Aren't Christians supposed to be honest, so why can't I be honest about the errors in the Bible without people calling me an unbeliever. Would I be a believer if I lied and claimed the Bible contains no lies or distortions, when every Christian who is honest with himself knows they exist in fairly large numbers?
2007-09-11 16:03:51 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Well, the problem is if they admit the errors in the New Testament it will show inconsistencies in their religion.
If you want to prove to them some of the errors you can check out this article:
http://spubs.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=MSS03&articleID=MSS030001&articlePages=1
Here's an excerpt:
"It has been estimated that New Testament manuscripts differ among themselves from between a staggering 150,000 to 250,000 times. (ibid) The actual figure is perhaps much higher. A study of 150 Greek manuscripts of the Gospel according to Luke has revealed more than 30,000 textual differences alone. (ibid) Each manuscript studied and unearthed inevitably adds substantially to the list of differences. So much so that The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible unavoidably concluded that: "It is safe to say that there is not one sentence in the New Testament in which the manuscript tradition is wholly uniform." (ibid) Many of the differences arose at a very early stage. Prior to the invention of the printing press (15th century) all copies of Bibles show considerable textual variations. Such differences, so much a part of the history of the transmission of the New Testament, continue to live on in modern day copies."
Now what I think you should consider is do you want to adhere to a religion with errors that affect its major beliefs? For example, how do you know that Jesus called others to worship him? Does it say so in the bible, can you rely on the bible? This is what has led many Christians to Islam. Islam not only accepts Jesus and the Bible, but believing that Jesus is a Messenger of God and the Bible (as revealed to Jesus, not what we have today) is the word of God is a major required belief. I know this might not be what you want to hear because you likely have preconceived notions about other religions, but I promise you it is worth your time. Check out the links below and do a little reading, perhaps it will aid you in defending your position at the least.
2007-09-11 16:29:58 · answer #1 · answered by M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Distortions, yes, I can agree on that point because many years lapsed between an occurrence and it's recording. Also, each book of the NT is told from one person's point of view, and no matter what happens, there will be as many stories as there are witnesses and everyone thinks their own is the only true tale. I may be wrong, but I think people could be getting upset with you over your word choice - nobody likes to be called a liar or be told that words they have grown up believing are a lie. You could also be getting static for possibly having a know-it-all attitude, when you are dealing with documents that are over a thousand years old, translated and re-translated through Aramaic, Hebrew, Latin, German, and then English and so how can you possibly claim to know what parts are truth, what parts have been distorted, and what parts are out-and-out lies? Just relax a little, sit back and let people believe what they believe. You don't have to educate the whole world about your point of view. Nothing bad is going to happen if someone doesn't believe exactly what you believe.
2016-04-04 16:17:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's sad to me that those who claim to take the bible most seriously are the same ones who fail to be serious about studying it critically. If read literally, we'd have to throw our hands up and claim it is a lie. However, if we read it as metaphor, allegory, myth, symbol, and in some places, history (although biased) then a rounder, more wholistic, more honest portrait of Christianity can be painted. Reading the Bible with blind faith, or outright denial is arrogant at best.
I'm glad you are a critical reader who is able to be honest about what you see on the pages of the text. God - if God exists (and today I am assuming God does) - is a much larger idea than that which can be captured on a page. Keep asking the questions, they may not lead you where you want to go, but the questions will lead you toward where you are supposed to be.
2007-09-11 16:12:06 · answer #3 · answered by Tukiki 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well I guess my main problem I have is with the tall tales part and your limitation to the NT. I believe there is very little distoration, untruths, and distorortions in the NT, but I don't think there is any tall tales in the NT.
But you would be an unbeliever if you just thought that something was a "tall tale" or "distoration" because it is super natural.
2007-09-11 16:09:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
In order for your argument to have any weight, you need to point out some examples of the "lies and distortions". Careful study and consultation of experts would teach you a lot. Just blindly stating a vague assumption based on your own feelings is foolish.
2007-09-11 16:23:38 · answer #5 · answered by Popcorn 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am an HONEST Christian waiting for you to show me the errors in the Bible, backed with facts. What lies and distortions are you talking about?
By the way, "if Christians are supposed to be honest" (Your words) what does that make you? Dishonest?!?!?!?
2007-09-11 16:14:43 · answer #6 · answered by D.A. S 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Read it again. Write down each contradictory suspect you find and each tall tale. Put them to the test and present them to a well educated -in theology- and ask for response.
There are things that are a bit confusing. I don't search for contradictions, but one may well find some. It doesn't mean you are an 'unbeliever'. We each know Christ in our own personal way, by choice or by His choice.
2007-09-11 16:12:39 · answer #7 · answered by howdigethere 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because, unfortunately, most Christians seem to think you must have the blind faith and feel that the NT is perfect in every way, otherwise you are a heathen. That is one reason I said earlier that I don't believe that there are any "true Christians" anymore.
2007-09-11 16:09:12 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I am with you on that one. I have gotten some nasty hate mail over simply acknowledging that others have valid points about inconsistencies and problems with religion/Christianity. Once, I even got a letter that told me I hated God, and I am a minister's wife. (This was back a couple months ago when I was still being nice. My answers this week have been a bit more caustic, so I could understand hate mail right now.) :)
2007-09-11 16:08:45 · answer #9 · answered by mountain_laurel1183 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you have to believe in the lies and illogical concepts in the bible in order to be called a believer. Doesn't that make sense.
2007-09-11 16:14:59 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋