The Bible Is Not A Reliable Source For Moral Or Factual Informatio...

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The Bible Is Not A Reliable Source For Moral Or Factual Information

It is inconsistent at best.

finsch

27 Nov 2008 18:20

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It's an ancient book in modern times.

Balance_92

28 Nov 2008 22:28

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The bible was written in basically ancient times. You can't trust that stuff anymore

mango8

28 Nov 2008 19:16

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No its not i don't believe in god i think its impossible for him to be real!

emocheese

28 Nov 2008 16:41

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Yes, you're right. Like most people in their lives, I've had cause to go looking for information from encyclopedias, history books, Internet etc., but strangely no information I've ever required has led me to go looking for the answer in a bible. It's just not necessary and, to be honest, it's a little bit out of date.

Evileye

28 Nov 2008 16:31

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how can you possibly make a response on something you have never read?

joe9

02 Dec 2008 10:56

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I agree with you mainly because people take the bible too literally. I find that there is a lot of good moral information and stories written in the bible, but near to no factual information.
I think it's just a matter of being able to use common sense and understand that it is just a book.

CoyoteEyes

28 Nov 2008 02:24

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That attitude is all too rare.

finsch

28 Nov 2008 08:23

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I think it does have a lot of good morals in the new testament and also I am sure alot of the stories bear some relation to historical events even if the actual facts become diluted and twisted. But I am on this side because clearly it is muddled and should not be used as a history book. Some of it is just pure guesswork and is miles off (Genesis for example). Furthermore there are some disgraceful moral standards in the old testament. As K9 rightly says Aesop's fables covers all the morals centuries before the bible got there. Why people, even in these enlightened times, take it so literally baffles me.

StBalders

27 Nov 2008 22:45

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I just do what I can to undermine the idea that the bible is infallible. Does that make me evil? Probably, but I like kittens, children, and rainbows so maybe it evens out.

finsch

28 Nov 2008 08:22

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If you want morals, read Aesop's fables, not the book o' blood.

And if you want historical accuracy, the Iliad and Odyssey have more to offer than the buybull.

27 Nov 2008 20:38

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This is not actually the debate I first created but after I started the other one I realized somebody had started an almost identical debate just before I did so I had to change mine fast in order to avoid looking like a complete dork. Anyway I've read The bible a couple of times form cover to cover (many years ago) and came to the conclusion that it is not a reliable source of information morally or factually. My reasons for this conclusion fit into three basic categories.
1) Inconsistencies and direct contradictions within the bible in reference to it’s own text.
2) Stories and mythology from the bible that do not agree with scientific and historical data.
3) Actions attributed to biblical heroes and ideas put forth as biblical law that I find reprehensible and unsupportable.

finsch

27 Nov 2008 18:52

7 Comments

Beat you to it!

Homestar

27 Nov 2008 19:00

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You're mixing it up.

For proper argument, one must assume the Bible is a perfect Gods word to us.

ok. Assuming it is...what would that mean? Every single word was uttered by God to a human and the word was written down? Silly. Every single story? Silly.

How do I know these ways are silly? Because I read the Bible assuming it is a perfect Gods word.

You say you have read it a few times. Did you read it assuming it was Gods word. If you did, did you read it in an effort to understand what God had to say to you?

You are missing the point. It is one story. The actions and statements attributed to God are spoken by individuals in seperate stories of what is believed to be Cannonite rebel folklore. These are often spoken to a leader who is lamenting the downfall of the people. In the case of the book of Job, they are spoken by men of God who are wrong because they were trying to get Job to admit he had done something wrong. The list goes on and on.

I can see you asking these questions as a Jew. These questions would be pertinent to their religion.

But the Bible story that includes Jesus as Messiah answers all the questions.

Many of our world problems regarding religions revolves around the Jews denial of that answer (leaving them affixed to questionable teachings of a superior race) and a supposed christian religion which denied the Jesus as Messiah by its teachings of guilt (leaving it's followers feeling superior over those who should feel more guilt).

I'm here to tell you the story of Jesus is perfect...
A Jew
Being the scriptural Jewish Messiah
Denied by the Jewish scriptural leaders
Became the Messiah for everyone

Taking all the scriptures into account, being accused by the Jewish religious leaders of being contrary to the scritptures...

Jesus said it was finished. Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your understanding, and love thy neighbor as thyself.

There is a "religious" teaching that cannot be affiliated with any religion. It is the total and final answer that Jesus Christ is the saviour of the world. Religion can have no place in such a teaching. To know ones salvation, one must only accept the fact that Jesus is their saviour.

No room for arrogance. No room for "special" purpose that raises me above you. Nope. Just the plain, simple acceptance of the love of a saviour as reality.

Anyway, you're just gonna have to trust me. It's perfect. It can't get any better. Whoever collaborated on it...sheer heavenly (eternal) genius. Then add the fact how the story has been twisted and used to kill, control and manipulate millions of people. Sheer diabolical (or human) genius.

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The first time I read the bible I was about ten. I had decided I needed to answer this question of god for myself once and for all. So I went to my father told him of my mission and he gave me the bible he was given by the members of the Coon Creek Church celebrating when he became a reverend. It is a simple brown leather book with holy bible in gold lettering on the spine and dad’s name and his title on the bottom of the otherwise unadorned cover. It took me months to wend my way through it and dad and I would discuss what I read and what I thought about what I read. I wanted to believe that first time around, mostly because I knew it would mean a lot to dad, but ultimately I just couldn’t buy it. He never asked for the bible back it is one of those wide margin versions and it is full of annotations from both my father and me. It sits next to me now and I have perused every page many times. I’ve only systematically read it cover to cover 6-8 maybe tens times in my life, but I often just open it and start reading. I know this is odd behavior for a non-believer but, the stories of the Old Testament have always enthralled me. The convoluted logic and twisted plots are better than a soap opera. Plus I find how the idea of the personification of redemption plays out in our society fascinating. Perhaps most importantly it makes me feel close to my dad who I still miss a lot after all these years. But I’ve never been able to suspend my disbelief, and frankly it has been a long long time since I had any urge to try.

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No.

This debate is is to the word "Ignoratamus" as the word "Hippopotamus" is to the Hippo.
Probably written by a hippy....;-)

(just kidding;-)
(unless you really are an Ignoratamus: If you believe THAT, then the word definitely DOES APPLY......*he he* )

sylverwyld

28 Nov 2008 21:49

1 Comment

I’m not saying the bible is without merit, just that you have to be judicious about what you take from it. Or do you believe that you are unclean for 66 days after bearing a maid child (its only 33 for a boy, they’re less unclean you see) and should not enter church? I was wondering if you have had kids did you offer a lamb and a turtledove for your sin offering at the end of your purification?

finsch

29 Nov 2008 14:23

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There is no such thing as a reliable source for moral information.

Specter87

28 Nov 2008 19:46

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Then Why are you on this side.

finsch

29 Nov 2008 05:51

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You tie moral and factual information together. Loaded question.

I would say to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, all your mind and all your understanding and love thy neighbor as thyself combined with not judging others with blessed are the meek and the poor is about as good as gets.

I would also say that the perfect, eternal God described in the Bible is as good as it can possibly get.

Saying the facts are not as good as they can get is common but unreasonable.

justsumguy

28 Nov 2008 17:20

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The Bible has plenty of moral standards it sets for us, and many ways of life and much wisdom is in it, especially the book of Proverbs, it is the Word of God. They don't call it the Good Book for nothing.

The Bible does have factual info in it. It is historically accurate, it all happened on this earth, and every prophecy foretold has been fulfilled. There is no other book like this where prophecies have been foretold and fulfilled.

webman1200

28 Nov 2008 02:09

1 Comment

I hear Nostrodamus is pretty good at this.

Quincel

28 Nov 2008 08:37

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The Bible wasn't really meant for FACTUAL information, it was meant for morals and the understanding of God. Religion does not call for facts, it calls for faith.

bookworm3

27 Nov 2008 22:35

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I understand your point about the inconsistancy of the Bible, however it supposed to be understood as a collection of books, written by many different authors and so it could be argued that it would be impossible to achieve complete consistany.

I agree with you in terms of factual information but not in terms of morality. There are many sound morals in the Bible like turn the other cheek, unconditional forgiveness, not to be judgemental, etc.

However I would also argue that the morally reprehensible actions are to be found in the Old Testament whereas the New Testament is morally sound. There is not one parable of Jesus' that I have found morally wrong.

Kirsty08

27 Nov 2008 22:26

2 Comments

You make a very good point, still there is no warning label on the front saying ignore half this book. Anyhow the point is you obviously look at the bible with a discerning eye judging for yourself what is worthwhile, meaning you don’t assume the bible will reliable.

finsch

27 Nov 2008 22:40

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