by Blueblades 16 Replies latest jw friends
Printed in 1989,who remembers studying this publication at the book study and what have you concluded then and now?
Some chapter titles:How Believable Is the "Old Testament"? The "New Testament"----History or Myth?
Thanks for your input in advance.
Blueblades
I remember studying this book at the book study. This is the one that quotes extensively from Francis Hitching, to back up its statements regarding evolution, etc. Unfortunately, they don't mention that Francis Hitching is a quack with no scientific credentials. He is a paranormalist and an "expert" on dowsing.
So, for what it's worth, the jury is in - the Bible is Man's word, and it's not even among his best work.
I never studied the book at a bookstudy, but I studied it as a critic. It's pretty bad as a defense of the Bible. It uses arguments that long ago were known to be bogus. The writer(s) must have known that some of their defenses were based on quack writings of people like paranormalist Francis Hitching and quack 'scientist' Ivan Sanderson. Interestingly, some of these arguments have not been mentioned in WTS literature since 1989. Perhaps some criticisms got through the writer(s)' thick heads.
AlanF
I had a return visit about eight years ago with a older man who was extremely skeptical about the Bible.I placed the book with him and returned the next week with utter confidence that he would see the magnificant arguments put forward and start studying.
Boy was I wrong.
The first words out of his mouth were, and I think I remember them exactly, "That book is extremely biased." He went on to tear it to pieces. Funny thing, I think some of his arguments stayed in my brain till I was emotionally ready to deal with them.
Bradley
PS -- Amazingly, I ran into this man at Starbucks over the summer. We have since had many delightful conversations! Really, I'm not making this up!
In true tradition of Watchtower publications, this book is a simple propaganda masterpiece that gives the higher thinker very little to actually ponder upon.
It may impress the average 2 bit nobody, but does nothing to impress free minds. The arguementation is floored, the illustrations are poor and is very one sided. If this book really gave the right answer as to this question, every scholar would own one and the Bible would be universally accepted as the word of God.
As it is not, the book is useful only for the day of the dead.
In true tradition of Watchtower publications, this book is a simple propaganda masterpiece that gives the higher thinker very little to actually ponder upon.
It may impress the average 2 bit nobody, but does nothing to impress free minds. The arguementation is floored, the illustrations are poor and is very one sided. If this book really gave the right answer as to this question, every scholar would own one and the Bible would be universally accepted as the word of God.
As it is not, the book is useful only for the day of the dead.
Thanks Runningman and Alanf.A while back I asked Ray Franz about the Bible being the Inspired Word of God and he wrote back to me that ultimately it is a leap of faith and ones own life experiences that each one of us would have to come to realize on their own.
I'm still researching the question and have no personal experience to add in spite of serving WT.Society for over 30 yrs.I'm of the mind that it is a product of man not God's.
Blueblades
If any want to, they can read this response from Ray Franz from Commentary Press on the post asked by Minimus--"How many feel that the Bible is not "inspired"after all?on June 19,03.I posted Ray's response to Minimus's question for all to read and reflect on if it's any help.
Blueblades
For those of us who are "looking up old posts" challenged could you put the link up? Thanks!
This was one of the first books that made me see the light of the watchtower propoganda machine. Of course, this was a personal experience, not shared by my wife.
