Typically conservative evangelicals are thought to take the Bible "literally" and those who take a more liberal interoperation of Scripture do not.
A "YES" answer is sure to get you odd looks and derisive remarks from non-Christians, and a "NO" answer will likely get you the same from conservative Christians.
Here's my answer: Sometimes.
Now before you write me off as a liberal Christian or a heretic capitulating to the growing secular culture let me explain.
Some parts of the Bible are meant to be taken literally and some are not. So simply saying "I take the Bible literally," would be inaccurate and unwise.
Now sometimes this is obvious. When we read 2 Sam. 22:32, "Who is a rock, except our God?" none of us think that God is a piece of quartz or granite or limestone that we can touch, throw, lean against. It's a metaphor! Of course this is not meant to be taken literally.
There are numerous examples of this in Scripture, where it is clearly obvious a verse should not be taken literally.
However sometimes it's not so obvious.
Do you take the words of Jesus literally? You might say, "Yes, of course! Even the ones that require much faith I still take literally!"
But that also is unwise.
Take for example Jesus' surprising statement in Luke 14:26,
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.Take that literally and you will be breaking some other commandments in the Bible such as Exo. 20:12 and 1 John 4:20-21.
Jesus did not mean for us to take his statement literally. Rather he was using a figure of speech to highlight the drastic difference that should characterize our love for God versus our love for our family and ourselves.
Then there's the book of Revelation, which is different than every other book of the Bible (besides perhaps the last half of the book of Daniel) in that it is Apocalyptic Literature. Apocalyptic literature is characterized by an over-abundance of symbols to the point that almost everything you read in the book of Revelation is not meant to be taken literally but rather as a symbol being used to teach a different lesson.
For example, in Rev. 5:5-6 Jesus is described as both a lion and a lamb - hardly meant to be taken literally.
Now of course this does not mean we never take the Bible literally. There are many commandments and teachings in the Bible that are very straight forward and clear.
It also does not mean that we should actively look for allegories or symbols and try to find deeper meanings in passages that never intended them.
I believe the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 was literal, as were the seven days.
I believe that Jesus literally performed all the miracles the gospels record.
I believe the Song of Solomon records literal, intimate acts of love between a husband and a wife.
I take the Bible literally when it speaks of the resurrection of Jesus, the reality of hell, the second coming of Christ, Judgment day, and numerous other things that non-Christians are unwilling to believe.
But I cannot give a simple "YES" answer when someone asks if I take the Bible literally. And neither should you.
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