why must some people lie about obvious facts about their religion?

Question

Okay, I just posted this question.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070530065055AAKa3oq&r=w

I received answers from some people which are clearly lies. the question asked you who has the authority to edit a bible. the bible clearly has been edited many times. I can understanding defending your religion with what you know as the truth. however, obviously lying about something that is factual is just ridiculous.

***Another Perspective****LOL!! I don't believe the noah's ark story :)

thanks ***Jibba*** and all others who answer honestly.

Answer 1

If the religion isn't good enough to sell itself or if it doesn't
naturally appeal to the soul or spirit, followers will resort to
lies, double-talk, force- whatever is needed to get you to join.
Even faking documents or scriptures or erasing parts not
suited to their particular spin on things.
They're trapped, they want you trapped too.

Answer 2

Not necessarily lies; just ignorance. They've been taught that the Bible has never been edited, and their faith will not allow new information to disturb that belief. Information that contradicts the faith can be profoundly disturbing, and it's easier to reject it out-of-hand than to go to the library and risk finding out that it's true. It is an observed fact that people can and will reject reality when it conflicts with their mental map of the universe.

See source on cognitive dissonance. We have the ability to compartmentalize our knowledge, and we use it well.

Catholics are a good example. It is a historical fact that the episcopal hierarchy had not been established during St. Peter's alleged lifetime--meaning that he could not possibly have been "bishop of Rome." It is historical fact that the primacy of Rome over western Christendom was established on forged documents, and the Vatican *knows* it. It is historical fact that Church teachings have evolved over the centuries. But Catholics aren't taught these facts in their otherwise excellent schools. (I know of Catholics who believe that the order of the mass was unchanged from Jesus until Vatican II!) When they are informed, most become stubbornly defensive; it is much harder to revise a mental map that to revise a Bible..

I can speak for the Catholic experience because i was there. I can't imagine all of what nonsense the Protestants and others have been taught, but i've seen enough outrageous notions that nothing surprises me any more.

_________________

P.S. A common charge laid against atheists is that we just don't want to submit to the Christian way. For those of us who were true believers, nothing could be further from the truth; losing one's Christian faith is a gut-wrenching struggle. It involves the destruction of a memeplex that has powerful built-in defensive mechanisms. It takes more that "obvious facts" to demolish a world view. (If you are a Christian reading this, think about what it would take to get you to give up your faith. *That* is what i had to go through.)

Answer 3

The many translations come about because few of us speak or read Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic. Even English is different between the US and England.

Most translations vary by only a few words, most of which are different shades of the same thoughts. Comparing several brings a closer understanding of what God, through those men as secretaries, meant.

As your knowledge improves, you will find in a comparison with the oldest manuscripts available, these modern translations vary little. The earliest copiers counted the letters on each page to make sure they got the copies correct. Although the name of God was disguised in some translations, the majority of the translations agree with one another.

I use between 29 and 39 translations--not all at the same time of course. The Catholic Douay, KJV, American Standard, New English to name a few. when your understanding and knowledge improves, you will appreciate this.

Answer 4

As a Christian, I had often wondered how anyone could undertake the job of "editing" the Bible.....I have a large number of Bibles at home, and have been amazed and troubled that many have a section in the back of the book of "things" edited out of each particular one "to save space"...

Excuse me?!

I'm not saying that large portions were left out, ....just a few lines here and there.....

"Just a few lines...." ????!!!! It rather outrages me that someone thought they should leave off a few lines here and there so they could maybe make the writings more "learned" , more easily to read, or make it mitered like poetry, etc.,.

They rather defeat the purpose! The people whom were chosen to write were because of whom they were.....so people could identify with them!

Sorry, is a "pet peeve" of mine recently :)

Due to this type of "editing' I really wonder how many more editions were "changed" without telling us it was done?

Long ago, had asked God in prayer which version of the Bible was more like the original and I was led to believe that the King James was, so, forever after I have mainly stuck to that one....

Answer 5

I have no idea.
In translation is HAD BEEN EDITED. There is no way around this since a lot of the original text can be translated into several words and the words changed meaning over time. The Protestants edited the bible because they felt part of it were corrupts (Songs of Solomon)
The bible was written by man for man about God. It was meant as guide. The center of the faith should be Jesus and its turning into the Bible. Its sad.

Answer 6

Many people do not understand the Greek and Hebrew language in the time it was written, as you know over time languages change, slang and paraphrasing and all that is relative to interpreting something from so long ago. We have to do our best to pick one that speaks to our conscience and allow the Holy spirit to minister it (let it make sense) to us.

That is the truth of the matter. No lie.

Answer 7

Which answers are you talking about.

The ONLY one I don't know much about was the Moses and CAtholic one about re-writing.

The rest were either statements of who did it (which didn't really answer your questions thesis) or how it was done or they are mocking the Bible as fiction.

Which are clearly lies. That's something I couldn't preceive after reading all of them.

Answer 8

Well, who has the right to edit any book? Who decides what is what? There is hardly a book that has ever been written that hasn't been mis-read or mis-interpreted.

Why do people assume that one book is totally right, while claiming another is totally wrong?

Answer 9

You mean you don't believe the animals in Noah's Arc didn't eat each other? Nah, I agree. Christians are brainwashed from birth. They are so brainwashed that they had no chance to find God on their own. It was forced on them from birth. And they were told to believe beyond logic from the people they trust the most in this world.

Answer 10

They are just mad because they know that their '100% accurate book about how things began and what the meaning of life is' is actually none of those things.

Historical mythology - written by the winners, and edited by people with an agenda.