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Bible & Critical Thinking

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
Numbers 22:28-30 New International Version (NIV)
28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said.



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Genesis 38:9-10 New International Version (NIV)
9 But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his [seed] on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.



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Question: Is Bible fundamentalism compatible with Critical Thinking?

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siti

Well-Known Member
Is Bible fundamentalism compatible with Critical Thinking?
I don't see why not...it seems perfectly reasonable to me to believe that in the story about Balaam, the Lord spoke through his a$$...
 

Dan From Smithville

What's up Doc?
Staff member
Premium Member
Numbers 22:28-30 New International Version (NIV)
28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said.



----



Genesis 38:9-10 New International Version (NIV)
9 But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his [seed] on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.



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Question: Is Bible fundamentalism compatible with Critical Thinking?

View attachment 29961
If you mean, is a literal view of the Bible consistent with critical thinking, I would say no.
 

siti

Well-Known Member
I might be having second thoughts - on critical reflection it is hard to believe that "Lords" would actually speak through donkeys...like donkeys perhaps...but not through them
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
Alright. That resolves the OP I spent 20 minutes on finding the verses, and posting in debates for careful consideration and refutation.
But you never made a point. Where was your critical thinking? It took you 20 minutes to find two verses? Hmmm... If that is hard thinking, maybe I should be glad I'm connected to God. :cool:
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
Okay. A literal interpretation of the Bible doesn't fit a traditional definition of Critical Thinking. Donkeys don't talk. A good God doesn't kill people over small indiscretions.
OK... NOW we are talking. Let's look at it critically.

Do animals have a language by which they communicate by?
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
You'd have to prove that humans and animals can communicate concisely through long sentences via said language. Upon you doing that, I'll throw in the towel.
I thought we were talking critical thinking here.

I didn't ask if you understood the whole of an animals language (since science is still working on that) but rather if they did have a language to communicate by:

Stange dog wants the police to come to his house – one glance at the balcony and he quickly calls 911
 
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