cicerone imposter wrote:ContradictionsThe Bible is riddled with repetitions and contradictions, things that the Bible bangers would be quick to point out in anything that they want to criticize. For instance, Genesis 1 and 2 disagree about the order in which things are created, and how satisfied God is about the results of his labors. The flood story is really two interwoven stories that contradict each other on how many of each kind of animal are to be brought into the Ark--is it one pair each or seven pairs each of the "clean" ones? The Gospel of John disagrees with the other three Gospels on the activities of Jesus Christ (how long had he stayed in Jerusalem--a couple of days or a whole year?) and all four Gospels contradict each other on the details of Jesus Christ's last moments and resurrection. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke contradict each other on the genealogy of Jesus Christ' father; though both agree that Joseph was not his real father. Repetitions and contradictions are understandable for a hodgepodge collection of documents, but not for some carefully constructed treatise, reflecting a well-thought-out plan.
Of the various methods I've seen to "explain" these:
1. "That is to be taken metaphorically" In other words, what is written is not what is meant. I find this entertaining, especially for those who decide what ISN'T to be taken as other than the absolute WORD OF GOD--which just happens to agree with the particular thing they happen to want...
2. "There was more there than...." This is used when one verse says "there was a" and another says "there was b", so they decide there was "a" AND "b"--which is said nowhere. This makes them happy, since it doesn't say there WASN'T "a+b". But it doesn't say there was "a+b+litle green martians". This is often the same crowd that insists theirs is the ONLY possible interpretation (i.e. only "a") and the only way. I find it entertaining they they don't mind adding to verses.
3. "It has to be understood in context" I find this amusing because it comes from the same crowd that likes to push likewise extracted verses that support their particular view. Often it is just one of the verses in the contradictory set is suppose to be taken as THE TRUTH when if you add more to it it suddenly becomes "out of context". How many of you have goten JUST John 3:16 (taken out of all context) thrown up at you?
4. "there was just a copying/writing error" This is sometimes called a "transcription error", as in where one number was meant and an incorrect one was copied down. Or that what was "quoted" wasn't really what was said, but just what the author thought was said when he thought it was said. And that's right--I'm not disagreeing with events, I'm disagreeing with what is WRITTEN. Which is apparently agreed that it is incorrect. This is an amusing misdirection to the problem that the bible itself is wrong.
5. "That is a miracle". Naturally. That is why it is stated as fact.
6. "God works in mysterious ways" A useful dodge when the speaker doesn't understand the conflict between what the bible SAYS and what they WISH it said.
Don't you see that in your contradictions there is room for "study"? You choose to call them contradictions I choose to call them a lack of our understanding. If one does not get and "answer" in the immediate context there is also the remote context... Different "holy" men (and women) used their own vocabularies and their own skills to write the details contained in the Bible... The Bible is not written by God but by Holy men (and women) of God...
When the Bible says the ten commandments were written by God is does not differentiate "which God"... The God of Abraham? Wasn't that the one that tempted him to almost sacrifice his son? Had he done that Christ would never have been born... Considering the devil was a powerful false "God" too... So instead of trying to glean the truth you throw out the baby with the bath water... What do you have in the end? Nothing but your own selfish divinity...
So this leads us back to the principle that one needs to "believe in the truth" to be diligent enough to find the truth. You do not appear to believe in the integrity and accuracy of the Bible so you see these as contradictions. I see them as life long quests for further understanding...
Like the question... Who is God's father? I did not know the answer to this question for years. I pondered on it and one day one of the scriptures in the Bible jumped out at me and suddenly I knew the answer... I did not find the answer by doubting the Bible I found it by loving the Bible and carefully studying it with meekness and concern. I did not squish the Bible and force it to mold my own beliefs, I let it speak for itself...
Is Jesus God? Can angels dance on the head of a pin? Did God use evolution AND creation? There are answers in the Bible for all of these and more...
Here is a teaching...
The disciples of Jesus ask Jesus how they were going to pay their taxes... Jesus tells them that they are, with faith, to go down and cast a hook in the sea and they will catch a fish with money in it's mouth... (Wasn't this the same Jesus that asked Peter to leave the fishing industry three times and follow him and become fishers of men/feed his lambs etc...?)
For years the western mind has perplexed over this scripture... Why did Jesus send them to go fish again? Preachers here and there have had their own "interpretation" of this scripture. Some say that he was instructing them to go down and fish for a few days and sell the fish and then pay the taxes with the proceeds.
Here is where the "biblical principle" of "orientalisms, mannerisms and customs" come into play...
There is a certain fish that is indigenous to only the area in which the disciples and Jesus lived. The fish is named a Muskt fish... (I hope I spelled this name right) well this fish is a rare fish indeed. It was seldom caught by fishermen. The fish has a peculiar pouch under it's tongue. It scours the bottom of the sea and when it sees anything shiny it quickly gobbles these articles up and stores them in this pouch. They were quite a prize to anyone who were fortunate enough to catch one... One fish could make a person wealthy beyond imagination.
It is said that the banks of the Jordan/Sea of Galilee and other bodies of water in the area at the time of Christ were full of valuable objects because of a certain custom. The people would go "in secret" and toss valuables in the ocean to offer them privately to God. If this was not done in secret then it would be looked upon as boasting and the deed would not be as rewarding to the giver.
So likewise, with a bit of study one can glean the "right" meaning to these seemingly perplexing "contradictions"... If you "believe" you can study the Bible and cast a hook into it and you will catch a fish with money in it's mouth...
Uh, um. Err, sure. Whatever you say. 
Man! Where is Frank?
