by puzzled 33 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I really can't believe you can even stomach the Bible Code crap?
Gods, I had no idea this was in there. Hehe. I'll have to try and dig up the website on this. The 'Bible Codes' are total BS. Using a computer, one can find patterns in the Bible saying everything from Hitler rules to Elvis is still alive and well.
It's a riot, really.
A fanatic is one who, upon losing sight of his goals, redoubles his efforts.
--George Santayana
Hi again REM:
In general I'd just like to ask why are you trusting a second hand account of a book? Thats a rather easy way to side step the evidence.
Never does
Secondly, what are the scholarly credentials of the person whose review you like so much? Sounds to me like an average persons take on it and not a person in the field with the knowledge with which to judge. Do they have any degrees in the field? Are the Archeologists? Have they even looked up the Archeological evidences put forth? Have they cited anything reliably contrary discrediting the evidence? Maybe I missed it among all his personal dislike for christianity but I don't see any proof in his statements that its unscholarly or innaccurate. It seems to me a lot of opinion with out support and a predisposed dislike for the belief in God.
Of course it is written simply, that was the point. It's written for the average person that doesn't have the background in the field to read the general proofs that exist.
Your reviewer is also incorrect or poorly informed as to the Sinai inscriptions he puts down. Yes, there is an aspect of the inscriptions that occured much later-- that scholars believe pilgrims
(religious pilgrims ) left after seeing them-- those are mentioned in the book along with the archeological proof that they were not a part of the originals.
As with anything religious in nature you will find people on both sides that either support or try to prove wrong an evidence. The fact that people exist on both sides does not mean that they are both right or that the piece of evidence should thus be discredited. The evidence does show that they are authentic and this is accepted by the majority of the archeological world- christian & non christian.
Throughout history when a proof for the accounts of the Bible is discovered people that are uncomfortable with the concept of God try to disprove it. And throughout history more evidence is always uncovered through such attempts that end up validating the accuracy and authenticity of the original finds. An impartial person would see the proof for what it is and draw their conclusion from that. Others already have their minds made up when they 'investigate' and tend to attempt to discredit whatever doesn't fit into their ideas. The Bible has never been discredited by any evidence. One can argue if it is a story/history only but it is at the very least accurate. It is also provable that it is of divine inspiration and should be taken seriously for spiritual matters as well.
My humble suggestion:
Research for yourself and don't take someone elses opinion of the evidence as the evidence itself. Off the wall connection: Isn't that what we got out of when we left the JWs? Do our own thinking, research, and conclusions.
Just some questions. Have archeologists found evidence of every tribe that lived in N. America? S. America? Africa? etc. etc. etc.?
I think that the desert would be a hard place to find evidence of that sort to begin with, especially if you don't know exactly which part of the desert people actually lived/travelled. Is there a reason why I shouldn't think this?
I'm sorry but you keep digging yourself deeper, Angie. You have now lost any last ounce of credibility you may have had with me. Your statements are hysterical - why don't you try applying your own advice??!!
You are the one who is putting all your trust in the shoddy scholarship of dishonest men. You say that "The evidence does show that they are authentic and this is accepted by the majority of the archeological world- christian & non christian." This is simply a ridiculous and incorrect statement. Just because your source says so doesn't mean it's true! Why don't you look up the primary sources and verify things instead of taking everything an obvious Christian apologist with an agenda to prove the bible says?
You are the one with bias - you only want to read what makes you feel comfortable in your Christian world view. I could care less if there was an Exodus or not! Right now, I don't see any evidence for it, so I don't believe it happened - I see it as a myth. What do I have to lose if I'm wrong? Nothing. My world view would not be shattered if there was an Exodus - yours would, so stop being so naive.
"Of course it is written simply, that was the point. It's written for the average person that doesn't have the background in the field to read the general proofs that exist."
It was written to con people with no scientific background and who were credulous enough to believe stuff without checking out both sides of the issue (Proverbs 18:17). I'm not sure why you put your trust in someone who blatently uses OUTDATED SCHOLARSHIP to try and make his case. But uneducated people are precisely the ones who fall for this crap and line the pockets of the dishonest authors.
Also, a person doesn't have to have scholarly credentials to see that a book is based on poor scholarship. What part of this don't you understand? This may be the root of your credulity - your reliance on arguments from authority.
I read many reviews on both sides of an issue before deciding whether a book is worth my precious time to read. It just so happens that I read many reviews that showed that the authors scholarship was deplorable and the only positive reviews I read were by fundys with absolutely no reasoning skills, just like you! Most of the reviews against the book were by educated people who were able to refute many of the passages in the book. Why should I waste my time on a book that is so shoddy and downright dishonest?
And then, there is the Bible Code crap! You might as well have recommended a book about space aliens or Big Foot.
"Research for yourself and don't take someone elses opinion of the evidence as the evidence itself. Off the wall connection: Isn't that what we got out of when we left the JWs? Do our own thinking, research, and conclusions."
Exactly! But first you need to educate yourself on reasoning skills so you can learn to identify logical fallacies and bad evidence. Right now, you have absolutely no credibility because you are like a little kid who just believes anything that mommy tells you. Stop telling people you have facts to back up your belief when you don't even know how to differentiate between fact and fraud!
rem
"We all do no end of feeling, and we mistake it for thinking." - Mark Twain
Wow that post was disturbing but any how.
Since were on the topic of the accuracy of the bible i have a question.
Is the mustard seed the smallest of seeds?
If not then why did jesus say that it was?
ok thanks
The Bible is a two edged sword wield it for evil and it you may get hurt.
AMAZING: YOUR QUOTE: "This reminds me some of the Mormon claims that Jews traveled to the New World and became part of the culture here. reading the Book of Mormon reveals that the Jews who arrived here had a significant impact on the local indigensous peoples. Yet, there is no evidence of culture, language, tools, clothing, art, history, archeitecture, or anything among the North American tribes that one could make even a guess about Jewish influence here." ACTUALLY THIS IS NOT TRUE. THERE ARE PEOPLE, OTHER THAN MORMONS WHO BELIEVE SOME JEWS CAME TO THIS CONTINENT LONG BEFORE COLUMBUS....
Several years ago I was talking with a guy who was putting a script together called "They All Discovered American"...which was going to be a television cable show about the various people that came here before Columbus. Not only did they include the Vikings, but Chinese, Hebrews, Africans, etc. etc. When he was researching for the script he was talking to an Museum director in South Carolina. Several years before, they had found some ancient writing on some stone found in one of the famous Indian mounds that are found in the eastern and southern part of this country. At the time, the thought it was Cherokee and they hung it on display. One day a man was touring the museum and came to the spot with the display. They found him tilting his head as if to be reading the "stone" upside-down. It turns out that the man was an expert at ancient languages and he said that the stone was indeed upside-down and it wasn't Cherokee...it was of an an form of early Hebrew. This was only one thing of several that guy was going to include on his Hebrew section of the TV show.
Wow, Double Edge. That sounds like it wouldn't be too hard to verify. Have you?
SIXofNINE: Like I said, it was several years ago, but my conversations with him were very facinating since I love history. I will contact him and get the name of the museum. As I recall, he was going to go interview the guy for the show...I don't think he ever got the funding for the project, but I know he still has all the research as it took him several years to compile it. One other interesting thing, I remember him saying there were remanents of a viking like ship found in Mexico (or Central America)... and among the native people of that country, every once in a while a child will be born with anglo features and red hair...which their legends speak of foreign visitors centurys ago from the North who had red hair.
SIXofNINE: I'm on vacation tomorrow, will return on Monday and I'll try to make my contacts then. I need to make some phone calls and get the guy email address.
I remember seeing a large full color photograph of this stone in a copy of Biblical Archeology Review two or three years ago. As I recall, there were only about five letters or characters on it. The comment was made that they resembled Hebrew letters enough that if this stone had been found in Israel no one would have questioned that they were indeed Hebrew letters. However, since it was found in the southern USA in an area frequented by anciant Idian tribes, the conclusion was that it was far more likely that the resemblence to Hebrew letters was an acidental one and that they were actually a few upsidedown Indian characters. Of course, some have also questioned the stone's authenticity.
