Goliath

Nope, the quote I'm thinking of describes a pool whose circumference is three times its diameter (I think it's in 1 Kings somewhere...I can look it up in the SAB, if you'd like).

Besides, the bible is the word of a god, whence any inaccuracy of any kind is inexcusable (not to mention, easy to find).

Sincerely,

Goliath

Kilgore Trout

I agree that it is technically inaccurate, however I think it would be better to focus on different kinds of contradictions. As you know, since pi is irrational, even if the circumference of the pool was 3.14159265 times it's diameter it would still be technically inaccurate, so it's all a question of where you draw the line on what you consider "accurate".
The point is, there are too many other contradictions and mistakes in the bible that point out flaws in their silly theology so you shouldn't focus on something that christians will just see as nit-picking.

Kattaz

Revelations 14:1-5 show the existence of some diferent people who reside on the Sion mountain. They are taken from the earth, and they live with the Lamb (Jesus). We have to belive that some of the people who have heard the Jesus words: „SOME OF YOU HERE WILL NOT HAVE TASTED DEATH BEFORE I COME AGAIN IN GLORY” are there and they are still alive, kidnaped from the earth.
„1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
P.S. Please excuse me my english mistakes who may appers.

Godless Wonder

Or we could believe that "tasted death" means to eat something dead which was once alive, so maybe some of those standing there died before they got a chance to eat again after hearing those words, and the next time they see Jesus, they still won't have "tasted death", because you can't eat if you're dead. Words are so malleable, they're like clay.

Godless Wonder

I think my new favorite (used to be Mark 9.1) might be "Matthew's Big Blunder" in which Matthew puts Jesus in the silly position of simultaneously riding a donkey and a colt. Why? Because he was trying to fabricate a prophecy fulfillment, but the translation of the supposedly prophetic statements in Zechariah 9:9 was botched, leading to a botched prophecy fulfillment. details here.

tracer

Here are the Death Tasting passages, just so's we can point to a specific book-chapter-and-verse:

"I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
-- Matthew 16:28

"And he said to them, 'I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power'."
-- Mark 9:1

"I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."
-- Luke 9:27



The usual excuse I've heard as to why Jesus's second coming didn't happen in the 1st or 2nd century A.D., despite the above passages, is that there is a person called the Wandering Jew who was there listening to Jesus and has been alive for some 2000 years.

Why this Wandering Jew doesn't step forward to corroborate the NT's accounts of Jesus's life is anybody's guess.

Goliath

The bible is supposed to be the instruction manual of an omnipotent, omnisicent god. Therefore there are to be no inaccuracies. No decimal approximation of pi would be acceptable.

I most certainly agree that there are many other contradictions. Whether or not xians will see this particular one as "nit picking" is irrelevant, however. A contradiction is a contradiction is a contradiction, and details (including "nits") are almost always very important.

Sincerely,

Goliath

Doctor X

Besides, an omnipotent, omniwhatever deity should be able to define it however he wants.

If he wishes it to be "3" then, yea, it shall be "3."

That humans then have a problem with this thing called a "wheel" is only a result of their lack of faith. . . .

--J.D.

Kilgore Trout

I see what you are getting at. If god wanted a circle he should have just said the diameter and not have said the circumference. You're right, saying the circumference is too much information and makes thing inaccurate.

On the other hand, the christians would probably just cop-out and act like god wanted a pool with the exact dimensions he stated and he knew it would not be a perfect circle.....

Goliath

And until such a xian could prove that such was the author's intention, said xian's argument would fail.

I oftentimes wonder if there's anything that could possibly be easier than biblical criticism.

Sincerely,

Goliath