If the story in Genesis 3 was deliberately made up by people who did not believe there had ever been a talking snake, with the intention that subsequent readers or listeners would take it as historical, then the situation is the same as in the previous paragraph.
That assumes that it’s always the goal of an author to tell the average reader the truth. As early as the 12th when Maimonides writes his Guide there’s the idea that the Torah is purposefully written in a way that the average reader doesn’t get it’s secrets. Only wise people are supposed to understand it. If a story successfully throws off a reader that isn’t wise it might have done it’s job.
Yes, that’s true, it might. Someone who embraces an esoteric version of (say) Christianity that takes all the silly-sounding things in it to be coded messages designed to be mostly misunderstood does indeed hold a position that isn’t vulnerable to attack on the basis of how silly the stories sound.
I don’t think that was the sort of scenario entirelyuseless had in mind, though.
If a story successfully throws off a reader that isn’t wise, but people who aren’t wise still get to go to Hell based on not acting as demanded by the story they don’t understand, then the writer is being a major jerk.
That assumes that it’s always the goal of an author to tell the average reader the truth. As early as the 12th when Maimonides writes his Guide there’s the idea that the Torah is purposefully written in a way that the average reader doesn’t get it’s secrets. Only wise people are supposed to understand it. If a story successfully throws off a reader that isn’t wise it might have done it’s job.
Yes, that’s true, it might. Someone who embraces an esoteric version of (say) Christianity that takes all the silly-sounding things in it to be coded messages designed to be mostly misunderstood does indeed hold a position that isn’t vulnerable to attack on the basis of how silly the stories sound.
I don’t think that was the sort of scenario entirelyuseless had in mind, though.
If a story successfully throws off a reader that isn’t wise, but people who aren’t wise still get to go to Hell based on not acting as demanded by the story they don’t understand, then the writer is being a major jerk.
The average person isn’t supposed to get his knowledge by reading himself but by listening to his rabbi/priest.