong" … just that they are missing the point. The historical accuracy is meaningless, but if the stories inspire us or the symbols teach us the way to our inward journey of the spirit … now, we are getting somewhere.

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Comment

Just ran across the following from Bully for Brontosaurus by Stephen Jay Gould (Chapter 22):

There are no shortcuts to moral insight. Nature is not intrinsically anything that can offer comfort or solace in human terms, if only because our species is such an insignificant late-comer in a world not constructed for us.

So much the better. The answers to moral dilemas are not lying out there waiting to be discovered. They reside, like the kingdom of God, within us. The most difficult and inaccessible spot for any discovery or consensus.