The Word of God or the Word of Man?

[redeemed098]

In some previous threads, I have taken the position that much in the Bible reflects the large probability that it was written through human inspiration as opposed to divine inspiration. If one thinks about this, there are only two possibilities--either the Bible was divinely inspired or humanly inspired.

Please read the following verse and comment, if you are wont to, about whether it is rational for a person to believe--as I do--that this verse is the product of human imagination (i.e. human inspiration) as opposed to divine inspiration from an omnibenevolent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent deity. (Please note the instruction to "kill").

Deuteronomy 22: 28-29 NAB

"As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the LORD your God hands it over to you, kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the spoils of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you."

Once again, is it rational for me to believe that this is not the work of a "four omni" God?

I don't know what you are quoting but it is not Deuteronomy 22:28,29

28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

I have no problem believing these verses are the direct words of God. As for the verses you mentioned, I know there are some similar to them in scripture and have no problem believing God spoke them either.

I stand corrected (actually, I sit corrected). The verses were Deuteronomy 20: 10-14. Thanks for calling this to my intention--I think accuracy is important.

And so too does God.

Regards,

Ben.

[redeemed098]

While all Bible difficulties and discrepances have not yet been cleared up, it is our firm conviction that as more knowledge is gained of the Bible's past, these problems will fade away. The biblical conception of God is an all-knowing, all-powerful Being, who does not contradict Himself, and so we feel that His Word, when properly understood, will not contradict itself.

(Answers To Tough Questions, pp 29-33)

The last paragraph acknowledges that contradictions exist in the Bible. The reason that they haven't "cleared" them up is because they haven't yet thought of rationalizations for them. The Bible doesn't change--the rationalizations do.

Don't forget, you are touting the Bible as "perfect", not almost perfect. Therefore, even if the Bible contained 99% consistency, which it clearly does not, it still would become fallible with one inconsistency no matter how trivial. Sorry--that's just the definition of fallibility.

But who is clearing up these difficulties and discrepancies? Fallable man. So are we really dealling with discrepancies or just the limitations of the human mind?

One can make an honest attempt at arriving at the truth, but I will agree that the human mind has its limitations. I think that in the end, it all boils down to if a person truly thinks they are being honest with themself.

How can one make an "honest" attempt at arriving at truth when to "be" honest requires already having knowledge of what truth IS...?

Regards,

Ben.

[redeemed098]

Sylvan3,

Im not quite sure I understand what you believe..You havent demonstrated through your posts that you dont believe in God. What you "have" demonstrated is that you dont seem to "like" him.

That is quite a bit different to "un"belief.

Regards,

Ben.

[Observer of dreams]

is it rational for me to believe that this is not the work of a "four omni" God?

No, because if that were true than pirates would rule the world, and we both know that has nothing to do with toast on Sunday.

[SpiritualSon]

I used the King James Version. In King James Bible it reads in John 1:3, All things were made by Him, not through Him, as it is written in other Bibles outside the king James. Creation was not made by one person through another.

Harry