Freethought & Rationalism Archive

B.S. Lewis · 05-11-2008, 02:41 PM

I've asked this once before and got a really disappointing set of replies.

Does anyone know of a great book demonstrating biblical errancy? A little reliance on archaeological/historical/scientific flaws would be fine, but I'd like it to mostly focus on textual evidence such as internal contradictions.

Any ideas?

XKV8R · 05-11-2008, 04:01 PM

try the following:

bart ehrman's 'misquoting jesus'
bruce m. metzger's "the text of the new testament: its transmission, corruption, and restoration (or via: amazon.co.uk)"

thedistillers · 05-11-2008, 04:17 PM

Ehrman book does not show that the Bible in its original form is without error. (I think)

XKV8R · 05-11-2008, 04:40 PM

misread the question. these books are on biblical transmission errors.

Solitary Man · 05-11-2008, 05:38 PM

Check out William Dever's stuff (or via: amazon.co.uk) on the Jewish scriptures.

mrunicycler · 05-11-2008, 05:43 PM

There's a book called, "The encyclopedia of biblical errancy (or via: amazon.co.uk)." It lists, by bible chapter, the places wherein the bible talks about killing babies, stoning children, raping people, etc.

It aslo does a good job of pointing out where one verse contradicts a later/earlier verse in the book.

I'll see if I can't find my copy (might be boxed up somewhere), and then come back and post my favorite quote ever.

Deus Ex · 05-11-2008, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrunicycler

There's a book called, "The encyclopedia of biblical errancy." It lists, by bible chapter, the places wherein the bible talks about killing babies, stoning children, raping people, etc.

It aslo does a good job of pointing out where one verse contradicts a later/earlier verse in the book.

I'll see if I can't find my copy (might be boxed up somewhere), and then come back and post my favorite quote ever.

Here is a link to Amazon for this book. (or via: amazon.co.uk)

mrunicycler · 05-11-2008, 05:59 PM

Here we go. "The encyclopedia of biblical errancy" C. Dennis McKinsey, Prometheus books, 1995.

Best quote ever. It's a bit long, is on page 171 of my copy:

Quote:

God created evil. Evil came from the Lord.He deceived and told people to lie. He rewarded liars. He ordered men to become drunk. He rewarded the fool and the transgressor. He delivered a man, Job, into Satan’s hands. He caused indecency. He spread dung on people’s faces. He caused adultery. He ordered the taking of a harlot. He killed people. He ordered the killing of people. He has a temper. He’s often jealous. He practiced injustice. He repented. He played favorites. He sanctioned slavery. He degraded deformed people. He punished bastards for being illegitimate. He punished many for the acts of one. He punished children for their father’s sins. He punished a man for following orders. He prevented people from hearing his words. He supported human sacrifice. He ordered cannibalism. He demanded virgins as a part of war plunder. He ordered gambling. He required an unbetrothed virgin to marry her seducer. He ordered horses to be hamstrung. He sanctioned the violation of the enemy’s women. He sanctioned the beating of slaves to death. He required a woman to marry her rapist. He taught war. He ordered the cooking of food with human feces. He killed the righteous and the wicked. He intentionally gave out bad laws. He excused the sins of prostitutes and adulterers. He excused a murderer and promised him protection. He killed a man who refused to impregnate his sister-in-law. He aided rather than punished a swindler. He doesn’t see all. He’s indecisive. He discovered a woman’s secret parts. He broke up families. He ordered the killing of women and children. He killed over fifty thousand people because a few merely looked into an ark. He gives unlimited, eternal punishment for limited sins. He violated his own laws (such as those against killing, drawing the sword, and tempting). And scripture clearly shows that he operated on a philosophy of, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Now can you imagine anyone, any being, saying, “Yes, that’s my book; that represents me; that’s the way I am,” especially a supposedly perfect being? One would be challenged to think of any historical figure with a worse record, including Adolf Hitler and Genghis Khan. The Devil comes out of the Bible looking much better than God. You would almost think that the Bible was written by the Devil about God.

It goes on, but that pretty well sums up all the things in the bible that I don’t like

mrunicycler · 05-11-2008, 06:01 PM

Also, Isaac Asimov has a decent book...called something like "Asimov's guide to the bible (or via: amazon.co.uk)."

It does a decent job of going through many of the books in the bible and talking about the historocity of it, though it's a bit dated now, IMO.

B.S. Lewis · 05-11-2008, 07:12 PM

Thanks everyone. Transmission errors aren't exactly what I was looking for but they do count - transmission is part and parcel with authorship in the "Godunnit" theory of the Bible's origin.

Proving that the Bible records God doing evil things isn't exactly helpful, however, when you're probably going to be talking to believe who believe that morality is subject to God and not the other way around.

05-11-2008, 02:41 PM	#1
B.S. Lewis Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: California Posts: 3,825	Single best book on biblical errancy? I've asked this once before and got a really disappointing set of replies. Does anyone know of a great book demonstrating biblical errancy? A little reliance on archaeological/historical/scientific flaws would be fine, but I'd like it to mostly focus on textual evidence such as internal contradictions. Any ideas?

05-11-2008, 04:01 PM	#2
XKV8R Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: ucla, southern california Posts: 140	a few ideas try the following: bart ehrman's 'misquoting jesus' bruce m. metzger's "the text of the new testament: its transmission, corruption, and restoration (or via: amazon.co.uk)"

05-11-2008, 04:40 PM	#4
XKV8R Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: ucla, southern california Posts: 140	my bad misread the question. these books are on biblical transmission errors.

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05-11-2008, 04:17 PM	#3
thedistillers Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 586	Ehrman book does not show that the Bible in its original form is without error. (I think)

05-11-2008, 05:38 PM	#5
Solitary Man Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: ירושלים Posts: 1,701	Check out William Dever's stuff (or via: amazon.co.uk) on the Jewish scriptures.

05-11-2008, 05:43 PM	#6
mrunicycler Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Sounding trumpets outside the walls of Louisville Posts: 2,242	There's a book called, "The encyclopedia of biblical errancy (or via: amazon.co.uk)." It lists, by bible chapter, the places wherein the bible talks about killing babies, stoning children, raping people, etc. It aslo does a good job of pointing out where one verse contradicts a later/earlier verse in the book. I'll see if I can't find my copy (might be boxed up somewhere), and then come back and post my favorite quote ever.

05-11-2008, 06:01 PM	#9
mrunicycler Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Sounding trumpets outside the walls of Louisville Posts: 2,242	Also, Isaac Asimov has a decent book...called something like "Asimov's guide to the bible (or via: amazon.co.uk)." It does a decent job of going through many of the books in the bible and talking about the historocity of it, though it's a bit dated now, IMO.

05-11-2008, 07:12 PM	#10
B.S. Lewis Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: California Posts: 3,825	Thanks everyone. Transmission errors aren't exactly what I was looking for but they do count - transmission is part and parcel with authorship in the "Godunnit" theory of the Bible's origin. Proving that the Bible records God doing evil things isn't exactly helpful, however, when you're probably going to be talking to believe who believe that morality is subject to God and not the other way around.

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