Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 12-13-2006, 12:38 PM

Available from the Skeptics Society but not yet available on Amazon.

Quote:

If you open up the Bible and read it straight through, you will notice two things that should not be true if it had been written as a coherent whole and with a single purpose. First, the Bible is quite repetitious; second, the Bible frequently seems to contradict itself. Readers have often ignored these contradictions, and apologists have long tried to reconcile them. Randel Helms chooses a third course — to understand the contradictions by looking at the cultural and historical factors that produced them. .... As Helms explains, “The Bible is a war-zone, and its authors are the combatants. Paul said of Peter, ‘I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong (Gal. 2:11).’” Helms notes that Jeremiah condemned the entire religious establishment of his time — the very same people that other Bible authors held in highest esteem: “prophets and priests are frauds, every one of them” (Jer. 8:10). Luke felt the need to write another gospel even though “many writers have undertaken to draw up an account of the events” (Luke 1:1). Luke obviously felt that Mark’s gospel was filled with errors and edited it freely. Not even Mark’s account of the words of the dying Christ was left unaltered.

The Bible Against Itself reveals:

how the author of Chronicles I & II white-washed earlier historical accounts of Saul, David, and Solomon

how the Book of Ruth was written to challenge the growing racism of religious reformers of its time

how every apocalyptic book in the Bible struggled to reinterpret some earlier failed Bible prophecy

the war of "Wisdom" between religious teachings, pagan proverbs, and practical advice

the centuries-long battle in the Bible between prophets and the Law of Moses, and even between prophets and prophecy itself

how first and second century Christians interpreted the Hebrew Bible in a new way, to change it into a book that had “really” been written about Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth’s philosophical conflicts with Jesus the son of Sirach

the battle between James and Paul — and their followers — for control of first century Christianity.

As Helms concludes, "Before the sacred authors were declared sacred, they were fair game for attack or revision. Not without reason did John the Revelator threaten with 'plagues' anyone who 'adds to' or 'takes away from the words of' his book (Rev. 22:18-19), for such was all too often the fate of the ‘ little books’ that eventually became our Bible."

Malachi151 · 12-13-2006, 12:55 PM

Looks good, I like this approach. This is also what I have been saying in regard to the gospels. I'd like to see a more detailed account of this. Looks like one to get.

WishboneDawn · 12-13-2006, 01:20 PM

I agree. I was googling him and comments on him and he seems to have a good and thoughtful handle on what he's talking about. It look like exactly the kind of conversation people should be having about the bible.

Now I have to wait until my husband gets home with the credit card.

douglas · 12-13-2006, 02:21 PM

This line alone intrigues me enough to buy the book...

Quote:

Jesus of Nazareth’s philosophical conflicts with Jesus the son of Sirach

I recently read the book of Sirach in my wife's Catholic bible - an interesting book that I've never paid any attention to - and the idea that there's some "conflict" between the two philosophies makes me want to read it again.

A couple of my favorite Sirach-isms:

Quote:

9:3 Meet not with an harlot, lest thou fall into her snares.
9:9 Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor sit down with her in thine arms, and spend not thy money with her at the wine; lest thine heart incline unto her, and so through thy desire thou fall into destruction.
12:4 Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner.
12:5 Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly: hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him, lest he overmaster thee thereby: for [else] thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done unto him.
19:2 Wine and women will make men of understanding to fall away: and he that cleaveth to harlots will become impudent.
25:23 A wicked woman abateth the courage, maketh an heavy countenance and a wounded heart: a woman that will not comfort her husband in distress maketh weak hands and feeble knees.
25:24 Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

12-13-2006, 12:55 PM	#2
Malachi151 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Colorado Posts: 8,674	Looks good, I like this approach. This is also what I have been saying in regard to the gospels. I'd like to see a more detailed account of this. Looks like one to get.

12-13-2006, 01:20 PM	#3
WishboneDawn Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 4,287	I agree. I was googling him and comments on him and he seems to have a good and thoughtful handle on what he's talking about. It look like exactly the kind of conversation people should be having about the bible. Now I have to wait until my husband gets home with the credit card.

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.