According to Professor Reza Aslan, a man with a master's in theological studies and a Ph.D. in sociology with a focus in religion, taking the Bible literally is a new idea.
His statements can be seen in a video recently posted by Eric Dolan, managing editor at Raw Story. The statements were made at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council in February, according to Salon.
"We assume that biblical literalism, the notion that the Bible is literal and inerrant, is just sort of an inherent part of belief in the Bible," he says. "It isn't. The concept of biblical literalism in the 2,000 year history of the New Testament is a little more than 100 years old."
He also claims the Gospels are filled with "historical errors and with contradictions ... The gospel of Matthew says that Jesus was born in 4 B.C. The gospel of Luke says Jesus was born in 6 A.D. That's 10 years difference! Which one was right?" he said. Aslan says he does believe in God, but that doesn't necessarily mean he takes everything in the Bible literally.
