Atheists and biblical literalism

Over at Subversive Christianity, “A deacon” has written a post decrying the atheist’s penchant for biblical literalism. Emphasis as original:

What the not-so-good atheist blogs have in common with not-so-good atheist books and some not-so-good reader comments even on the good atheist blogs is this: biblical literalism. I was surprised to discover that atheists, like evangelicalists, (sic) can fall victim to this poison.

Biblical literalism, of course, is the inability or (even worse) dogmatic refusal to read scripture with a critical eye. When the evangelicalist (sic) falls victim to it, he or she insists that every verse in scripture must be given equal weight and read with equal seriousness. As we all know, this sort of uncritical reading of any text, sacred or otherwise, is foolish–and, in worse case scenarios, dangerous.

I wrote a reply to this post, pointing out that we, as atheists, don’t have any agenda to try and twist some kind of meaning out of particular passages within their scripture, and how there is no concensus even amongst the christian believer community as to what is supposedly literal, symbolic or allegorical.

I’ve been accused of being too literal with scripture before (even, on one occasion, by another atheist) but my point is this: how is one supposed to read it? How is one to know which bits to take literally, and which other bits one has the prerogative to come up with creative arguments to justify an agreement with a particular non-literal mind set? As I wrote in my reply:

Tell us what episodes detailed in that book are symbolic, and which are merely allegory. Let us into the secret of how you discern which bits of your bible one can take liberties with creative interpretations. Do you have some sort of crib sheet that we atheists are ignorant of, telling you how to read each individual passage as it’s supposedly intended, outwith it’s literal rendering? Please, share it with us, and we’ll read the bible accordingly.

As I’ve said before, I have a singular kind of respect for fundies: not for their beliefs nor for what they say or do, but for the conviction that they have for their scripture, no matter how bigotted, hate-filled, contradictory or just plain ridiculous it is. It about the only respect I do have for these people, but isn’t it said that one should find the good in all people?

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