From: theirony2013@gmail.com
On 2026-01-04 17:59, Steven Douglas wrote:
>
> 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?
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