101 contradictions in Bible
- Thread starter Voldemort
- Start date
The contradictions in first post were compelled by the Muslims. This one apparently by atheists. I won't post everything but merely will give a link.
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/inconsistencies.shtml
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/inconsistencies.shtml
heres some more www.skepticsannotatedbible.com
While I'm not big fan of the christian cult or its "bible," isn't copy/pasting of large amounts of text against the rules. I've seen this "101 contradictions" around the internet and I think I even have it in .PDF somewhere.
A simple link would have sufficed along with, perhaps, a short quoted section to discuss.
A simple link would have sufficed along with, perhaps, a short quoted section to discuss.
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Surely those contradictions are only of interest to Fundamentalists (to say nothing of KJV-only believers such as ghost7584)?
I have seen here people criticise the Catholic church because "they don't follow the Bible". Well, since the Bible is full of contradiction, and the present day Catholic Church is founded upon two thousand years of theology, maybe they actually know what they're talking about?
I have a book which is a religiously inspired history of the Bible which makes no bones about the fact that the facts in the gospels differ amongst each other. As historians, the evangelists were amateurs and they were writing at a time when there could be little more to base one's history on than reportage. Same goes for the older histories - it's amazing Samuel/Kings is matched by Chronicles as much as it is, not that there are differences in some of the numbers.
I no longer find this a useful debate, rather like evolution vs. Creationists. Nobody's really changing their mind, and religiously it's really a storm in a teacup (although educationally, Creationism is quite important, of course).
I have seen here people criticise the Catholic church because "they don't follow the Bible". Well, since the Bible is full of contradiction, and the present day Catholic Church is founded upon two thousand years of theology, maybe they actually know what they're talking about?
I have a book which is a religiously inspired history of the Bible which makes no bones about the fact that the facts in the gospels differ amongst each other. As historians, the evangelists were amateurs and they were writing at a time when there could be little more to base one's history on than reportage. Same goes for the older histories - it's amazing Samuel/Kings is matched by Chronicles as much as it is, not that there are differences in some of the numbers.
I no longer find this a useful debate, rather like evolution vs. Creationists. Nobody's really changing their mind, and religiously it's really a storm in a teacup (although educationally, Creationism is quite important, of course).
Isn't it? Not even scientists can achieve such agreements in some of their measurements.Silas said:
Of course a contradiction is just that; it usually looms in ignorance of some particular detail(s).
And agreed; for most Christians these variations should be of negligable consequence.
Certainly some of them, sure. But wouldn't you consider number one of some importance?
"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)"
Seems there's a problem distinguishing god from satan. This is not the only time it occurs either. Do you reckon it's because they look alike or just act alike?
CEVSnakeLord said:
Job 1
[6] One day, when the angels had gathered around the LORD, and Satan was there with them, [7] the LORD asked, "Satan, where have you been?" Satan replied, "I have been going all over the earth."
[8] Then the LORD asked, "What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him--he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil."
[9] "Why shouldn't he respect you?" Satan remarked. [10] "You are like a wall protecting not only him, but his entire family and all his property. You make him successful in whatever he does, and his flocks and herds are everywhere. [11] Try taking away everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face."
[12] The LORD replied, "All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, but don't harm Job."
Then Satan left.
2 Samuel 24[8] Then the LORD asked, "What do you think of my servant Job? No one on earth is like him--he is a truly good person, who respects me and refuses to do evil."
[9] "Why shouldn't he respect you?" Satan remarked. [10] "You are like a wall protecting not only him, but his entire family and all his property. You make him successful in whatever he does, and his flocks and herds are everywhere. [11] Try taking away everything he owns, and he will curse you to your face."
[12] The LORD replied, "All right, Satan, do what you want with anything that belongs to him, but don't harm Job."
Then Satan left.
[1] The LORD was angry at Israel again, and he made David think it would be a good idea to count the people in Israel and Judah.
1 Chronicles 21[1] Satan decided to cause trouble for Israel by making David think it was a good idea to find out how many people there were in Israel and Judah.
For any who would be interested in finding a solution to this minor paradox the answer might be very simple: God allowed Satan (the Serpent) to incite David to take the census.
The many examples of God venting evil unto his people may just be a consequence of the authors' notion that God, being the ultimate, is the final arbiter of what is - like attributing the success of Win XP to Bill Gates.
Simple really - the Serpent (Satan) is the arbiter of evil; God at times will simply forsake those who forsake Him (leave them to their sins) and let the Serpent (Satan) have its way with them.
Throckmorton
Registered Senior Member
Hi MarcAC,
"God allowed Satan (the Serpent) to incite David to take the census."
If that is true why doesn't 2Samuel and 1Chronicles say that?
There are obvious contradictions in the Bible. Exodus 6:3: "Now, I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob in God Shadday, but I, my name Yahweh, was not known to them." In fact Abraham et. al. used the name "Yahweh" frequently in Genesis.
Genesis 20 has Abraham encountering "Abimelech king of the Philistines". (See also Genesis 26 for Isaac's encounter with the Philistine king) The Philistines didn't arrive in Palestine until about 1200 BCE. Given that Abraham lived in about 2,000 BCE it's not possible for him to have met Philistines.
The Bible is a wonderful book but it's full of contradictions. One should not expect historical accuracy from ancient Near Eastern texts.
"God allowed Satan (the Serpent) to incite David to take the census."
If that is true why doesn't 2Samuel and 1Chronicles say that?
There are obvious contradictions in the Bible. Exodus 6:3: "Now, I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob in God Shadday, but I, my name Yahweh, was not known to them." In fact Abraham et. al. used the name "Yahweh" frequently in Genesis.
Genesis 20 has Abraham encountering "Abimelech king of the Philistines". (See also Genesis 26 for Isaac's encounter with the Philistine king) The Philistines didn't arrive in Palestine until about 1200 BCE. Given that Abraham lived in about 2,000 BCE it's not possible for him to have met Philistines.
The Bible is a wonderful book but it's full of contradictions. One should not expect historical accuracy from ancient Near Eastern texts.
HiThrockmorton said:
Sometimes one has to infer; if there is a solution to the contradiction which fits into the general biblical framework then one should not have a problem with it - as a God believing Christian of course. The contradiction is reduced to a simple paradox. As was stated; the variances may be a consequence of the assignation of final authority to God.
I prefer the word paradoxes.
Where?
The dated arrival of the Phillistines is still subject to debate.
People seem to expect that it should do better than any other "historical" text and match "history" frame by frame - a rather naive expectation.
Can I just say, isn't that the most vomitous Biblical translation anyone's ever read?
The implication in Job is that Satan is a servant of God, but the Chronicles view is the (now) more traditional one of him as the Adversary.
The problem is that one is supposed to read the Bible as if it is written in English and means what it says. The "Luke describes the lineage of Mary" apologetic has no basis in fact, any historical evidence or (most importantly) any backing whatsoever from the Bible. Luke did not create his genealogy on the basis that "Oh, well, Matthew already did the father's line, I'll do the mother's!" If he had done so or intended to do so, he would have made it clear by saying that Heli was Joseph's father-in-law (more probably he would have named Mary rather than Joseph), rather than stating as he does that Heli was his father. Also, Luke (being seemingly the most historian-minded of all the evangelists), if he wrote a genealogy of Mary he would undoubtedly have also written one of Joseph separately, and probably given it the prominent position. If he had only shown descent from David through Mary nobody would have taken Jesus seriously as a true Davidic King because a) the female line would have been considered less important, and b) Mary's descent is irrelevant, since Jesus in any case is supposed to be the son of God.Enigma07 said:
You can prefer the word all you like, it just isn't appropriate. A paradox is a logical impossibility - and is therefore logically immovable and irresolvable. Contradiction has a similar meaning but also carries the sense of inconsistency or discrepancy, which is closer to implying the truth - that the Bible contains contradictions because the authors of the Bible (being human) were mistaken in some of what they wrote.MarcAC said:
It is not paradoxical that God does a thing in one document and Satan does that thing in another document, or that Joseph is the son of Jacob in one document and Heli in another. It's merely a discrepancy which indicates that at least one of the authors involved was mistaken. It also implies that the Bible is not of itself infallible in matters of fact, only in matters of doctrine (where obviously doctrine is defined from those parts of the Bible which are not self-contradictory).
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I just opened my New Jerusalem Bible in Genesis and found a passage in chapter 24.MarcAC said:
Genesis 24
[1]By now Abraham was an old man, well on in years, and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in ever way.
[2]Abraham said to the senior servant in his household, the steward of all his property, 'Place your hand under my thigh:
[3]I am going to make you sweear by Yahweh, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among wom I live
[4]but will go to my native land and my own kinsfolk to choose a wife for my son Isaac.'
The NJB actually uses the word Yahweh to translate the Tetragrammaton.[1]By now Abraham was an old man, well on in years, and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in ever way.
[2]Abraham said to the senior servant in his household, the steward of all his property, 'Place your hand under my thigh:
[3]I am going to make you sweear by Yahweh, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among wom I live
[4]but will go to my native land and my own kinsfolk to choose a wife for my son Isaac.'
Here's the KJV, which nearly always - Exodus 6:3 is one exception - translates the Tetragrammaton as LORD (in upper case - "The Lord" was how they translated Elohim):
1.And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
2. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
3. And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
4. But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
2. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
3. And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
4. But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
KJV:
Exodus 6:3
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
New American Standard:And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 6:3
and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.
NJB:and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.
Exodus 6:3
To Abraham, Isaac and Jacob I appeared as El Shaddai, but I did not make my name Yahweh known to them.
To Abraham, Isaac and Jacob I appeared as El Shaddai, but I did not make my name Yahweh known to them.