Lisa Shea Forums General Discussion Religious Research Bible Contradictions ... again

'.. The reason we should forgive others is b/c when it's our turn, how would we feel when we're truly repentant & no one forgives us?...' [MrsJF]

'..why should we do unto others as we would have them do unto us? What does that mean?' [MrsJF]

'It means that we should put ourselves in the other person's shoes before doing anything that might hurt them.' [PDM]

'that's the same exact thing I said about forgiveness. What would it feel like when we are truly repentant & forgiveness is not shown to us? Would it hurt? Would we feel low? Would we feel rejected? Would we feel isolated?' [MrsJF]

I don't think it is quite the same thing - though I may have misunderstood you.

You didn't say to put oneself in that person's shoes, and consider how we would feel if we were in that position, but rather, 'The reason we should forgive others is b/c when it's our turn, how would we feel'.

There is a difference between being good to people because we understand how it feels to be treated badly, and being good to somebody so that when it's our turn, they will be good to us.

In other words, don't be nice to people just so that they will be nice in return - even though that could be a pleasant side-effect, of course.

I think the one attitude is a selfish one, and the other is selfless.

This is what I meant. I just didn't word it properly I guess.

Ok, then I think we agree

Bible contradictions ~ definitely worth another look, I think!

Since most academics apparently believe in the historical Jesus, yet the only real evidence for Jesus is the Bible, and the Bible is full of contradictions, surely we have to ask ~ why???

I think everyone knows where I stand theologically for the most part. Even so, I still don't see contradictions in the Bible. I see different accounts. Doesn't bother me. Since I don't place faith in the book!

The one thing we always have to be aware of when studying literature is to value the context of the authors and understand what literatuer convetions they are using and ask all the necessary questions in that context. Sounds like a cop-out christian answer I'm suer, and maybe I'm still brain-washed to spew that answer, I don't know, but I'd like to believe I have learned myself widely enough to have a good perspective.

I also do not like systematic theology. That is, theology that looks at the Bible as a whole. I don't think the Bible is supposed to compliment each other. I think, book to book, it says different things. Same with the gospels. We have different aspects in each gospels, different witness (or historian/author's using sources) accounts. So I don't judge one book off of another book's failings. I judge them individually. And if books give a different version of the same event, which many do! then I compare and contrast to see where they are at a consensus, and where all of them are too confused and muddled to make a clear distinction.

Well said Niki, all the books were written at particular points in history and time. The books were relevant to those particular places, characters, events and times. Without understanding what was happening right then and there it CAN be very confusing. Some books were meant to be studied vocationally for enlightenment. It's not like TV guide or The Post; read it once, you got it. Whether you believe in it or not. it does take a modicum of wisdom to grasp.

I suppose the question we have to ask, then, is:
What is the point of Bible study?

Is it just the study of a collection of ancient literature ~ similar to the study of Herodotus or Homer; Shakespeare or Chaucer?

Of course, no-one (well, maybe some) lives their life according to Shakespeare.
And no-one (again, maybe some) thinks that Chaucer's writings are the word of God.

That does make the Bible something other than ordinary works of literature.

And, whether or not one is a believer, the Bible is still the only source for information on Jesus. And there are many contradictions. Why believe some of it but not other bits?

Here is a partial list of Biblical occurrences;
the sun traveled backwards
an ax that floated in water
sun stood still for a whole day
man spoken to by an ass
a 969 year old man
Science and physics can not accept such things, and neither do most people. These are natural (physical) things that can be witnessed and are hard to believe. The Bible contains many more unnatural (spiritual) things that can not be witnessed and many claim to be impossible.

So how do you explain all this, Barak?