In response to Garry Gamble’s April 17 letter:
About the “evidence supporting divine authorship” of the Bible: A document is not deemed true based on its claim to be true. Nor is the number of copies an evidence of truthfulness.
The so-called thousands of “fulfilled prophecies” are often vague statements where many situations could fit the bill, a sort of non-prophesy. Sometimes old scriptures, taken out of context, are reinterpreted to fit a particular theology. Some “prophecies” in the New Testament are post-dated, written after the happening! The word prophecy originally meant “preaching” and it seems best to leave it at that.
Jesus was not the only one to perform miracles in those days. Do you suppose the miracles were as annoying to the Pharisees as the healing fakery seen on TV is to us? It is not pleasant to see people being duped.
Do consider the thousands of contradictions catalogued by Biblical scholars. Discrepancies should come as no surprise since there were many authors, scribes, translators. But why wouldn’t an “omnipotent” deity assure more accuracy and clarity in his own “Word”? Maybe there was no omnipotent deity, only men making up rules.
If “you explore the Bible” as Gamble suggests, don’t skip the disgusting parts where a bloodthirsty “God” commands genocide, orders babies to be smashed, pregnant women to be ripped up, demands human sacrifice, etc. Don’t ignore that God claims to be vengeful, jealous, to bring deceit and evil. Psychopath comes to mind.
How different our expectations are for moral behavior and human rights from that of the 2,000+ year old book which demands the death penalty for blasphemy, non-virgin brides, gay men, working on the Sabbath and whipping or death for disobedient children, promotes slave ownership, etc.
Jesus said to leave your family, to hate your parents and siblings (Luke 14:26, Matthew 10:35-36), don’t work to obtain food (John 6:27), don’t make plans for the future (Matthew 6:34), don’t save money (Matthew 6:19-20), don’t marry a divorced woman if you want eternal life (Matthew 19), castration is encouraged (Matthew 19: 12), and more.
Thegood news is that there is no need to submit to this obsolete oppression.
Lou Jenson
Grand Marais
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