Why is it that when the whole world read Things Fall Apart, Half of a Yellow Sun, Shelock Holmes, Treasure Island etc. everyone agrees on what the books say and there meanings & messages are unmistakable to anyone.

However, when it comes to a particular holy book, there are different interpretations all of a sudden. Why is that? I once quoted the bible to someone to disprove a claim he made about christianity but he accused me of being too literal.

Funny enough, the interpretations these people (those who claim that you should take the bible/quran literally and that they are many interpretations for these books) have are interpretations that only they could have made up. Worse is that these interpretations are personally fashioned for the sake of their convenience and to suit their taste.

Actually, people who do literature criticism are not always on the same page as regards meaning. It is to be expected because most of the time the authors are dead and cannot answer questions. However in the case of a living god being said to be actively involved in speaking to its worshipful adherents, it is incomprehensible why the message would not be the same across board.

LordReed:
Actually, people who do literature criticism are not always on the same page as regards meaning. It is to be expected because most of the time the authors are dead and cannot answer questions. However in the case of a living god being said to be actively involved in speaking to its worshipful adherents, it is incomprehensible why the message would not be the same across board.

No. I am not talking about mysteries in novels. For literary works, the parts that are clear, metaphorical and unclear are recognised by everyone. The parts that are unclear and mysterious may see different literary critics come up with their own theories on what the author could have meant or what could have been the case in the story.

With the Holy books, the parts that are clear are subjected to having "many interpretation". The story of Adam and Eve and that of Noah are clear on their message but certain people still brand them metaphorical. I have witnessed someone(president1) trying to imply that the Job in the bible wasn't a person but a metaphor until an atheist busted his a55 with facts. You get what I mean?

Your experience on this matter seems to be with xtians but yet still,you included the Quran

Martinez39:
No. I am not talking about mysteries in novels. For literary works, the parts that are clear, metaphorical and unclear are recognised by everyone. The parts that are unclear and mysterious may see different literary critics come up with their own theories on what the author could have meant or what could have been the case in the story.

With the Holy books, the parts that are clear are subjected to having "many interpretation". The story of Adam and Eve and that of Noah are clear on their message but certain people still brand them metaphorical. I have witnessed someone(president1) trying to imply that the Job in the bible wasn't a person but a metaphor until an atheist busted his a55 with facts. You get what I mean?

Sure. I just don't want anyone to come and accuse you (and ye extension all atheists as they usually imply) of glossing over these rather pedantic facts. We are in agreement otherwise.