Re: “Theology of hope asks us how we should live today, in the moment,” March 30.
It is of course not surprising that when theologians are confronted with rational questions (“Why is there a Second Coming?”) we are treated to the obfuscation of religious double speak. To weasel away from such questions by claiming the Bible is not to be taken literally but is allegorical or metaphorical, Christians are defining their faith out of existence.
The point is we do not require belief in a totally unsubstantiated supernatural force with the reward of heaven and the punishment of hell to behave morally, with tolerance, understanding and love. These qualities come from our evolutionary heritage and are not dependent on a highly improbable “second” or any other kind of “coming,” however it is defined. With so many Christian interpretations of the Bible (over 40,000 denominations) expressing the biases and self-interests of the founding religious groups and divisions, how can they all be the “word of God” anyway?
What are we doing in the 21st century continuing to venerate these so called holy books, which are full of unproven claims, false historical accounts, irrational nonsense, obscure messages and promises of messianic arrivals? It is beyond belief!
Bruce Levens, Vancouver
