Secondly, there is the Conservative. Rather than believe that the Bible is the literal word from God, Conservatives think that there is an essence of the writer’s personality and style in the text. Therefore they do not believe that the Bible is an accurate teaching of science, but a book of faith and knowledge of God. This way, there is no difficulty in accepting more recent ideas such as Evolution (God could have named the apes from which we evolved Adam and Eve in the Bible) and the capability of cloning, and that the creation story could be a lyrical poem describing not how the world was created, but why.
This is not to say that Conservatives do not believe in any truths – the feel that God guides the world, spoke through the prophets and that he came to earth in Jesus, worked miracles and then died for people’s sins. They are less pedantic about details in the Bible and are willing to accept that perhaps the writers heard different accounts of the same story and that it is the what not the how that is important.
Lastly, there are the Liberals. In stark contrast to the Fundamentalists, they believe that the books in the Bible were just inspired by God, in the same way that Shakespeare was inspired to write. They have been given an insight into human life that others did not have, and could put it into words in order to share it. This allows Liberals to be broad in their interpretations of the Bible, and treat it like symbolic poetry. Thus, they would see the story of Jesus healing a blind man in the Gospel not as him literally curing his sight, but helping him to see the “light at the end of the tunnel”, as it were, or indeed just a better side to life. They may also argue that God created the apes with the plan for them to develop into mankind, or that we were once a more primitive form of man, unlike today…The possibilities are endless for the Liberal. Other Liberals may see some stories as literal, though, as there is no fixed understanding of the Bible for all to adhere to, as with the Fundamentalists.
All in all, most Christians fall between two groups – usually Liberals and Conservatives – where they will share different views on different aspects of the Bible. Generally, Christians will accept what seems good and reasonable and leave the rest unanswered, as it is better not to question the Bible because there is a possibility that once you star, you may not stop.
- How far do the Jewish scriptures support the view that God created humanity for a purpose? (17)
There are two fundamentally contrasting ideas about God:
One is that He is immanent – He is within the world in every aspect, every tiny molecule has His essence – and the second is that He is transcendent – He is above and beyond any human experience or perception. Either way, it is clear to Christians that God created the world, but the question is – for what purpose?
Thousands of years ago, in the early civilisations such as Ancient Greece and Rome, the Gods each had a specific purpose and were depicted anthropomorphically so that it was easier for worshippers to access the idea of Gods and Goddesses. There was a god for harvest, another for music, another for the sea – the list goes on until there is a specific god for any purpose imaginable. They each care for their own category, as such, so that the Ancient Grecians and Romans focused their work and earnings into temples and society. However, the early Jewish scriptures, which now make up the Old Testament of the Bible, God clearly had a direct influence on creation.
For example, take the two creation stories themselves. The first is more of a poetic lyric, illustrating that God created the world in six “days” and that it was “good”. Contrary to this, however, there is the Genesis creation story of Adam and Eve. The fall shows that the creation was not perfect, as He gave His humans free will and they disobeyed him and were thus punished. Not only is He omnipotent, but also He is a temperamental God. If He had not created us for a purpose, why invest time and effort into Adam and Eve and become angry with them after they defy Him? Surely this was not merely for His amusement. There is also the question of why the serpent – “more crafty than any other creatures God had made” (3:1) – was in the Garden of Eden in the first place. Had God not put it there, Adam and Eve would never have destroyed their relationship with God. Then we are led to ask if God knew what the consequences would be, and if so, does this make Him a malevolent God? At least from this story, otherwise inexplicable phenomena are answered (why clothes are worn [3:21], why it is difficult to grow fruit from the earth [“cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;” 3:17], why women menstruate) which would satisfy those who asked the questions centuries ago. Of course, there is also the story of the Flood and Noah’s Ark, which is an antithesis to the creation story, as God promises to preserve what He has created for all of time, despite its faults.
In addition to this, there is the story of Job who loses his family, his house and all he held dear. Nevertheless, he perseveres through his belief in God and eventually is rewarded with regaining his losses. During his time of suffering, Job questions God’s purposes and plans, to which God replies, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4). This implies that the creation of the earth was more than a mere whim. Principally, Isaiah expresses God’s sovereignty over humanity and the ignorant worship of idols and pagan tradition: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7). This sends a fairly clear message that God intended to do all that has been done, just as “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (Deu. 6:4) affirms God’s power.
