The bible. fact or fiction?

Question

is the bible real or just the worlds oldest novel

Answer 1

you could start a war with this question.

Answer 2

Fact my backside.

The fact that Christianity wasn't established until 100BC properly is a big ruling factor that the Bible is insanely fiction. Medieval Monks were given the task of scribing the Bible to book, which is why God is referred to as He instead of just God. There has been many novels and scriptures that predate even the Dead Sea Scrolls. Most of Greece was literate by the time someone even thought of the basic principles of Christianity.

True enough, it is a good book or morals and principles, but that's not to say anyone who doesn't believe in Christianity doesn't have morals as some would believe. The Bible in effect is the world's best selling fiction novel because it's stories are entertaining, full of meaning and are the basis of some world faith, not all. No more, no less.

Answer 3

If it is a novel, or fiction, as many seem to think, it was surely very well done...
Amazing how so many different authors over so many centuries could have put together such an amazing Book!

There is alot of stuff in there...some history, some allegory, some proverbs, some poetry...

And here's an interesting thought...have you ever heard of "historical fiction"? That is, the main story is based on historic facts, with some poetic license thrown in?
And again...have you ever heard of a "parable"?? You know...stories Jesus (a.k.a. God) told to teach important principles?

What the Bible is, is true.

EDIT:
I love Granny Crabtree's word...
Faction!!
Thanks Granny!!

Answer 4

Christians accept the Bible as the word of God, because it states more than 2800 times thus saith the Lord, a word from the Lord…the NT and OT. Authors lived hundreds of years apart and yet they all work together…it’s hard to deny that God dictated these words to the authors. The Dead Sea Scrolls are proof that God’s word was the original word of God…not one word had changed. There is no corruption in his word.


Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy = Moses - 1400 B.C.
Joshua = Joshua - 1350 B.C.
Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel = Samuel / Nathan / Gad - 1000 - 900 B.C.
1 Kings, 2 Kings = Jeremiah - 600 B.C.
1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah = Ezra - 450 B.C.
Esther = Mordecai - 400 B.C.
Job = Moses - 1400 B.C.
Psalms = several different authors, mostly (King) David - 1000 - 400 B.C.
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon = Solomon - 900 B.C.
Isaiah = Isaiah - 700 B.C.
Jeremiah, Lamentations = Jeremiah - 600 B.C.
Ezekiel = Ezekiel - 550 B.C.
Daniel = Daniel - 550 B.C.
Hosea = Hosea - 750 B.C.
Joel = Joel - 850 B.C.
Amos = Amos - 750 B.C.
Obadiah = Obadiah - 600 B.C.
Jonah = Jonah - 700 B.C.
Micah = Micah - 700 B.C.
Nahum = Nahum - 650 B.C.
Habakkuk = Habakkuk - 600 B.C.
Zephaniah = Zephaniah - 650 B.C.
Haggai = Haggai - 520 B.C.
Zechariah = Zechariah - 500 B.C.
Malachi = Malachi - 430 B.C.
Matthew = Matthew - 55 A.D.
Mark = John Mark - 50 A.D.
Luke = Luke - 60 A.D.
John = John - 90 A.D.
Acts = Luke - 65 A.D.
Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon = Paul - 50-70 A.D.
Hebrews = unknown, best guesses are Paul, Luke, Barnabas, or Apollos - 70 A.D.
James = James - 49 A.D.
1 Peter, 2 Peter = Peter – 60 - 67 A.D.
1 John, 2 John, 3 John = John – 85 and 95 A.D.
Jude = Jude - 65 A.D.
Revelation =Apostle John - 90 A.D.

Answer 5

The Bible is factual. Things that it claims happened, did happen.
People were very sceptical about Bible claims and said it could not be historically correct. Archaeology has proved that the details and places mentioned are correct.

The Jewish people themselves are a living proof and witness to the LORD God.
He chose them to be His special people and warned them frequently that if they sought gods of wood and stone and turned from Him he would punish them severely.

They disobeyed and God carried out His threat. But throughout it all they were His witnesses.

Prophecies in the Bible have come true and are still doing so such of the return of the Jewish people to their own land.

The Bible presents God's view of the world and His purpose with it. The Gospel Jesus preached is of the coming kingdom and his return, when all blessings will return to the earth.

Answer 6

Some of it is traceable history, passed down through oral traditions then written up as the Old Testament when writing reached the middle East. Genesis is blatantly plagiarised Sumerian creation myths.The New Testament was written a long time after Joshua's death, and was very obviously 'sexed up' by mixing in some of the local Mithraic and Dionysian myths.

Answer 7

The Bible is both Fact and Fiction, and what I am about to tell you is a fact!

"By Faith", please pay attention.

Yes many words were twisted and contorted by the religious establishment in order to control the masses and maintain power, but there are also real historic events laced throughout the pages.

It documents in great detail the evolution of man and human consciousness spanning a large period of time.

Was Jesus real? Yes

Did he attempt to free the peasants and lower class from the grips of the ruling class? Yes

Does the bible document the first beginnings of mans ability to think in terms of consequence and retrospect? Yes. Just look at the 10 commandments. No record of man thinking in terms of consequence before this, and King Davids reference of "I" (I was never a word until this point in time, in any document, ever)

You have to look through the appearance and see what lies beneath the surface and put it into context of the times. ie:

Jesus spoke in parables and metaphors right? Why?
Because the ruling class of that time were the first to gain human consciousness, and they used that ability to control and rule over the masses.

Jesus was possibly the first "modern" day philosopher and told the people that "the kingdom of heaven (aka GOD) was within them as opposed to within the church.

Why do you think so many people looked to an outside entity to rule and control their actions and beliefs? They had not yet gained the ability of conscious thought. They did not hear "God" speak to them. Therefore they looked to those that did to lead and guide them. In return the leaders usurped the peasants authority over themselves in order to control and rule them. Hence "ruling class" and "lower class".

We still suffer from this disease of looking toward external authorities to lead us and make our decisions for us today. Governments, Churches, spouses, peers, bosses, friends, stars (in the sky), stars (on T.V.) etc. We have all looked to some, or one of these things to guide us rather than guide ourselves.

The Bible should be reassigned as a teaching tool like a history book..... Ok, I'm way off point now.

Bible fact or fiction? .........Both

Edit: seeker20... Ummm wow... I categorically deny every statement you have made about atheists and totally agree with what you say about Christians.

Obviously you know few atheists personally 'cause if you did you would know that many of them sifted through many religions trying to find the answers before reaching such a conclusion.

I was a devout Christian for 20 years before I logically, and very carefully made my decision. I never once have tried to convince a Christian that god was not real. Nor have i ever said "God if you are real give me..." for you to say such things is indicative of your lack of knowledge of atheists, not to mention insulting.

Yes there are some atheists that try to bring down religion, they are the few and I call them anti-god activists, not atheists.
Most of us mind our own and live our own lives. Despite your sweeping generalizations about us.

Answer 8

I personally think the 4 gospels are fact. Jesus makes no mention of Paul. It was the Catholic church that chose to put his letters together to form "the bible". Other than the actual accounts of Jesus from the Gospels, the rest is questionable.

Answer 9

The biggest debate ever dear. Instead ask if people can prove their answer, as for me I believe it. I still think that we are ready to believe that the Egyptians built the pyramids (none of us were there) but not that the Bible is the truth. Human nature.

Answer 10

Well, first of all...I'd have to say that nobody can answer that question for you. Of course, all of the athiests are going to say 'fiction' - that's what they are dead set in, and that's all that they will hear or consider. Nothing else will get through to them. A lot of their reasoning is little child-like things like, "God, if you are real, do __________, and then I'll believe." Then, of course for whatever reason that 'challenge' does not get accomplished, they act like a little kid and say, "God doesn't exist." No proof...just something to complain about, like a kid pitching a fit because they can't have candy in a store. "If you're God, give me what I want, or I don't want anything to do with you" is pretty much the answer a lot of people are really wanting.

Christians, on the other hand, are going to be dead set there is a God that loves them. Athiests, no matter how hard they try, have been able to change that. Many people who are now dead, have stated dumb things like, "In 20 years, Christianity will not exist". The Bible is still the #1 best seller in the world. People have tried to destroy it...that never has happened. People have been persecuted for being Christian...but their happiness and the Bible keeps going on. They continue to stand for what they believe, no matter what. What intrigues me is that so many athiests constantly cause a spat with Christians, even going to far as to spend their whole lives trying to 'disprove' God and the Bible. Instead of minding their own business and living this 'one life, and that's it - there's nothing after it' approach that they claim is the reality. If that's the case...then the worldly answer would be "don't waste it on other people arguing with their beliefs and yours - ENJOY that so-called one life, if indeed it's all that you have".

Nobody can tell you that the Bible and/or God is 'real' or 'fake'. You have to find that out for yourself. Nobody can tell you what you believe. They can try to convince you into what THEY believe...but that's them, and not you.Just because an athiest says the Bible and God are 'fake' doesn't stop the world. Just because a Christian tells you about God, doesn't mean the heavens will part open and you'll see 'God'. That's not how things work...people look for some great miracle nowadays. Personally, I choose the latter, as a Christian. If someone else doesn't believe, that's fine. I'll share my views with them, try to reason with them, and then that's it - it's up to them to decide.

Look inside of the Bible...you'll find the key figure is Jesus Christ. The old testament points to Him as "Messiah" and Savior of the world, who came to pay the price for the sins of all people, to reconcile them back to God after they strayed away. The New Testament elaborates on the fulfillment of the old testament scriptures. This person who is called "Christ"...had a lot of followers, and apparently did great things, claiming to be the Son of God. Or "the word of God made flesh" and that came and dwelt among us as a human. A lot of people say, "He never existed". But they can't prove that. They weren't alive during that time, just like they weren't alive during the time of the 1800's. But they believe what they read, because it's in the history books as fact. The Bible is achaeologically accurate, and more and more information is surfacing as more evidence is discovered. Look at the end of the book of Job...and in the Proverbs...you'll find things that people only 'recently' discovered, when you think of the span of thousands upon thosuands of years that many have wondered. Such as the world being flat or 'round'...the Bible talks about the "four corners of the earth". North, South, East, West. Round. It took people a long time to figure that out...but it was written all along, well before they knew. The Bible talks about other things like the wind circuits and various complicated topics.

Finally, I don't believe I'm an accident. I don't see things banging into existence...I don't see houses building themselves. As everyone knows...unless someone does something, it doesn't get done. Just like things don't get created without a creator...they don't just magically appear out of nowhere, by 'accident'. The 'odds' of a big bang and this earth forming and tilting at just the right angle, with just the right elements to support life...are very, very low. Try as they may...but space agencies have yet to discover any 'life' in outer space. No little green men, no big 'aliens'...just dead planets with uninhabitable atmospheres. In the midst of all of this...you see earth that you are on. Everything works together well and it's very much sustainable. With all of the planets around us...why is earth the only planet to be this way? If it was a big bang that caused a mixture of elements to 'create life'...then earth is close enough to other planets in our solar system, for them to have also had similar effects. But they didn't.

So...as the character Jesus Christ in the Bible said..."Who do you say that I am?"...you have to decide that for yourself.

Answer 11

The Bible is the Word of God so it should at least be respected - even if you don't agree with what it says.

Some of it is factual and has a sound historical basis.

Other parts are just tradition or legend.