63 Greg,

I think it’s only fair to ask ourselves where Biblical literalism as stand alone truth ends and where poetic imagery begins.

I didn’t see this as questioning the Genesis account at all since you didn’t mention poetic imagery in Genesis. I think Paula’s comment that Genesis was written from our perspective and not from outside of our view here on earth, is valid. I saw her words as standing beside yours. What I was getting at was that the language of Genesis is sequential so whatever way one looks at the time period, it must be judged by the grammar as it was written as one event after another. My point was also that God was not obligated to answer a challenge from pagan’s or their view. Unless God mentions the false gods in the account (which He does not), there is nothing in the account that says it isn’t meant to be historical. Poetic language, if it were to exist in the account, does not take away from the account being a real historical event.

When I am challenged that my view of a historical account of the creation in Genesis 1 is not the best view, I do have freedom to request proof of the claims of the challengers who say that the account is not literal but is only poetry meant to convey something else. I am not saying that I do not believe that anyone who does not believe that Genesis 1 is historical is not a Christian. However, since this is my blog, I reserve the right to request something concrete from those who challenge me. This can be done in a respectful way since we belong to the same family of God. As far as what you do or don’t believe, I don’t know. I didn’t think that you were challenging me.

As far as the issue of God answering the challenge of pagans who believed that creation was the work of pagan gods, I would be interested in anyone who has a scripture that shows that God is obligated to answer the challenge of pagan gods. I would also be interested to read anyone’s argument that God would answer such a challenge and not even mention the challenge or mention the pagan gods. It seems to me to be a position that is without merit.