Literalists can spend so much time trying to prove the facts that they miss the truths. If Jesus only spoke in parables, using story to tell a deeper truth, why is it so hard to imagine that parts of the Bible might be parable, metaphor, and poetry? These stories are designed to provoke reflection, not to serve as simplistic dictates. The belief that every word of the Bible should be interpreted to the letter and applied directly to contemporary life is not the point of faith.
