Accuracy of the Bible

[rusra02]

There's precious little biblical prophecy you can declare fulfilled without an awful lot of word-bending and special pleading. What's the 'other evidence'?

Odd you should say that. The Bible records hundreds of very specific prophecies and their fulfillment.

Do you apply this same stricture to yourself viv-a-vis every other culture's sacred texts?

One should certainly be familiar with other's beliefs. But it is neither necessary nor possible to read every religious sacred text to ascertain the truth. The Bible claims to be the word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16,17). The Bible is unique in it's age and circulation. No other sacred book even comes close in the number of languages or number of copies. The oldest portion of the Bible predates all of the world’s other religious writings. The first five books of the Bible, the Law written under inspiration by Moses, dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries B.C.E.
If the Bible contains the truth, as it claims it does, then all other true religious texts should not contradict the teachings in the Bible. If they do, they cannot be the truth.
If one has found a reliable map, finds the map leads to the destination sought, then finds a second map that points one in the opposite direction from what the first map shows, the only logical course is to reject the second map as in error.

 

[Autodidact]

One should certainly be familiar with other's beliefs. But it is neither necessary nor possible to read every religious sacred text to ascertain the truth. The Bible claims to be the word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16,17). The Bible is unique in it's age and circulation. No other sacred book even comes close in the number of languages or number of copies. The oldest portion of the Bible predates all of the world’s other religious writings. The first five books of the Bible, the Law written under inspiration by Moses, dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries B.C.E.
If the Bible contains the truth, as it claims it does, then all other true religious texts should not contradict the teachings in the Bible. If they do, they cannot be the truth.
If one has found a reliable map, finds the map leads to the destination sought, then finds a second map that points one in the opposite direction from what the first map shows, the only logical course is to reject the second map as in error.

All that's he's asking you is whether you apply the same standard to yourself as you to others. I gather the answer is no, correct?

 

[johnhanks]

Firstly, in post #281 you quote me as saying

The bible records hundreds of very specific prophecies and their fulfillment.

I have said no such thing, and doubt that I ever will. Please correct your post.

One should certainly be familiar with other's beliefs. But it is neither necessary nor possible to read every religious sacred text to ascertain the truth. The Bible claims to be the word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16,17). The Bible is unique in it's age and circulation. No other sacred book even comes close in the number of languages or number of copies. The oldest portion of the Bible predates all of the world’s other religious writings. The first five books of the Bible, the Law written under inspiration by Moses, dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries B.C.E. If the Bible contains the truth, as it claims it does, then all other true religious texts should not contradict the teachings in the Bible. If they do, they cannot be the truth. If one has found a reliable map, finds the map leads to the destination sought, then finds a second map that points one in the opposite direction from what the first map shows, the only logical course is to reject the second map as in error.

This is pure special pleading, and of the most specious kind.

 

[rusra02]

Firstly, in post #281 you quote me as saying

I have said no such thing, and doubt that I ever will. Please correct your post.
This is pure special pleading, and of the most specious kind.

I was replying to your post where you said: "There's precious little biblical prophecy you can declare fulfilled without an awful lot of word-bending and special pleading. What's the 'other evidence'?"

Normally, when I imbed a response, I change the font color to indicate my answer. The statement regarding hundreds of Bible prophecies being fulfilled, I proudly claim.

Regarding your second statement regarding "special pleading" the Bible issues this challenge to all the false gods and those worshiping them: “Bring forth a people blind though eyes themselves exist, and the ones deaf though they have ears. Let the nations all be collected together at one place, and let national groups be gathered together. Who is there among them that can tell this? Or can they cause us to hear even the first things? Let them furnish their witnesses, that they may be declared righteous, or let them hear and say, ‘It is the truth!’”...Before me there was no God formed, and after me there continued to be none. I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.”

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Jehovah has proved his Godship time and again among real peoples and nations, made prophetic statements, and brought them to fulfillment. The Bible has weathered unrelenting attacks for centuries and still stands as God's inspired, truthful Word. As for the gods of false religion, they have proved to be mere unrealities, without proof for their godship. So if you choose to call these facts regarding the Bible special pleading, call them what you will. It will not change the facts.​

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[Dirty Penguin]

The Bible has weathered unrelenting attacks for centuries and still stands as God's inspired, truthful Word.​

The bible has shown to be no authoritative measure concerning history or science.The god of the bible said plenty of things that in the natural world, our world...(reality) are just not true at all. Sure we can dole out a list of inaccuracies in the bible but to what purpose? You will fight tooth and nail against any evidence presented. This is common conditioning amongst all "defenders of the faith" or apologists. The bible stands the test of time because it's followers are ignorant. Now before you go into a tiff I don't mean it as an insult. It's meant with the emphasis on its root word (ignore). It's really more like...defenders are simply unaware.......

As for the gods of false religion, they have proved to be mere unrealities, without proof for their godship.

The same goes for your god. Just because you believe it doesn't make it any more "true" than what a Hindu or a Pagan believes. Truth be told I think more bible thumpers need to educate themselves more. I suspect the god you actually follow (the god of Abraham and Moses) is actually a Volcano god that the biblical Midianites followed named (JAVEH). I'm sure you'll disagree but most defenders don't know this nor do they care to.


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[Autodidact]

I was replying to your post where you said: "There's precious little biblical prophecy you can declare fulfilled without an awful lot of word-bending and special pleading. What's the 'other evidence'?"

Normally, when I imbed a response, I change the font color to indicate my answer. The statement regarding hundreds of Bible prophecies being fulfilled, I proudly claim.

Regarding your second statement regarding "special pleading" the Bible issues this challenge to all the false gods and those worshiping them: “Bring forth a people blind though eyes themselves exist, and the ones deaf though they have ears. Let the nations all be collected together at one place, and let national groups be gathered together. Who is there among them that can tell this? Or can they cause us to hear even the first things? Let them furnish their witnesses, that they may be declared righteous, or let them hear and say, ‘It is the truth!’”...Before me there was no God formed, and after me there continued to be none. I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.”

Jehovah has proved his Godship time and again among real peoples and nations, made prophetic statements, and brought them to fulfillment. The Bible has weathered unrelenting attacks for centuries and still stands as God's inspired, truthful Word. As for the gods of false religion, they have proved to be mere unrealities, without proof for their godship. So if you choose to call these facts regarding the Bible special pleading, call them what you will. It will not change the facts.​

Well, they have the same quality and quantity of evidence as you have, so if they have been proved mere unrealities, so has yours, that is, if you're consistent.

 

[no-body]

The oldest portion of the Bible predates all of the world’s other religious writings. The first five books of the Bible, the Law written under inspiration by Moses, dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries B.C.E.

This sounds false. Pretty sure the Rig Vedas predate the Tanakh.

 

[Autodidact]

This sounds false. Pretty sure the Rig Vedas predate the Tanakh.

Many contemporary secular biblical scholars date the completion of the Torah, as well as the prophets and the historical books, no earlier than the Persian period (539 to 334 BCE).
[wiki]

The earliest Sumerian versions of the [Gilgamesh] epic date from as early as the Third Dynasty of Ur (2150-2000 BC) (Dalley 1989: 41-42). The earliest Akkadian versions are dated to the early second millennium (Dalley 1989: 45). The "standard" Akkadian version, consisting of 12 tablets, was edited by Sin-liqe-unninni sometime between 1300 and 1000 BC and was found in the library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh.
[wiki]

The Pyramid Texts are a collection of ancient Egyptian religious texts from the time of the Old Kingdom. The pyramid texts are the oldest known religious texts in the world.[1] Written in Old Egyptian, the pyramid texts were carved on the walls and sarcophagi of the pyramids at Saqqara during the 5th and 6th Dynasties of the Old Kingdom. The oldest of the texts date to between 2400-2300 BC.
[wiki]

 

[johnhanks]

The statement regarding hundreds of Bible prophecies being fulfilled, I proudly claim.

Yes, I'm sure you do, in the same way that followers of Nostradamus insist that his 'prophecies' have been fulfilled too - and on much the same grounds. If I'm wrong, please quote me an unambiguous prophecy from anywhere in the bible which has been unambiguously fulfilled.

 

[rusra02]

Yes, I'm sure you do, in the same way that followers of Nostradamus insist that his 'prophecies' have been fulfilled too - and on much the same grounds. If I'm wrong, please quote me an unambiguous prophecy from anywhere in the bible which has been unambiguously fulfilled.

"For you know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires and saying: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep [in death], all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.” -- 2 Peter 3:3,4

 

[johnhanks]

"For you know this first, that in the last days there will come ridiculers with their ridicule, proceeding according to their own desires and saying: “Where is this promised presence of his? Why, from the day our forefathers fell asleep [in death], all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.” -- 2 Peter 3:3,4

My word, this is impressive. Your 'prophecy' is the prediction that there will be people who don't believe your prophecy. Pretty well self-fulfilling, I think.

Sorry, rusra, you'll have to do better than that.

 

[Spiritone]

Which is, of course, is why a "historical" Jesus that remotely fit the biblical stories could not have existed by definition, because the stories were about impossible events. Likewise, someone followed by "multitudes" of people would have been recorded by the historians of that time, who also recorded the most minute and trivial of events concerning everything in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.

Did you notice that when Jesus cured someone He said, 'Go and tell no one.'
Leaders hearing about miracles would react the way you and others do, saying that such things are not possible. And people do so to this day.

 

[Spiritone]

Did you notice that when Jesus cured someone He said, 'Go and tell no one.'
Leaders hearing about miracles would react the way you and others do, saying that such things are not possible. And people do so to this day.

Logician, I have answered you before and very soon you just disappear. I had to ask for your reply in the past. Why not give some kind of reply regardless of what it is?

 

[dogsgod]

The heavens parting and a booming voice from above being heard, or raising the dead, calming the seas, rising from the dead, bodies from the graves roaming the streets, are impossible. The story is fiction.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

The heavens parting and a booming voice from above being heard, or raising the dead, calming the seas, rising from the dead, bodies from the graves roaming the streets, are impossible. The story is fiction.

Yea, the bible sometimes makes me think of the opening to Dragnet...

"Ladies and Gentlemen the story you are about to see is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."

The bible appears to be a book largely containing fictional stories with bits of historical truths sprinkled here and there.

 

[sojourner]

The heavens parting and a booming voice from above being heard, or raising the dead, calming the seas, rising from the dead, bodies from the graves roaming the streets, are impossible. The story is fiction.

How can one debate the nuance of color in an image, when one only sees black and white?

 

[Autodidact]

"How can one debate the nuance of color in an image, when one only sees black and white?," asked the schizophrenic?

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

How can one debate the nuance of color in an image, when one only sees black and white?

Why doesn't the "color" show himself and shut all the "black & whites" up?

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Why doesn't the "color" show himself and shut all the "black & whites" up?

Help me out...This has been bugging me since I start seeing your post....

How is one a 5%er as well as an Atheist....?:help:.....

 

[logician]

Did you notice that when Jesus cured someone He said, 'Go and tell no one.'
Leaders hearing about miracles would react the way you and others do, saying that such things are not possible. And people do so to this day.

Historians don't write history based upon whether they think miracles are true, anyone with the "reputation" of doing miracles, claiming to be god, and followed my multitudes, would have been a hot item for a historian., if such a man existed.