Hello search and welcome. The first question I would ask your friend is has he actually read The Bible ? And by read I mean the entire volume from Genesis to Revelation. If he has, fair enough. But if he hasn't then how does he know ? I never read it till I became an atheist. But nevertheless. It doesn't advance your argument if a work you are referencing, you haven't even bothered to read. I intend to re-read it again. It isn't the sort of book you can do justice to just once, given it;s actual length and cultural and historical significance. Also you need to know that The Bible is incomplete. There are missing books known as the Gnostic Gospels which feature accounts by Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot.
It is so full of contradictions. Whether you believe in God or not you can't accept it verbatim due to the inconsistencies :
Adam lived to 930.
Methuselah to live to 969.
Enoch was perfect and never died.
Jesus was born of a virgin - no father.
He performed miracles and raised the dead.
He rose from the dead himself three days after dying.
God punishes the Jews for worshipping false ones - so why give them free will ?
He is angry with them for doing so - but isn't anger one of the Seven Deadly Sins ?
He contemplates not punishing them, but their children all the way to the fourth generation.
Eight people on the Ark - after the first generation conception possible only through adultery or incest.
These are just a few of the many. The entire book is full of ambiguity and paradox and inconsistency.
Now let me return to the Gnostic Gospels. Consider this : why would God have books of The Bible dictated to Man only for those books not to appear, or only for particular periods. Why not all the books in a completer version ?
One of the missing books is the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. She was Jesus's cousin. And may also have been his wife as well. They were very close - married or not - and in later years, the Church disapproved of this and had her Gospel removed. This was to curtail her influence on subsequent generations and the reason for this was good old fashioned misogyny. Which is why she is commonly portrayed as a prostitute.
One of the other missing books is the Gospel of Judas Iscariot. According to this, he was the favourite disciple and not Peter. Once again thie reason for this book being omitted may have had to do with jealousy and the need to find a scapegoat for the betrayal of Jesus. But if you actually read the four Gospel accounts in The Bible of this, they all give four different accounts. And this makes zero sense if the author is God. Because surely only one definitive account of the life of Jesus is needed. Everything else is superfluous to requirement.
So I would state in conclusion based upon this that there is no way God coul;d have dictated The Bible, It is just too illogical for it to be so. Interestingly while there are different versions of The Bible, there is only one of The Koran. Nevertheless, Go back to your friend and emphasise all these inconsistencies. It would be very interesting to reference his opinion. Hope this has been of some help.
It is so full of contradictions. Whether you believe in God or not you can't accept it verbatim due to the inconsistencies :
Adam lived to 930.
Methuselah to live to 969.
Enoch was perfect and never died.
Jesus was born of a virgin - no father.
He performed miracles and raised the dead.
He rose from the dead himself three days after dying.
God punishes the Jews for worshipping false ones - so why give them free will ?
He is angry with them for doing so - but isn't anger one of the Seven Deadly Sins ?
He contemplates not punishing them, but their children all the way to the fourth generation.
Eight people on the Ark - after the first generation conception possible only through adultery or incest.
These are just a few of the many. The entire book is full of ambiguity and paradox and inconsistency.
Now let me return to the Gnostic Gospels. Consider this : why would God have books of The Bible dictated to Man only for those books not to appear, or only for particular periods. Why not all the books in a completer version ?
One of the missing books is the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. She was Jesus's cousin. And may also have been his wife as well. They were very close - married or not - and in later years, the Church disapproved of this and had her Gospel removed. This was to curtail her influence on subsequent generations and the reason for this was good old fashioned misogyny. Which is why she is commonly portrayed as a prostitute.
One of the other missing books is the Gospel of Judas Iscariot. According to this, he was the favourite disciple and not Peter. Once again thie reason for this book being omitted may have had to do with jealousy and the need to find a scapegoat for the betrayal of Jesus. But if you actually read the four Gospel accounts in The Bible of this, they all give four different accounts. And this makes zero sense if the author is God. Because surely only one definitive account of the life of Jesus is needed. Everything else is superfluous to requirement.
So I would state in conclusion based upon this that there is no way God coul;d have dictated The Bible, It is just too illogical for it to be so. Interestingly while there are different versions of The Bible, there is only one of The Koran. Nevertheless, Go back to your friend and emphasise all these inconsistencies. It would be very interesting to reference his opinion. Hope this has been of some help.
A MIND IS LIKE A PARACHUTE : IT DOES NOT WORK UNLESS IT IS OPEN
