Does it make any difference that there are factual errors, continuity problems & contradictions in the Bible?

Question

CHRISTIANS: does it matter to you? Does it effect your faith?

Atheists, Pagans, Buddhists, Satanists, Agnostics, Hindus, etc, I welcome your perspectives as well since I'm sure you can formulate an opinion on the matter just as well as any Christian.

Quailman, I guess this question isn't directed to you then, is it?

Answer 1

The Church teaches by looking not only at Sacred Scripture, but into History and by reading what the earliest Christians have written, what those who've sat on the Chair of Peter have spoken consistently with Scripture and Tradition, and what they've solemnly defined. To believe that the Bible is our only source of Christian Truth is unbiblical and illogical.

Answer 2

It's the preconceived bias to dismiss all the contradictions with your quaint explanation that's in the way of the actual nonbiased look. A nonbiased look would reveal that the bible is full of errors, contradictions and discrepencies. It's only with the introduction of your bias that you can dismiss things like light being created before the stars as just some weird way of saying some other truth. You're forgetting how easy it is to interpret the same thing differently. And that's the problem. If the bible was so perfect, it would not be open to these different interpretations. Using this argument, you can claim anything is "perfect," you can dismiss any argument. And any scientist would let you know that an model impervious to error is no model at all. It doesn't explain anything if it explains away everything.

Answer 3

I guess as a Buddhist who also studies yoga philosophies and also a former Catholic, I think it unrealistic to believe any sacred text is without errors, contradictions and the like. I fully accept that I am not reading a history book but I am hoping to glean inspiration and wisdom and lessons that might teach me to be a better person. Dogma is a whole other story. Catechism is a set of man made rules and interpretations that you can't even question. The difference with the Bible is that you are not allowed to question it which really decreases one's ability to truly know and understand the text, errors and all. Buddhism encourages questions as does yoga philosophy (in essence Hinduism). I am not expected to buy into anything without actually doubting it, questioning it, turning it over in my mind and then coming to a conclusion about it. It's a shame Christianity does not allow questions. I think it would be a far richer tradition.

Answer 4

All of the supposed contradictions, that I'm aware of, have been answered to my (maybe not others) satisfaction.
The presence of inerrant copies would implicitly coerce people into conversion.
Inerrancy means that God preserved the text through the ages and through translations inerrantly. However, the Bible cannot be completely inerrant.

The Bible's messages are mostly straightforward and simple. The Bible has two primary components, OT and NT, that may be summarized easily in a few words. Jesus and the Jews of His time and before summarized the OT with the two commands to love God with all that was in you, and love your neighbor as yourself. The NT, too, may be summarized with just a few words - notably those of John 3:16, although certainly there are other good candidates.

Neither the Bible nor belief in its inerrancy is required to become a Christian. All that is needed is acceptance of these few words and what they represent; the rest is equivalent, spiritually speaking, of enforcement codes - how to live the life that God has called you to. Thus there is no need for inerrant copies when the basic message, all that is essentially needed, is so crystal-clear.

Answer 5

If it was a math book than the "factual errors" would be of consequence
The bible is filled with analogies, metaphors, parables. It's not a history book under scrutiny. There were talking animals in Animal Farm yet it's praised as great literature, well the bible is poetic literature. The message is not vague at all

Answer 6

Well it doesn't make much of a difference to me.. in fact it fits perfectly with my belief that the bible was written, and created by mankind. Truly if the God of said book existed as perfect as he is described no book of his would be filled with such errors. The contradictions alone indicate the hand of man is behind it's composition independant of any omnipotent being. For if God is omnipotent, and all knowing it would be impossible for anything he had a hand in to be so full of errors. I mean God should know that bats aren't birds and rabbits don't chew cud right? since he knows everything.. He should also know that killing birds and sprinkling their blood on people doesn't cure leprosy.... On the other hand if this "God" actually is that ignorant, he can't be a god can he?

Reading the bible is the surest path to disbelief if you ask me...

Answer 7

No given that it is 2 to 5000 years old and has been written re-written, translated in and out of several languages by various interest groups, some applying local content to make the story understandable, and acceptable to different cultures

Crikey I think it is a credit that it is still able to make any sense at all

Answer 8

Yes - it's really important that the Bible be accurate.

The "errors" that I've read about are usually because people don't read the whole verse, take things out of context, don't understand the prophecy or something. They aren't there when you really dig into it. I've looked into lots of them.

I've seen minor contradictions between the synoptic gospels, but you would expect that witnesses wouldn't come up with the exact story. If so, they would be accused of getting their story straight. The main point is the same.

Answer 9

Just what do factual errors, continuity problems, and contradictions have to do with folklore, mythology, and ancient (putative) history?

People who criticize the Bible for its logic and facts are misguided. There is nothing logical about miracles or those bits of mythology that were stolen from other religions.

Answer 10

No, it doesn't affect my faith because I've walked this path a long time now and it's proven itself to be the right one for me. As far as the Bible, however, I try to read the text carefully, weighing the passage against the rest of the book, and looking at the historical and linguistic context. It is possible to turn the Bible into an idol.