Imaginary Friend - 26 August 2010 03:18 AM

Let me ask something: Why is it that you expect the bible to contain a scientifically accurate account of the beginnings of the universe? That seems like a category error to me.

Because the Bible is claimed to be the Word of God (writers of the Bible having had some form of communication with the All Mighty) who is also claimed to be all knowing. If in accepting this premise then the Bible’s description of the beginning of the universe should be scientifically accurate.

Gn, it looks as if we both answered that post at the same time. 

Occam

Gnostikosis - 26 August 2010 10:20 AM

... the Bible is claimed to be the Word of God (writers of the Bible having had some form of communication with the All Mighty) who is also claimed to be all knowing. If in accepting this premise then the Bible’s description of the beginning of the universe should be scientifically accurate.

That is terrible logic. Just because a creator is believed to understand the process by which the universe came into existence doesn’t mean that must be included in the book. Again, it’s a category error. I imagine the creator knows what I ate for breakfast, but that isn’t in the book either for just the same reason: that’s not the point that the book is addressing.

Occam, thanks for making that distinction. I (in my kind-of-theist indecision) have as much to say against Robertson and his ilk as anyone here. The misuse of the bible through bad hermeneutics is one of my particular bug-bears and was even when I labeled myself as a Christian. That anywhere allows such stupidity to dictate public policy is almost unbelievable to me. In that instance, I quite agree that “marshalling of the arguments” is a necessary pastime!

Occam. - 26 August 2010 10:20 AM

I don’t think we really expect that.  The problem is that quite a few of the less educated, more fundamentalist religious do believe the bible is the inerrant, precise, and accurate word of god. 
Occam

There are people who have never sat down to read the bible, other than a few passages that also believe in the literal truth of the bible. In their case, they don’t even know the composition of the literal truth they are claiming.

Right, they just listen in hypnotized rapture to the rants of their minister then quote that as if it was literally from the bible. 

I recall a number of years ago, running into someone like that.  I quoted the three or four responses to Dr. Laura [Exodus 21.7 - selling one’s daughter into slavery, and Exodus 35.2 - killing a neighbor who worked on Sunday].  I asked how he could justify those.  His response was to look at me vacantly for a moment, then go on to some other subject.  I tried three times to bring him back so he would have to answer.  It was as if he developed selective deafness and couldn’t even hear the questions.

Similarly, when he “quoted” strange biblical passages, I asked if he could give me chapter and verse so I could read them, and he just said, “It’s in there.”

Occam