CHRISTIANS: If the Bible WERE simply ancient myths written by humans, how could you tell the difference?

Question

robertt223: You're 19 years old, so you're allowed do maintain magical thinking for about 3-5 more years. However, I urge you to read some about critical thinking, lest you interpret everything through your sadly naive religious fervor.

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Answer 1

I am a catholic and I was raised to never question the Bible. Yet, I do find myself wanting answers that many people can not give me, especially priest. There is a lot of contracting things that I find in the bible and I try my best to figure it all out. Plus, I have been reading this great book that does answer some of the questions I do have. The book is called "Don't know much about the Bible" by Kenneth C. Davis. It's very interesting, I hope you find some of your answers.

Answer 2

I call myself a "NO" and not a Christian eventhough I do accept that Jesus is the Christ. Thus your question was not directed to me but I assume I can state my opinion without being in error for Yahoo Q&A is an open forum.

I find the defined positions of a "Myth " in the available English dictionary at Yahoo is as follows:

" A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology: A fictitious story, person, or thing: "

One may choose to see the Bible in this position by choice of course. Likewise one may choose to accept the tales of Peter Rabbit as a Non-Fiction true story. Such is a personal decision and no amount of proof can or will change the minds of those who have made such a decision and are convinced thay are right.

You stated the words "written by humans". Is there another classification or entity in this creation that does write documents like the Bible or relay ancient myths? If there is, I am unaware of them. Thus I do conclude all writings are by humans that is truly understood by humans. Writings in my view is a way for humans to relate to one another in a form of communication.

My ultimate response is, Does it matter how one does see the Bible? Can the Bible do anything for anyone? In my view it is not the Book or its thought to be position that is important. It is the truth that matters and determines everything.

It is in my view that truth only hurt those that do not accept it. Likewise I am convinced truth is everywhere and can be found no matter what ones opinion of the Bible is. Just seek it and it will be found.

Of course I do choose to find it in the Bible and it has served me well in my view. However being the only "NO" I know, I do not expect many others to hold the same view I have.

Do have a great day, smile, and just seek the truth for yourself and let the Bible do its own job in proving itself to those who will accept it as not being just a "simple ancient myth".

Answer 3

Simple if it was written by man:
1) It would be like the Greek mythologies or the indian Mythologies that were historically and scientifically inaccurate.
2) It also would not include parts of the story like Elijah helping the widow near Sidon (Pheonicia) or David having Uriah killed. If you read the story of Jesus in the temple the fact that Elijah helped the Pheonician and Elisha cured the Syrian were sore points in that these were Gentiles not Jews.
3) The texts would have been changed over and over and yet a copy of the book if Isaiah that was among the Qumran scrolls and is older than 250 BC is still identical except for grammar changes.
4) God would be like alot of these liberals etc want him detatched or uninterested or cruel etc.
5) God would have just forgiven man without Jesus having to pay for the sins.


The difference is there if you bother to look!


"If I had no other data than the early chapters of Genesis, some of the Psalms and other passages of Scripture, I would have arrived at essentially the same picture of the origin of the universe, as is indicated by the scientific data." Nobel Prize-winning physicist Arno Penzias (Big Bang Theorist)

Answer 4

The question cannot be answered logically. There is no way of 'telling the difference', because there is nothing with which to compare it.

Anything which relies on faith as the basis for forming an opinion or belief, is by definition unknowable. The premise must be correct for the conclusion to be correct, and faith does not use logical propositions.
There are no axiomatic facts upon which to even venture a reasonable guess. With faith, it is taken as axiomatic that the bible is the word of God. Without faith, it is just a collection of writings that have come to mean an awful lot to an awful lot of people. So there is no 'difference' to tell.

Answer 5

The Bible was written by humans, some of it is myth. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have meaning. It still contains Truth. It has meaning for the Jewish and Christian community because it is the collective stories of our common ancestors and their faith stories. People have got to stop looking to the Bible as if it were a how-to, or a history/science book. It's literature, with poetry, biography, fable, parable, etc...These were human beings, writing from the perspective of their faith about their experiences of God. Some of it's inspiring, some disgusting, some ridiculous, some beautiful.

Answer 6

I have been wondering that myself. How could I certain that this is what God really intended to say? I walked away form my childhood faith, and many people do, especially if they have lived any part of their life in the Scandinavia.

Then I realized that I want God in my life and I started really search for Him. I studied the church history and I realized that Jesus actually confirmed the Bible. So if Jesus did not change anything in the Bible, who I am to say this does not make sense. I have wondered how old is this earth and if evolution theory ismore than a theory, what really happened? But then I realized, that what ever happened, it was not a big deal for Jesus to change things up. It is not a big deal to me either. If we evolved, God was behind it. The Bible never makes a claim it is perfect. Never.

But what I know that my Lord talks to me through the Bible. No one, absolutely no one can take that away from me.

Answer 7

Myths are not witnessed by people. The Bible has many eye witnesses. They saw and then it was written. Quite accurately too. Nothing compares to it's accuracy..anywhere. For that matter, the story is still playing out today. So it's accuracy can be tracked if so desired. Now show me myth that accurate.

Answer 8

NHB, this is one of the best questions I've ever seen here. To the responses: wow.. just.. wow.

Couldn't they compare them to all of the other myths and see how much was copied and used? Couldn't they compare that to what we know through science and history to see the flaws? Or is that asking too much?

Answer 9

But it WAS written by humans. Myth or not, it was written by humans. If God is a transcendent deity, therefore he has no physical form, ergo he cannot hold a pen, thus he did not write the Bible. People did.

Answer 10

You couldn't. But what we today view as myths were once (and to some people still are) viewed as the basis for religions, so why couldn't a mythological book such as the bible be the basis for Christianity?