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LOL there is so much garbage and darkness in the Bible, it is not worth anyone's time reading it.
Why read that when you can find tons of modern day books as well as reflecting on the history of the world if you need moral lessons. There are many good books that are not filled with such horrid and disgusting stories as found in the Bible. No thanks I have no desire to permeate my consciousness with such vile nasty stories.
Amazing to me that anyone would need moral lessons. It's simple common sense.
Religion cannot in any way be the answer to the question of moral truth.
The simple fact that all the scriptures were written by people, who by virtue of their placement on planet earth, had little to no access to scientific knowledge or even common sense. They lived during a time that their world view would be considered today to be very narrow and unworldly. These people knew nothing of the facts that are now relevant in today’s world in the 21 Century. They knew nothing about the origins of life, the relationship between the mind and brain, they did not even know that mental illness actually existed in humans. They knew nothing about DNA or viruses. Nothing about computation, technology or even electricity. None of this is in scripture. They had no idea why people became sick and died.
Our worldview today is vastly different than it was 4 centuries ago. In stripping ecclesiastical authority of its credibility on factual matters, in turn casts doubts on its claims to certitude in matters of morality which is great for women equality, gay equality, abolishing slavery etc.
It does away with all the stupid myths that are permeated by various religions.
The worldview that guides the moral and spiritual values of an educated society today is the worldview given to us by science vs. Iron Age Iron Age peasants who didn’t know that the Earth orbited the Sun…therefore it’s natural that science is inconstant with those claims that were based on ignorance.
Humans have the ability to make the world a better place by getting rid of the vile, awful, immoral, works like the Bible.
Two points. First, regarding the bold, reading the bible is one way of reflecting on history. It's a reflection of the good, the bad and the ugly. It does show progression of spiritual thought over time, but it also highlights the "human condition" that every human throughout history faces.
Second, many of us cut our teeth on the bible. It permeated our life, our family and our society, so one way or another, we've got to come to terms with it. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.
Two points. First, regarding the bold, reading the bible is one way of reflecting on history. It's a reflection of the good, the bad and the ugly. It does show progression of spiritual thought over time, but it also highlights the "human condition" that every human throughout history faces.
Second, many of us cut our teeth on the bible. It permeated our life, our family and our society, so one way or another, we've got to come to terms with it. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.
It permeated society in a very damaging way. Take a good look around if you need evidence.
The Bible was written by Iron Age peasants that did not even know that the Earth orbited the sun...so why should we place any credence in what they wrote?
Why should we revere those ancient claims as sacred when they are based on ignorance? It is intellectually lazy to stop asking questions and stop looking for physical explanation’s and just say God did it.
You can find much more accurate accounts of history that were actually documented and photographed vs. ancient stories being handed down by word of mouth 4 centuries ago.
The great thing about science vs. religion is that you're willing to change your beliefs…you are not assuming the answers before you ask the question. You are not assuming that you know it’s divinely right just because you interpret a certain book to mean a certain thing and someone else determines it to mean something else…which you see when people interpret the Bible.
To presume that you know divine truth before you have checked out the Universe is simply not sensible.
That is what theologians do…they try to find ways to resolve apparent inconsistencies and find ethical solutions that validate their belief…this is what is wrong with Christianity.
The point of science and the reason it works is because you don’t try and prove something that you like to be true…you also try and prove it to be false…and that is what is really important. You don’t just find a way to say the rainbows are caused by this or that…you actually try and see if your ideas are wrong and ask what is more plausible based on evidence and inquiry.
This is what is problematic with theologians trying to fill in the gaps that science has made…the effort to find a rational excuse for something can work… but this does not make it right.
The one thing I can say with certainty is that the Bible shows no sign of being authored by an omniscient intelligence, and that really is the only thing one need be certain about to torpedo Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Bible and the Quran are deeply inadequate books on every level: scientifically, historically, medically, aesthetically, ethically, spiritually, contemplatively. These are just not the best books we have on any topic, and they should be if they were written by the creator of the Universe.
There are much better books to study history and gain spiritual insights.
I would believe in it over people like you any day.
I have never asked you to believe me...But God does ask you, and all of us to TEST ALL SPIRITS. And I have found so many wanting and in need of a reality check...
the war between religion vs. science is made up by people with agenda's. The battle is between self centered agenda ridden individuals. Many with some kind of axe to grind. Usually when rants are so far out of touch with reality we have to ask ourselves what happen to the person that they would hold such a warped view.
There is a great deal of difference between stating Scripture is "reliable," and stating that it is inerrant and infallible. Inerrant meaning without error of any kind, and infallible meaning it can't contain any wrong spiritual teaching.
Neither Wallace nor his most famous opponent, Bart Ehrman, promise inerrancy, and even Wallace has a totally differing view of "infalliblity" than do fundamentalists.
Here is a take from a "christian" reviewer on a relatively new book entitled Bart D. Ehrman and Daniel B. Wallace in Dialogue: The Reliability of the New Testament (I quote from the "favorable" review of Wallace):
Since Wallace points out he agrees with Ehrman's assessment of between 300,000 and 400,000 errors, then just 1/2 of one percent equals a minimum of 1500 potentially serious additions or subtractions---that's out of a total of just under 185,000 words in the NT.
So while I, personally, agree that the percentage of meaningful errors may be small--they are not so insignificant as to be ignored.
And translation errors are on TOP of textual errors--all impacting the ability of anyone to be 100% certain of the meaning of any substantive part of the NT.
Agreed of course. Only by metaphorically doing what is pictured below can you actually produce a scholar who is still willing to defend the absolute infallibility of the Biblical text:
I think I understand the reason for insisting upon a Bible that is perfect: Christians (and all humans really) seem to need something that is 100% perfect and 100% reliable. Catholics have their Papal Infallibility for example. And lacking any other tangible thing that is perfect and reliable in their religious devotion, Biblical purists have their notion of a perfect Bible.
I would tend to agree that the Bible is extremely reliable, especially considering how ancient a text that it is. Scripture is the best tangible source for drawing closer to God. It's flaws and imperfections don't change that fact. Knowing where the mistakes or possible mistakes are -- that should be of utmost importance to any student of the Bible.
How exactly am I supposed to trust a book that has notoriously been tampered with several times throughout history?
People tampering does Not necessarily mean the Bible is Not the Word of God.
Over the many centuries people from within and without have tried to destroy the Bible but can't.
Over the many centuries people have tried to do away with God's people and they can't.
Today both the Bible and Bible people are international in scope as Scripture said it would be - Acts 1:8; Matthew 24:14
Wrong teachings don't make the Bible as wrong, rather it makes the false teachers as wrong - Matthew 15:9
There is a BIG difference between recognizing minor mistakes that crept into ' copies ' of Bible text and dismissing the whole Bible as fabricated. The ancient manuscripts is what supports Bible canon ( the 66 Bible books ). The apocryphal books simply exclude themselves being out of harmony with the ' 66 '. The ' 66' have internal harmony among its many writers. That is why corresponding passages and verses can be cross-referenced with each other, and Jesus could accurately base his teachings on the old Hebrew Scriptures fulfilling them for us.
The Bible is the Word of God and it says it will endure forever regardless what evil spews against it AND it is the GREATEST book EVER published FACT.
You perfectly exhibit that which is wrong with fundamentalism.
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