ANSWERS: 30
  • Jesus calls to His flock, but not everyone will hear His call.
  • Martin Cook gave a good answer. There is, however, another point. If people accept the Bible, then they have to do what it tells them to do. This includes giving up their favorite sins. Sometimes it is easier to reject advice that requires one to change one's ways than it is to actually change.
  • It's easier to just chuck the whole thing over than to TRY to understand. Even though I am not a christian, I still think the bible has a "lesson" for everyone.
  • it called flip flop,hence it's considered doubtful.
  • While the Bible does record many historically datable events, I find it difficult to see "truths" in it. And I certainly find it full of inconsistencies.
  • Its a book! A work of fiction! What are these so called truths and can you provide unbiased sources to show they are truths?
  • because it is put up as the words of god and its not at all ...it was written and interpreted by men long after any of the so called events took place ...now while it does contain places that existed and some of these are varified by other publications ..most of it contain myths and fables and fairystories....and a lot who preach its teachings are nothing more than bigoted hypocrites
  • You asked for inconsistencies, here are a few examples. Take the Gospels. It is said that these books are synoptic, that they agree with each others story. This is not true. First, only two of the gospels describe the events around Jesus' birth, Luke and Matthew. In Luke, Jesus' grand dad is Heli, In Matthew it is Jacob. In Matthew the angel appears to Joseph with the news of the impending birth. In Luke the angel appears to Mary. In Matthew Jesus is born in a house,visited by Magi. In Luke, a manger visited by shepherds. The stories are also at odds with each other regarding Jesus' death, And each Gospel has Jesus saying something different at the point of his death on the cross. I think at this time I should say that I believe the Bible to be more for inspiration than literal translation. There are inconsistencies in the Bible, but if thats all you pay attention too, you miss the whole point of the book. Try reading Psalms or Proverbs and tell me you dont feel anything. I should also point out that I dont believe Jesus to be the son of God, or God, as described in the Bible for that matter. But I certainly understand and respect the relevance it has had in millions of peoples lives
  • The only consistent truths I can find are relatively commonplace- do onto others, turn the other cheek, cast thy bread upon the waters, etc. They were not exactly new or radical even when written. The inconsistences, and most notably the cruelty and violence, are so dramatic and extreme that it just blows the little that's good in it out of the water. Plus, believers claim there are no inconsistencies, no contradictions, is 100% true, and was written by God. If just one thing is wrong with it, you have a hole in the hull, and it only takes one hole to sink a ship.
  • Sorry Peterpam, I cant use the comment button. I was responding to your comment to Blaylocks? answer. I think people who use that reason would probably reject it even if it were un-flawed. I dont see the bible as being "full" of inconsistencies, but in my reading I have found it curious as to how they are there in the first place, I guess no proof readers back then. I love to read the bible, I find it very inspirational. I also find it to be a good reference on the history of that time and place. Although I may disagree with the reasons certain events took place, I dont discount the events as false. People take different ideas from the bible, those looking for proof, will not find it there. Those looking for guidance and inspiration, will!!
  • I don't reject it purely for those reasons personally, I reject it for a whole host of reasons. Inconsistency is just one (small) aspect. It is true there are consistencies. It would have to be somewhat so or else would make no sense whatsoever. I don't ignore them as such. But there are many books that are consistent (more so than the Bible in many cases) but I wouldn't put my faith in them for that reason. If the bible is God's word I would want more proof than just being 100% consistent (as a human could create that just as easily), let alone less than 100% consistent. So I acknowledge the consistencies but they do not impress me much. That's not to say there are decent bits there but I can't accept the whole thing as I would have to accept the bits I really disagree with. I think the reason that many pick up on this is this: If the bible is the word of an all powerful all knowing god and is obtained from revelation, why is it not 100% consistent? If it is not the direct word of god but transcribed by men, then how can you be sure it is not a complete fabrication? And if it is a combination of the two how do I (excuse the phrase) sort the wheat from the chaff? That is one of my concerns. This is not an attack by the way, just trying to answer the question :)
  • Many people are not interested in spiritual matters : this has been the case for a long time but in times past there was an advantage in being an adherent of whatever the state religion was. Nowadays most people who are not interested in spiritual matters are interested in science and in a way it has become their religion. It is very difficult for religion to compete with the logic of science especially when it is so much in the news of the day. There are many problems with the Bible not least of all the many different versions of it. There is also the problem of the officers of the church who are associated with it who have had a lot of bad press lately due to their continuing misbehaviour.
  • Hmmmm let's see. There are consistencies within Tom Clancy novels. Countries, cities, locations, buildings, major historical figures, various international tensions and events and so on. That does not mean that Tom Clancy novels are "true". It doesn't mean there really was a Jack Ryan etc. etc. So having some consistencies within it does not qualify a book as "the truth". There ARE a lot of inconsistencies within the bible. It is also simply one of many holy books espousing a position on god(s), heaven, hell, the earth and how people do/should relate to one another and so on. It is not uniquely accurate. It is not uniquely successful in prophecy. It is not unique in its basic tenets (a version of The Golden Rule). It is not unique in its stories or style etc. For those reasons I don't consider the bible as some amazingly true thing that means god is real as stated in it and so on.
  • Ok, let me start off by writing the disclaimer that I am not intending to offend anyone here.... The bible is a book, like any other book that was written by MAN (whether through divine intervention is irrelevant). It is a work of both fiction and non-fiction, much like an unauthorized biography if you will. Of course it contains some historical facts, but so do MANY other novels including fiction. However, the fact that people claim that it was written by the hand of God, using man as a vessel makes it more vulnerable to it's critics. If it was written through divine intervention then how or WHY are these inconsistenies present?! I thouroughly enjoyed reading and watching "The DaVinchi Code" by Dan Brown. The book was full of factual events, places and people. However, that being said it was a FICTIONAL novel. Any novel can contain facts but that itself does not make it a work of non-fiction. The bible in my opinion is a work of fiction, whether or not it is based on historical facts or otherwise. The only 'consistent truths' that are found in the bible are historical events, unless you beleive in blind faith and trusting it all to be truth. I liken the bible to old fables, it's full of good stories, lessons to be learned and some may be based on true events. But in any case I don't fear running into Little Red Riding Hood any time soon.
  • Peterpam: I am answering this as opposed to responding to your comment to my answer, as it won't let me comment for some reason!! To answer your question as to why non-believers concern themselves: Being of a religion that is not Christianity I have had enumarate (unsolicited) interactions with people that consider themselves 'good' Christians. These people have taken it upon themselves to 'save' me, educate me on why I am going to hell, why my religion is wrong, why I am a bad person, etc. Now, I will say that the study of theology and religion has fascinated me and I spent a great deal of time in collge studying world religions. Sadly, most of this education has been wasted on having to defend myself against these crusaders trying to convert me. Although my original fascination and study with religion had nothing to do with this, it has served me well in these situations. I am fascinated with religion and theology regardless, but my education has been useful, at least I can hold my own in a debate!!. I hope that my answer and comment does not offend, merely explains my point of view. I am very willing to dicuss it's consistencies as well, it's just that people then tend to want to bring the debate back to me!!
  • I reject the Bible for a great many reasons, and it's being full of inconsistencies is merely a small part of my rejection.
  • The reason that people reject the bible is because they are blind and don't even realize it..When you finally come to the understanding or realization that you can't do it on your own or you are fed up with life and all it's problems and you start to think after a loved one has died unexpectedly about what happens to them after that and you start thinking and seeking HIM if there is a HIM and just open yourself up to HIM whether or not you think there is a HIM and ask HIM.. Hey GOD if you really are real manifest yourself to me ...open your heart to the possibility that HE might exist then you will see HIM manifest HIMSELF to you....you have to be open and seek and you will find HIM....I did when I was at my wits end and was contemplating some drastic act....I was empty, unhappy and yet I had everything but still felt so empty.....my life has never been better than it is now..I am not afraid of death because I believe in HIS WORD....and I know where I will go after death...whereas before I feared death so so much and just dwelled on it and was petrified about it....now I have peace and believe me HE is real...and HE listens and I have seen him perform some real miracles that people have just been astonished when I told them watch my GOD and what HE can do when man tells me it is impossible......WITH HIM NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE...and yeah it's possible for you who don't believe in HIM and HIS WORD to be able to see the truth if you seek it and HIM with all your heart....
  • "Ignore the consistencies"? How do you mean? Like, two books in the Bible both say that Ishmael son of Micah had seven sons, or whatever? Because I don't see saying " I don't believe in the Bible" to be ignoring those consistencies. I don't believe in the Bible, but that doesn't mean I believe that absolutely *everything* in it is codswallop. My sister's an atheist, but she sees Jesus as one of the many revolutionaries/thinkers/models for good behaviour in her life. (Do you mean more, "why don't people give the Bible its due? It's not that bad" type of thing? I don't quite get the tone of your question.)
  • People see truth as absolute. If you had two people and asked them to describe a building and they were different, people would call one of them wrong. Few would realize that they were describing different sides of the same building and both were correct. People want to feel they're in control and the world runs by there rules. Everything must make sense to them or it doesn't fit. People have a hard time accepting the mystery. They think so much of their own intelligence that they think they can understand everything. I think these are some of the reasons...
  • I find many logical fallacies and false assumptions being made in both the question and many of the answers given by those who do believe in the Bible. First, the question assumes that people who disbelieve the Bible ignore the consistencies in it. This is not true. There are consistencies in the Bible. Some of them are even consistencies with history and science. I do not ignore these, and I don’t know anyone that does. Second, the question seems to assume that the consistencies in the Bible are sufficient to prove the entire Bible and its theology true. This is not the case. The Bible mentioned Rome, and Rome does exist. This doesn’t prove the Flood or any of the stories said to take place in Rome. It doesn’t prove the vast majority of the Bible. It certainly doesn’t prove Yahweh’s existence. Third, people on this question seem to think that proving the Bible true, even if it were done, would be sufficient to prove the existence of Yahweh and convince people to worship Him. This is not true. Even if the Bible were 100% true, and Yahweh’s existence 100% proven, I would not worship Him. The Biblical descriptions of Yahweh and His laws are just too inconsistent with ethics, morals, values, and justice. It is not consistent with a wise, benevolent, just, or merciful deity. I don’t believe the Deity that the Bible describes is worthy of worship. In fact, I would use the word evil. Fourth, people on this question seem to think that having a Deity show up and assist you in your life means that this Deity is Yahweh, and that this Deity has something to do with the Bible. This is wholly untrue. I have had many experiences with Deity, and none of it has anything to do with the Bible or Yahweh. Many people here (India) have experiences with Deity, and the majority of the population are non-Abrahamic (Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, etc). It is simply logical leap-frog to say that you have an experience in your life where a supernatural power assisted you and then conclude from the experience that the Bible is true. Fifth, the few moral and ethical truths found in the Bible are neither original nor exclusive to the Bible.
  • It's all a matter of different perspective. I don't reject the Bible, but then again I don't Cling to it. I take what I want out of it and apply that along with other ideas I've learned to live a good life and treat others the way I wish to be treated.
  • Firstly, speaking as someone who, by the standards of many Christians I've met, "Rejects the Bible", I can tell you that I don't ignore the consistencies, I merely feel that the Bible doesn't contain nearly enough consistencies to justify living one's life by the letter of its law. I can think of many books that have much higher ratios of Truth to Falsehood than the Bible, but very few people construct their belief systems around those texts (Nor should they). Also, for the most part, the factual truths in the Bible relatively unimportant when considering the book and the religion it preaches because: 1-Many of those truths are common wisdom, far from unique to the Bible, and contained in many other belief systems, so its truths and consistencies don't exactly make the Bible definitive, just more credible. 2-The truths which *Are* unique to the Bible are not, for the most part what Christian theology places the most emphasis on "Accepting" from it. The aspects of the Bible which Christianity is predominately founded upon are: Its claims that there is only one "True God", that Jesus Christ was the "Son of God", "Died for Our Sins", and should be accepted as each human being's "Personal Lord and Saviour", and that everything else written in the Bible is the word and will of said "God". None of those are facts, they are all unsubstantiated beliefs. I for one *Do* accept many of the ethical principles laid out in the Bible, I just believe that there are a lot of other philosophies out there which present those same ethical principles, but say that they should be followed for reasons which I find much more credible than the Bible's "The Invisible Giant in the Sky Will Send You to Hell if You Don't" argument.
  • There are some apparent inconsistencies in the Bible that are difficult to reconcile. But we should not assume that they are definite contradictions. Often it is merely a case of lack of complete information. The Bible provides enough knowledge to fill our spiritual need. But if it were to give us every detail about every event mentioned, it would be a huge, unwieldy library, rather than the handy, easy-to-carry volume that we have today. Many of these inconstancies mat be cleared up after a careful study of the Bible. Why do some reject the clear and powerful value of Gods Word? By finding a seeming “inconsistency” in the Bible, they can go back to doing and living as they please. It is as Jesus said, “wisdom is proved righteous by its works”.
  • The only consistant truth i find in it is the fact that it's inconsistant, hateful at times, and that it contradicts it'self many many times. Also no proof of any truth of who wrote this thing, it was translated over many languages so it could also be falsified, esp when the catholics only kept it in Latin, and refused to translate it(truthfully) to the common people to slake their own lust for money, and power.
  • what consistent truths? Its a story book written by men to control people, and to justify their malicious actions such as killing people, incest adultry, etc
  • what truths?
  • Truth is truth, and can be found in more places than the "good book". If one person were capable of knowing all truths we wouldn't be searching so desperately for it. I wont ever believe that the "truth" will be found in a single book. If you believe in god, then you must believe that he/she gave you a mind capable of free thought. To not continue to use it would then be blasphemous, would it not?
  • i think there are good things in there. but i'm not going to believe in a book wholeheartedly if it clearly has inconsistencies and contradictions. there are of course morals and laws that i respect - i was raised christian and i'm not going to bash or hate on anything my family and several friends believe in just because i dont hold their same beliefs, but i "reject it" in the sense that i'm not a christian and it's not my "word of God."
  • I don't reject the Bible. I just don't believe everything in it should be taken so literally. A lot of the stories are just guides to me and I think a lot of it is outdated for our time. I also don't believe that it is the sole and only book to use as a guide in being a good person. I was brought up a Cristian and believe Jesus was one of our Greatest Philosophers.I don't believe he would be as judgmental as many of the followers of the Bible can be hanging on every word. I try to walk the walk of his teachings in my everyday life. Other good models are Mahatma Gandhi, The Dali Lama, Buddha, Martin Luther King, etc.
  • Many people reject the Bible simply because they believe what others parrot about it instead of looking into it for themselves. When it comes to Scripture a person should rarely take anyones word for it. Always read it for yourself to find whether or not there are any inconsistencies. Scripture very nicely interprets itself It's easy to say that there are inconsistencies in the Bible but much more difficult to prove it. In my 34 years as a Christian, I have researched many "alleged" inconsistencies and contradictions and have found them not to be any thing of the sort. There are Bible difficulties but no contradictions. But then, don't take my word for it, find out for yourself.

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