Protestant denominations who don't take the bible literally

[Anonymous]

So I went to Vacation Bible School with my child this last week. One of the stories that was told was Genesis. Are there denominations which do not take the bible literally? The person teaching the bible lessons talked about what happened on year "day". OK let's say I can accept that each "day" was actually billions of years and that the bible tells stories that are not literally true. Is there a denomination for me?

[Anonymous]

Sure, Episcopalians, Quakers, Presbyterians, Methodists, United Church of Christ, Congregationalists, some varieties of Lutheran . . I'm sure there are more, but there are many denominations that don't see the bible as literal.

[Anonymous]

Unitarians?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure, Episcopalians, Quakers, Presbyterians, Methodists, United Church of Christ, Congregationalists, some varieties of Lutheran . . I'm sure there are more, but there are many denominations that don't see the bible as literal.

OK, OP here, it was at a Methodist Church. I guess I was surprised at the literal teaching during VBS. But maybe it is a little hard to teach a less literal interpretation to elementary aged and preschool students.

[Anonymous]

For some reason I think the ones that don't take the Bible literally are also less likely to offer vacation bible school.

My episcopal school taught us all about evolution and basically said genesis is a metaphor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For some reason I think the ones that don't take the Bible literally are also less likely to offer vacation bible school.

My episcopal school taught us all about evolution and basically said genesis is a metaphor.

Not true. I taught Episcopal Vacation Bible school for years as a kid, and the liberal bible as a metaphor church I attended still teaches it.

[Anonymous]

PCUSA Presbyterians are very liberal (gay marriage, Bible not literally interpreted, etc), but the PCA Presbyterians are very conservative.

The ELCA Lutherans are liberal, but the Missouri Synod Lutherans are very conservative.

Etc, etc, etc.

Unitarians are really very different in that they do not ( and never have) believed in the Trinity. Unitarian refers to their belief in a unitary God.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I went to Vacation Bible School with my child this last week. One of the stories that was told was Genesis. Are there denominations which do not take the bible literally? The person teaching the bible lessons talked about what happened on year "day". OK let's say I can accept that each "day" was actually billions of years and that the bible tells stories that are not literally true. Is there a denomination for me?

How old is your child?

I was raised in a protestant denomination and never encountered biblical literalists. However, as a young child, I was also taught the story of Genesis "on the first day..." and there wasn't a lot of discussion around what "day" might mean (or even beyond that). It was more coloring animals, cutting out trees, that sort of thing. I was probably 10 or 11 before biblical-stories-as-metaphor became part of my church education, and to be honest that was more likely to happen in sunday school or youth group. VBS was typically much more camp-like and religious education was very surface.

Of course every church is different, but I wouldn't be inclined to pick a church based on its VBS. I'd sit in on several services, visit youth and adult education classes, and otherwise look into the life of the church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I went to Vacation Bible School with my child this last week. One of the stories that was told was Genesis. Are there denominations which do not take the bible literally? The person teaching the bible lessons talked about what happened on year "day". OK let's say I can accept that each "day" was actually billions of years and that the bible tells stories that are not literally true. Is there a denomination for me?

How old is your child?

I was raised in a protestant denomination and never encountered biblical literalists. However, as a young child, I was also taught the story of Genesis "on the first day..." and there wasn't a lot of discussion around what "day" might mean (or even beyond that). It was more coloring animals, cutting out trees, that sort of thing. I was probably 10 or 11 before biblical-stories-as-metaphor became part of my church education, and to be honest that was more likely to happen in sunday school or youth group. VBS was typically much more camp-like and religious education was very surface.

Of course every church is different, but I wouldn't be inclined to pick a church based on its VBS. I'd sit in on several services, visit youth and adult education classes, and otherwise look into the life of the church.

OP here- My child is 6, but I sat in with 5 year olds that day. I was a "counselor" (lead kids from activity to activity) for different kids on different days. It is the church I attend, but I was surprised by the content of the VBS. I am not a member and lean more toward the Quakers and Unitarians, but wanted a "family church" for my child to grow up in which has a mixed congregation, and this one does. Many of the churches I might attend everyone is white. Some Methodist churches have a more varied congregation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure, Episcopalians, Quakers, Presbyterians, Methodists, United Church of Christ, Congregationalists, some varieties of Lutheran . . I'm sure there are more, but there are many denominations that don't see the bible as literal.

OK, OP here, it was at a Methodist Church. I guess I was surprised at the literal teaching during VBS. But maybe it is a little hard to teach a less literal interpretation to elementary aged and preschool students.

Children are naturally open to stories being just pretend, so I think if they were presented that way, the kids would get it.

[Anonymous]

So you are looking for a church that does not teach the Bible?
Just curious, I happen to believe in evolution AND Genesis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you are looking for a church that does not teach the Bible?
Just curious, I happen to believe in evolution AND Genesis.

An amazing feat, I'm not sure I would brag about it though.

[Anonymous]

I think that most churches, even those that teach less literal versions of the Bible, will teach it in that way to small children. It's going to be pretty challenging to explain to children how these stories really teach the "essence and spirit" of God. I mean, I think they can best understand that by learning those stories now, at this age, and then later questioning them and realizing that they weren't meant to be taken literally, but that understanding probably comes later, around confirmation time or after.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure, Episcopalians, Quakers, Presbyterians, Methodists, United Church of Christ, Congregationalists, some varieties of Lutheran . . I'm sure there are more, but there are many denominations that don't see the bible as literal.

OK, OP here, it was at a Methodist Church. I guess I was surprised at the literal teaching during VBS. But maybe it is a little hard to teach a less literal interpretation to elementary aged and preschool students.

Children are naturally open to stories being just pretend, so I think if they were presented that way, the kids would get it.

I don't know. Kindergarteners are notoriously confused about real and pretend even in straightforward situations. The nuance of a story being both inspired by (or written by, depending on what you need) God, in order to teach us something important, while still including elements that aren't literally true, is a pretty complex thing to understand when you're five or six.

[Anonymous]

Just because VBS teaches the Bible stories doesn't mean the adult members of the church believe them literally. We go to a very liberal congregation of a liberal denomination (PCUSA) but Sunday school and VBS still teach the Bible stories to the little kids. They don't get into the fact that they could be metaphors, lost in translation, inspired by God but written by men, etc. I don't have a problem with that. I want my child to know the stories and believe them even if "believe" takes on some subtleties and complexities later on.

Bible stories are important literary and cultural touchstones too.