I wasn't going to reply again because you can debate religion forever, and no one will change their views. But it's just so much fun I have to leave one last thing. I think when it comes to this whole debate between science and God etc. William Shakespeare said it best: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Hamlet I, v
I see your quote and raise you our nation's founding fathers This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it - John Adams Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man. - Thomas Jefferson
It's not salesmanship "trying to CONVINCE people it's so great." It's sharing the LOVE our God has for us, including to those who do not yet believe. It's obedience to our God's command to reach out to all the world, especially the sinners, for everyone to repent "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" so that "everyone who believes and is baptized will be saved." And we don't dare to "convince", it is God who convicts the non-believers to see the light and yet have life everlasting.
Are/Were you talking about the same "science" that GOD gave veracity to, long before this same "science" ever came to be and/or believed??? Is that the "science" you're talking about? And you do know that "The Bible" records the ONLY consensus that ALL of "science" can agree on. . .don't you?
Where's the contradiction? "The righteous shall [Future] flourish like the palm tree", but right now, presently, when it seems as though "The righteous is perishing, no man (person) lays (takes) it to heart (sorrowfully). Please allow me to let you in on one of the keys to Properly understanding All Scripture: ALL perceived Scriptural contradictions are ALWAYS Interpretive.
Lev 11:19 claims bats are birds, they are mammals. Lev 11:23 claims insects have four legs. Would the inherent word of a flawless god have made these simple errors? Errors as simple as counting the legs on an animal? Sure you can claim its a translation error (or some other excuse), But if you are admitting that the bible contains errors, translation or otherwise, how do you know which bits to believe? Because, The FACT is, Unless you want to claim bats are birds and that insects have 4 legs you are going to have concede that the bible contains errors. Not small errors, factual errors. Which kind of puts a dent in the claim that it's the inherent word of a flawless god.. Unless of course your god can't count above 4. So given the two examples i gave you (i can give you more if you want) do you conceded that the bible contains errors?
No way does "Lev 11:19 claims bats are birds"; what it does is list animals that fly. . .and "bats" just happen to be in the flying category. No again. It doesn't claim that "insects have four legs", even though it says the ones that do "have four legs shall be an abomination unto you". . . but that's completely out of it proper context If you take this verse IN its proper context (using the phrase in Lev. 11:21, "those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth"), it'll then become error-less, just the way it is! Only four of the legs of this kind of insect are for walking/creeping. If the other two legs ("jointed legs above their feet") COULD NOT be used for their intended purpose ("with which to leap on the earth"), or were even altogether absent (maybe broken off), then they were not to be eaten. All insect have six legs, but the determining factor was whether 2 of them was used for their intended purpose as the four were used for their purpose. What "two examples"??? All you have given me is what every other unbeliever and critic/skeptic of "The Bible" gives: Obvious Proof Positive Evidence that you have not bothered any further investigation into THE WORD of GOD personally, to see if what you perceive(d) to be a contradiction/error is really a contradiction/error or just as [ALWAYS IS] an Interpretive error on your part. So I'll just stick to THE Inerrant and Infallible WORD of GOD (aka, "The Bible"). Just as an aside, here's something that we've (Science and the rest of us) only known for less than 100 years but was recorded in, arguably, the Old book in Scripture, Job: ". . .the springs of the sea..."
That's the whole point about religion. If you have millions of believers to join your rituals and views, you have "faith". If you are the single one to believe in something, you're just crazy.
"Yet these you may eat among all the winged insects which walk on all fours: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth." - selective editing really is the height of dishonesty. How about inconsistencies within the story it's self? 2 Kings 8:26 says "Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign..." 2 Chronicles 22:2 says "Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign..." Luke23:46: "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." John 19:30 "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." 1 Kings 4:26 says "And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots..." 2 Chronicles 9:25 says "And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots..." All of these statements can't be right can they. The bible isn't just fiction, it poorly written fiction.
Typical 'at'; When shown, positively, your error and/or misunderstanding of Scripture, your only comeback is more questions (that aren't going to make a difference with you anyway), and "The bible isn't just fiction, it poorly written fiction." Now, I'd be happy to point out the NON-contradictions to what you have listed here. . .but. . .you have to do something for both yourself and me. You have to confess your sins, ask for GOD'S Mercy, and Receive JESUS CHRIST as SAVIOR and LORD of your life. Do we have a deal???
No we don't have a deal.. let's talk like grown-ups without you trying to recruite me. Unless of course you feel your religion wouldn't stand up to scriutiny. Like most religious people you start of trying to have a reasonable discussion, but before long you inevitably find your self treading water trying to defend and explain absolute obsurdities, and that is when the inevitable preaching starts. The religious love to preach when they find themselves out of thier depth in a discussion because it gives them a way to carry on talking about thier god without having to listen to anything anyone says. Applying even the smallest amount of critical thinking to the bible should make anyone with honest intentions reject it's claims instantly. And i think you know it. because why else would you try so hard to get out of responding to what i have said?
I showed you your errors regarding the first Scriptures you presented and you didn't even have the decency to say "Thanks". Typical 'at'. Now, you're attempting to goad me into playing some little silly game? I don't think so! I know them to NOT be the contradictions that you can ONLY think them to be. It still won't make a difference if I point them out to you. . .but at the same time, I won't lose one iota of anything by NOT explaining them to you. You don't believe THE WORD of GOD ("The Bible"); I do! And since I do, I will now obey a passage of Scripture, with regards to your question ("why else would you try so hard to get out of responding to what i have said?"), found at Matthew 7:6. And just out of curiosity, how much Heaven do you think I'll miss out on if I don't "recruite" you?
Wow, not contradictions? So in your world Ahaziah could have started his reign at 22 AND 42? How does that work?
You just don't give up do you? I like that. Go to the following link: http://www.clarion-call.org/extras/kings.htm Under Kings of Israel, He was the ninth (9th) King down at age 22; Under Kings of Judah, He was the sixth (6th) King down at age 42. Same person, two different reigns under/in two different Kingdoms.
Okay, to even be able to respond to these scriptures that you reference as contradictions (which i've went through many with you before) is pretty remarkable considering we're talking about something that was written over the course of about 1600 years by forty different people. Many of which never spoke to one another. I find it pretty remarkable to say the least.