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The 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's 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+little 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 which is supposed to be taken as THE TRUTH when, if you add more to it, it suddenly becomes "out of context." How many of you have gotten JUST John 3:16 (taken out of all context) thrown 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 what was "quoted" wasn't really what was said, but just what the author thought 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.
A List Of Biblical Contradictions
Article Source: Infidels.org
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- Public Discussion (9)
The sins of the father
ISA 14:21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.
DEU 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
One way or the other, that seems like a whole lot of killing going on in the name of 'god'.
- 1 vote
#1 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:23 PM ESTThis one is my personal favorite:
The shape of the earth
ISA 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
MAT 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Astronomical bodies are spherical, and you cannot see the entire exterior surface from anyplace. The kingdoms of Egypt, China, Greece, Crete, sections of Asia Minor, India, Maya (in Mexico), Carthage (North Africa), Rome (Italy), Korea, and other settlements from these kingdoms of the world were widely distributed.
THE EARTH IS FLAT! Right? /sarcasm
- 1 vote
In the scriptures you have site here in Isaiah and Deuteronomy, they have nothing in common. In context or sense stress. You choose each verse, 'cherry-picked', and want to say they contradict each other when in actual truth they are not talking about the same thing. I would agree with you if this was so. If you had read the chapter in Deuteronomy 24 you would have seen that verse 14 is speaking about what not to do to a hired laborer, verse 15 speaks about his wages, verse 17 you must pervert judgement of the alien resident or the fatherless boy, and in verse 18 the nation of Israel must remember they were slaves in Egypt, and Jehovah God rescued them that is why the things in this chapter is being asked of them as is that of verse 16: "Fathers should not be put to death on account of children, and children should not be put to death on account of fathers. Each one should be put to death for his own sin."
In Isaiah this is a proverbial saying against the king of Babylon(4-27) Later in that same chapter he makes a pronounce against Philistia(28-32) The verse you chose was Jehovah God speaking: "Make ready, you men, a slaughtering block for his own sons because of the error of their forefathers, that they may not rise up and actually take possession of the earth and fill the face of the productive land with cities." This error was against Babylon, not the sons of Israel, whose Law state that differently.Why was the pronouncement made? Because it was time for the release of the nation from Babylon. As chapter 13 states these prophecies were against the Babylonian empire, for the release of the nation of Israel. And Jewish history shows this to have come true.
- 1 vote
On comment on the second set of scriptures, about the shape of the earth. The first site verse is correct. You state that the one in Matthew is wrongly used because in no way couls Satan show Christ Jesus ALL the other kingdoms of the earth.
Verse 8:" Again the Devil took him to an unusually high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9} and he said to him: "All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me."
You are saying this could not have happen. What if something else happened? Are you familiar with the transfiguration? You have two divine creatures, you state that Satan showed him the then known kingdoms; those that he could show with the visible eye. But what would these kingdoms mean to creature who knew about heaven itself the vastness of the universe and the creation of mankind? Satan's temptation had to emcompass more than that. People weaken the power of Satan when they say he just showed Christ the known kingdoms, He was trying to tempt the son of God. He would have threw the kitchen sink at him if he thought it would work. The known kingdoms had no 'glory' that would suffice, he showed him glory that was not yet revealed. That is why this temptation came before his transfiguration, but after him becoming aware he was the Son of God. He knew he was a king, he would preach about a kingdom, and the 'good news thereof, realized the worth after the transfiguration. Satan thought he could get him 'glory' of kingdoms not yet realized. So again the bible has not contradicted itself. People want it, choose to believe so. The Bible does not do so!
- 2 votes
Jeez Chris - you just don't understand "allegory". [sarc] How many times have you heard that one? To which I generally reply that "allegorical" Bible stories where people are murdered for a good reason makes as much sense as me telling you that "You just don't understand Charles Manson. When he says he wants to pluck out your eyeballs and insert them into your rectum, it is just allegory for the virtues of seeing both sides of the coin."
- 2 votes
The whole disgusting, sordid story of Christianity:
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/
Debunking the Bible and its disgusting, barbaric myths:
http://www.biblicalnonsense.com/index2.html
Pointing out the incredible inconsistencies and incongruities of the “only true” religions of that mythical character known as “Abraham”:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/index.htm
Additional resources:
Support for ex-Christians:
Support for ex-Muslims:
http://www.apostatesofislam.com/
A more sensible approach than the idiocy of religionism:
~K
- 2 votes
#2 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:29 PM ESTA simple Google search will provide you with multiple, expansive responses to this very dated list of Meritt's confusions. Then again, quite honestly, the tone of your comments tends to give the impression that you're not actually interested in learning the answers to the questions you raise.
- 3 votes
#3 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:39 AM ESTIn my opinion, one of the best examples of internal inconsistency of the Bible is Matthew 12:40. This is intended to be a foreshadowing of Christ's death and resurrection:
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
One could reasonably argue that "three days" is acceptable given how people of that time referred to such things. The crucifixion occurred on Friday (day one), Saturday was day two, and Sunday (the resurrection) occurred on day three. This is a stretch for literalists but still doable.
What is completely impossible to reconcile, however, is "three nights". There is no possible way to create three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning.
To make matters worse, these are the words of Jesus. Maybe he did not know the plan and was shooting for a Monday morning resurrection. Lol.
- 2 votes
#4 - Tue Feb 14, 2012 1:50 PM ESTFrom sundown to morning was a day, this was Nisan 14 [night and day 1]. sundown and morning was a day, this was Nisan 15 [night and day 2]; events of this day the priests and Pharisees get guard for the tomb(Matt 27:62-66). sundown to morning was a day, this was Nisan 16 [night and day 3] Jesus' resurrection and further events of that day (Matt 28:1-15); subsequent appearances of Jesus Christ (Matt 28:16-20). Jesus Christ then ascended into the heavens some 4o days afterwards on about 25 Iyyar on the Jewish calendar. (Acts 1:9-12).
The death of Jesus Christ took place in the spring. on the Passover Day, Nisan(Abib) 14, according to the Jewish calendar. Mt 26:2; Joh 13:1-3; Ex 12:1-6; 13:4) That year the Passover occurred on the sixth day of the week( counted by the Jews as from sundown on Thursday to sundown on Friday). This is evident from John 19:31, which shows that the following day was "a great" sabbath. The day after Passover was always a sabbath, no matter on what day of the week it came. (Lev 23:5-7) But when this special sabbath coincided with the regular Sabbath (the seventh day of the week), it became "a great one." So Jesus' death took place on Friday, Nisan 14, by about 3:00 p.m.[ Luke 23:44-46.]
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