Why do people take the bible so literally?

Why do people still take the Bible literally rather than metaphorically?

• I'm a Catholic, but I don't take the Bible literally, but I'm not saying that the Bible shouldn't be believed, but it should be read metaphorically, especially if it contradicts scientific discoveries, I take St. Augustine's position on Bible interpretation... Psalm 93:1, Psalm 96:10, 1 Chronicles 16:30, Psalm 104:5, Ecclesiastes 1:5 In 1633, the Catholic Church used these verses to attack and disprove Galileo Galilei's theory that the Earth is not the center of the Universe, that the Earth orbits around the Sun, along with the other planets, but of course, Galileo had some error, he theorized that the Sun was the center of the Universe, but we know, that's not true, the Sun is the center of the Solar System, but the Church was also wrong in it's literal interpretation of these verses, the Earth moves, it orbits around the Sun, along with the other planets around the Sun, the Sun rises and sets, but not because the Sun is moving, but because the Earth is orbiting around the Sun... Galileo took St Augustine's position on Scripture, St. Augustine took the view that the Biblical text should not be interpreted as properly literal, but rather as metaphorical, if it contradicts what we know from science and our God-given reason. While each passage of Scripture has a literal sense, this "literal sense" does not always mean that the Scriptures are mere history; at times they are rather an extended metaphor. No offense, but if you take Psalm 93:1, Psalm 96:10, 1 Chronicles 16:30, Psalm 104:5, Ecclesiastes 1:5 as literal rather than metaphorical, then you are saying that science is full of lies... The Vatican in 1992, after 359 years, finally admits that Galileo was right, that the Church's literal interpretation of Psalm 93:1, Psalm 96:10, 1 Chronicles 16:30, Psalm 104:5, Ecclesiastes 1:5 was wrong...

• Answer:

  Because many passages clearly aren't metaphorical, and many more with metaphorical, poetic, or idiomatic expressions are still meant to be taken as factual. E.g., If you told me, "My college roommate had the neck of giraffe," it would be obtuse of me to conclude that you said: 1) his neck was identical to a giraffe's neck, 2) his neck was literally as long as a giraffe's neck, or 3) he was in physical possession of a giraffe's neck. But it would also be very obtuse of me to conclude that you were just telling me some fable involving the common motif of a human-animal hybrid to make some esoteric point. Reason dictates that you're talking about your actual college roommate and that he had a distinctively long neck. As for the Bible, while one can and arguably should read Genesis 1-10 as didactic fables and legends, there are other accounts that the authors were pretty emphatic that they were talking about actual history - e.g.: 2PE 1:16-18 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. ... and ... LK 1:1-4 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. ... and also ... AC 1:1-3 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.