The Second Commandment and Biblical Literalism

The second commandment (on the counting of some this is the second part of the first commandment) as found in Exodus 20:4 reads as follows:

Then you take a look at the bumper of the car of your average person who claims to be a Biblical literalist and see this:

I wonder what a so-called Biblical literalist would say if challenged about this. Perhaps that the symbol doesn’t really look like anything that could actually swim? But the verse is pretty clear – don’t make any likeness of anything that is in the water under the earth (which of course reflects as well a certain ancient view of the world, but let’s not get sidetracked onto that subject).

Perhaps they might point out that elsewhere in the Bible we see evidence that this commandment was not observed strictly. But that just shows the problem with Biblical literalism – there are conflicting statements and inconsistencies in practice.

Perhaps the appropriate thing to do would be to point out the consequences of making such an image. And then, just before going on your way, you might want to let them know that you have no intention of stoning them to death – because you aren’t a Biblical literalist…