Is the Bible Reliable? Common Reasons to Think So
56Two Pertinent Questions
The Judeo-Christian Bible is considered by those who read and study it as a powerful guide for faith and practice. In fact, a large number of adherents consider the Bible to be the Word of God given so that the people of the earth can know God's ways and live accordingly. That one book could be considered so much more important than all others might seem absurd to someone who has never seen or heard of it. Undoubtedly a flood of questions must come to mind like: (a) is the Bible reliable? (b) can it be trusted? and (c) is it relevant? This hub looks at some common reasons to consider the Bible reliable.
Bible and The Creation Story
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A Likely Description of the Origin of the Universe and Earth
First whether you choose to believe a literal seven-day creation or you think that God simply set the events in motion and the universe evolved over eons, the presented description is in a generally logical order.
According to the Bible's account Light (or energy) was created first which might be true because energy is the main building block of life.
Second, the physical earth began to cool into a watery mass while the surrounding atmosphere developed up above; which also seems accurate because land mass, vegetation and creatures cannot form and develop until there is a place to do it.
Third, land mass formed and vegetation began to germinate on both land and sea. Animals like fish, birds and other living things cannot exist without a proper habitat or adequate supply of food.
Next, the sun and moon light broke through the dense clouds to shine on the vegetation and cause it to mature. Some vegetation can form with little or no direct sunlight but most edible plants need adequate amounts of light to bear abundant fruit.
Fifth, sea creatures and birds started to develop populating the sea and earth; and last of all, land animals and humankind were brought to life. These creatures could not have existed or thrived without the four points being accomplished.
Is The Bible Reliable?
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The Accurate Description of Actual Places in The Middle East
The Bible cannot be considered reliable unless it accurately describes actual places in history. It is said that oil was discovered in the Middle East after the chairman of Standard Oil read a description of the terrain in Genesis. He was reading about a battle between Abram (Abraham) and a foreign army that described soldiers falling into tar pits. The Standard Oil director sent someone to investigate and found exactly what the Bible described. Of course, archeologists have unearthed many of the cities and countries the Bible tells about including Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Ninevah, Jerusalem, The Sea of Galilee, The Jordan River, and the deposit of sulfur on the east side of the Dead Sea; just to mention a small few.
A Realistic View of The Portrayed Heroes
When discussing the lives of the Hebrew heroes like Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus' Apostles, the Bible does not try to hide their shortcomings. These are real people with real problems who respond in human ways. Sometimes they get it right; ofttimes they mess up royally. The authors of the various parts do not attempt to mythologize the main characters.
Addresses Real Problems with Applies Real Solutions
Another reason I believe the Bible is reliable is because it presents real solutions for real problems. It also upholds the highest standards and ideals of life and love. For instance, revenge is passed over for forgiveness. The authors of the Bible knew that violent responses to violence only perpetuate the problem. The only way to alleviate a violent conflict is through forgiveness. Of course, this is not in lieu of justice. Peace is presented as better than anxiety; joy as better than bitterness; and love as better than hatred. To be righteous and holy should result in greater genuine love, joy and peace. And the kingdom of heaven can never be advanced by a physical sword. These are axioms of our hearts and the Bible agrees.
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Thank C. for your honesty. I welcome your reply and agree that blindly accepting anything without credible proof would be ridiculous. I'm not sure the example of Family Guy is a good comparison because it also has a dog that talks and drives a car which, kindly, is equally absurd and ridiculous. Although, I admit with a smile rather amusingly, the Bible does also have a story about a talking donkey.
I suppose I would like to ask, what kind of proof does a person like you need?
There are two especially good books on the subject which are listed above in Amazon sections, they include: The Case for Creation by Lee Strobel and Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell. Neither grew up in a Christian home and both were profoundly skeptical about the reliablility of the Bible before they took up their own study. Strobel was an atheist columnist for a top Chicago Newspaper; Josh McDowell actually started out attempting to discredit the Bible and found the historical proof and message too compelling to reject. Have you ever attempted such a study on your own?
"I'm not sure the example of Family Guy is a good comparison because it also has a dog that talks and drives a car which, kindly, is equally absurd and ridiculous."
That is exactly my point. It would be absurd and ridiculous for me to believe and live my life for something like that. Why then should I live my life and believe that a man can part an entire sea, or one man can build a giant arc and save every species, or a guy can turn water into wine, and perform miracles at will?
There is no proof of these things ever actually happening. I admit that they are really great and interesting stories, but that is all they are. They are stories.
I have not done an in depth study, but as a former Born-Again Christian, I have had plenty of exposure, experience, and teachings. I spent a large chunk of my life devoted to the christian faith, and finally realized how silly it all is.
That there is existence at all means anything is possible.
And, there is plenty of proof written down in historical documents that have there setting in real places during real times during the reign of real rulers and empires in history accurately described and accounted for by archaeological digs. Why should we not believe them? What if 200 years from now a new generation says you never lived, would that make it so? Well, then again maybe you don't exist; I mean I've never met you personally. Maybe you're a robot or drone, should I think that because I didn't watch you grace the keys of the keyboard with your intricately designed digits?
I know you will say that you are not claiming to walk on water or to feed five thousand with five loaves and two fish, but if God really did exist and he really did have the power to make the universe out of nothing then the miracles Jesus did would not be so fantastic, would they?
And just because people have not had the same experience today as the eyewitnesses did in Jesus' day, does that make them silly? When a man came back from an excursion and described a duck-billed mammal with webbed feet, the people to whom he reported the find thought he was silly too. There skepticism did not make the find any less true. Now of course they went out and saw the proof, but if they had chosen not to go and see the evidence would their presuppositions have canceled out the existence of the duck-billed platypus?
What positively clear proof do we have that God does not exist? What proof do we have that Jesus did not do miracles? What clear proof do we have that Jesus did not resurrect from the dead?
Anyway, you are enough evidence for me that he does exist. The order and complexity of the human body is mind boggling to me including the ability to think through complex problems and have stimulating intellectual debate. To me this is ample evidence of a Designer. To you maybe not.
And, what is the whole point of the Bible? Yes, to get us to believe that God does exist; that Jesus came from heaven to save us from our sin; and also to teach us how to love and forgive and live together in harmony with ourselves and with our neighbors and with people from all other races on the planet. What do we have against that?
I'm going to try to respond paragraph by paragraph to make this easy on us! lol
Par. 1: If you can point me to the proof of these digs and their connection to the bible, I will bbe more than willing to take a look.
Yes, it does make people silly, because they believe such a story. If it were happening now it would be different. "In Jesus' day" is part of that story. That is not fact. There is no proof of Jesus, there is no proof of his resurrection. He is a character, just like Robinson Caruso, or Hamlet.
And of course everyone thought the platypus guy was nuts, but he was able to prove its existence! Not one single follower of faith can prove an existence of a god. And you don't have to believe that I am a human being, but due to the physical nature of this conversation, I have to exist.
Par. 2: I do not have any proof that god or jesus did not and do not exist, but I do not need any. It is not up to non-believers to disprove something that isn't already proven. I am open to the possibility, but it is up to the people of faith to convince me, not the other way around.
I am open minded, and you might find one of my hubs interesting: http://hubpages.com/_CFRefers/hub/Does-a-Fear-of-G
Par. 3: Science has explained the way our brains work. They have broken it down and understand it. They know what our bodies are comprised of the same way we know what plastic is comprised of. It is a simple coming together of elements. Well actually its not simple at all, but in theory that is all it is.
Par. 4: I do not disagree that the bible teaches good values and morals, however I do not think that a book should dictate how we as people live. We should live this way because it is hurtful not to. The sheer emotion of being treated poorly should make anyone want to do good. To live this way based on the premise that if you do, you will be rewarded is odd to say the least. We should never seek reward for a good deed. A mother can and does teach a child to love and forgive and live together in harmony.
Jesus also teaches that homosexuality is a sin, which is ridiculous. This would mean that they are not equal to heterosexuals, so really he is not teaching us to live in harmony but to dsicriminate. Why is it that we have such an issue with gay marriage? Because of the lawmakers who live their lives according to the bible.
sidenote: I am enjoying this debate, and I hope you are not taking any of this personally. These are just opinions and a healthy conversation.
Thank you for the conversation. I respect your opinions and enjoy the debate. I do take it a little personally because I want everyone to have a personal relationship with the Living God. I know he exists just like I know the wind exists. I cannot see the wind but its effects are very visible. I will take a look at your hub in order to get to know you better. I would like to continue this conversation, but I wonder if you will take a look at an article I wrote on Squidoo.com titled Freedom of the Heart Group. It is a description of my dream organization and in it I delineate my personal values and pet causes.
I will wait a day or two and then continue the discussion.
If you can get me the link I will check it out. I don't know my way around Squidoo.
Anyway, I understand you taking it personally for those reasons, but please do not take this as me attacking you in any way, because that is not at all what it is. As long as we are on the same page as far as this is concerned, I would love to continue the convo.
We are on the same page. I have not felt as if you are attacking me in any way. You have been very cordial, as you have with Marine on your own hub.
Here is the link:
www.squidoo.com/freedomoftheheart
I read the article. When you are ready to pick up the conversation, just shoot me a message or something. You said you wanted a day or two so I'll check back then as well!
Thanks for reading the Squidoo lens. I appreciate it.
I had said I would return to this discussion after a couple days. I did not forget. However, yesterday I began a Ph. D. program and am currently at a required residency in Virginia. This has limited my time to do just about anything else. I hope C. and any other potential commentators will understand.
I think if someone is sincere in at least looking at some solid evidence for the reliability of the Bible, a good place to start is with Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell. From a philosophical perspective, C. S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity is another insightful book.
C.Ferreira 3 years ago
I'm sorry, but you have not convinced me that the bible is reliable. People like me need proof!
The animated show, Family Guy, is a portrayal of real people with real problems. Should I then live my life by, and believe everything that I see on that show? No...that would be ridiculous.
Give me some proof and evidence, and maybe you can hook me!