The bible isn't, the xians are.

Okay well here is an example of why I'm asking whether or not anyone else shares my viewpoint. In the bible Jesus supposedly raises a man from the dead (Lazarus) right? But Necromancy is according to the bible a black art and supposedly a really big sin. Necromancy is raising the dead, therefore I believe the bible is hypocritical. Apparently Jesus is allowed to do such evil deeds but heaven forbid anyone else should even comtemplate the idea. Does anyone want to comment now?

Here's bit of a list of biblical contradictions: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/jim_meritt/bible-contradictions.html

Not hypocritical, no - it's a book. People can be hypocritical by saying one thing and doing another, but a book can't... The bible does contain contradictions (the one you mentioned, for example) and inaccuracies (historically and scientifically). Not everything in there is inaccurate or wrong - but some things are. That really is only a problem for people wanting to insist the bible is inerrant though. It's not an issue for anyone else...

The Bible is a book. *People* can be hypocritical! ;-)

The Bible is fiction. As such it's excused from the rigors of internal consistency - just like the Star Trek series (ever wonder how come the communicators in the original series were so much bigger than the ones in the Star Trek: Enterprise series even though ST:E was supposed to take place like 100 years prior to Capt. Kirk and friends? Huh?) Many people who supposedly follow it are hypocrites, though.

Dictionary descriptions: hypocrisy n. (pl. -ies) 1 false claim to virtue; insincerity, pretence. 2 instance of this. [Greek, = acting, feigning] hypocrite n. person given to hypocrisy. hypocritical adj. hypocritically adv. ------------------------------ The bible is not hypocritical. It is the word of God. The bible is quite a thick book and contains a lot of factual history. Much of this history is very well supported by archaeology, but not yet all, since there are still lots to be discovered and I feel some interpretations of archaeologist are quite shaky as they are based on very limited finds. People do not know everything yet, believe it or not. As for contradictions. I have looked at many supposed contradictions over time and most fizzle away when you study them. To critisize the bible you should at least objectively read it and not just assume it is wrong as soon as you don't understand something. Also, if you take random passages and put them next to each other then, of course, you can make it seem to say anything you want. The bible reports the words and actions of many, including the devil...In other words the bible doesn't only contain what is good and what you should do, it also tells about thing people did which you shouldn't repeat. For example in one of the posts here someone provided a link to supposed bible contradictions, I will look here at the first two: -------------------------- Supposed Contradiction 1: God good to all, or just a few? PSA 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. JER 13:14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. Answer to Supposed Contradiction 1: Here is some more of the book of Jeremiah, just before this supposed contradiction. God is speaking here: Jer 13:10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. Go read the rest of that book if you will, but it is clear here that these people are very disobedient to God. And, God being loving and peacefull, this means they were going against what God is asking for in his commandments. Thus they were not being loving and peacfull, but were harming others, themselves and they refused to turn things around. Must God leave them to do as they please and hurt others? I don't think so. God is perfect and since he said from the start of the world, before any sin happened, that the wages of sin is death, he will go against that by simply ignoring sin. Luckily for us he devised a way to get us of the hook by himself dying for our sins and going to hell for three days...He did not have to do this. All he asks for is your acceptance of Him. --------------------------- Supposed Contradiction 2: War or Peace? EXO 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. ROM 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Answer to Supposed Contradiction 2: The passage EXO 15:3 is in fact part of a song that the Isrealites were singing directly after God freed the from the Egiptians. These isrealites were normal people like you and I. The Egiptians held them as slaves and wouldn't otherwise free them. Must God leave his children to suffer or free them? And when he frees them does that make him not peaceful? Think about it... --------------------------- Similarly the others can be handled one by one. You can probably find answers to them by searching the web or asking someone to help you. It would more accurate to say it is hypocritical to accuse the bible of being hypocritical if you haven't applied due diligence in actually reading what it says instead of jumping to conclusions based on random sentences? Don't you think?