Atheists: what can you tell me about the bunkitude of the Bible?

Question

Yes, "bunkitude" is not a real word. Anyway, I've been getting more apologetics than atheist input. I'm wondering why the Bible is wrong and not, as an answerer implied, symbolic in many areas, being a collection of different things like poems, parables and things like "apocalyptic symbolism." So yeah. Please be as specific as possible. I keep a little file of reasons to (dis)believe and I don't find generalities as helpful as examples.

Answer 1

The Bible is a collection of myths and legends – not all related - derived from neighbouring peoples from the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean. Examples include the Sumerian creation epic Enuma Elish from which the Genesis Creation Story was probably derived, probably via the Canaanites, and the Noah story is almost identical to the story of Utnapishtim in the epic of Gilgamesh.



The Adam and Eve story was a myth that tried to explain how death, toil and other woes came into the world and why we aren’t immortal; and like the Greek Pandora myth, a woman is blamed (and by extension, in a patriarchal society, all women). It also explains why people consider snakes as enemies. In Sumerian and Babylonian mythology, Adamu was the first man. The gods tricked Adamu and his descendants out of immortality - not wanting man to be immortal like the gods - by telling him that the magic food of eternal life was poisonous to him, and as such Adamu didn't eat it and so didn't become immortal.



in Judges 11 Jephthah the Gileadite made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” His daughter turns out to be the one who does that; she says “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.” He acquiesces to her request and then sacrifices her. I suspect that this story illustrates Jephthah and his daughters’ devotion to God. To me, it shows barabarism just like the other stories in the books of Judges, Samuel and Kings, and many other places in the Bible. This story also reminds me of the story of Agamemnon sacrificing his daughter Iphigeneia in Greek myth.

Answer 2

The Bible makes tons of demonstrably false claims. There is exactly zero evidence that supports any of the supernatural claims it makes. Therefore, it is not a reliable source. I don't know what more you want.



And the whole "It's supposed to be allegory/symbolism" argument is pure, unadulterated crap. You'll notice that it's something relatively new. Before science could conclusively disprove the things in the Bible like it can now (like with the global flood, humans coming from a single mating pair, the Tower of Bable, etc), believers said it was literally true.



Don't you find it a bit odd that things like the flood or Adam and Eve only became allegory AFTER it could be demonstrated conclusively that they were false?



Another reason the "symbolism" stuff is crap is because they never provide a methodology by which one can separate the symbolism from the truth. For example, why is Noah's Flood allegory, but God creating the universe not? If the flood is an allegory for something, then perhaps "God created the heavens and earth" is an allegory for the Big Bang.

Answer 3

Saying the Bible is "wrong" is actually incorrect.



As a source of scientific information, it is wrong. Genesis is a great example of that - God created the Earth, etc.



As an objective record of historical events, it may be wrong but without other documents of the same time and event to compare its a bit difficult to quantify.



The main problem is everything is a parable or a metaphor or could be interpreted in different ways since the language is archaic and has been translated and manually copied thousands of times over the years.

Words get mistranslated or spelled differently, and the meaning changes.



If you want to keep "a little file of reasons to (dis)believe", you will have to do your own research.



Read the Bible, then read other histories or religious documents, and make up your own mind.

Answer 4

I don't think there is enough time in the day to adequately answer your question. But, there are inherently a lot of logical flaws in the bible that make it a very questionable document.



1) The timeline suggests that the world is 6000 years old. Science and common sense tell us otherwise.

2) The story of Noah is physically impossible on this planet and not supported by any geological or biological evidence, not to mention the sheer impossibility of the feat on a boat that size.

3) God issues 10 Commandments, Moses breaks them, then he issues them again, except the second time they are significantly different. Boiling a goat in its mother's milk? Come on!

4) Abominations such as homosexuality are accompanied by other abominations such as eating shellfish and wearing two different types of cloth. I wonder how many Christians have had condemning conversations about gay people while wearing cotton and polyester at the Red Lobster.

5) God disobeys at least 4, maybe 6 of his own commandments.

6) Miracles

7) Angles

8) Unicorns (OK, people seem to interpret this as rhinos, but still that not what the english versions say)

9) Satan kills fewer people than god in the bible - makes you wonder who is truly good and evil in the story).

10) In the story of the tower of Bable, God actually says that if all people spoke the same language, there is no telling what they could achieve, so he puts an end to that (so god is apparently threatened by humanity)

11) talking snakes

12) talking bushes that are on fire but don't burn

13) Zombie Jesus



There are just so many things wrong with the bible, and I haven't even gotten into the details yet.

Answer 5

It's wrong because it says things that aren't true. Light was not created before stars. Women were not made from a man's ribs. The firmament does not separate the waters above from the waters below.



Those things were accepted to be literally true by ALL Christians until science proved otherwise. Many today reject science and believe them literally. Claiming that anything that is now proven to be false was meant symbolically is ridiculous rejection of reality. Why is it that everything else that is proven wrong is, you know, wrong? But the Bible gets a free pass and it's not wrong even when it's wrong?

Answer 6

There are 200 original English copies of the bible, and they are all different.



The original text was very badly translated and meanings of some things have been lost or corrupted in gibberish due to non-standardised spelling.



Many stories on the same event will vary on important points like where, when, who, and how many. (One version of Jesus' birth tells a story about the star of Bethlehem floating down out of the sky as the astral form of the son of god and guiding the wise men to a cave where they could shelter at night, while his physical body was being born)

Answer 7

1. the bible is so contradictary its pathetic and cant be taken seriously.



2. its authors never witnessed any of the events first hand.



3. at least two other religions before jesus was born contained a crucifiction and miracles

(you can see were jesus got it from cant you).



4. no records of pilates day indicate a crucifiction of a man called jesus.

(strange , the romans were experts on keeping records)



5. christianity is by definition a new comer religion , far older religions exist and make far more sense.



6. the bible version of the begining is splitting at the seems with errors.



7. animals and foliage could talk (apparently).



i could go on a lot longer and in detail but cant be arsed to type anymore. in a nutshell the bible is bollox.

Answer 8

The bible contains carefully nurtured and manipulated doctrine, only a few grains of real truth remain. In 1963 the original Aramaic scrolls, the source for the gospel of Matthew was unearthed in Jerusalem. Although tremendously heretical, research will confirm their genuineness.

http://www.tjresearch.info/

Answer 9

@ Sans Deity: You are correct in your assessment of allegory/symbolism. Without a "key" to unlock what the allegories and symbolism mean, they remain useless. That is why I take the Bible literally for what it is: an instruction manual on how to live a godly life, given to mankind by God. Yes, there are poems, and histories, and parables, and first-hand accounts contained between its covers. No, science has not proven that God does not exist. How can it? By definition God exists outside of the universe and can't be detected by us through any scientific methodology. God as a spiritual being versus us as corporeal beings creates a chasm of perception, one that God can bridge but we can not.



The evidence of God working in the world can be found, and seen, in each and every person who is fundamentally changed once they accept Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Spiritual transformation takes place from the inside out. You may not wish to accept this fact, but it is a fact nonetheless.

Answer 10

We can trace the flood story back to a Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the Story of Ziusudra.



The Epic of Gilgamesh was written around 3,000 BCE, and many biblical writers were aware of it.



Is it any wonder why many biblical stories sound like they were ripped directly from The Epic of Gilgamesh?

Answer 11

You can find it for yourself, very easily. Just read the gospels side by side instead of sequentially. You'll find they don't agree on things like when and where Jesus was born, or when he died (for the latter, it's the day before Passover, the day of Passover, or the day after Passover, depending). If you're truly interested in this subject, read both "MIsquoting Jesus" or "Jesus, Interrupted", by Bart Ehrman. He's a professor of textual criticism in NC, and an expert in this field.

Answer 12

Que es veritas?



You will never know truth, until you know love.



The only way you can know truth is to listen openly. I cannot give reasons to disbelieve the bible. Once you know love, the bible is crystal clear.



If you want wisdom, truth, knowledge- God will give it to you. But you have to accept the love He gives us, through Christ.



You are so afraid to be associated with God. Why? Maybe something happened to you? Maybe you think you are wise?

Everything wrong with the world is bc of men. God will not force us to love him. We have a choice.



You can't see results until you put into the relationship. 2 people get married and hate each other. Does it work out? No. One person loves another so very much, and the second not so much. Does it work out? No. Only when both people put in does a relationship flourish. As is such with God! He's pouring love out for you. But eventually he will give you over to what you want. Try loving him back. See how your life changes.

Answer 13

The bible is the best way to de-convert a xtian. If you read it all the way through it is pretty clear that it is BS. I don't often plug podcasts but check out thomas and the bible. he just reads the bible and points out where it is stupid and inconsistant. so basically all of it...its pretty funny.

Answer 14

I have no thoughts about the bible at all. I am an atheist.



Mo

Answer 15

So instead of asking for others' input - read it and see for yourself.

Answer 16

there are plenty of websites my friend - you can do your own research you know?