If someone says "Look here, a flaw in the Bible" your first thought is --
(A) Impossible, it is not a flaw. You are mistaken, but I may read it with you and attempt to help you understand. If I also do not undersand, I will research further and pray until I do understand.
(B) That's highly improbable, but I'd like to see what you have found in case you are correct and my Holy Book is imperfect.
(C) The Bible was written by men, translated by men. It is possible that there are mistakes in the text, but I still do not question God's perfection.
2007-09-12 02:27:57 · 30 answers · asked by Eleventy 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
or (D) _________.
2007-09-12 02:32:11 · update #1
Absolutely (C). To believe that (A) is just ignorant, but in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with believing in (B). It is the teachings of Jesus that are important, not the details of the Bible.
2007-09-12 02:34:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 5⤋
I don't wanna pick from your "ABC list";
I will tell you exactly how I would respond, as I do this over and over again every day on this forum:
I read what they believe is a flaw, show them why it is NOT a flaw, and move on.
Because Biblical illiteracy is at an all-time high, does not mean the Bible is flawed,
but only means people are not being taught
how to read it. Here are the biggest mistakes, and those that cause a person to believe there is a flaw:
1. Not keeping up with the subject and object of what is being discussed.
2. Not understanding idioms or figures of speech used in the time, and that differ in all three of the Biblical languages.
3. The inability of the translators to translate
a complete thought or deeper thought thru into the English from the original language.
4. People listening to some unlearned Pastor-of-the-week instead of slowly reading and absorbing the simplicity in which Christ and the Prophets taught; people do not realize that symbology is used as a teaching method.
5. People are SEARCHING for flaws. They are unlearned individuals who so badly want to find something to yell "ah ha!", and so they pick out one or two verses to use.
That won't cut it. The teachings of Scripture MUST include ALL OF IT - in order to have understanding of the Scriptures, you need to read all of it, and WITH UNDERSTANDING.
The real deal: That these folks do not want to UNDERSTAND; they want to discredit
the Writings, period.
I saw a website for 101 Bible flaws, and I'm up to #64 - its really giving me a laugh, because the only thing that is taking time, is writing the stuff down - If there was ever a group of people who are showing their lack of knowledge, its those guys -
The question is, do you want to find ACTUAL flaws, or is anything that "looks kinda like it might be a flaw" good enough for you? If it is, then you need a reality check on your motives. You may as well
be happy with those things that "kinda look like a flaw", because you will never find any actual ones - nope, not even one. Good luck; I've spent 36+ years of my life looking for one, and I am fluent in all three of the languages, so I'd place my bet on the fact that you don't have a foot to stand on.
2007-09-12 09:46:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I would want more specifics than just "a flaw," for starters. I would wonder what you mean by "flaw." Do they mean it's historically inaccurate? A bad translation? A contradiction?I guess I need more details before I make an assumption.
Overall my (D) would probably look something like: the Bible isn't meant to be read entirely literally anyway, I have a feeling that if properly read according to its genre and purpose, this specific "flaw" would probably make more sense but I would like more information before giving a definitive answer.
I like (C) too except for the "I still do not question" part.
2007-09-12 09:37:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
for those that answered "a":
DT 6:5, MT 22:37, MK 12:30, LK 10:27 Love God.
DT 6:13, PS 33:8, 34:9, 111:10, 115:13, 128:1, 147:11, PR 8:13, 16:6, 19:23, 22:4, IS 8:13, LK 12:5, 1PE 2:17 Fear God.
1JN 4:18 There is no fear in love.
PR 30:5 Every word of God proves true.
1KI 22:23, 2CH 18:22, JE 4:10, JE 20:7, EZ 14:9 God deceives some of the prophets.
JE 8:8 The scribes falsify the word.
2TH 2:11-12 God deceives the wicked (to be able to condemn them).
(Note: Every word of God cannot prove true if God deceives anyone at all; the Bible cannot be trusted if the scribes falsify the word. The first reference is mutually exclusive with the other three. Thus, the Bible cannot be the perfect work of a perfect and loving God since one or more of the above references is obviously untrue. Note also: Some versions use the word "persuade" rather than "deceives." The context makes clear, however, that deception is involved.)
EZ 20:25 God says that he intentionally gave out bad laws. (This means that God-given laws or commandments are sometimes suspect.)
LK 1:26-38 The angel who appears to Mary to foretell the birth of Jesus says that Jesus will be given the throne of David, that he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and that his kingdom will never end. (None of this took place nor can it now be fulfilled.)
MT 16:28, MK 9:1, LK 9:27 Jesus says that some of his listeners will not taste death before he comes again in his kingdom. This was said almost 2000 years ago. (Note: This and many other passages indicate that Jesus was to come again in a relatively short period of time and not just "quickly" as present day Biblicists assert. All of his listeners are now dead, yet Jesus has not come again in his kingdom. All of the alleged words of Jesus recorded in the Bible are therefore suspect.)
MK 16:17-18 A believer can handle snakes or drink poison and not experience any harm. (Note: Many unfortunate believers have died as a result of handling snakes and drinking poison. This kind of assertion negates the Bible as a useful guidebook for life.)
2007-09-12 09:43:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
D...those who do not know God and try to read and understand his word with a closed mind and heart will find the flaws they want to find ....
Instead the reader/doubter did not take the time to understand a concept, comprehend the time frame or the history of area such was written, the culture in the area of which it was written...
I don't understand it, therefore it is flawed...how arrogant...
2007-09-12 09:52:12 · answer #5 · answered by coffee_pot12 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Why should some one fish out flaws in a Holy Book, instead of attempting to find out what is good in it.? The origin of the Holy Bible as we read today was compiled under the order of Pope Damasus I in the year 382 AD only. The Old Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Texts of the Holy Books had undergone many Translations into various languages before getting standardized by the Pope.
2007-09-12 09:34:22 · answer #6 · answered by Brahmanyan 5 · 4⤊ 4⤋
Christians! Do you realise that all translations are inherently flawed? The translator has to pick words when several meanings are possible, or there is no corresponding word. From this list, I'd say the only honest answer for a Christian is C.
The only way A or B can come in to it is if you're reading in the original languages.
Old Testament - Hebrew
1st Century Gospels - Aramaic
Later NT Books - Greek
2007-09-12 09:34:54 · answer #7 · answered by Valarian 4 · 5⤊ 4⤋
E. The Bible is the word of God in so far as it is translated correctly. The purpose of the scriptures is to teach correct principles. It is not a history book or a science book.
2007-09-12 11:02:20 · answer #8 · answered by Isolde 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
D) Other...
The original intent of the bible was to lay out some ground rules for how to live a good life, and how to keep the community happy...hence the stricture to take a paddle and walk 100 yards out of town before taking a dump...
Everything added after that was designed to make people easily controllable and willing to put-up with hardship while the Priests raked off the best of what was made by their labour. :D
EDIT: Re: Context
Unless we all care to return to living the same as they did in the 2nd-3rd centuries...reading the Bible *is* reading it out of context. For someone whom is a beliver in *any* religeon, they must read the "Holy Works" and adapt them to the realities of today, of which the people who picked and chose *which* scripture(s) would be in the book in question had no knowledge of, or even could have understood!
2007-09-12 09:43:09 · answer #9 · answered by jcurrieii 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Simple fact is scribes copied ancient text and sometimes numbers or dates got out of order or misprinted, but God's word is the inspired word of God. Meaning the Bible speaks of the life between man and God. And if He did it for the men and women of old He will and do it for me as well. Sometimes I have to learn to be patient. Alot of people's problems in lack of understanding of meaning of the ancient text. Most just need to study it from a historical and spiritual interpetation. First starting with historical and then spiritual application. If you try and look at man being perfect they are not, But God is perfect.
2007-09-12 09:37:44 · answer #10 · answered by turtle30c 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
If you think there is a flaw in the bible I would be interested to know where in the bible the assumed flaw is??? give me a scriptural address and I will be happy to study it out as I am an avid student of the bible and have yet to find any such flaws.
It has been my experience that presumed flaws are simply due to the accuser not understanding what they are reading or simply taking the word out of context. So if you think you have something feel free to email it to me and I'll be happy to check it out and let you know what I find. Also keep in mind sir that the bible is an anvil that has worn out many a hammer through the years....
P.S Matt Js answer is a classic example of someone not understanding what he is reading and scripture taken out of context....
2007-09-12 09:45:36 · answer #11 · answered by wordman 3 · 2⤊ 4⤋