Don Perrett wrote:
> While I agree that not all of the bible can be interpreted as
> science, I somehow doubt that anyone can deny that some books of the
> bible are distinctly poetic/mythological and others are factual, or
> even prophetic. Prophecy requires science to be understood before the
> event. After the fact it is not required but still useful. Factual
> passages and books, like most of the first five books, require
> science. Some disagree. Are the numbers of people within a tribe just
> poetic? Or are they actual math? Are the items forbidden to eat just
> mythology or are they actual eats? I think if a person with logic
> looks deep into the first five books they will find that the
> author/authors were generally using facts, which they knew at the
> time. This of course means that some will not apply today and some
> may. Its up to us to figure out which ones.Anyone wishing to respond,
> please give a percentage of fact vs. myth within the first five books.
> To do any less with a general "Its not science" comment would be
> unjust. Everyone says that the other doesn't listen. I'M LISTENING.
> Its up to those who disagree to answer the question, DISTINCTLY.
Your breakdown into "fact" and "myth" is far too simplistic.
The Pentateuch contains -
a) Theological texts & theology in the form of historical
accounts & stories.
b) Some historical & geographical data.
c) Stories about Israel's ancestors - some of which contain
historical data.
d) Other versions of the same material in a). (I.e., there are
duplicates, told from different
standpoints &/or transmitted by different channels.)
e) A considerable amount of legal material.
f) Liturgical material.
g) Stories to explain place names, traditions, &c.
h) "Broken myth" (note the qualification).
and other types. This list is not exhaustive.
I have not included
i) unqualified myth, because there is little if any of this, &
j) science, because while contemporary scientific views of the
world are utilized (as in the
cosmography of Gen.1), there is no material whose purpose is
the teaching of science.
Shalom,
George
George L. Murphy
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
"The Science-Theology Interface"
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Apr 23 2002 - 20:28:41 EDT