Literal vs. Allegorical

I and some like me interpret the Bible literally; that is, the Bible means what it says and it says what it means.  I am discovering that a literal interpretation of the Bible is becoming rare.  In fact a literal interpretation of God’s Word is being met with ridicule, laughter, and in some cases anger.  

I am forty nine years old so I am, statistically speaking, a little over half way to being physically dead.  Yet in terms of Biblical history I am barely a grease spot on the floor.  Yet in my short time on this earth I have seen some disturbing changes in the way people view the Bible.  More and more Pastors and the congregations they teach are drifting away from a literal interpretation of the Bible.  It is disturbing to say the least.  Instead of interpreting the Bible literally (it means what it says and says what it means) there is a tendency to “allegorize” the Bible.

Allegory defined- “a story, play, poem, picture or other work in which the characters and events represent particular qualities or ideas, related to morals, religion or politics”  (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/allegory?q=allegory) 

Therefore, If there are things you don’t like (violence, death, bloodshed etc.) you can just arrive at those conclusions that represent your “qualities or ideas” that uphold your “morals, religion, or politics”    

This type of thinking is dangerous to say the least.  Below is an example of what I’m talking about. 

Another sign of the Great Emergence in religion bears directly on our Gospel reading today, and that is the loss of confidence in the inerrancy of Scripture. Inerrancy is a fancy way of saying that you believe that everything in the Bible is historically accurate, internally consistent, and infallible. Our congregation gives witness to this shift away from belief in Biblical inerrancy when we say to one another that we take the Bible seriously but not literally. In other words, even though we acknowledge that the Bible is littered with contradictions and is not historical in the modern sense, we still trust in its authority as a divine communication from God. But that leaves us with the question of how do we read the Bible? If not literally or as history, then how do we make sense of an inconsistent and ancient text to find God speaking to us today? It is a perplexing question which some find so hard to answer that reading the Bible on their own is no longer part of their spiritual practice. 

But Jesus gave them and us a simple reading lesson – when you are reading the Biblical text don’t make the error of looking for historical facts or trying to resolve all the inconsistencies and especially don’t turn it into an idol by insisting on its infallibility.  (http://www.ravenfoundation.org/blogs/religion/jesus-gives-a-reading-lesson/)

These are excerpts from a sermon preached in a church that calls itself Christian.  Don’t take my word for it; go read the entire article at the link above.  

The time has come to take a stand for what is right and true.

The premise of the website above is that God cannot possibly be violent.  The cross was too violent.  The O.T. is too violent.  The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is too violent.    

They cannot resolve the “violence” in the Bible “literally” so they engage in “allegory” which in turn fits their “qualities and ideas” which supports their “morals, religion, or politics”.    

Is there an answer to the “violence” question in the Bible?  Absolutely, literally there is. :)

Hebrews 4.12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”