Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Gundulf · 12-02-2006, 07:11 PM

Was just over on the thread discussing the nativity story, and from my humble perspective (though others disagree), I don't think this should be the first conflict you bring up if you're wanting to argue inerrancy with a believer in it. Conflicts in that story are tenuous at best, and easy for a fundie to explain away.

As for the worst "contradiction" to bring up to a fundamentalist - a friend of mine once made a fool of himself in an informal debate by pointing out the contradiction between whether Jesus fed 4,000 and had 7 baskets left over, or 5,000 with 12 baskets left over, only to be pointed out that the Bible explicitly claims that the "feeding" miracle happened twice.

So that all just got me thinking about what the best contradictions are, if you do want to try to make a Fundamentalist think... :banghead:

So, in your opinion, what are the most truly damning (pun intended

)contradictions that you can offer to a fundamentalist Christian, that will most challenge him to think, that he won't have some "easy" answer for?

Smullyan-esque · 12-02-2006, 07:52 PM

How did Judas die?

Smullyan-esque · 12-02-2006, 07:53 PM

How do you have a morning and an evening without a sun?

Smullyan-esque · 12-02-2006, 07:54 PM

Those are just off the top of my head. I didn't even go get any of my bibles off the bookshelf.

Roland · 12-02-2006, 07:59 PM

Did an angel tell Mary Magdalene Jesus had risen as per Matthew or did Jesus himself tell her as per John?

Was Thomas present when the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples in the locked room as per Luke or was he absent as per John?

DBT · 12-02-2006, 08:05 PM

PSA 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

JER 13:14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

GenesisNemesis · 12-02-2006, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smullyan-esque

How did Judas die?

I heard somewhere to counter that contradiction: Judas hung himself, the rope broke, his head was smashed open.

?

DBT · 12-02-2006, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GenesisNemesis

I heard somewhere to counter that contradiction: Judas hung himself, the rope broke, his head was smashed open.

?

Doesn't work, as in Matthew 'he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.'

While in Acts he 'acquired a field with the price of his wickedness; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.'

Judas logically cannot have thrown the money into the sanctuary and bought a field with the silver.

misterjingo · 12-02-2006, 09:42 PM

HOW many folks were at the tomb?

aa5874 · 12-02-2006, 09:59 PM

Another contradictory and outrageous story is about the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil.

It appears that the serpent either ate the fruit sometime before, or was created with the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3:1-4 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, 'Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

.... And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die'.

Genesis 5:5, 'And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died.

How did the serpent get the knowledge of good and evil before Adam and Eve?

12-02-2006, 07:11 PM	#1
Gundulf Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Spain Posts: 2,902	Bible's best (or worst) contradictions? Was just over on the thread discussing the nativity story, and from my humble perspective (though others disagree), I don't think this should be the first conflict you bring up if you're wanting to argue inerrancy with a believer in it. Conflicts in that story are tenuous at best, and easy for a fundie to explain away. As for the worst "contradiction" to bring up to a fundamentalist - a friend of mine once made a fool of himself in an informal debate by pointing out the contradiction between whether Jesus fed 4,000 and had 7 baskets left over, or 5,000 with 12 baskets left over, only to be pointed out that the Bible explicitly claims that the "feeding" miracle happened twice. So that all just got me thinking about what the best contradictions are, if you do want to try to make a Fundamentalist think... :banghead: So, in your opinion, what are the most truly damning (pun intended )contradictions that you can offer to a fundamentalist Christian, that will most challenge him to think, that he won't have some "easy" answer for?

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

12-02-2006, 07:52 PM	#2
Smullyan-esque Contributor Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: California Posts: 18,543	How did Judas die?

12-02-2006, 07:53 PM	#3
Smullyan-esque Contributor Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: California Posts: 18,543	How do you have a morning and an evening without a sun?

12-02-2006, 07:54 PM	#4
Smullyan-esque Contributor Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: California Posts: 18,543	Those are just off the top of my head. I didn't even go get any of my bibles off the bookshelf.

12-02-2006, 07:59 PM	#5
Roland Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: California Posts: 748	Did an angel tell Mary Magdalene Jesus had risen as per Matthew or did Jesus himself tell her as per John? Was Thomas present when the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples in the locked room as per Luke or was he absent as per John?

12-02-2006, 08:05 PM	#6
DBT Contributor Join Date: May 2003 Location: ɹǝpunuʍop puɐן ǝɥʇ Posts: 17,906	PSA 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. JER 13:14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

12-02-2006, 09:42 PM	#9
misterjingo Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Acworth, GA Posts: 308	HOW many folks were at the tomb?

12-02-2006, 09:59 PM	#10
aa5874 Contributor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: the fringe of the caribbean Posts: 18,988	Another contradictory and outrageous story is about the 'tree of knowledge of good and evil. It appears that the serpent either ate the fruit sometime before, or was created with the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3:1-4 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, 'Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? .... And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die'. Genesis 5:5, 'And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died. How did the serpent get the knowledge of good and evil before Adam and Eve?

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.