Summary
There
is no such thing as a literal interpretation of the Bible, though
there are both conservative and liberal Christians who choose
passages to interpret as literally as possible and who claim to have
a literal interpretation. Nonetheless all interpretations are
metaphorical. Strict Father and Nurturant Parent interpretations give
rise to conservative and liberal forms of Christianity.
The Bible, in itself and without interpretation,
can say nothing at all about the kind of politics that one should
have. It is only through Strict Father and Nurturant Parent
interpretations of the Bible that one is led to a conservative or
liberal religious politics.
Variations and mixed views do, of course, occur;
the account given here is intended only to cover the central cases.
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