The advantages of this approach are clear. A person does not get caught up in the debate of what literal passage to accept or reject. The difficulty with this approach is the high level of abstract thinking required. Most people have not learned to reason abstractly. This is why the literal approach is so appealing.
Children begin with concrete and literal understandings of life.
It is not until around 10 years and older that they can begin to conceptualize and reason in the abstract. The method that rules in the coming years will determine whether the Adventist church will continue to grow and mature or whether it will always remain in an infantile state. J. David Newman has been editor for more than 10 years of Ministry magazine, a monthly journal for Adventist clergy. You may need to reload the page after posting to see your comment. Posts which do not meet these standards will be removed.