From: user6340@newsgrouper.org.invalid
Mike posted:
>
> TEN CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLE
I am SO happy to see this continuing interest in the Bible
on this group! Let's keep this going all through this new
year and beyond, God willing -- shall we?
>
> 1. Is the Bible the literal word of God, or a collection of human
> writings shaped by culture, politics, and history?
The Bible is the inspired Word of God. There is a reason
that the Bible has had the positive impact on the world
that it has, which is why wherever the Bible is observed
by a society in today's world, there is generally peace
and democracy.
It's where the Bible is BANNED by a society that you'll
find dictators, tyranny, and slavery. Also in today's
world, nations that observe the Bible do not go to war
with each other. Have you ever stopped to think about that?
>
> 2. How historically reliable are the Bible's major events, such as
> the Exodus, the conquest of Canaan, or the Resurrection?
As time goes by, more and more geological findings have
confirmed the reliability of many Bible stories. But maybe
something that atheists don't understand is that believers
are able to take many parts of the Bible on faith. As the
Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, "For we walk by faith, not
by sight."
There's also the fact that the Bible has proven itself to be
true with its 100% accuracy record on its prophecies that
have already happened. That makes it quite easy for me
to accept on faith the parts of the Bible that don't have
the proof that nonbelievers demand.
>
> 3. Why does the Bible contain apparent contradictions, such as
> differing creation accounts, genealogies, or resurrection stories?
Those are not contradictions. The supposed differences
in the Creation accounts are not contradictions at all. The
second chapter is a recounting of what took place in the
first chapter. Referring to "genealogies" is rather vague,
so I'm not sure what that's about.
But the resurrection stories in the four Gospels accounts
are mere differences in minor details. I imagine if those
stories were all exact copies of each other, the complaint
from nonbelievers would be that they were all taken from
the same script.
>
> 4. If God is loving and just, why does the Bible describe divine
> violence, genocide, or commands to kill entire populations?
As I have mentioned to you previously, it's clear that you
have no idea of the things that were being done by the
Canaanites. Why don't you ask your AI thing to fill you in
about some of the practices of the Canaanites? Particularly
ask it what they did to babies and other children -- and how
they would play loud music and why they would play loud
music. Then, if the thing gives you the correct answer, you
might begin to understand why God was not very happy
with those people.
>
> 5. Does the Bible support slavery, tolerate it, or condemn it, and
> why is slavery never explicitly abolished?
I have addressed this question numerous times on this group
through the years, but the quick answer is that the Bible put
guidelines on slavery. Slavery existed before the Bible, and
if the Bible had banned slavery, the Bible would have been
rejected by the people who owned slaves.
But by putting guidelines on how slaves were to be treated,
the people who owned slaves started treating their slaves
better. Eventually, Bible-believing societies banned slavery,
while slavery continues to exist TO THIS VERY DAY in places
where the Bible is banned.
>
> 6. Why are women often portrayed as subordinate, and does the Bible
> endorse patriarchy or gender inequality?
The Bible teaches that men are to be leaders and protectors
of their wives and families. It's a shame that some Christian
men took that as a license to be tyrants over their wives and
families. But the reality is that we're supposed to put them
first and sacrifice ourselves for them if necessary, as we are
taught in Ephesians 5:25: "Husbands, love your wives, just as
Christ also loved the church." Since Jesus died for us, that
scripture teaches us to be prepared to die for our wives and
families if need be.
>
> 7. Who decided which books belong in the Bible, and how was the
> biblical canon formed?
It was a group effort by many different people over the course
of many years. The result is that we have a collection of books
in the Bible that have made the world a better place than it
would be without the Bible -- as is PROVEN by the kinds of
societies that exist where the Bible is banned. Atheists us the
kind of world this would be if they ruled the world -- just look
at the old Soviet Union for one big example, or at a hellhole
like North Korea.
>
> 8. Are biblical moral laws meant to be timeless, or were they only
> intended for ancient societies and cultures?
Of course they are timeless, which is why the Bible has such
a profound and positive effect on the world (wherever the
Bible is observed in the world).
>
> 9. Is salvation based on faith, works, divine election, or some
> combination, and why does the Bible seem to support all of these?
The Bible says belief in Jesus is the ONLY way to salvation,
as Jesus told us in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and
the life; no one comes to the Father except through me."
Additionally, Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, "For by grace you have
been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is
the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
>
> 10. Did Jesus explicitly claim to be God, or was that belief
> developed later by his followers?
Being part of the Trinity, Jesus is God. In John 10:30 Jesus
said, "I and the Father are one."
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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