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. I say partly because I, as well as some others I know, make a concerted effort not to interpret when possible not to do so or when the text, context or corroborating scriptural text is reasonably clear.
I find it amusing you can't even see that you are doing. What you deem to be reasonably clear is because your interpretation of the meanings results in your opinion on it being clear. Again, your and others' interpretation is
always at work. How do you know that what APPEARS to be reasonably clear is actually a metaphor for something different?
Simple answer: you don't.
As much as you don't want to admit it, you are doing the exact same thing at all times for your religion that you seem to be criticizing others for.
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2. I've already addressed the way to know whether text is metaphor or literal.
See above for why you need to rethink that.
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3. True, every reader chooses how much to apply literally and metaphorically. Imo the more one chooses metaphor the less knowledgeable on will be regarding the book.
And others would lean the opposite. Again, interpretation at work.
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If the pilot of your next flight might be one who tends to be liberal in which fundamentals of piloting to implement you might not be as likely to reach your destination as you would with a literalist and fundamentalist pilot.
Unless what you are studying was meant to be metaphorical.
Again, you fail to even acknowledge your own interpretation when you attack others.
My point is, no one can be absolutely sure what parts are meant to be literal, what parts figurative, if any of it is actually factually true and if their interpretations are correct. Therefore, someone who realizes the limitation of their own knowledge, aka, aware of their own ignorance, should not be criticizing others for their interpretations.
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