RE: Why the "There are so many interpretations of the Bible" claim is confused
October 7, 2015 at 2:44 am
(October 6, 2015 at 11:51 pm)Delicate Wrote: A common claim about Christianity is "There are so many interpretations of the Bible! How can you know if any of it is true!"Even if the Jesus character was exactly like he's depicted in the Bible that's more reason to disregard him. He plainly said that he had been sent only to the Jews. So unless you're a Jew his message doesn't apply to you and he sure won't let you into the gaudy bejeweled golden cube called New Jerusalem. That's because there's no gate for the Gentiles to enter it.
What people who make this claim don't realize is that the differences over interpretation account for a minuscule fraction of what the Bible really says. So, while the Bible's stance on certain issues might not be wholly precise, the main claims are pretty clear.
For instance, it's pretty clear, not just from the Bible, but from historical record, that there was a man named Jesus. The Bible is pretty clear about most of his claims, and the basic facts of his life, etc.
The problem with people who make this claim is the overly broad and inaccurate generalizations.
The vast majority of discovered Biblical texts are for the most part identical to each other, and the minor discrepancies that do exist are over things like grammar and prepositions (like "on" versus "upon").
What knowledgeable atheists can rationally affirm is that only certain parts of the Bible might be ambiguous. The others are more or less clear.
The basic rule of the Bible (and of the Koran) is to believe and obey without exception. If the God character tells you to stone your disobedient child you had better start throwing stones at the rug rat. If he tells you to burn down a city because some people worship different gods then get the gas and matches and do it. If he tells you not to curse your leaders and you do then say hello to the lake of fire. You don't get to decide what you will and won't do. You have to do exactly what it says when you encounter a real life situation that's spoken about in the book.
There's nothing ambiguous about any of it. If you follow all of it you will be totally insane. Even the Bible says that you shouldn't believe Jewish fairy tales and that's one of the few true things in it.
