I read that 48% of Americans believe the fairy tales in the bible are tales of ‘actual’ events.
I’m curious, who here believes they are true stories?
From reading your “question”, I gather that you really aren’t interested in assessing who believes what, but rather to aggravate religious persons.
Am I right?
Well, that sure was a short thread.
I fair number of us believe that the majority of the current residents of Australia are the descendants of homosexuals and convicts. Is that not true?
[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
From reading your “question”, I gather that you really aren’t interested in assessing who believes what, but rather to aggravate religious persons.
Am I right?[/quote]
Well said sir. I’m an athiest and personally I don’t care what other’s believe so long as I’m not bothered about my beliefs.
[quote]Andrew Dixon wrote:
I read that 48% of Americans believe the fairy tales in the bible are tales of ‘actual’ events.
I’m curious, who here believes they are true stories?
[/quote]
Well, I don’t see why one should disregard the historical events taking place in the bible more than other contemporary tales? 
[quote]Andrew Dixon wrote:
I read that 48% of Americans believe the fairy tales in the bible are tales of ‘actual’ events. [/quote]
Even better, one in four Americans say Jesus may return in 2007. No wonder Bush don’t seem to care too much about global warming, nuclear holocaust and the risk of exacerbating terrorist threats by waging unnecessary wars.
[i]Twenty-five percent of Americans believe it is at least somewhat likely that Jesus Christ will return to Earth in 2007, a new poll from the Associated Press and AOL News shows.
The poll, conducted by the international polling firm Ipsos, looked at the public?s predictions about what will occur in 2007.
Pollsters found that 11 percent of those surveyed said it is ?very likely? that Jesus will return to Earth this year. An additional 14 percent said it was ?somewhat likely.? .[/i]
[quote]lixy wrote:
Andrew Dixon wrote:
I read that 48% of Americans believe the fairy tales in the bible are tales of ‘actual’ events.
Even better, one in four Americans say Jesus may return in 2007. No wonder Bush don’t seem to care too much about global warming, nuclear holocaust and the risk of exacerbating terrorist threats by waging unnecessary wars.
[i]Twenty-five percent of Americans believe it is at least somewhat likely that Jesus Christ will return to Earth in 2007, a new poll from the Associated Press and AOL News shows.
The poll, conducted by the international polling firm Ipsos, looked at the public?s predictions about what will occur in 2007.
Pollsters found that 11 percent of those surveyed said it is ?very likely? that Jesus will return to Earth this year. An additional 14 percent said it was ?somewhat likely.? .[/i]
Beliefnet [/quote]
“Even better, one in four Americans say Jesus may return in 2007.”
vs.
“Twenty-five percent of Americans believe it is at least somewhat likely”
“may return”
“at least somewhat likely”…
well… lixy is at it again… 
The troll from the deep swedish forests. So, is it time for a “is lixy really swedish” quiz again…?
[quote]Adamsson wrote:
The troll from the deep swedish forests. [/quote]
I always thought trolls lived in deep Norwegian forests.
Well, norwegian trolls are intelligent.
[quote]Adamsson wrote:
Well, norwegian trolls are intelligent.[/quote]
Now that would be another silly thread…
"I read that 48% of Norwegians believe the fairy tales in the Prose and Poetic Eddas are tales of ‘actual’ events.
I’m curious, is there anybody in Norway who believes they are true stories?"
Actually, I didn’t really read that, and I doubt it’s true, although I do know that Asatru is an official religion in Iceland, and Icelanders (culturally and linguistically, at least) are essentially Norwegians.
[quote]Loose Tool wrote:
I fair number of us believe that the majority of the current residents of Australia are the descendants of homosexuals and convicts. Is that not true?[/quote]
I’m not sure how many would be direct decedents from the criminals, but most would be regular immigrant descendants.
[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
From reading your “question”, I gather that you really aren’t interested in assessing who believes what, but rather to aggravate religious persons.
Am I right?[/quote]
No, I’m actually curious. Maybe I shouldn’t have said fairy tales, that just how I see them. Maybe more like metaphor’s.
I really want to know how anyone can believe them as actual events. I didn’t know so many people thought as ‘actual events’ and I was raised with religion in my life.
Will anyone admit to being a true believer?
[quote]Adamsson wrote:
Andrew Dixon wrote:
I read that 48% of Americans believe the fairy tales in the bible are tales of ‘actual’ events.
I’m curious, who here believes they are true stories?
Well, I don’t see why one should disregard the historical events taking place in the bible more than other contemporary tales? :)[/quote]
I’m talking about stories like Noah’s ark.
Are you saying we should take them literally?
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
Adamsson wrote:
Well, norwegian trolls are intelligent.
Now that would be another silly thread…
"I read that 48% of Norwegians believe the fairy tales in the Prose and Poetic Eddas are tales of ‘actual’ events.
I’m curious, is there anybody in Norway who believes they are true stories?"
Actually, I didn’t really read that, and I doubt it’s true, although I do know that Asatru is an official religion in Iceland, and Icelanders (culturally and linguistically, at least) are essentially Norwegians.
:P[/quote]
Lots of the sagas are aknowledged as factual, yes. Just as the bible’s accounts of empires that rise and fall are widely aknowledged as the same…
I believe in them.
[quote]Andrew Dixon wrote:
No, I’m actually curious. Maybe I shouldn’t have said fairy tales, that just how I see them. Maybe more like metaphor’s.
I really want to know how anyone can believe them as actual events. I didn’t know so many people thought as ‘actual events’ and I was raised with religion in my life.
Will anyone admit to being a true believer? [/quote]
Well, then, instead of asking an idiotic question like you did, you may want to consider the entire thing in context: the Bible is filled with stories, some more fantastic than others.
I don’t think you actually care - it is a pretty naked attempt to degrade people for their beliefs. If you want to do that, fine - just don’t try and pretend otherwise.
I’m not Christian but I believe in many of them.
Also, I don’t think it matters if you take them literally or not. Take the point and move on. Quibbling over the realism of the accounts should be left to archeologues, historians and fundamentalists.
[quote]Andrew Dixon wrote:
I really want to know how anyone can believe them as actual events. I didn’t know so many people thought as ‘actual events’ and I was raised with religion in my life.
Will anyone admit to being a true believer?
[/quote]
Twenty-six percent of Australians are anglican, 26% percent are roman catholic and 24% are other christian.
Is there something fundamentally different about how religion is practiced in australia such that faith is not required? For the record, I don’t give the bible any more credence than I do any other english translation of an ancient text (ex: The History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides).