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This is very incorrect for the average bible reader and student . . . there is virtually no ability to get our modern mind in remotely the same mental state as existed in the barbarous humans at the time of Christ. So much of our consciousness is comprised of things "taken for granted" and not actively considered . . . as "given in the inner consciousness." Our "givens" do not remotely compare to the "givens" in those earlier human minds . . . so our mental context and understanding is not even close to the same . . . no matter how much history or cultural knowledge we bring to bear. Understanding cross-generational and cross cultural communications . . . especially over millennia . . . is not for the average bear.
Which shows to me that it was written by man, and man wasn't intelligent enough to know that rabbits don't chew cuds, and the earth isn't flat. There is even a scripture that talks about a tree being so large everyone on earth can see it.
Daniel 4:10-11
These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth.
And just where are these ends of the earth?
Zechariah 9:10
I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Mark 13:26-27 At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
What about in Genesis where it says that God made two lights, the sun and the moon. The moon doesn't emit light.
What about keeping wind in storehouses?
Psalms 135:7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
How can the bible be inspired by God when the writers did not have certain knowledge but wrote as if they did?
The question is what is imagery and what isn't? It's pretty clear if you read it in the context it was written.
What? People have killed each other because they disagreed with each other's interpretation of a bible verse. Wars have been fought.
Today, for example, Catholics (you know - about 1.2 billion people worldwide) accept that a lot of things in the bible are not to be taken literally, and I'm sure you disagree with them on a number of points.
I think Mattie Jo scored a few points on this thread. The ones about the tree that touched the sky and could be seen from any point in the world and the moon being described as a kind of celestial light bulb are both slam dunks. The authors of the Bible didn't have an understanding of the natural world the way we do today and if God was guiding them while they wrote it he should have done a little correcting and editing.
This post missed the point.
I consider myself an atheist, but at the same time have respect for these books. The Bible (or Quran) are the holy books of great religions.
They brought law and order to humans chaotic life. They were/are considered the word of God, and believers respect them. Unlike today, there was no civil law, Bible was the law by which societies lived. People also found great comfort in these books. Before the Bible, each ruler made local ad hoc decisions. With the Bible appearance you had something respected by all, since it came from God.
The Bible makes people feel they are part of a larger unit and gives hope to many in need. Apparently, human society needs hope, order, law and a father figure. If God actually wrote the tablets or Moses wrote them from God's mouth is irrelevant. What's relevant is that they are there, obeyed by everyone in that society.
In my opinion, the Bible should be treated as one unit, not fragmented, with each verse put under scientific scrutiny. There are 2 choices - either you believe, or not. Today we have choices. In the US, you can be an atheist or even adopt a different religion, better suited to your need/personality. If it makes sense, tomorrow become a Shinto. There is no need to bash the Bible.
What? People have killed each other because they disagreed with each other's interpretation of a bible verse. Wars have been fought.
Today, for example, Catholics (you know - about 1.2 billion people worldwide) accept that a lot of things in the bible are not to be taken literally, and I'm sure you disagree with them on a number of points.
As I said "IF YOU READ IT".
Even between catholics and protestants there is very little disagreement over some of the imagery that we're discussing.
Science and the Bible don't always agree...surely someone is kidding here, right? I mean, science has made some advances in the last two or three thousand years, wouldn't you say? I don't see how anyone could have expected agreement.
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Science and the Bible Do Not Always Agree
