John Kesler

http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.p...07#post3699307

waked

My favorite is the cursing of the fig tree.

Gracchus

Of the four accounts of the resurrection, no two agree. And this is supposed to be the most important doctrine of Christianity.

:huh:

mike@jordanlawyer.co

My favorite contradiction is one that seems astonishing to me, but no one ever mentions: what were Jesus' last words, "It is finished" (John), "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" (Matthew, Mark) or "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke).

Johnny Skeptic

It is interesting that no Christians have made any posts in this thread.

Thomas Paine

Several have already mentioned my favorites, such as the conflicting creation stories or the disagreements found in the Gospels. So I'll pick three others:

1) Matthew 1:16----And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

or

Luke 3:23----And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.

2) In Genesis 1:25-26, God first creates beasts and then man. In Genesis 2:18-19, the order is reversed.

3) In Genesis 7:2, Noah takes seven pairs of "clean" beasts & two pair of "unclean" beasts, while in Genesis 7:8, the clean and unclean beasts as well as the fowl & the creepers are taken in pairs. . .

Timetospend

It is not clear what kind of post would be beneficial or appropriate for this thread. I found it interesting to see what folks chose. As I read through them, I ticked off reconciliations in my mind. However, posting those reconciliations would not likely help anyone, only cause a lot of commotion without much value. Presumably the posters know how these can be reconciled but have rejected them. The criteria for rejection is also always interesting, as it tends to range anywhere from it is impossible to "no reasonable person would accept it."

Thanks,

Gullwind

Of course there are reconciliations. The question is whether the reconciliations make more sense than accepting a simple error.

For example, the difference in Ahaziah's age between II Kings and II Chronicles is easily explained as a simple scribal error. However, I have discussed this with inerrantists who cannot accept a scribal error, because that opens the possibility of other errors. They have to accept a complicated explanation about two kings with the same name, same mother, same father and same grandfather who reigned at different times, one of who did not become king until years after his father, even though the bible doesn't mention anyone else reigning in between.

You can always reconcile a discrepancy, but often the discrepancy has a far simpler explanation - albeit one that does not support your beliefs.

Johnny Skeptic

Well, lots of Christians have written articles and books with reconcialiations that have convinced some people, so you are wrong that "reconciliations would not likely help anyone."

Regarding "The criteria for rejection is also always interesting, as it tends to range anywhere from it is impossible to "no reasonable person would accept it," that is exactly what the followers of other worldviews would tell you. If a God exists, it would certainly not be impossible for him to show up and speak a new galaxy into existence, which would surely give atheists something to consider, and heal all of the sick people in the world, which would cause a lot of people to accept him.

If you had the power of a God, and wanted people to believe that you exist, and wanted people to know what you wanted them to do with their lives, I assume that you would partly use lots of empirical, tangible evidence which would include lots of tangible, personal appearances, and demonstrations of tangible miracles. After all, in the NIV, Acts 14:3 says "So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders." And that was even though the Holy Spirit had supposedly come to the church, and even though there were supposedly thousands of still living eyewitnesses would had seen Jesus perform miracles, and hundreds of still living eyewitnesses who had seen Jesus after he rose from the dead. My word, how many more confirmations should have been needed with all of the other available evidence?

Are you an inerrantist?

Gundulf

OK, you wanted something from an inerrantist Christian:

1. That predestination and genuine free will can coexist.

2. That God commands that we find satisfaction in him alone and refrain from sin, but when he found one human who was sinless, and satisfied in God alone, God said, "This is not good."

3. That God tells people to trust him and love him no matter what, and then he goes and inspires King David to write a Psalm, which God intended to be a model prayer for other believes to follow, that closes in saying, "God, would you please leave me alone for a few minutes, so that I can have just a little peace before I die..."

I could probably come up with plenty more.

*** DISCLAIMER: Of course, I do not find these genuine, bona fide contradictions, but deep paradoxes that demonstrate to me how deep and genuinely real the Bible is in dealing with life, and pointing out that it demonstrates a view of life that is complex, deals with the enormous complexity and vastness of human experience, and demonstrates a God who desires genuine relationship, not simple robotic obedience - and one that embraces concepts that do not fit easily into my head. If the Bible is inspired, by a mind infinitely beyond me, then I ought to expect plenty of things therein that are totally beyond my comprehension, while I can yet find no genuine contradiction. ***