QUOTE(mylo @ Oct 13 2005, 06:00 AM)
I would comment on the literal interpretation thing, but I'm one of those old school Christians that was taught the word of God was literal. Not one of these new-fangled modern American Christians that are caving to these so-called "scientists" whimsical ideas of monkies and womens rights!

mylo: I sincerely respect your beliefs. However, I would like to point out that the 2,000 year-old Catholic Church can hardly be considered "new-fangled modern" or "American," and that it clearly teaches a contextual rather than literal understanding of Scripture.
The Second Vatican Council which, by the way, did not change, but clarified Catholic teachings, and made many Church practices and goals consistent, states:
The Catholic Church, which sees inspiration in terms of divine influence and human response, holds that "the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching firmly, faithfully, and without error that truth which God wanted put into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation." (Second Vatican Council, Revelation, no. 11) Inerrancy, therefore, relates to parts of the Bible whcich relate directly to human salvation.
For instance, the human authors of Genesis might have had an understanding of the world as resting on pillars instead of spinning through space. Such a primitive notion was meant to teach the spiritual truth that the world comes from God, rather than from nothing. (This truth that the world comes from God was inspired by God for the sake of our salvation.) The notion that the world rests on pillars is not taught as a truth directly addressing our salvation -- it merely sets the stage for the proclamation of religious truth.
So frequently, people take a passage from the Old Testament which speaks of an attitude of hatred or revenge. Ah ha, they say! The Bible teaches hatred, racism, sexism, etc. Or, the Bible is inconsistent....Jesus taught something different.
It should be remembered that the Old Testament authors lacked the full revelation which came only with Jesus Christ. Old Testament attitudes and questions are recorded, not as facts inspired by God for our salvation, but as testimonials of what some Israelites believed as they struggled to respond to life's demands and sought the wisdom of God. They help us to realize how much we need the full revelation of God's truth through Jesus Christ.
None of us would dream of pulling a random line or two from Chapter 3 of a book, quoting it out of context, and then stating that this quote was a meaningful explanation of the book's theme or message. Why do many do this with the Bible?