History and Fact

Do scriptures have to be historical fact for them to be meaningful? Is the Bible scientific fact, or spiritual truth? Are the 7 days of creation intended to be about science, or about spirituality? Did David have to actually fight Goliath for the story to have meaning? Or does it serve spirituality better as an example of trust in God and the power that small ventures can muster against great odds? Does the dragon in Revelation actually have to sweep a third of the stars out of the sky for the episode to have meaning? Or is it an example of falsity sweeping away the lights of truth?

I say that sacred scriptures are more meaningful when they are not looked at as historical or scientific fact. Myth matters more than history and fact. Poetic metaphor, symbols, and myth speak to the heart, mind, and soul. There is much more power in symbol than there is in a mathematical equation or scientific theory. The theory of relativity does nothing for my soul.

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