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Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 5:21 pm
by _Wonhyo
Many Christians accept that the Bible is the infallible word of God, that it contains no mistakes or errors of men. This is a belief that has often puzzled me. (Most Mormons don't even accept the Book of Mormon as infallible.) Are there any fundamentalist-leaning Christians here who can help me understand this belief?
My questions for those who believe the Bible is inerrant are:
1. If the Bible is infallible, what about the passages within the Bible that contradict each other?
2. If the Bible is infallible, which version/translation, of the many available, is the most infallible?
3. Could the Bible have been written by some inspired people without necessarily being totally inerrant?
4. If the Bible is infallible, is it okay for a Christian to believe in an old-earth as opposed to a young-earth?
5. If the Bible is infallible, could some of its stories have been metaphorical instead of literal?
Re: Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 12:54 am
by _huckelberry
Wonhyu, there are not a lot of people frequenting this board who are holders to inerrancy of the Bible. Little Nipper does, he talks. Mittens likely does but he is not very talkative.
I am a non Mormon Christian who is interested in Christian topics but I do not believe the Bible is inerrant. I believe the Holy Spirit calls and leads the writers but they must use their own limited understanding of history science and culture to express themselves. I believe the Holy Spirit uses the Bible to call people to faith in God and Jesus Christ. I believe the Holy Spirit works with scripture to aid our own efforts to understand.
Re: Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 1:57 pm
by _LittleNipper
I am a Christian, and while I believe that translations can be out of kilter, I firmly believe that the Bible in its original tongue is fine. What people deem as "mistakes" are entirely only different perspectives of the same event or even similar different events (example: as with Jesus and His various miracles). The Pi equation of the holy sea bowl has been demonstrated over and over to reveal the thickness of the bowl's walls. And no matter to the "modern" mind what Solomon's number of horses and chariots were, I believe it is a fact. GOD inspires interested parties to STUDY the Bible and not simply read it. That is why a "Christian" will use the Bible to understand the Bible but a non-Christian will only regard that as "circular reasoning".
Re: Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 3:14 pm
by _Morley
LittleNipper wrote:The Pi equation of the holy sea bowl has been demonstrated over and over to reveal the thickness of the bowl's walls.
What's the "holy sea bowl"? What's the "Pi equation" for this "holy sea bowl"? Forgive me, but this looks like gibberish.
Re: Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 4:43 pm
by _Amore
Is the Bible is written by fallible human beings like us.
To suggest that they were incapable of error is to have other gods before God, breaking the 1st of the lower, basic commandments.
Re: Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 8:36 pm
by _LittleNipper
Amore wrote:Is the Bible is written by fallible human beings like us.
To suggest that they were incapable of error is to have other gods before God, breaking the 1st of the lower, basic commandments.
The Bible was penned by humans but authored by GOD through the Holy Spirit. God makes no mistakes.
Re: Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 8:44 pm
by _LittleNipper
Morley wrote:LittleNipper wrote:The Pi equation of the holy sea bowl has been demonstrated over and over to reveal the thickness of the bowl's walls.
What's the "holy sea bowl"? What's the "Pi equation" for this "holy sea bowl"? Forgive me, but this looks like gibberish.
http://www.recoveredscience.com/const100solomonpi.htm
Re: Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 10:12 am
by _Meadowchik
Why believe a book is inerrant because it says it's inerrant? Isn't that, like, what people call a conflict of interest?
Why believe a book is inerrant because its believers call it inerrant? Same problem.
If you are going to question your government, your neighbor, your spouse, and street signs, why all-of-a-sudden not question your religious text?
The reason is simple: deep psychological, even emotional attachment. If it is axiomatically "true" in your brain, you will feel good reiterating it and can sincerely believe you're being rational and reasonable. Your brain will find ways to defend the axiom because belief literally acts like a drug.
Re: Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 11:08 am
by _LittleNipper
Meadowchik wrote:Why believe a book is inerrant because it says it's inerrant? Isn't that, like, what people call a conflict of interest?
Why believe a book is inerrant because its believers call it inerrant? Same problem.
If you are going to question your government, your neighbor, your spouse, and street signs, why all-of-a-sudden not question your religious text?
The reason is simple: deep psychological, even emotional attachment. If it is axiomatically "true" in your brain, you will feel good reiterating it and can sincerely believe you're being rational and reasonable. Your brain will find ways to defend the axiom because belief literally acts like a drug.
Why believe in GOD at all? There is nothing wrong with questioning, but when the answers are found in a book, I see no reason to ignore the fact here is an ancient book that has historic background and provides a very good solid foundation for determining the difference between right and wrong. And not just that but provides hope for tomorrow and demonstrates that GOD really does care.
Re: Is the Bible Inerrant?
Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 12:18 pm
by _Meadowchik
LittleNipper wrote:Meadowchik wrote:Why believe a book is inerrant because it says it's inerrant? Isn't that, like, what people call a conflict of interest?
Why believe a book is inerrant because its believers call it inerrant? Same problem.
If you are going to question your government, your neighbor, your spouse, and street signs, why all-of-a-sudden not question your religious text?
The reason is simple: deep psychological, even emotional attachment. If it is axiomatically "true" in your brain, you will feel good reiterating it and can sincerely believe you're being rational and reasonable. Your brain will find ways to defend the axiom because belief literally acts like a drug.
Why believe in GOD at all? There is nothing wrong with questioning, but when the answers are found in a book, I see no reason to ignore the fact here is an ancient book that has historic background and provides a very good solid foundation for determining the difference between right and wrong. And not just that but provides hope for tomorrow and demonstrates that GOD really does care.
Why the jump from gleaning insights from an ancient book with historical background, all the way to holding that book up as inerrant?