Scripture is a poem that awakens our hearts and minds, not a paper and ink god that replaces them. Scripture is not a bully that tells us what to think and do. It is an illumination that tells us who we are. When we take the symbols of scripture literally, it is like having a watch that is not set to a standard time, or a compass not alligned to the magnetic field. We do not worship the symbols of religion as real. We worship through the symbols into reality.