We are told that the Bible has no scientific errors and is utterly perfect/protected?

Question

yet it says the bat is a bird (Leviticus 11:13 & 19), hares chew the cud (Leviticus 11:5-6), and some fowl (Leviticus 11:20-21) and insects (Leviticus 11:22-23) have four legs.

Answer 1

And you believed it??

HA!!!!

No one should take the Bible seriously, at least not as a scientific textbook.

It was written by ignorant, superstitious Bronze Age nomads who knew nothing of modern science and biological specifics.

Answer 2

I'm an Atheist, but I have never heard a scholar of the bible say that the bible is perfect and w/o error. First off, the stories were first told by word of mouth (tons of room for error there). Secondly it was copied by hand so many times that there is bound to be more errors. And Thirdly, your quotes there were translated from another language.

Here is an example. One of the 10 commandments as so many people know is "thou shall not kill" However, a more exact translation would have been "thou shall not murder".

I would venture a guess that most of the people that believe the bible is as you state have not actually read the whole thing.

Answer 3

My old biology teacher once told me: read the bible for spiritual inspiration and read a science textbook for science. A science textbook would not be a good source to live your life by, neither does the bible give good root for much scientific fact. People seem to become confused when they use the Bible to learn about science or a Science text book to learn about God- neither can prove the other. I believe they should be used for two entirely different purposes. The bible is far more valuable when read metaphorically (or not literally), in my opinion. Anyone can understand bland text, but only the truly spiritual can see the hidden teachings behind the words.

I beleive that true science and true religion must agree in the end, for science without religion is blind, and religion without science is mere superstition.

Answer 4

>insects (Leviticus 11:22-23) have four legs.

Leviticus 11:20-23
"All winged swarming things that walk on fours shall be an abomination for you. But these you may eat among all the winged swarming things that walk on fours: all that have, above their feet, jointed legs to leap with on the ground--of these you may eat the following: locusts of every variety, all varieties of bald locust; crickets of every variety; and all varieties of grasshopper. But all other winged swarming things that have four legs shall be an abomination for you." [Tanakh -- The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Test]

So, just where in Leviticus 11:22-23 do you find "insects". Looks as though you can go ahead and enjoy your meal of.locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers. Eat heartily! Is that going to be roasted, fried, or chocolate-covered?

Answer 5

The word in hebrew for bird is pronounced like 'oaf'. It means anything that flies, and thus the bat is included.

Hares and rabbits do regurgitate and chew the regurgitant similar to cows and other ruminants, even if the mechanism and plumbing are different.

The insects with 4 legs are things like grasshoppers and crickets who have two 'jumping' legs that are not included. A careful reading exposes this in the count. 4-legged fowl is, once again, the bat, see above.

Answer 6

And so....what are you asking? Do you know if all insects and fowl do not have 4 legs? Did you know that even at the bottom of the ocean no one knows what lives down there because it is too deep for even a camera to search- things combust that deep. God has made so much and there are a lot of insects too that people have not even discovered. You are trying to find error when there is none- AND those who are not walking in the Spirit of God, will not hear the things of God- Just as the Bible says.

Answer 7

The Hebrew word for bird('owph) means flying creature, and is used to refer to flying insects in Leviticus 11:20-21. Also verses 22-23 aren't saying they have only four legs[verse 21 mentions legs above their feet]. Also some say that there is a partial regurgitation of food in the hare: "While not a true ruminant according to modern classification in that it does not have a four chambered stomach, the hare does rechew its food. There is a process of partial regurgitation of material that it is too hard for little cells in the stomach to absorb initially; thus there hare actually chews food previously swallowed (E.P. Schulze, "The Ruminating Hare,"Bible-Science Newsletter, VIII [Jan. 15, 1970], 6)."

Answer 8

The Bible isn't inerrant. It was inspired by God, but God didn't dictate it verbatim. We still have to apply reason to it.

By the way, your premise, "We've been told..." is selective. You're cherry-picking through Christianity for a particular theological/denominational approach.

We've also been told that nothing existed before the big bang...and that's not true either. But maybe you'd like to take that fallacy and demonize the whole scientific community with it.

Answer 9

Ha! Where did you hear that it is free from error of the science world my boy?!? Thats nuts, the errors it is free from is relation to SALVATION. Not Moses splitted the Red(Or could of been Reed) Sea. Because thats a but far-fetched but possible with this wacky world. And remember it's old we want the lessons from it not the hey why did God just flood the world and Noah and his family are the last people...meaning....ack!

Answer 10

And to think that the Pharisees and Saducees knew that Leviticus was talking nonsense and never changed it...maybe the bible is very original after all.