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[Newbie]

At least some Christians believe that the Bible should be taken literally, but is that because of something written in the Bible or for some other reason?

[jimwalton]

"Literally" is just an inadequate word for the discussion, even though it's a word that many Christians use. The Bible is filled with poetry (how can you take poetry literally?), metaphor, simile, parable, allegory, metonymy, synecdoche, hyperbole, irony, satire, rhetoric, and many many other literary forms. In a book so rich in artistic literary expression, the word "literal" comes up wanting. What does it even mean? Because of its wealth of literary conventions, it's a matter of common sense and study to know whether any particular part is meant literally or one of dozens of other possibilities. But to take away "literal" doesn't steal its authority or credibility. It means the Bible is a nuanced book, not a shallow one.

So, to answer your question directly, nowhere does the Bible say it is to be taken literally. It is to be taken as "God-breathed" and as authoritative.