rizdek

On TWEB, there was a lengthy debate over the apparent contradiction of what Judas did with his money he got for betraying Jesus. The defenders of the bible did the same thing Dr Lazer is doing with regard to the incomplete/contradictory easter stories. They made up some long elaborate story that accomodated all the apparently contradictory elements of all stories about Judas. Such as, Judas did give the money back and the priests bought the field in Judas name and then Judas went and hung himself in that field and the rope broke and he fell down and his guts spilled out. I LOL when I read the concoction. But it just goes to show you how much fiction people will come up with to justify their faith.

The thread on IIDB about easter sunday and the elaborate manipulations one has to go through to make all the stories match is incredible. It seems no versions of anything just "tells the story completely."

Since the method used to compile the texts that eventually became the bible seems to be somewhat haphazard, the "need to view muliple versions to be sure one has the "whole truth" should be troubling to anyone who thinks the bible is their way to salvation. But interestingly, it seems christians are only intent on "correcting" those texts where contradictions appear. They go to great lengths to revise/expand the account or adjust the doctrine to make sure it is not contradictory when multiple accounts do not agree in detail. But what about the stories/doctrine that are incomplete but for which we do not have the other accounts that would give the complete truth if we had them? These would be those not available because humans inadvertently left out or never found the key text that makes it complete? Of course no one knows which ones are complete and which ones aren't because the bible writers were never obligated to "tell it all" when they wrote their accounts or described their doctrine.

From the christian perspective, what important information just happens to be missing from the bible which would provide humanity with that one key ingredient to achieve salvation? Since the christian god was obviously not obligated to be sure that any one account tells the whole story or explains the entire doctrine, and apparently god has not provided a divinely ordained complete list of texts that should comprise "the bible" it is possible that there are critical elements missing from the bible. It could be some elaborate test the christian god came up with to further cloud humanities ability to find salvation. But in any case, christians have no idea what they are doing/thinking that they shouldn't be doing/thinking, or what they are not doing/thinking that they should be doing/thinking to be sure their salvation is complete in the sight of their god.

It's not that bible apologists can't come up with some sort of story that fits contradictory/absurd biblical texts, it's just why should they? And why stop at those contradictions? Why not challenge all texts and scripture as being incomplete? I guess I would like to see someone (passionate about defending the bible) to point out any doctrine/story for which they believe we have the complete truth "as it is" and prove it is complete as it is.

Keith&Co.

As the ancients said: A man with one clock knows what time it is. A man with two is never sure.

rizdek

The man who knows most knows best how little he knows.