Editor’s Note: This letter is in response to the article “A Question of God, Part One: Why Does God Ask Questions?” by James Sales, published online.
Almost any serious student of the Bible understands that it is filled with literal and figurative examples. Why? For the most part, because the people of the era when these were written were mostly simple and uneducated, and that made it easier to understand complex and divine teachings. We still do this when using figurative examples or metaphors to make points that may be difficult to comprehend.
This is where the cynic and atheist dwell. They use these figurative examples to “prove” their point that these didn’t or couldn’t happen. They ignore their own, or societies’, use of figurative examples. Many nursery rhymes and children’s stories are figurative examples of real-life to help children learn and understand concepts such as honesty, integrity, and charity. As adults, we realize these are not “real,” but the lesson has been instilled.
Atheists and cynics will always look to find fault. As most know, if you are looking for fault, you will usually find something to prove their point, as perfection is God’s domain, not ours. If they spent half as much time looking for the literal behind the figurative, the world would be a better place.
Richard M. Cortellini
