Okay, let me point out to you first that I have read the bible cover to cover twice in two different languages as I have also done with the Quran. I think to make a fair judgment on a religion and its text you should at least have looked at the scriptures.
And I do not share the idea that this is a coherent masterpiece and I am very much convinced that if in this day and age this book were to be presented for the first time in the same form, Christianity would never get of the ground. There are just too many scientific advances that would render the bible as outdated and it would take a serious re-write to make this book palpable for a minor sect, let alone a leading religion.
As for translations, that can be a problem.
There is a biblical scholar here in Holland that is arguing that Genesis is being translated wrong and it is not saying that God created the heaven and the Earth, but it separated them from each other. Now that is what I would call a significant difference. One implies God created it all from nothing, the other implies the heaven and the Earth are already there but needed to be moved from each other. Now judging on the translations I've read, I think the authors of the Bible were not saying "separated" but "created", as outlined in the rest of Genesis, even though "separated" would be at least more consistent with a big bang (though still wrong). I can reference you the article but it is in Dutch, I don't know if there is an English translation of the article yet.
I do have to say that even though the translations do differ, there is not that much difference in the context of the verses. The syntax between Dutch and English are different of course, but Noah's Ark still floats around with a load of animal in them no matter how you write it down.
I am not going to call you an idiot, just because you have come to a different conclusion than I have. But I do not share your view on the resurrection or any other miracle claims the bible has made. I find it quite hard to believe that the bible would make an entry on such a big deal and no other person from that time would have written that same thing down in another source like "Get this, there was this guy that got crucified by the Romans, and a couple of days later I see him walking down the street. Its amazing! He was dead for 3 days and he just got out of that cave and walked around the city. Best trick evah!"
And I do not share the idea that this is a coherent masterpiece and I am very much convinced that if in this day and age this book were to be presented for the first time in the same form, Christianity would never get of the ground. There are just too many scientific advances that would render the bible as outdated and it would take a serious re-write to make this book palpable for a minor sect, let alone a leading religion.
As for translations, that can be a problem.
There is a biblical scholar here in Holland that is arguing that Genesis is being translated wrong and it is not saying that God created the heaven and the Earth, but it separated them from each other. Now that is what I would call a significant difference. One implies God created it all from nothing, the other implies the heaven and the Earth are already there but needed to be moved from each other. Now judging on the translations I've read, I think the authors of the Bible were not saying "separated" but "created", as outlined in the rest of Genesis, even though "separated" would be at least more consistent with a big bang (though still wrong). I can reference you the article but it is in Dutch, I don't know if there is an English translation of the article yet.
I do have to say that even though the translations do differ, there is not that much difference in the context of the verses. The syntax between Dutch and English are different of course, but Noah's Ark still floats around with a load of animal in them no matter how you write it down.
I am not going to call you an idiot, just because you have come to a different conclusion than I have. But I do not share your view on the resurrection or any other miracle claims the bible has made. I find it quite hard to believe that the bible would make an entry on such a big deal and no other person from that time would have written that same thing down in another source like "Get this, there was this guy that got crucified by the Romans, and a couple of days later I see him walking down the street. Its amazing! He was dead for 3 days and he just got out of that cave and walked around the city. Best trick evah!"
Best regards,
Leo van Miert
Horsepower is how hard you hit the wall --Torque is how far you take the wall with you
Leo van Miert
Horsepower is how hard you hit the wall --Torque is how far you take the wall with you
