The same way people manage with every other book they read. It always amazes me that people even ask this question. Read a novel, a historical work, a newspaper, a magazine, and you effortlessly apply such hermeneutics without even thinking about it.
That depends entirely on the context in which they’re found. A miracle described in a poetic narrative or a prophetic polemic is more likely to be intended as a symbol, whereas a miracle described in a historical narrative or an eschatological covenant is more likely to be intended as literal. Similarly, we read without confusion the various weird descriptions of events we find in poetry, understanding that the genre is an indication they are not to be taken literally, whilst reading a newspaper article completely differently. We see supernatural events in a movie without being convinced that the movie was trying to persuade us that the events literally took place (with the exception of movies purporting to represent real events; but again the genre of the self-described documentary informs us of the authorial intent).
Hermeneutics can’t prove what did or didn’t happen. It’s not possible to prove if any of the miracles did or didn’t happen, whether by hermeneutics or anything else.
Well few of us are immune to the temptation to play to our audience.
Thanks zender. I appreciate what you’ve written, and it deserves a response which will take time, so please indulge me if I don’t get a detailed reply up here for a day or two.
[quote=“Funk500”][quote=“Chris”]
As a child, I found the idea of god to be silly.[/quote]
What confused me as a kid was that I knew I was nice and I didn’t do anything wrong but for some reason I was told I was going to hell.[/quote]
If I’d been taught that as a kid, I would have been very confused as well. What a silly idea.
Evidence please. Recent studies show that religious people:
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Donate more money to charities
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Donate more blood
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Volunteer more of their time to organizations
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Are more happy and satisfied with their lives
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Are more confident about the future
That doesn’t look like a waste of brainpower or capabilities to me.
[quote=“WebMD”]‘Those scoring high in religious beliefs – who went to church regularly, had a strong religious faith, and prayed often – also scored high in happiness and purpose in life.
“We’re not saying that all religious people are happier than non-religious people,” Joseph tells WebMD. “It’s just that, on average, religious people tend to be happier because they have a greater sense of purpose in life.”’[/quote]
[quote=“ABC News”]‘Is there a secret weapon against depression? Research suggests it might be religion.
Studies show that people who practice some sort of religion are happier and less stressed out than those who don’t.’[/quote]
[quote=“BBC”]‘A belief in God could lead to a more contented life, research suggests.
Religious people are better able to cope with shocks such as losing a job or divorce, claims the study presented to a Royal Economic Society conference.’[/quote]
[quote=“BBC”]‘This is not the first study to draw links between religion and happiness, with a belief among many psychologists that some factor in either belief, or its observance, offering benefits.’
[/quote]