In the Bible, have you ever found anything you consider absurd or inconsistent?

1. 72

   lone77starposted 13 years ago

   In the Bible, have you ever found anything you consider absurd or inconsistent?
   
   Ever since the Catholic church stopped burning heretics at the stake, debate over the content in the Bible has become more lively, sometimes even zany. If you can think of any instances of what you consider to be absurd, inconsistent or contradictory in the Bible, try to mention at least three. If you haven't found anything questionable, explain why (e.g. never read the Bible, never heard of it, believe it all, never question it, etc).

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2. 67

   onegoodwomanposted 13 years ago

   I have read things that I do not yet understand.
   Like any great and epic novel, the Bible is far too complex to  understand in a casual reading.  It is a book written to be not only read but reread.  There are parts that I given myself to indepth study.  There are passages that I skimmed over.
   In all, I have read it from cover to cover at least 4 times,  each reading brings me something  new, much of it , about myself.
   
   
   I could say the same things about Webster's Dictionary.......yet it is never called to carpet!

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3. 49

   micadeoluposted 13 years ago

   Yes, there are many things which seem inconsistent in the Bible. But I want to say here that 'inconsistency' itself is part of what God created as part of the cosmic order. The bible is the sealed book mentioned in Revelation 5:1-5. You need a seal breaker to fully understand its contents. I have found the seal breaker, though may not be able to explain here, and the whole world uses it but never knew its potency. It is the process of data computation.
   In my native land, it is called 'IFA' and much worshipped ignorantly.
   You see, a time will soon come when nothing will be wrong with anything in this world. All will come to work in unison to the glory of God. That is the time when all will become new and perfect. "The new Jerusalem"

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4. 0

   DrDeanCrosbyposted 13 years ago

   There are many inconsistencies between the New and Old Testaments which  is exactly why Jesus was sent to the earth;to create a new covenant between  God and man.For some reason there are many "full gospel" Christians who claim that they literally follow the entire Old and New Testaments which is of course  impossible because of the striking contradictions between the two.Even worse,this theological position reveals an  ignorance of the nature  of Jesus'  ministry.
   
   The most basic difference between the Old and New Testaments is the reliance in the Old Testament on rules to maintain a good relationship with God  while in the New Testament we are taught that faith in Jesus and His teachings is what maintains a good spiritual relationship.These New Testament verses are fascinating because they graphically display the conflict:
   
   John 8:3-5 and 10-11(New King James Version)
   
   3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”11 She said, “No one, Lord.”And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
   
   The failure of large numbers of Christians to abandon Old Testament teachings when they are contradicted by New Testament teachings has had  a disastrous consequence for the entire world and is directly responsible  for tens of thousands of deaths.This is the  contradiction most responsible:
   Exodus 21:23-25 (New King James Version)
   
   23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
   
   Matthew 5:43-44 (New King James Version)
   
      
   43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
   
   IF ONLY WE WOULD FULLY ACCEPT JESUS!

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5. 59

   nightwork4posted 13 years ago

   jesus walked on water, the parting of the red sea, noah's ark, adam and eve and many more things.

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6. 0

   Butch Newsposted 13 years ago

   You must be kidding?  One could write an entire book on the subject and Jack Miles did... "God, an autobiography".
   
   The bible starts with inconsistencies beginning with Adam and Eve having only sons and no daughters, not a single one mentioned, and in no time at all the Earth is overflowing with people who came, apparently, from the two surviving sons mentioned... Cain who vanishes somewhere, and Seth who magically procreates the rest of mankind.
   
   Then, shortly thereafter we are told of "giants" the Nephilim who are not explained at all... where the came from.
   
   The whole Bible is a kind of unreliable history book soaked in superstition and fear.
   
   The modern Bible was not assembled until the 4th century and is a carefully edited selection of older scrolls.  The Christians burned and tried their very best to get rid of any books they didn't like.

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7. 64

   vishal.rossiposted 13 years ago

   I guess that whole bible is absurd and inconsistent

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8. 72

   allpurposeguruposted 13 years ago

   When I first started reading the Bible seriously, I thought I did. I found all the miracle stories hard to believe. Paul says justification is by faith, not works, and James says justification is by works, not faith. Isn't that a contradiction? And then two Old Testament books say "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks," but another says, "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears." Wow!
   
   But then the  more I read and studied and prayed, the more I understood. Without the miracle of Jesus' resurrection, there is no point in reading the Bible. Once I became convinced that it happened, all the others fell into place. Paul and James meant two different things by works. They appear to be in disagreement if you take the two statements out of context, but the more you understand either, the clearer their basic agreement becomes. Context also explains the swords and plowshares. Not very many actions are correct in any and all contexts!
   
   So the harder I look at the Bible, the harder it is to find absurd or inconsistent statements.

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9. 69

   Rev. Akinsposted 13 years ago

   I think there are several inconsistencies, however I would offer this in explanation: There are several books that were written for reading and to help explain other books of the bible that did not get put in the bible when it was finally canonized (put together officially). I do like a lot of the Old Testament thoughts, can't wear clothes of different fabric and my all time favorite, you can't eat cheese burgers, because milk and meat shall never meet.
   Also Paul tells women to be subject to their husbands, quiet in church and never to show their hair, but then in another letter celebrates all the great leadership women have done for the church, go figure!
   There are also stories within stories which make the bible confusing, like the Flood story is actually two stories in one. If you read through the telling of the flood, how many animals go on the ark? I think that is one of the most blatant inconsistencies.

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