From: user6340@newsgrouper.org.invalid
Mike posted:
> On 2026-01-04 17:20, Steven Douglas wrote:
> > 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."
>
> Hopefully some of the other people you claim are
> reading had the patience, but I didn't have the
> patience to read any of that.
Since your mind is so closed, why did you bother to
ask the questions if you didn't want them answered?
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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