According to GW, Bible is not literaly true

[fccool]

"I think you can have both," Mr Bush, who leaves office January 20, told ABC television, adding "You're getting me way out of my lane here. I'm just a simple president."

But "evolution is an interesting subject. I happen to believe that evolution doesn't fully explain the mystery of life," said the president, an outspoken Christian who often invokes God in his speeches.

"I think that God created the Earth, created the world; I think the creation of the world is so mysterious it requires something as large as an almighty and I don't think it's incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution," he told ABC television.

Asked whether the Bible was literally true, Mr Bush replied: "Probably not. No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it."

"The important lesson is 'God sent a son,'" he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnew...eorge-Bush.html

[olger]

Wow.

[fccool]

Are you surprised? I think that this is the view that most Americans hold to today. There is God... yes He sent His son, but what recorded in the Bible probably is not all true.

I think Obama would hold to the same belief.

[Woody]

Are you surprised? I think that this is the view that most Americans hold to today. There is God... yes He sent His son, but what recorded in the Bible probably is not all true.

I think Obama would hold to the same belief.

No. He did not say this. Bush said that we can't take the Bible literally. Which is true. There are many parables and much smybolism in scripture. Bush was speaking about not taking the Bible literally. But that we have to learn the principles not the literal word. This is compatible with Adventism.

[fccool]

Red, SDAs are literalists. They believe in literal 7 day creation, literal garden of eden, and literal fall. They are not talking about the parables or prophecy here. The conversation context was about creation and evolution. GW contends that both can be reconciled... you can fit evolution with creation theory. That's already hints the context.

"...it requires something as large as an almighty and I don't think it's incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution"

As far as "He did not say that", please read the man's own words.

Asked whether the Bible was literally true, Mr Bush replied: "Probably not. No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it."

He was asked if he believed that the Bible is literally true... and not whether we can take it literally.

[John317]

Totally agree with you. The discussion is not about parables and other obvious metaphors, etc. That is a given. The whole question is about the creationism and evolution, which means we're talking about whether the first 10 chapters or so of Genesis are to be understood literally or not.

Bush is expressing a popular and wide-spread view of the Bible these days.

SDAs are literalists in the sense that we believe the Bible is literally true where the authors intended it to be accepted literally. Obviously there are some parts which are metaphorical and symbolical.

[Kountzer]

As has been mentioned, most americans do not accept the bible as true. I talk to people like that all the time.

DB

[Kountzer]

I'll give an example. They changed my work hours so that I now have to work until 7:30pm every night. The new schedule is not achieving anything significant, but that's another topic. The thing I resent most about the new schedule is that on Friday evenings at 5:30pm I have to sit there until 7:30pm.

Yesterday I wrote a memo to my superiors addressing the issue. They called me into the office, two of them, and kept asking me if I was muslim.

I kept telling them I was SDa christian, and that what I believe about the sabbath, and sabbath hours could be proven in the bible. Dispite saying that they asked me again if I was muslim. it's like the sabbath and everything associated with it doesn't not come across as real to them, no matter what the bible plainly teaches on the subject. It's not like I am throwing the koran or some other such book in their faces. I am talking about something based on the bible, the same bible they have in their houses, in their vehicles, and the same bible they pack to church on sundays.

Before this shift change thing came up, I seldom mentioned what I believed to anyone at work. DB

[Guest truthseeker007]

Talking about literalism. Was Goliath a true figure? He was supposed to be 3 metres tall. Did Ellen say anything about him?

[melvin mccarty]

I have to wonder who gets to determine exactly what the authors intended. Take the book of Job for instance. Internal evidence says allegory! ...mel

[John317]

It might be a good idea to write a few pages of Bible evidence about the Sabbath and give it to your employer. That's what I did, and after that I didn't hear any more about it, and they always gave me my Sabbaths off.

Not sure it will work, but pray about, and see what happens. I'll be praying for you about this.

[John317]

Goliath was nine feet nine inches.

Bao, of China, is 7 ft. 9 iniches.

The world's tallest is a man named Stadnyk who lives in the Ukraine. Stadnyk is 8 ft. 5 inches.

I find it entirely plausible that Goliath was nine ft. nine inches tall. That would only be about a foot taller than Stadnyk.

Ellen White does not deny the Bible record about Goliath's height. She wrote that Adam was about 12 ft.

Quote:

As Adam came forth from the hand of his Creator, he was of noble height, and of beautiful symmetry. He was more than twice as tall as men now living upon earth, and was well proportioned. His features were perfect and beautiful. His complexion was neither white, nor sallow, but ruddy, glowing with the rich tint of health. Eve was not quite as tall as Adam. Her head reached a little above his shoulders. She, too, was noble--perfect in symmetry, and very beautiful.--3SG 34 (1864).

[Dr. Shane]

They changed my work hours so that I now have to work until 7:30pm every night.

Ask your pastor to talk to your boss. If he cannot, get in contact with the union's religious liberty department and they will have an Adventist lawyer contact your boss. They have to give you the Sabbath off. It is a civil rights law that the Supreme Court has ruled in our favor on.

Back to the subject:

George Bush does not come from an evangelical family. From the portions of the interview I read it seems he places much more importance on the New Testament than the Old Testament. That is not unusual for many Christians. He does have Bible studies in the White House and is a dedicated Christian. Bravus is one here that often reminds us that a person can be a Christian and believe in evolution. Bush seems to be an example of that. However he also made the comment in the interview that he is just a humble President and not an theological authority. So the point being, he isn't out trying to convince others of what he isn't even sure about himself.

[Kountzer]

To update the situation, they approved the proposal I made in the memo I wrote and they are letting me leave work at 5;30pm, or right about sunset, on Friday evenings. So all is calm right now on that issue. Thanks to everyone for their concern and prayers on this matter.

DB

[Pockey]

Talking about literalism. Was Goliath a true figure? He was supposed to be 3 metres tall. Did Ellen say anything about him?

Possible...this man is 2.36m

[John317]

This is Bao of China at 7 Ft. 9 inches. He's shaking hands with the shortest man, who's 2 1/2 ft. tall.

There's a man named Stadnyk who lives in the Ukraine, who stands at 8 ft. 5 inches. I think it's not at all impossible that Goliath was actually 9 ft. like the Bible says.

[Dr. Shane]

To update the situation, they approved the proposal I made in the memo I wrote and they are letting me leave work at 5;30pm, or right about sunset, on Friday evenings. So all is calm right now on that issue. Thanks to everyone for their concern and prayers on this matter.

DB

Praise God, my brother. And God bless America. The privilege of having our Sabbath rights protected by law does not exist in many countries. Imagine if we had to choose the Sabbath or our job like many Adventists in the world do.

[Guest truthseeker007]

Yeah i ve red somewhere that Goliath was part of a very rare tall people. So maybe it is true after all!

[phkrause]

Praise the Lord DB. Don't we serve a wonderful Father.

pk