(June 2000)
A few weeks ago I asked this question: “How, in the year 2000, can people still believe that the bible is reliable, infallible, and without contradictions?” Questions have come to me asking “what contradictions?” To go through the thousands of contradictions in the Old and New Testament would take more space than is available in this entire newspaper. So, only a few to get your brain working. Which of the following contradictions is the one “without error”? Both cannot be right.
At what time in the morning did the women visit the tomb? At the rising of the sun (Mark 16:2), or when it was yet dark (John 20:l)? Was the tomb open or closed when they arrived? Open (Luke 24:2). Closed (Matt. 28:l).
Who came?
Mary Magdalene alone (John 20:1), or
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Matt. 28:1), or
Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome (Mark 16:1), or
Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the mother of James, and other women (Luke 24:10)?
Did Mary Magdalene know Jesus when he first appeared to her?
Yes, she did (Matt. 28:9), or
no, she did not (John 20:14).
The “Annunciation” took place after Mary was pregnant (Matt 1:18-21), or
the “Annunciation” took place before Mary was pregnant (Luke 1: 26-31).
Jesus was born during the reign of Herod, who died 4 B.C. (Matt. 2:1), or
Jesus was born at the time of Quirinius, in 6 A.D. (Luke 2:2).
Jesus was crucified when it was the third hour (Mark 15:25), or
it could not have been the third hour since he was still before Pilate (John 19:14).
At the hearing before Pilate, Jesus answered no charges (Matt. 27:14), or
Jesus responds directly to all of Pilate’s questions (John 18:33-37).
The mass of contradictions is astounding!
Believers are told in Mark 16-17 that they can “drink any deadly thing and it shall not hurt them.” For those wanting to “prove” the “reliable bible without error,” try a little arsenic and see how “reliable” it is. Or you might try playing with a few rattlesnakes to test the “without error” bible.
The Old Testament is such a mass of contradictions it would take 500 pages to document them all. Which of the two creation myths is the one without error?
Genesis 1:27, man being created last in the sequence, or
Genesis 2:7 with man created first in the sequence?
It can’t be both, so flip a coin.
In this day of biblical scholarship people who still think the bible is “infallible” or “reliable” or “without error” have been misinformed and should read the bible carefully for themselves.
“Biblical Contradictions” is copyright © 2000 by William Edelen.
The electronic version is copyright © 2000 Internet Infidels with the written permission of William Edelen.