The supposed alliance between the Church and the fundamentalists over abortion shouldn't obscure the deep gulf in belief separating them. Most people misunderstand the Catholic position on fundamentalist interpretations. By hearkening to his own religious teachings, Biden can effectively present himself as a mainstream Catholic, and in fact, a mainstream Christian, as opposed to Palin's weird cultish beliefs, which, though widespread, are held by a distinct minority and place her--like Huckabee--well outside mainstream Christianity.
The following are excerpts from the Introduction to the Catholic Bible. Everybody should read this!
From HOW TO READ YOUR BIBLE
Introduction to the Saint Joseph Edition of The New American Bible
"On Biblical Inspiration:
Hebrew literature ... is inspired (breathed upon) in a very special way by almighty God. This does not mean that God dictated His message as a business man dictates a letter to a secretary. God takes the author as he is and leaves him free to choose his own means of communication. Isaiah was a great poet and composed beautiful poems to convey his message. Ezekiel was not well versed in letters and his language is rather poor. Some authors chose existing folk tales and even beast fables to bring out their point. Inspiration is guidance."
Literary Genres or Forms
It is very important to know what literary form a writer uses to convey his message. Is it a work of history, a poem, a figure of speech, a parable? If you do not know, you may misunderstand the writer’s message...
b) The Allegory: A figure story with a veiled meaning. Read Genesis 2, 3, 4 1-16; 6—8; 11, 19. For centuries, these chapters have been misunderstood as inspired lessons in science. The Bible does not teach science; it teaches religious values. It uses these folktales to teach a lesson. Again, the point of the allegory (not the details) is God’s message to you.
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Poems in the Bible
But biblical poems in particular can easily be misunderstood. Read them as poems and not scientific or historical reports, in which one tries to explain every detail as a revelation from God. See no. 4 [a previous section on Inspiration and Revelation] and read Psalm 137: "Ballad of the Exiles," paying special attention to verses 8 and 9. The feeling, the thought, the total poem is inspired (guided) by God, though it is not necessarily revealed truth! Read some psalms!
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How Do You Know?
Walking into a modern library, you find all the books neatly arranged under fiction and nonfiction. It is not that simple in the library called the Bible. How does one know whether one deals with history or some form of figurative speech?
To begin with, we should always be disposed to follow the teaching authority of the Church. We should also consult renowned Bible scholars who are experts in Hebrew literature. Sometimes it is secular science which gives Christians the lead to reconsider their Bible understanding. The discoveries of Copernicus and Galileo made Christians aware that Genesis 1 is not a sacred lesson in science but a poem on creation...Most scientists hold that the human species has developed somehow from lower forms of life. This knowledge helped Christians to understand that Genesis 2 and 3 is not a lesson in Anthropology, but an allegory, teaching us the lesson that sin is the root of all evil.
However, one problem remains: You may hear interpreters of the Bible who are literalists or fundamentalists. They explain the Bible according to the letter: Eve really ate the apple and Jonah was miraculously kept alive in the belly of the whale. Then there are ultra-liberal scholars (outside the Catholic Church!) who qualify the whole Bible as another book of fairy tales. Catholic Bible scholars follow the sound middle of the road, keeping a balance between fundamentalists and scholars who are too liberal.. You may make your own choice as long as it is not contrary to the teaching authority of the Church. The signature of a Bishop in your Bible assures you that opinions, expressed in footnotes and introductions, reflect what is generally accepted as sound doctrine in the Catholic tradition.
Authorized by the Board of Trustees of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and Approved by the Administrative Committee/Board of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference 1970.