The Bible is a book which needs to be analysed in the same manner as any other book which purports to relay an accurate history.
It can't stand on it's own, but for every statement made where it says X happened at Y time in location Z, we have to ask:
1. Is Z a real location?
Point it out on a map.
2. Did X happen?
How do you know?
3. Did X happen at time Y?
How do you know?
Too, it needs to be understood that this document can't be immediately accepted as some divine communication. That's later if ever.
Each portion needs to be examined. If there are alternate explanations, these need to be listed.
At the end you'll have a choice-path for playing historical-connect-the-dots and each point you connect will have a objective veracity rating.
To abandon reason is not the solution.
God exists or he doesn't.
The Bible is divinely inspired in part, in whole, or not at all.
No matter all that, the motivation to decide to play connect-the-dots one way or another comes from the self.
As for me, I finally decided after what seems to have been too long to me, that every apologetic for the permission of what I call evil by any deity to be weak and immoral.
Why would I bother exploring any further a document which holds no possible connect-the-dots that I can even IMAGINE which would excuse the collosal barbarity of any deity who created this world? Is this the best you could do? Is this the best of all possible worlds?
I've gone the WTBS route, I've read the apologetics arguments presented by Alvin Plantinga in his Free Will defense and I still can't find any excuse.
Everyone either presents a BAD argument, an INVALID argument or "maybe we'll understand later".
I'm not waiting anymore.
