The 'religious' POV doesn't necessarily see it as literally true either. Only some interpret it as an actual event.
Compare it to the Greek myths involving Prometheus, Pandora, etc. It covers questions of theodicy, why life is hard, the tragic condition of humanity and the like.
That's one of my issues with religion BTW...
Who decided which stories of the bible are truth (meaning they are actual events that really occurred as the tale states) or are just a myth...???
It drives me nuts that even nowadays, i have religious friends who ask their rabbi for an answer for question they should have the will to come with by them selves...
I'm not saying consulting someone is bad... but not doing anything without getting the answer from someone else is a bad way of living...
If you have a decision to make... learn the possibilities, study the options and use your logic to choose whats right for you...
I have a friend (amazing friend really, she is smart, and beatiful and unfortunantly very religous
)
She MARRIED a man that was told to her because her rabbi told her it will be wise to marry him!!!! Oh My Darwin (
)
She tied her life to a stranger!!! just because her rabbi told her it will be pleasing GOD's will...
If that's GOD's will, he can marry the dude himself...
I Must say that after she got married she just became a different person.. she became much more religous, and stopped hanging out with Males (Me included), and it literally pissed me off that someone does such things..
and more of which.. the nerve that rabbi has to decide such an idea.. to take advantage of someone who trusts him and make him do what the rabbi thinks is right in the eyes of GOD????
Geez...
What I'm trying to say is... that religious is based on assumptions, guess work, story telling and empowerment of selected few that control thousands and millions of peoples' lives...
Please Please tell me...
Who ever checked if the Pope really is a holy man?