Why Literal?

I have a question for those who believe the bible to be a literal account of events. (If it's in the wrong forum, or has been asked before, I apologize. I'm new.)I'm assuming, and correct me if I'm wrong, that belief in the bible being literal comes from the idea that the bible is a direct account, straight from God's own mouth.However, on a regular basis in the bible, God is killing people, smiting them, even turning one person into salt... in life we're told on a regular basis that if an innocent child dies, it's part of God's great ineffable plan, and not for us to understand. It's for the greater good somehow, even if we don't get it.So is lying all that beneath him? Or using metaphor? Especially if a non-literal bible somehow serves the greater good, in ways we don't understand?Why does the bible being the direct word of God necessarily mean that it is a truthful word of God?I don't mean this to say "Nyah nyah, your religion's full of crap!" I'm honestly curious as to how people arrive at their conclusions where faith is involved.------------------
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Dan Carroll

Um, does anybody have a reply to my question? Just out of curiosity? Booboo came the closest, although his answer seemed to boil down to, "we know the Bible is intended literally because of these passages, which I am taking literally."Booboo: Something to muse on. The Iliad contains numerous references to gods, gives instructions on how to get into heaven, and is written as first-hand, eyewitness acount. Should we literally believe that Aphrodite stole Helen away and gave her to Paris?------------------
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Dan Carroll

But again... isn't this using passages from the Bible to show that the Bible is truthful?Why couldn't 2Tim.3:16 and Titus 1:2 be lies, or at least metaphors, as well?------------------
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Dan Carroll

quote:

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The Word of God is:
9. Sweeter than honey (v10)

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When I get home, I'm licking a Bible.We'll see just how literal it is.------------------
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Dan Carroll

quote:

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Did you know that if your diet consists of at least 10 apricot SEEDS, you will NEVER get cancer?

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Um... are you referring to Laetrile? (Anti-cancer drug made from apricot pits?)I may be mistaken, but wasn't Laetrile completely shot down by the FDA because it didn't do anything to cure cancer?

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So, why is cancer so much more common today than it was just a few centuries ago

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Because people pump out more carbon monoxide from their cars, smoke more tobacco, and generally inhale more carcinogens in a day than our forefathers did in a year?------------------
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Dan Carroll