Would you work on your car with a book that was falsified, made up and contradictory?

Question

Then why do people follow the bible? The recent book, Misquoting Jesus, clearly shows to anyone who reads it, that the bible is mostly falsified and made up over 2000 years by translators and scribes. The rest is just borrowed from the Pagan religion and the story of Mithras.

Yet people still follow the bible. Why? Would you rewire all the electrical wire in your home using a book that was falsified? Would you learn to fly a plane with a manual that was mostly made up? Would you perform heart surgery on someone if all you ever studied was contradictory medical books?

I don’t get it. Sounds like desperation to me.

For those of you who insist that the bible in not contradictory:
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html

Answer 1

They don't, they call a mechanic to do it. Much like they get people to explain the bible for them whether its an elder, pastor or what have you. People use faith as an excuse to forget all the crazy things in the bible like some guy staying in a whale mouth for 3 days ect ect, you know all the fairy tale stuff that they're supposed to feel as pationate about as the realistic things. It's much like an instructional medical book really, people have faith that the authors knew what they were doing and just read and abide by its content. Do you write the author of every book and question each line? No, you have faith in the ability of the author to an extent. This is not to say i believe the bible has any truth to it whatsoever, but i'm just explaining their train of thought.

Answer 2

You don't have to be an inerrantist to believe that the core claims of the bible, in particular the ressurrection of Jesus of Nazereth has firm historical support.

It's similiar to the way many evolutionists believe. Any learned evolutionist knows that the theory, since inception, has suffered embellishment, outwright deception, contradictions, and much revising. And it is still very problematic on many levels. However, the evidence in favor leads on to the conculsion that the theory is essentially true, but has had some shortcomings along the way.

Regarding the ressurection, there are four historical facts that must be contended with for those who deny it.
1) After his crucifixion Jesus was buried by Joseph of Arimathea in a tomb
2) On the Sunday after the crucifixion, Jesus' tomb was found empty by a group of his women followers.
3) On different occasions and under various circumstances different individuals and groups of people experienced appearances of Jesus alive from the dead.
4) The original disciples suddenly and sincerely came to believe that Jesus was risen from the dead despite their having every predisposition to the contrary

These four facts are widely agreed upon by the majority of scholars. And the best explanation for these four facts is that Jesus did rise from the dead. Whether or not someone is a biblical innerrantist has little bearing on whether or not these four facts lead to a conclusion that it's most probable that Jesus did rise from the dead.

Answer 3

I would side a bit with tsjgigante.. Look at it in context. If you continue reading Matt (KJV) the themed verses continue. It doesn't appear that the JST translation is meant to delete the original. When compared to the Book of Mormon version the same theme continues however, the following verses are a bit different. I honestly think you are grasping for straws.

Answer 4

The Bible does contain errors and omissions, most likely due to ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors, however, the Bible contains the word of God as delivered to ancient prophets. One can see God’s own handwriting in the sacred volume: and one who reads it oftenest will like it best, and the person who is acquainted with it, will know the hand of God wherever they can see it.

Answer 5

I tend to agree, but don't think the entire Bible is junk because of the many clerical errors and edits. I'm reading Richard Carrier's Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism right now, though. Very interesting perspective (and very in line with my own beliefs...)

Answer 6

Car mechanics have books, electronical devices ... yet they still seem to have problems diagnosing cars and this often requires more than one visit and lots of $$$. I think they're all pot-heads.

The Bible is a spiritual guide that fixes the soul. Since we cannot see the soul ... we have to have SOME faith (not blind, but some) that this will HELP us fix our souls.

Well, after dealing with car mechanics ... I certainly put more trust in God than in the physical world around me.

Answer 7

If it works, why not use it. You, like many others, can put the Bible down and call it what you want, but that doesn't change its effectiveness.

Answer 8

Would you work on a car without any instruction at all or throw away the instruction manual simply because you disagree with it?

Answer 9

You are suggesting that rather than believe a book that was written by many authors over the span of centuries and that validates itself time and time again and is used by scientists and scholars to actually support science, we are supposed to believe a single book written recently, which contains ONE perspective against the Bible. You are following the book Misquoting Jesus because the statements made by its author, Bart Ehrman, are so convincing to you that you agree passionately with what this one man is saying, as if it is the sole truth and everything that people have believed for centuries is false because Bart Ehrman says it's so.

I would like to point out that most people know that the Bible has been written by men, over the span of centuries. Most people know that the Bible has been translated into various versions through the years and that things have been added and omitted, as writings have been discovered. Most people are also aware that many "books" have been left out of the Bible which exists today. Now what many people do not know, but the majority of Bible scholars and Christians believe, is that while there were many men whose writings were responsible for the Bible we have today, these men were inspired by God to say what they said. Through the centuries, as words were translated, God was there inspiring the translations. Long before the majority of people could even read language in written form, Biblical concepts were passed down by mouth. People depended upon religious leaders to tell them what Scriptures said, and many of these leaders used their authority to excess and there was corruption in the early church. History has shown a desire to put things straight and to get the Scriptures written down in a format that is accurate and reflects the true intent of the authors. Many people were persecuted through the centuries in their attempts to set things straight. Martin Luther was one. There has always been debate over the interpretation of the Scriptures. One thing that has not changed however, was the intent or message behind what was written. The overall message has remained the same, even while the Bible was undergoing a transformation through the centuries. God inspired the authors to say what they said and the people doing the translating in order to bring about the purpose He intended, which was to provide us with a written Word upon which we could use as a guide for our lives and a means to understand God better.

If one finds inconsistency in the Bible and confusion, then one is looking for these things. I have read the Bible from cover to cover many, many times in my life. There are shocking stories to tell and miraculous events. There are accountings of a vengeful and angry God and also of a loving, sacrificial God. Why is it so hard for many people to believe that the Bible is not true because it contains all of these things? Life itself is full of history which is violent, angry, vengeful, loving, peaceful, prosperous, unusual, strange, unexplainable etc. Why should the Bible, which is a historical document as well as a life guide, be any different than life itself? People find it hard to believe a talking donkey that God used to get through to Balaam, yet they are all too eager to believe in dead people walking around as ghosts, Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster and extraterrestrial life on other planets. People have difficulty accepting that God can work miracles such as turning water to wine, raising the dead back to life and other recorded miracles of the Bible, yet they are eager to believe in the supernatural powers of mere humans who are magicians, psychics, and those who claim to be able to move things telepathically. The difference between the Bible and what people today believe is that anything is possible with God, because He is all powerful and can do anything, yet people won't believe in Him and in what the Bible says He has done. On the other hand, people will gladly accept what mere humans claim to be able to do (psychics, telepathics etc) and will gladly embrace someone's ideas as truth if they present a convincing enough argument.

The Bible has been tested for its authenticity and validity. The Bible also says that the world will consider it to be foolishness. Of course it doesn't make sense to you. You do not have a relationship with God, and when you read the Bible, you are reading it with the intent of finding fault with it or with the intent of finding something you can cling to in order to justify what you are doing or how you are believing. When a person reads the Bible with the intent of drawing closer to God and to seeking the truth that God wants to reveal to them, they would be amazed how a light will just seem to click on and the things that seem confusing and nonsensical about the Bible will all of a sudden make perfect sense and will be made clear. Test the Bible. Live according to its principles. Try it. If your life and your inner peace fall apart after sincerely following the principles in the Bible and trusting God to walk with you in your life, then and only then, can you claim that the inspired Word of God, which has proven itself time and time again through the ages, is a falsified and contradictory book.

Answer 10

I dont have a car :(

and if it needed work Im the last person I would trust to do it