You're twisting my words. I DO take the Gospel literally. I believe they were written by individuals who were truly filled with the Holy Spirit. There may be a few very minor points of (perceived) conflict but the testimonies are all the same. Besides that, if you were to actually READ the Bible with an open heart you'd be able to see that what they are saying is the truth. You can feel it between their words. The Truth of the Holy Spirit speaks out from their voice. The Old Testament is a bit different. Although I believe this is also Truth, it's mostly historical and a bit more subjective in parts..ie the Psalms. But I believe the whole Bible. I put my faith that what those men (and women) say happened. (By the way did you know that that Mary -- a woman -- was the first to see that Jesus had risen from the grave?? She was the first person to tell others what had happened....Thus SHE, with her initial eye-witness account, started the Good News. I just find this very interesting because women were not considered equal by any stretch of the imagination back in that era.) The Lord may have been telling us something by using her -- that women are to be trusted and that they are indeed equal in His eyes.

Judy do you pick and choose what sounds good in the bible? If it sounds believable you take it face value...if it sounds too much like something God could do....although unbelievable...you think it's not literal? What is the point about him being God then? If you think he has a mind like us? We are nothing comparable to him. He can do anything.