In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” vss. 1-2
Genesis 1:1-24
Many of those who take the words of the bible literally believe that the earth is only about 6,000 years old, and that it was created in six days in exactly the way described in Genesis 1. They hang on to their theory of a young earth even in the face of evidence presented by overwhelming numbers of geologists and archeologists. They are convinced that the bible is more trustworthy than anything presented by science. Obviously, those who are so inclined cannot be swayed by any argument to the contrary. The problem is that their stubborn insistence on literalism has colored the attitudes of those who sincerely want to understand this magnificent story. Thousands have simply given up on the bible because they’ve been told it has to be taken literally, and they just can’t do that–a literal interpretation of scripture doesn’t make sense to them–and they give up trying to absorb its truths. The underlying message of the bible is the most wonderful story ever told–and as we wrestle with its mysteries, we encounter God in a multitude of ways and learn that God is the one source of unconditional love and forgiveness. And too often it’s the literalists who are likely to miss that important point!
Thought for the Day: Why is literalism so appealing?
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