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Teach the Bible as metaphor

Monday, February 26 at 12:01 AM

This Speakout has not been edited

Al Kuelling, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Linda Seebach's excellent Feb 10th Op-ed titled "Reaching out to Christians on evolution" hits several nails squarely on the head. Let me add another facet not mentioned.

One of the significant reasons that mainline denominations lose young folk is over misunderstanding the seemingly scientific references in the Bible and creeds. I was one who left the church over this issue for over a decade.

Looking back, neither my parents nor my childhood church were in the literalist camp. But neither did they pound through my thick skull that what appear as scientific references are really metaphors used to drive home the religious point being made.

For example the passage "Preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth" appears to say the earth is flat - as was the understanding when that passage was written. The religious point being made is to get out of our neighborhood with the message. The passage was not intended to teach science. With the scientific understanding of today that passage might read "Preach the Gospel all around the earth."

So when that meaningless conflict between religion and science arose, I changed plans from entering the ministry to a career in physics. And I left the church until my loving wife and her pastor explained the metaphorical nature of the Bible to me.

In the several decades of knowing and working with youth in the church since coming back, I have seen lots of youth leave the church over the same reason that I did. Leave because they don't know what a metaphor is. So when they wrongly perceive, as I did, that there must be a choice - either religion or science - they choose science.

That is sad because science and religion are compatible. The choice to make is to choose BOTH. Science for an understanding of the "how" of nature, and religion for "how to live our lives." Our relationships. Our morals. Our ethics.

Therefore I am spearheading a grass roots movement to use The Clergy Letter Project at www.EvolutionSunday.org as an awareness tool throughout Methodism.

Although Methodism is clearly in the metaphorical camp, many Methodist clergy wimpishly do not preach it. Or teach it. And our youth walk.

A problem with an easy fix, but sometimes politically difficult to accomplish.

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