Freethought & Rationalism Archive

pharoah · 10-24-2005, 03:20 PM

Would theists please tell me why God would go through all the trouble of inspiring men to write these books, but then not divinely preserve them? They are all either lost or destroyed. The copies that we have are all either inadvertant or deliberate alterations. There are 54,000* or so Greek manuscripts or fragments from the 2nd century through the Middle Ages of the New Testament, and not one of those manuscripts or fragments completely agree with another. If this was meant to be God's Word to mankind, why would he allow a sorry state of affairs such as this to exist?

*This number is corrected to "5,400" by the author here.

Evacuate · 10-24-2005, 03:28 PM

Good question, I look forward to hearing the responses.

Alethias · 10-24-2005, 05:02 PM

This appears to be more suited to BC&H.

Moving it there.

SwordOfTruth

Chris Weimer · 10-24-2005, 05:10 PM

According to some inerrantists, the Bible is divinely preserved. These people largely reject text-critical research and other scholarly studies on the Bible. To even a smaller few, the KJV is the divinely preserved word of God.

ELECTROGOD · 10-24-2005, 08:51 PM

...and that word of "god" is really screwed up......just like it came out of the minds of men before widespread education and scientific thought/research began.

Rational BAC · 10-24-2005, 09:25 PM

Moot point for me.

I, as a most excellent Christian, do not believe that God inspired the Bible.

As some have pointed out--if God had inspired the Bible, He would have done a much better job of it. Have to agree with that one.

It is so very obvious that the Bible was inspired by and written by Man in an attempt to describe God. And Man screwed up. As Man is wont to do.

Does not in any way mean that Christianity is invalid.

ELECTROGOD · 10-24-2005, 10:07 PM

...and if Christianity is somehow valid, as more than just the colorful imagination of man, then it sits on the exact same shelf as tens of thousands of other "valid" religions and god ideas and cannot claim to be any more real than all (or any) of the others.
Sounds like "valid" truth to me.

yalla · 10-25-2005, 03:52 AM

Actually he put them down somewhere just the night before, next to those little things that have a raffia like attachment and they weren't there in the morning.
[Apologies to Monty Python].

NZSkep · 10-25-2005, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rational BAC

Moot point for me.

I, as a most excellent Christian, do not believe that God inspired the Bible.

As some have pointed out--if God had inspired the Bible, He would have done a much better job of it. Have to agree with that one.

It is so very obvious that the Bible was inspired by and written by Man in an attempt to describe God. And Man screwed up. As Man is wont to do.

Does not in any way mean that Christianity is invalid.

As you are a most excellent christian (party on Bill and Ted), if you do not believe God inspired the bible, and that it is all screwed up, then what do you base your beliefs upon? If you reject the bible then surely there is nothing else, no?

samy · 10-27-2005, 03:28 PM

Let me tell you a fact, God inspired the Quran and preserve it for the last 1400 years. Ther is only ONE version of the Quran without any alterations!

10-24-2005, 03:20 PM	#1
pharoah Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,729	If God inspired the Bible, where are the original texts? Would theists please tell me why God would go through all the trouble of inspiring men to write these books, but then not divinely preserve them? They are all either lost or destroyed. The copies that we have are all either inadvertant or deliberate alterations. There are 54,000* or so Greek manuscripts or fragments from the 2nd century through the Middle Ages of the New Testament, and not one of those manuscripts or fragments completely agree with another. If this was meant to be God's Word to mankind, why would he allow a sorry state of affairs such as this to exist? *This number is corrected to "5,400" by the author here.

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10-24-2005, 03:28 PM	#2
Evacuate Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 400	Good question, I look forward to hearing the responses.

10-24-2005, 05:02 PM	#3
Alethias Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 7,198	This appears to be more suited to BC&H. Moving it there. SwordOfTruth

10-24-2005, 05:10 PM	#4
Chris Weimer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: none Posts: 9,879	According to some inerrantists, the Bible is divinely preserved. These people largely reject text-critical research and other scholarly studies on the Bible. To even a smaller few, the KJV is the divinely preserved word of God.

10-24-2005, 08:51 PM	#5
ELECTROGOD Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: GR, MI USA Posts: 4,009	...and that word of "god" is really screwed up......just like it came out of the minds of men before widespread education and scientific thought/research began.

10-24-2005, 09:25 PM	#6
Rational BAC Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tampa Bay area Posts: 3,471	Moot point for me. I, as a most excellent Christian, do not believe that God inspired the Bible. As some have pointed out--if God had inspired the Bible, He would have done a much better job of it. Have to agree with that one. It is so very obvious that the Bible was inspired by and written by Man in an attempt to describe God. And Man screwed up. As Man is wont to do. Does not in any way mean that Christianity is invalid.

10-24-2005, 10:07 PM	#7
ELECTROGOD Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: GR, MI USA Posts: 4,009	...and if Christianity is somehow valid, as more than just the colorful imagination of man, then it sits on the exact same shelf as tens of thousands of other "valid" religions and god ideas and cannot claim to be any more real than all (or any) of the others. Sounds like "valid" truth to me.

10-25-2005, 03:52 AM	#8
yalla Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: oz Posts: 1,848	Actually he put them down somewhere just the night before, next to those little things that have a raffia like attachment and they weren't there in the morning. [Apologies to Monty Python].

10-27-2005, 03:28 PM	#10
samy Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bahrain Posts: 12	Let me tell you a fact, God inspired the Quran and preserve it for the last 1400 years. Ther is only ONE version of the Quran without any alterations!

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