Contradictions in the Bible (Large Image PDF)

[tekisui]

http://www.project-reason.org/bibleContra_big.pdf

[Logical]

1. I am SHOCKED! SHOCKED I tell you! n-t

[dana_b]

2. I saved this one

something to look up, pass the time. ;)

[Arugula Latte]

3. Amazing this silly book of mythology still has such hold over millions.

Amazing and pathetic, I should add.

[Exultant Democracy]

4. Wow, that is pretty extensive. Poor fundies don't let your heads explode.

[cleanhippie]

5. Yeah, well some seem to think that where one sees contradiction, they see confirmation.

I don't get that either.

[Sadena Meti]

6. I was having this argument...

with some Ulster (Northern Ireland) Loyalists and Unionists (long story why).

And I tried to show a simple, provable contradiction, the genealogy of Christ.

I presented them with all the evidence, background, history, provenance, and...

I got exactly no where. They tried to argue every point, though the evidence was indisputable. They invented new meanings. One said there must be some secret message hidden in the discrepancies.

Contradictions will make no difference on 95% of the people of faith. It's just sad. The best you can hope for is to infect them with doubt.

[sudopod]

7. Bumpin till someone gets mad, lol nt

[darkstar3]

8. Oh, they're mad, they're just taking it out elsewhere.

[sudopod]

9. It's funny how good humanity is at ignoring things that conflict with their view of the world

isn't it?

If anything can do us all in, it will be confirmation bias. "It was cold last winter, so global warming isn't real, hurrrrr"

I mean, here you go, proof the bible isn't infallible. In poster form. How many people upon checking it out would change their minds RE: the perfection of God's Favorite Book?

[darkstar3]

10. They ignore much, even when it is brought clearly to their attention,

because they know any breath of truth will blow over the house of cards.

[laconicsax]

11. The term is "willful ignorance." n/t

[sudopod]

12. I don't know that it IS willful.

It almost seems to happen at a subconscious level, and can happen to the best of us.

I think a good example would be a scientist who latches on to a bad theory long after it's been disproven, but continues to do good work otherwise.

If we could find away to get around people's built-in filters, we could change the world.

[zeemike]

13. Yes it is revelant to this discussion

And I have seen such things many times
And I can tell you that when researching those so called contradictions they don't pan out like they are reported to do...
For instance the first one on the list compares a piece from Songs of Solomon with kings....not telling you the context that the Songs of Solomon were exactly that....songs, which as you must know are not intended for accuracy.
The equivalent of that comparison is if you discussed American history and point out that Steinbeck had a much different view of it than did the textbook of the time.....many contradictions can be found if that is your objective....but don't call that scientific or pretend that it is.

[edhopper]

14. Hear this all the time

The Bible is the word of God, except when it isn't.
Then the question is, what in the Bible is actually true?
Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, David, Daniel, Jesus. What should we believe really happened?
Of the 400 plus contradictions in the PDF, how many should we dismiss?

[zeemike]

15. None of them if they are really contradictions.

But pick one....I grantee you it will not be a slam dunk contradiction...it will most likely be a misinterpretation of what is being said or out of context...
Pick one and I will show you what I mean.

[edhopper]

18. Here are 101

take your pick.

http://www.islamway.com/english/images/library/contradictions.htm

[zeemike]

22. Well then take the first one on the list….

Who incited David to count the fighting men of Israel?
(a) God did (2 Samuel 24: 1)
(b) Satan did (I Chronicles 2 1:1)

And here is the text

2Sam.24
<1> And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

1Chr.21
<1> And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

Are you saying that both could not be true…Given that God is the ultimate authority if he were mad at Israel would that not imply that Satan would “stand up against them”?

And this first one I would bet sets the pattern for the rest….creative interpretations that make it seem like a conflict where there is none.

[edhopper]

24. Nice pick of the low hanging fruit

Try this:

Mathew:Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

Luke: Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Unless you want to argue that Joseph was the son of Gay Parents.

2 Samuel 24:13 (KJV) "So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me."

1 Chronicles 21:12 (KJV) "Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me."

And on and on. No contradictions huh?

[zeemike]

31. Well as before you assume that Jacob and Helli are two different people

that may not be the case at all....the fact that two different people wrote that makes it quite possible that they expressed things diferently....and had they not then the complaint would be that it was contrived.
The same may also be true with the second one....diferent memories of the same thing with different numbers....but the essence of the story remains the same.

But yes you have successfully pointed out differences in text....but that is not necessarily a contradiction or proof enough to discredit the story.

[edhopper]

32. So basically

nothing in the Bible can be taken as true as all stories are just the unreliable writings of different people. But there are no contradictions and we must accept it as true. Got it.

[Thats my opinion]

16. Contradictions?

Of course. Fundamentalists think the Bible is a book of history come down from somewhere up there. For long long time all reputable theologians have known that it is not a book of history, but a book of stories which come up from people trying to make sense out of life and the universe. This article and the fundamentalism have in common trying to make history out of something very different. Every seminary deals with Biblical criticism and anyone in the vicinity knows better. So you and the fundamentalists agree, but that is not where modern religion is. Catch up. You are badly dated.

[edhopper]

17. So what part of the Bible is true?

Is anything from the story of Jesus true. We know serious theologians don't think of the Bible as accurate history. But do you think Jesus said any of the things it says he did. Was Mary a virgin? Was Jesus the son of God?
This is what frustrates atheist. We hear that literalists are silly, but don't get a straight answer on what in the Bible is true.
And if it is all suspect, why believe any of it?

[Thats my opinion]

19. Is there truth in the Bible

Ok. a good response. I am a member of The Jesus Seminar. if you really want to know where modern theology and Biblical study are, check out the website. Just quit beating a dead horse. It is boring. Is scientific analysis true? Then why is it in a constant state of flux? But underneath whatever "facts" is has in its latest version, science probes the profound truth that we must continue to search for how the universe works. I love its exploration! Darwin is a saint!

Underneath all the Bible stories is the profound truth that there is meaning, value, dignity, justice, hope, beauty, goodness, peace, on and on. The Bible is a series of documents gathered over millennia from a vast number of perspectives. It only points to ways in which humans have tried to investigate these values. Jesus pointed, not to himself, but to what is beyond himself. There are not a set of problems the Bible solves. Money and time solve problems. There is only the Mystery which surround all of life. But religion seeks to probe the meaning of existence. Engage theology and religion at that level and we can have a discussion.

[edhopper]

20. Interesting, In a cursory look

Seems to question the divinity of Jesus.
But I would tell you that the vast majority of Christians would not agree with the thinking here.

I am not beating a dead horse. Since the vast majority of Christians and Jews think that the Bible is historically accurate (if not literal) it is very much an issue.
When we have a poster right here on this thread tell me there aren't any real contradictions in the Bible, it is an issue.
When we have one of the major parties wanting to run America as what they perceive as a Christian Nation, it is very much an issue.

[Meshuga]

25. The vast majority of Jews think that the bible is historically accurate?

Really? Can you provide your sources on this?

The VAST MAJORITY of religious Jews are affiliated to non-orthodox movements and given the teachings in these movements it would be kind of impossible for their members to come even close to becoming biblical literalists. The Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, etc. generally have Torah classes in their shuls on Shabbos. You are welcome to go and see it for yourself. Academics in these movements are aware of the different authorships, redactions, merging, literary differences, etc. in the Hebrew bible and their work can be found in essays and commentaries contained in the very liturgy members use in services.

The focus in Judaism is living a Jewish life and (to some) following Jewish law. Not having certain beliefs much less fighting for the historicity of biblical tales.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. Same here among us Episcopalians (and the ELCA Lutherans that I grew up among)

Our reaction to "there are contradictions in the Bible" is "Yeah, we know."

[Meshuga]

29. The study of biblical source and authorship...

...to me at least, is much more damning than the chart provided by the OP.

One would probably be more effective in refuting biblical inerrancy by showing the literary evidences, political evidences, the obvious meshing of stories together, editing, sources, etc.

[cleanhippie]

21. Wow, what a dodge and a deflection. Is that what you learn how to do at the "Jesus Seminar?"

:wtf:

[edhopper]

23. Be nice hippie,

he's trying to be civil. :D

[cleanhippie]

26. I guess he and I have very different definitons of civil, then.

[edhopper]

28. come on

he's not 'humble' or zeemike.
He did give a thoughtful response. Of course we disagree, but it was civil.

[cleanhippie]

30. Fair enough.

[Goblinmonger]

33. OK. So can you explain the

"meaning, value, dignity, justice, hope, beauty, goodness, peace, on and on" to the story of Lot? of Job? of god sending the bear to attack the kids for making fun of god's bald prophet?