r mHey Ron,
I completely understand symbolism, as well as its importance for existence (letters and words, for example, are symbols). I also think, when taken figuratively, the Bible offers a plethora of profound, meaningful and even important metaphors. These metaphors seem to show up in most of the major religious texts in addition to the world mythologies of the past. It seems to me that mankind has picked up a few morsels of ‘worldly wisdom’ throughout his tenure on earth and has seen fit to write them down in various places. For the sake of making them readable (or understandable), they are often presented in metaphorical, allegorical or parabolic form. Philosophy often expresses similar ideas in a more structured form. The folly of philosophy, however, seems to be its elitism, or, that philosophers often tend to write things in such a way that only the most articulate and well read individuals will be able to comprehend them. Admittedly, some of the questions philosophers ask are difficult abstractions or extensions (of the basic questions most people have wondered about) and don’t always allow for “laymen’s” answers or summaries, but it doesn’t seem to serve any but a solipsistic purpose to write it for their friends in the ‘academy’ alone. I think this could be why some people are religious rather than philosophic. In any case, I’ll get off that tangent and say the only reason I began this examination of the Bible is because Kim (Narniafan) insisted upon it. I suppose we’ll really get into the warm, fuzzy fun in the next couple books; I think there should be a warning label however (for those who have never actually read the Bible)— The following program has been rated NC-17 by the Motion Picture Association of America for murder, brutality, slaughter, barbarism, genocide, ethnic cleansing, rape, slavery, theft, hate and other wonderful happy things!
Ciao
