I grew up the same, mostly because allowing so much as not literal means and easier time for a pastor that also does car upholstery part time to sell any concept. Literalism is pretty demanding a a position.
The literalist interpretation was seen as extreme until maybe 20 years ago. I was shocked to learn about how many denominations are going in for it now. But maybe that’s just the internet showing me parts of the world I hadn’t seen before.
I was being fed biblical literalism over 30 years ago in the few years I was forced to go to church age 10-14. Pretty large congregation for a town of 20k with plenty of other churches.
One of the few things they got right was that small children shouldn’t be baptized, that a person should decide for themselves after age 13. I decided. I decided hell no.
Yeah, sadly that same chill Methodist church I grew up in has since slipped down into that literalist BS. When the United Methodist Church changed its stance to allow LGBTQ+ membership, clergy, and marriages in 2024, they decided to split off and just be an independent Methodist church.
I grew up the same, mostly because allowing so much as not literal means and easier time for a pastor that also does car upholstery part time to sell any concept. Literalism is pretty demanding a a position.
The literalist interpretation was seen as extreme until maybe 20 years ago. I was shocked to learn about how many denominations are going in for it now. But maybe that’s just the internet showing me parts of the world I hadn’t seen before.
I was being fed biblical literalism over 30 years ago in the few years I was forced to go to church age 10-14. Pretty large congregation for a town of 20k with plenty of other churches.
One of the few things they got right was that small children shouldn’t be baptized, that a person should decide for themselves after age 13. I decided. I decided hell no.
Yeah, sadly that same chill Methodist church I grew up in has since slipped down into that literalist BS. When the United Methodist Church changed its stance to allow LGBTQ+ membership, clergy, and marriages in 2024, they decided to split off and just be an independent Methodist church.