Odemus

Since my deconversion one of the relationships I've maintained is with my former pastor. We typically get together on Mondays to chat and talk religion. Today he brought up the reliability of scripture in accurately relating all kinds of details such as various governers, people in positions of power, geography and all kind of other things which add up to a fairly consistent record of geopolitical events of the time as well as consistent eye witness accounts of events and miracles and such. I

I'm admittedly unfamiliar with Biblical criticism and don't know how to respond to those kinds of apologetics. My deconversion was based solely on rejecting doctrine, theology and all manner of religious claims. I'd be very grateful for any direction in demonstrating that the Bible is entirely a terrestrial creation and full of identifiable falsehoods or innacuracies and that sort of thing.

Atheos

In the Secular Web Library there are many good articles that deal with this particular subject. One particularly good treatment demonstrates a number of bible difficulties. William Sierich's Daniel In The Historian's Den is another excellent resource.

-Atheos

David B

One would expect - or at least, I would - that mythological accounts would have elements of truth, like the existence of cities, peoples, wars within them. However, in order to refute any claim to supernatural accuracy, all one needs is one inaccuracy. Noahs' flood would do - the evidence against that being as described in the bible is overwhelming, though I don't personally doubt that there is a kernel of naturalistic reality behind it.

Eye witness accounts of miracles run to people like the Fox sisters, Uri Geller, Sai Baba.....and loads of miraculous claims from people with POVs incompatable with christianity.

The bible contains false prophesies, contradictions, moral claims which are unacceptable in today's world. Of course it is a terrestrial creation - but the onus of proof is on anyone who claims otherwise. The fact - and it is a fact - that it does contain some accurate accounts of historical fact says nothing at all about any supernatural claims.

David B

Revisionist

Ask him if Gone with the Wind is history because it contains accurate details about the Civil War.

Odemus

Thank you very much. This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

John Kesler

Ask him how he reconciles Luke 24--which claims that women, including Mary Magdalene (v:10), left the tomb without seeing Jesus--with Matthew 28 which says that Mary Magdalene saw Jesus and worshiped him (v:9).

Ask him if Judah was allowed to go into Babylonian captivity because of Manasseh's sins (2 Kings 21:11-14; 2 Kings 42:1-4) or because Judah did not heed God's prophets (2 Chronicles 36:15-17). Keep in mind that the Chronicler claims that Manasseh repented (2 Chronicles 33:10-17), a fact not found in the Kings narrative. The Chronicler also penned the following:

It didn't fit the Chronicler's theology to have the exile occur because of the sins of Manasseh, since not only did he repent (according to the Chronicler), but according to Kings, the exile was predicted after Josiah effected a return to worshiping Yahweh (2 Kings 23:21-27). Notice that the Chronicler moves the pronouncement of exile until after the reign of the wicked Zedekiah--see 2 Chronicles 36:11-21).

Ask the pastor if Aaron died at Moserah (Deut. 10:6) or on top of Mt. Hor (Numbers 33:38; Deut 32:50)? NOTE: Moserah (with alternate spellings "Moseroth" and "Mosera," is *between* Sinai and Mt. Hor according to Numbers 33:15-37).

Nuwanda

Odemus, I ask this with complete sincerity, have you read the Bible? I applaud anyone who researches both sides, but how is asking others for arguments to defend you presupposition concerning the falsehood of Christain doctrine and theology any different from the Christian asking his pastor for arguments against evolution without at least studying evolution for himself?

If you've read the Bible, fine, I'll go take a hike, but for me leaving the Mormon Church meant 3 solid years of studying their books. Getting tips and tricks from anti-Mormons did not help at all (at least not long-term).

fromdownunder

I've tried this one before (Using Breakfast at Tiffanys, not GWTW). The standard response has been "but that's fiction! Wer'e talking about the Bible.

*sigh*

Norm

Diogenes the Cynic

You can find some good ammo here. Shredding the Gospels.

buckshot23

Luke doesn't say any such thing. Luke doesn't include an encounter at that time while Mathew does. Thats how you reconcile it.