From: rohwerwd@netcom.com (W. David Rohwer)
Subject: Re: Unfounded Biblical Faith 
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 92 04:45:25 GMT
Organization: Netcom - San Jose, CA

In article <xqdHjzmm6@cs.psu.edu> kiledal@lisp.cs.psu.edu (Erik Kiledal) writes:
>In article <srqjlpn.rohwerwd@netcom.com> rohwerwd@netcom.com (W. David Rohwer)
>writes:
>>     As you should know by now, the Bible contains many contradictions
>>and errors and as a consequence does not stand up to logic.  
>
>Why don't you list a few?
>

     Ok, I will list two.

     Number 1:  The two creation stories in Genesis.

  Genesis 1:                        Genesis 2:

   Day 1:                            Act 1:
     God created light(day),           God created earth and heavens.
     dark(night). 

   Day 2:
     God created sky.

   Day 3:                            Act 2:
     God created seas, land and        God created streams and earth water.
     vegetation.

   Day 4:
     God created sun, moon and
     stars.

   Day 5:
     God created sea life and 
     birds.

   Day 6:                            Act 3:
     God created land life and         God created man.
     man.

                                     Act 4:
                                       God created a garden in Eden.

                                     Act 5:
                                       God put man (Adam) into Eden.

                                     Act 6:
                                       God created land life and birds.

                                     Act 7:
                                       God created woman (Eve).


     As one can see, there are differences in the creation event sequence
between Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 which is a contradiction.

     Number 2: Changeability of God.

          1)  In at least 12 verses, the Bible states that God is
              unchangeable: Num 23:19, 1 Sa 25:29, Job 36:5, Ps 33:11,
                            Ps 89:34, Ps 102:27, Ps 110:4, Mal 3:6
                            Tit 1:2, Heb 6:17-18, Heb 13:8, Jas 1:17.

          2)  In two books, God gave Moses the "Eye for Eye, Tooth for
              Tooth" law: Lev 24:17-20, Dt 19:21.

          3)  In Mt 5:38-40:  Jesus says, "You have heard that it was
                              said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'
                              But I tell you, Do not resist an evil
                              person.  If someone strikes you on the
                              right cheek, turn to him the other one
                              also.  And if someone wants to sue you
                              and take your tunic, let him have your
                              cloak as well."

       As one can see, God changes between 2 and 3 which causes a
       contradiction of 1. 


>>A couple of errors are the creation story and the virgin birth.  
>
>There is no controversy between the creation story and science. The
>virgin birth was a miracle, not an error. [The virgin birth cannot be
>_proven_ to be either true or false.]
>

     Sure there is a major difference between the creation story and
science.  In Genesis 1, the creation story states that God created
vegetation one day before God created the Sun.  From the biology classes
that I took, vegetation can not live without the Sun.  Therefore, 
vegetation could not have been created before the Sun.  The universe
was not created in six days as stated in Genesis 1.

     The virgin birth is a false miracle.  The only way that Mary
could have conceived Jesus is by a man's sperm contacting Mary's egg.
That could have done in two ways: coitus or the placement of a man's
semen into her vagina via some means not involving coitus.  If
Mary was a vigin, then the latter occurred and Mary had a virgin
birth.


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