Bible being symbolic ?
Can the bible stories be believed as factual and not symbolic ? For instance the Adam and eve story ?
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I think regarding the stories as symbolic can be useful.
I live in a subtropical area which, long ago, was volcanic. Since then it has been eroded by rain into an incredibly ancient landscape - but the volcanic clay soils are still incredibly mobile during the big summer cyclones, especially in a La Niña year. Over the last twenty years, I've seen clay landslides take out roads, houses and huge transport trucks. I've seen a sink hole grow from the size of a rabbit hole to one large enough to swallow 3 cows.
This story of [i]Barrajanda and Ningeroongun[/i] is told by the Yugumbeh people to explain the origin of Mt Cougal’s twin peaks
Jabreen is the Great Creator of this land, long time back in the Dreamtime. He sent water to fall on the land and give it life. Cascading here or flowing gently there, it shapes the land. And his plant is the rainforest vine.
Gwyala, a skilled Dreamtime hunter, had two special dingoes, Barrajanda and Ningeroongun. They were trained to help in the hunt by chasing a kangaroo into a net to be speared.
One day, Gwyala and his nephew, Barrajum, strayed into the Logan lands of the neighbouring people, and the dogs caught a kangaroo-rat. Then the dogs saw a kangaroo and tried to chase him towards Gwyala and Barrajum, but the ‘roo ran to a lagoon and jumped in for safety.
Two girls were at the lagoon to fetch water for their mob’s camp nearby. They saw the shadows of the hunting dogs and told their families. All the men came over and managed to scare the ‘roo into their net. The dogs fought so fiercely over the roo that the men killed them.
Gwyala and Barrajum heard the noise and ran towards it. When Gwyala saw that Ningeroongun and Barrajanda were dead, he cried and wept in terrible distress.
“Don’t cry, Uncle,” said Barrajum. “I will cut a vine.” This is the ceremony to ask Jabreen for rain.
The men who killed the special hunting dingos were very much afraid.
After Barrajum had cut the vine, the clouds gathered and the rains commenced. The rain fell more heavily every day, and more. The rivers and creeks swelled up into torrents. Avalanches scarred the mountains and buried the people of the Logan lagoon.
When the skies cleared the mountains had become no more than ridges and hills.
Meanwhile, after the vine ceremony, Gwyala and Barrajum took the bodies of Barrajanda and Ningeroongun over the big range almost as far as Wollumbin. They buried their beloved dogs, one on each of the two little peaks just north of Wollumbin. And ever since then, these two peaks are named Barrajanda and Ningeroongun.
~
In my view there are many lessons in this story.
I live in a subtropical area which, long ago, was volcanic. Since then it has been eroded by rain into an incredibly ancient landscape - but the volcanic clay soils are still incredibly mobile during the big summer cyclones, especially in a La Niña year. Over the last twenty years, I've seen clay landslides take out roads, houses and huge transport trucks. I've seen a sink hole grow from the size of a rabbit hole to one large enough to swallow 3 cows.
This story of [i]Barrajanda and Ningeroongun[/i] is told by the Yugumbeh people to explain the origin of Mt Cougal’s twin peaks
Jabreen is the Great Creator of this land, long time back in the Dreamtime. He sent water to fall on the land and give it life. Cascading here or flowing gently there, it shapes the land. And his plant is the rainforest vine.
Gwyala, a skilled Dreamtime hunter, had two special dingoes, Barrajanda and Ningeroongun. They were trained to help in the hunt by chasing a kangaroo into a net to be speared.
One day, Gwyala and his nephew, Barrajum, strayed into the Logan lands of the neighbouring people, and the dogs caught a kangaroo-rat. Then the dogs saw a kangaroo and tried to chase him towards Gwyala and Barrajum, but the ‘roo ran to a lagoon and jumped in for safety.
Two girls were at the lagoon to fetch water for their mob’s camp nearby. They saw the shadows of the hunting dogs and told their families. All the men came over and managed to scare the ‘roo into their net. The dogs fought so fiercely over the roo that the men killed them.
Gwyala and Barrajum heard the noise and ran towards it. When Gwyala saw that Ningeroongun and Barrajanda were dead, he cried and wept in terrible distress.
“Don’t cry, Uncle,” said Barrajum. “I will cut a vine.” This is the ceremony to ask Jabreen for rain.
The men who killed the special hunting dingos were very much afraid.
After Barrajum had cut the vine, the clouds gathered and the rains commenced. The rain fell more heavily every day, and more. The rivers and creeks swelled up into torrents. Avalanches scarred the mountains and buried the people of the Logan lagoon.
When the skies cleared the mountains had become no more than ridges and hills.
Meanwhile, after the vine ceremony, Gwyala and Barrajum took the bodies of Barrajanda and Ningeroongun over the big range almost as far as Wollumbin. They buried their beloved dogs, one on each of the two little peaks just north of Wollumbin. And ever since then, these two peaks are named Barrajanda and Ningeroongun.
~
In my view there are many lessons in this story.