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Is the Bible perfect? (And other issues)| | This is mainly in response to GodlessLiberal's blog on the supposed "inerrancy" of the Bible. So, I'm going to break it down, point by point, and hope that it helps clear things up...on both sides.
Where in the bible, if anywhere, Does the Bible say it is the Word of God?
It doesn't. Just like with all things to do with the spirit, they can only be discerned spiritually.
How do you know this applies to the Bible as we know it today, and not some other collection of books? For example, how do you know it refers to the gospels of John, Mark, Luke and Matthew, and not the gospel of Simon, Thomas, and Peter?
It very well could, although Simon and Peter were the same person, but I can understand the mixup there. Anyway, all save for Mark and Luke were Apostles chosen by Jesus of Nazareth. But again, these can only be understood through the spirit. Think of it this way. Suppose I had never tasted salt before in my life, but you have. How would you tell me how it tastes? You can't use the word "salt", since I have no idea what it tastes like. You can tell me what it's not, but not what it is. It's one of those things that must be experienced for yourself.
What's to keep someone from writing whatever they want, or altering existing stories to fit their need, then using this passage to prove God wrote it? Today, of course, we could compare with other versions of the Bible, but what about hundreds or thousands of years ago? Did God correct the mistakes and strike down the blasphemers?
That's a very good question. The answer is that there wouldn't be anything to stop what you described from happening, in fact, IT DID HAPPEN, which is the reason why there are so many Christian denominations out there that can't seem to agree on much of anything at all. We all have our free will (I call it "agency"). That is the one thing that even God will not mess with. He gives us the right to choose for ourselves. He won't tamper with that.
To answer the second half of that question, there are still mistakes in the Bible today. The Bible is not perfect, and those who claim that it is are not well versed in the Bible and have no idea what they are talking about...which in turn makes them an idiot. So I'll side with you on that one. Do I believe the Bible to be the word of God? No. I know it is (referring back to the salt analogy from before). The same way I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that there is a LIVING prophet and LIVING Apostles today. It's the same way that I know that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ.
The Bible, The Koran, The Book of Mormon, and other books are supposedly the word of God. Many other works are supposedly inspired by God, gods, godlike aliens from the Pleiades, etc. Why should I accept your favorite, and not one of the others?
In order to believe The Book of Mormon, you have to believe the Bible. It's a must. The Koran, the Torah, etc., I'm not so sure. But the Bible and the Book of Mormon go hand in hand.
GodlessLiberal, you go on an entire rant in a section called "Bible Inerrancy". I'm not even going to touch that, since I agree with you. The Bible is not complete, it is not perfect. Again, I say, anyone who says otherwise is an idiot and a fool. There is no reason that we need to turn to a source other than God for knowledge that He exists. I like what Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter when it came to this; he said, "...when it comes to religion, question with boldness". Essentially, if there is a God and we seek after Him, He's not going to hide, He is going to make sure that you find Him, He will leave breadcrumbs EVERYWHERE. But we have to want it. He's not going to force us to do or to look for something that we don't want to do.
What do you find inspiring about the atrocities that constitute much of the old testament?
There are many things that can be learned from all scripture. Or even if you just look at the Bible as a history book, then it's a good source of what to do and what not to do. Ever hear of the saying that those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it?
What do you find inspiring about the new testament's message of eternal damnation for those who fail to embrace exactly the right set of beliefs?
There is more to it than that. But I guess I can see where you're coming from on this issue. As a member of the LDS (Mormon) Church, I get that a lot. Especially when I was up in the Seattle area as a full-time missionary for two years. It is easy to get caught up in the "hellfire and damnation" aspects of what is taught. But like I said, there is more to that. God's entire purpose is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man". With that there are things that must be done. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we now have that gift. When we die, we will rise again with a perfect body, no longer prone to sickness or death. However, if we chose while we were alive here to be disobedient to the commandments, then we won't have eternal life, even though we will have immortality, if that makes sense. If you need me to clarify anything that's said in this post, let me know. I'll do my best to clear things up.
If AIDS is God's punishment to Gays for anal intercourse, does that mean lung cancer is God's punishment for smoking? If so, do you plan to picket Aunt Mildred's funeral carrying signs saying "God hates Smokers?"
I don't really think that AIDS is a punishment for being gay, there are just as many straight folks who have it. Although, is it really a good idea to smoke either? If you're religious or not, you would think that you would want to take care of yourself so you're not gasping for air every time you walk up a flight of stairs. Although I will admit, the signs are a little extreme.
You have two other questions regarding gays that I'm going to skip over. The first, is a little redundant and irrelevant and the second is another post in and of itself.
Why did God sacrifice Himself to Himself so that He could correct a mistake He made Himself?
Hahahahahahaha!!! Ah, yes, the good ol' Trinity question! This is a good one, I should try asking that myself to the Trinitarians out there. The fact of the matter is that the Father and Jesus are separate in nature and being. There is no such thing as a 3-in-1 Triune God but a 3-in-3 Godhead. The Father has His role, the Son has His, and the Holy Ghost has His. Each are separate and distinct but are one in purpose and unity. They are what all teams should aspire to be.
How does the crucifixion count as an appropriate sacrifice? Jesus spent a few hours, maybe a day, in agonizing pain; but it was no greater pain than millions of others have suffered. If Jesus really is God, then He knew exactly what was happening, and exactly how long it would last. When it was done, He supposedly ascended to heaven and became the all-powerful ruler of the universe. This is infinitely greater compensation than even the faithful will receive, and infinitely less torture that the damned will receive.
This is something that a lot of mainstream Christians do not understand. The sacrifice did not start and end on the cross. It started in Gethsemane, the night before the crucifixion and ended three days later with the Resurrection. It is three-fold. There is a scripture in The Book of Mormon that says this "Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy". The Atonement, or Jesus' sacrifice, helps us fulfill that joy. Again, it has to do with our choices and the intents of our hearts. There's only so much I can say on this matter. Some things you need to figure out for yourself.
Please reconcile these two statements: "Without evil, there can be no good", "God is all-good."
There must be opposition in all things. We can't appreciate happiness without sadness. We can't know good unless we know evil. Honestly, there is nothing to reconcile here. God is able to recognize evil. Does He give in to it? No. Otherwise He would cease to be God. That's part of what makes Him God. Being able to recognize evil and not have it affect Him.
Please reconcile these two statements: "With God, nothing is impossible", "You can't be saved unless you accept Jesus as your savior."
Everyone will be resurrected. However, unless you enter in through the gate, which is baptism by immersion by someone with the proper authority (which is part of accepting Jesus), you will not have eternal life (or life in God's presence).
The other questions you wrote I thought were either redundant, since I covered those inadvertently already, or they were just ridiculous, even though I laughed when I read them. In any case, I hope this has helped answer some questions, even if it wasn't from a "Bible Thumper". | | | Posted 4/30/2009 3:37 AM - 12 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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