Is it possible for believers to believe the Bible has mistakes in it?

[Sapiens]

LOL Google is uber sexy!

Does the Bible say pi equals 3 - creation.com

That's from creation.com and even there is prefaced by: "there are two possible explanations." Frankly it is the height of apologist claptrap. Caught with their hand in the cookie jar they look for excuses. Neither of those dogs hunt.

 

[Brickjectivity]

That's from creation.com and even there is prefaced by: "there are two possible explanations." Frankly it is the height of apologist claptrap. Caught with their hand in the cookie jar they look for excuses. Neither of those dogs hunt.

3.14 / 3 * 100 = 104% so its a 4% difference from the exact value of pi. No biggie.

Creationists win! Jesus rode on dinosaurs, and Adam and Eve were white people!

 

[savagewind]

3.14 / 3 * 100 = 104% so its a 4% difference from the exact value of pi. No biggie.

Creationists win! Jesus rode on dinosaurs, and Adam and Eve were white people!

 

[Sapiens]

No biggie for a bronze age savage in Mesopotamia, but if you want to land on the moon or build a sub that goes to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, I fear that it will not do. In an case, it is mathematically incorrect and thus is a biblical error. N'est-ce pas?:sorry1:

 

[Brickjectivity]

No biggie for a bronze age savage in Mesopotamia, but if you want to land on the moon or build a sub that goes to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, I fear that it will not do. In an case, it is mathematically incorrect and thus is a biblical error. N'est-ce pas?:sorry1:

You could be right, but do not use this argument on a Creationist. If a Creationist can say that day appeared before the Sun, then a slight round off error is not going to matter, and there are too many alternative explanations for this seeming round off error. 3 is almost pi and substitutes for pi in some situations. Also, do we know for sure that the basin was definitely perfectly circular? It could be shaped more like a calf. The word 'Round' in Hebrew may not always mean 'Circle', and is similar to the word for 'Calf' in Hebrew. I don't know Hebrew, but even if it doesn't mean 'Calf shaped' you will still lose the argument, because in a concordance they share the same root at least. If the basin were shaped more like a calf than a circle, then the exact diameter could be less than 3.14 cubits. Are there any accurate depictions of the basin? Do we know that it had to be a circle exactly? If it has to be a circle, a perfect circle, then you get a round off error; but its a small round off error.

 

[Skwim]

LOL Google is uber sexy!

Does the Bible say pi equals 3 - creation.com

Taking 18" as the length of one cubit, 10 cubits = 180" and 30 cubits = 540" which work very nicely for the diameter and circumference of a circle where π = 3. However, with π = 3.141 a circle with a diameter of 180" would have a circumference of 565", or 25" inches (1. 38 cubits) more. So, if nothing else, the "molten sea" would be described as: "and a line of thirty-one cubits did compass it round about." And, within a distance of around thirty cubits, one cubit is a significant difference.

Consider:

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□ (30 cubits)
VERSUS
□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□ (31 cubits)
A very apparent difference indeed.

 

[Sonofason]

I was going to name the thread "Is it possible the Bible has mistakes in it". And I heard a little voice in my head say "Dah?".

Then I had to add "believers" to the title.

If nothing else, it's funny.

It is not possible for this believer to believe that the Bible has any significant mistakes in it.

 

[Skwim]

It is not possible for this believer to believe that the Bible has any significant mistakes in it.

How about the notion that considering several non-significant mistakes have been uncovered, why couldn't there be several significant mistakes that have yet to be uncovered? The possibility is well within reason. If minor passage X is wrong why couldn't significant passage Y also be wrong? To claim any such passage couldn't be in error will take more than wishful thinking to be persuasive.

 

[Draupadi]

I think a person need not believe in the Bible to believe in Jesus but I think that to understand Jesus a person must trust the Bible. But they trust it is perfect. I think I have proved to myself that it is not perfect. Knowing it is not perfect does not lessen my repect for it. Actually knowing it is not perfect might heighten my respect for it.

Yes the same is treading on dangerous ground I think.

Just my two cents. I believe that God never really literally write any holy book. Maybe there are people who did get the chance to talk with God. But whatever they have written down may have been corrupted or lost over time. Maybe this is because God never really wanted to leave a souvenir to us? It is by using our brains (science and logic) and humanity we will follow the correct path. And the correct path is diverse. All Scriptures contain some form of truth. This sums up my belief and opinion about religion. So I call myself a Deist or loosely a follower of eclectic faith.

 

[Sapiens]

It is not possible for this believer to believe that the Bible has any significant mistakes in it.

A 4% error in the value of Pi is, in my world, potentially deadly ... that's significant in my book.

 

[savagewind]

I have to wonder if it is my imagination that there is a difference between each scripture standing alone righteously and the whole thing standing righteously together. And....

I don't remember if I am on the right thread.

Each scriptural idea is likened to the soldiers who make up an army and all scripture is likened to the army. There are soldiers with their own missions and different ranks and there is the whole army with IT'S mission.

The whole army with it's mission is what "all scripture is inspired of God and beneficial" means. Each soldier isn't inspired. Each scriptuure isn't either but God is the head of every man which provides reason for the relationship, like I said. Haha

 

[Brickjectivity]

A 4% error in the value of Pi is, in my world, potentially deadly ... that's significant in my book.

Yeah, ok. If were taken as the standard definition of pi, lots of people would die.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Yes. It's a man made text, but it definitely ha some truth in it.

 

[savagewind]

So.....Pi aside, is each and every and the whole shebang the same?

Some people teach that each word of scripture is God inspired and should be believed and obeyed. I say all scripture means the whole thing should be understood and respected. Another analogy would be family. Is Family and each member of Family the same? A group and the members of a group are not the same.

I can think of only one analogy. The Million Man March. 1995. It's purpose was to improve the living conditions of the black minority. A decent purpose. The gathering of people takes on a life of it's own. Not everyone who participates in a gathering has the same agenda but the event takes on a life of it's own.

Can you think of the Bible as an event with a life of it's own? It is what "all scripture inspired of God and beneficial" means. For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

It is not likened to many swords. It is one sword. One purpose, one goal. One thing.

 

[Sapiens]

I was not asked if the entire bible was false I was asked to point out one error...and I did. First one's free, now you gotta say thank you as payment for the next.

 

[savagewind]

I was not asked if the entire bible was false I was asked to point out one error...and I did. First one's free, now you gotta say thank you as payment for the next.

When tribes were counted and the number recorded for posterity the number was rounded up or down. I wonder if the poster outhouse knows if it was done up or down or up sometimes and down sometimes.

 

[jidex]

I was going to name the thread "Is it possible the Bible has mistakes in it". And I heard a little voice in my head say "Dah?".

Then I had to add "believers" to the title.

If nothing else, it's funny.

No unless God was trying to trick us. It is aftera llinspired by the author who is God by His Holy Spirit

 

[savagewind]

No unless God was trying to trick us. It is aftera llinspired by the author who is God by His Holy Spirit

Or maybe men who don't care or wish to trick us. It is men who translate and interpret it. Does God get into whoever and whenever the Bible is explained?

 

[Desert Snake]

No, you sort of have to go with the entire Bible. Now, granted I would read some books over others, in this regard I am showing bias, yes, however I don't CONDEMN some books, as in state that they are in error, I may just not really adhere to some portions of the Bible. See the difference?

 

[Alceste]

I apologize for not reading the whole thread. My dad, who was a minister for a while, gave me his bible with advice on how to read it. He recommended reading the gospels first, and the sermon on the mount in particular. The rest of the book generally gives a sense of the culture, time and place where Jesus taught, as well as some insight into the formation of the early Christian church. Our church was all about Jesus and his philosophy, and my dad's advice was great for where to find it.

I did read it from cover to cover after the gospels, but I admit I skimmed a whole bunch of really stupid ancient Jewish laws and customs and a whole chapter of begats.

My dad is a very rational person and never pretended the book is perfect. That's a rare belief that, IMO, rarely survives the reading of it.