PART TWO:
| ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE EXISTENCE OF GOD |
FOREWORD
First of all, the reader should be reminded that the preceding arguments and the
following objections to them are not mere verbal games or idle speculations bearing
little relevance to everyday living. These questions are the most basic and the most
important ones in the life of any individual, because whether he is aware of it or
not, the way he answers them controls his life from moment to moment and from
beginning to end. And yet, not one in a thousand ever thinks about them seriously
or even feels they should be thought about seriously. Most persons who have been
reared in any of the great supernaturalist religions have a deep distrust of human
reason. They feel that man's reason is too easily deluded and misled; therefore
they base their entire philosophies of life on a cornerstone of faith. "Faith," in this
case is taken to mean belief in a principle, without evidence to support the
principle, or even in spite of evidence to the contrary. Such persons feel it
irrelevant or even hazardous to the welfare of their souls to question the creeds
into which they were born.
The Christian finds it unnecessary to probe too deeply into the reasons for his
faith; he simply "knows" that it is the only true faith within a world of false ones,
and of course it is pointless and dangerous to take false doctrines seriously. The
Jews, the Moslems, the Hindus, etc., all feel exactly the same way. And the history
of man has been the history of war.
We would have grave reservations about doing business with a man who blindly
invested his entire life-savings in a firm, the very existence of which he had never
even bothered to determine. Yet, in our country the very billboards proclaim it the
duty of every American to dedicate not just his money but his entire life to some
faith ... any faith! ... faith in what is immaterial! "Faith" has become a very salable
commodity, and anyone who dares to question its desirability is labeled subversive.
But we would say of the man who invested his money, that he was either mentally
incompetent or emotionally disturbed in that one area of life. And since he behaves
reasonably in his other activities we must ascribe to him the latter explanation. So,
too, must we explain the irrational adherence to a religious faith.
The emotional disturbance on which faith rests is obviously fear. There is the fear
of supernatural retribution, and the fear of social ostracism and material penalties.
(1)
But animals are controlled by fear. Children are directed by fear. Only adult
humans are capable of being guided by reason.
No one would wish to place his life in the hands of a terrified animal or child. Yet,
when a man sacrifices his reason for fear-motivated faith he does just that.
It is true that man's reason is fallible. But it is infinitely superior to blind emotion.
In shaping our own destinies and those of others, reason may be a clumsy tool, but
it is the only one we have.
Let us now turn to a reasonable discussion of the existence of God. (2)
following objections to them are not mere verbal games or idle speculations bearing
little relevance to everyday living. These questions are the most basic and the most
important ones in the life of any individual, because whether he is aware of it or
not, the way he answers them controls his life from moment to moment and from
beginning to end. And yet, not one in a thousand ever thinks about them seriously
or even feels they should be thought about seriously. Most persons who have been
reared in any of the great supernaturalist religions have a deep distrust of human
reason. They feel that man's reason is too easily deluded and misled; therefore
they base their entire philosophies of life on a cornerstone of faith. "Faith," in this
case is taken to mean belief in a principle, without evidence to support the
principle, or even in spite of evidence to the contrary. Such persons feel it
irrelevant or even hazardous to the welfare of their souls to question the creeds
into which they were born.
The Christian finds it unnecessary to probe too deeply into the reasons for his
faith; he simply "knows" that it is the only true faith within a world of false ones,
and of course it is pointless and dangerous to take false doctrines seriously. The
Jews, the Moslems, the Hindus, etc., all feel exactly the same way. And the history
of man has been the history of war.
We would have grave reservations about doing business with a man who blindly
invested his entire life-savings in a firm, the very existence of which he had never
even bothered to determine. Yet, in our country the very billboards proclaim it the
duty of every American to dedicate not just his money but his entire life to some
faith ... any faith! ... faith in what is immaterial! "Faith" has become a very salable
commodity, and anyone who dares to question its desirability is labeled subversive.
But we would say of the man who invested his money, that he was either mentally
incompetent or emotionally disturbed in that one area of life. And since he behaves
reasonably in his other activities we must ascribe to him the latter explanation. So,
too, must we explain the irrational adherence to a religious faith.
The emotional disturbance on which faith rests is obviously fear. There is the fear
of supernatural retribution, and the fear of social ostracism and material penalties.
(1)
But animals are controlled by fear. Children are directed by fear. Only adult
humans are capable of being guided by reason.
No one would wish to place his life in the hands of a terrified animal or child. Yet,
when a man sacrifices his reason for fear-motivated faith he does just that.
It is true that man's reason is fallible. But it is infinitely superior to blind emotion.
In shaping our own destinies and those of others, reason may be a clumsy tool, but
it is the only one we have.
Let us now turn to a reasonable discussion of the existence of God. (2)
"REVEALED" THEOLOGY
Biblical Argument (a) "The Bible is the inspired Word of God. We know it is
true because it says so in 2 Tim 3:16, and 2 Pet 1:20."
First Objection to Biblical Argument (a)
This may sound like a weak argument to many, but an amazing number of people
still voice it as the primary source of their beliefs -- regardless of what their beliefs
may be. Socialists and capitalists, nudists and puritans, prohibitionists and
brewmasters, integrationists and segregationists, abolitionists and slave owners,
munitions makers and pacifists, etc., etc., ad infinitum, have all pointed to some
passage in the Bible to prove that God, Himself, agrees with their particular point
of view. Perhaps the Bible retains its best-seller popularity precisely because it is
all things to all people. But because of its widespread use as a propaganda tool to
justify the most absurd prejudices, perhaps it does deserve some careful attention.
When a used car salesman puts his hand on your shoulder and says in a
confidential tone, "M' friend, I'm gonna tell you the real truth about this little car,"
every civilized man knows that he is about to hear the most fantastic lie he has
encountered in many a day. Obviously, merely stating that something is true does
not make it so. It is also obvious that the more a liar has at stake, the more
desperate he is to convince. The salesman has his livelihood at stake, an
advertising agency has its corporate existence, a diplomat has the lives of his
people, and a religious zealot has the immortal souls of millions at issue. The
prophets and apostles of the Bible could verily smell the fumes of Hell curling
about their feet, and they were certain that if they failed to convince everyone of
the truth, they would be swallowed up by the eternal lake of fire. So it was of no
importance to them if a few facts had to be stretched here and there in order to
get across the real truth. Peter and Paul undoubtedly thought that all scripture was
dictated by God. But that does not prove it was.
Second Objection to Biblical Argument (a)
Such an argument is a logical fallacy called "begging the question." It assumes as
an unstated Major Premise, the conclusion it is trying to prove. Thus:
(Unstated assumption) Major Premise: "Every statement in the Bible is true."
(Stated) Minor Premise: "One statement says that all statements in this book are
true."
Conclusion: "Therefore, all statements in the Bible are true."
Biblical Argument (b) "We know it is true because millions of people have
believed it, lived, and died by it."
Objection to Biblical Argument (b)
Many thousands have, indeed, believed the Scriptures true, but more than twice
as many people in the world have not believed it.
Biblical Argument (c) "We know it is true because it has survived all these
thousands of years.”
Objection to Biblical Argument (c)
The Bible has, indeed, survived many years, but the Sacred Scriptures of
Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and many other religions are much older.
true because it says so in 2 Tim 3:16, and 2 Pet 1:20."
First Objection to Biblical Argument (a)
This may sound like a weak argument to many, but an amazing number of people
still voice it as the primary source of their beliefs -- regardless of what their beliefs
may be. Socialists and capitalists, nudists and puritans, prohibitionists and
brewmasters, integrationists and segregationists, abolitionists and slave owners,
munitions makers and pacifists, etc., etc., ad infinitum, have all pointed to some
passage in the Bible to prove that God, Himself, agrees with their particular point
of view. Perhaps the Bible retains its best-seller popularity precisely because it is
all things to all people. But because of its widespread use as a propaganda tool to
justify the most absurd prejudices, perhaps it does deserve some careful attention.
When a used car salesman puts his hand on your shoulder and says in a
confidential tone, "M' friend, I'm gonna tell you the real truth about this little car,"
every civilized man knows that he is about to hear the most fantastic lie he has
encountered in many a day. Obviously, merely stating that something is true does
not make it so. It is also obvious that the more a liar has at stake, the more
desperate he is to convince. The salesman has his livelihood at stake, an
advertising agency has its corporate existence, a diplomat has the lives of his
people, and a religious zealot has the immortal souls of millions at issue. The
prophets and apostles of the Bible could verily smell the fumes of Hell curling
about their feet, and they were certain that if they failed to convince everyone of
the truth, they would be swallowed up by the eternal lake of fire. So it was of no
importance to them if a few facts had to be stretched here and there in order to
get across the real truth. Peter and Paul undoubtedly thought that all scripture was
dictated by God. But that does not prove it was.
Second Objection to Biblical Argument (a)
Such an argument is a logical fallacy called "begging the question." It assumes as
an unstated Major Premise, the conclusion it is trying to prove. Thus:
(Unstated assumption) Major Premise: "Every statement in the Bible is true."
(Stated) Minor Premise: "One statement says that all statements in this book are
true."
Conclusion: "Therefore, all statements in the Bible are true."
Biblical Argument (b) "We know it is true because millions of people have
believed it, lived, and died by it."
Objection to Biblical Argument (b)
Many thousands have, indeed, believed the Scriptures true, but more than twice
as many people in the world have not believed it.
Biblical Argument (c) "We know it is true because it has survived all these
thousands of years.”
Objection to Biblical Argument (c)
The Bible has, indeed, survived many years, but the Sacred Scriptures of
Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and many other religions are much older.
Biblical Argument (d) "We know it is true because every day scientists come
closer and closer to agreeing with everything it says."
Objection to Biblical Argument (d)
Very well, let us now proceed to compare the Bible with today's scientific
evidence. And while we are about it, let us also compare the scriptures with
themselves. If all Scripture were dictated by God, and God is perfect, then all of
God's commandments and dealings with man, as reported in the Scriptures, must
also be perfectly clear, just, consistent, and unchangeable. If they are not, then
either God was not capable of making them so; or the scribes who took down
His dictation misunderstood Him; or God deliberately made His instructions
confusing out of sheer malice.
A most puzzling phenomenon is that of a Christian who has "read" the Bible
through many times, and then maintains that he "believes every word of it." In
view of the following notes, the only explanation for this behavior is that for
many Christians, Bible-Reading is a ritual; the Bible itself becomes an idol to be
worshiped, and instead of burning incense to it, or chanting in Latin, or spinning a
prayer wheel, or counting beads, the modern Protestant follows the verses with
his eyes and mumbles the words to himself. Since the words are patently
meaningless today, but since he does not dare admit this, he continues to mumble
on, while thinking of something else. If, though, some absurdity is accidentally
called to his attention, he calls it a "Great Mystery" that God does not allow us to
"understand yet," and tries to forget about it.
Let us start at the beginning.
closer and closer to agreeing with everything it says."
Objection to Biblical Argument (d)
Very well, let us now proceed to compare the Bible with today's scientific
evidence. And while we are about it, let us also compare the scriptures with
themselves. If all Scripture were dictated by God, and God is perfect, then all of
God's commandments and dealings with man, as reported in the Scriptures, must
also be perfectly clear, just, consistent, and unchangeable. If they are not, then
either God was not capable of making them so; or the scribes who took down
His dictation misunderstood Him; or God deliberately made His instructions
confusing out of sheer malice.
A most puzzling phenomenon is that of a Christian who has "read" the Bible
through many times, and then maintains that he "believes every word of it." In
view of the following notes, the only explanation for this behavior is that for
many Christians, Bible-Reading is a ritual; the Bible itself becomes an idol to be
worshiped, and instead of burning incense to it, or chanting in Latin, or spinning a
prayer wheel, or counting beads, the modern Protestant follows the verses with
his eyes and mumbles the words to himself. Since the words are patently
meaningless today, but since he does not dare admit this, he continues to mumble
on, while thinking of something else. If, though, some absurdity is accidentally
called to his attention, he calls it a "Great Mystery" that God does not allow us to
"understand yet," and tries to forget about it.
Let us start at the beginning.
| Contradictions, Conflicts with Modern Beliefs, and Points of Interest (3) |
Gen 1:2 "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep;
and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters." But where were the waters lying
if the earth had not yet been created? This statement apparently assumes the ancient theory of
the earth as an island floating in a limitless ocean -- perhaps on the back of a giant turtle.
Gen 1:5 There was morning and night: one day, etc. But, Gen 1:14, the sun was not created until
the fourth "day."
Gen 1:20 God created creatures first, then man. But in Gen 2:18 He created man first, then
creatures.
Gen 4:17 Adam's family supposed to be only human beings, but suddenly Enoch and Cain take
wives from out of nowhere. Cain and his wife then build a city -- just the two of them, a city,
which implies thousands of people.
Gen 16:1, and 30:1 God condones adultery. Contra commandments.
Gen 34:1-35:5 Jacob's sons break covenant and slaughter and loot whole city. God condones it.
Contra commandments for murder and theft.
Ex 2:11 Moses murders someone in cold blood. God condones it. Contra commandments.
Ex 22:29 The first son of every family must be killed as a sacrificial offering.
Ex 32:25 God and Moses order a group of men to turn on their own sons, fathers, and brothers.
They do, and slaughter 3,000. Contra commandments for murder, honoring parents, and "sins of
fathers shall not be visited on children."
Ex 32:3-14, and Num 14:10 God gets upset with His people ... gonna slay 'em all. Moses twice
talks Him out of it. Contra Heb 7:21 and Jas 1:16 God does not change His mind. Contra Heb 7:
18 and 8:6-13 in which God changes His mind twice more.
Deut 24:16 says fathers shall not suffer for sins of children, or children for sins of fathers. Which
is opposed to His consistent behavior, as for example in Gen 19:24, Sodom and Gomorrah,
where He kills everyone, including the children.
Deut 22:20 Woman must be stoned to death if hymen found to be missing before marriage.
Contra commandment for killing and contra Jn 8:53 "Let him without sin cast the first stone."
Gen 3:8, Ex 33, 34:5-14, & Num 12:5 God is clearly man-like and not "All-Knowing." Also Ex
12:13 When God "sees" the blood on the door, He will then know who is in the house, and He
will "Passover" it and not harm it. And in 1 Sam 8:21 "When Samuel had heard all the words of
the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord." All of which are contrary to Heb 4:13,
which says nothing is hidden from the Lord.
2 Kings 10 Seventy innocent children are beheaded, and 42 helpless prisoners are murdered
under the auspices of Elisha - a man of God.
2 Kings 2:24 Boys call Elisha "bald-head," and he "curses them in the Name of the Lord," and
she-bears come out of the woods and mangle 42 of them.
Prov 19:8 "He who gets wisdom and loves himself will prosper." Contra Prov 16:18 "Pride goes
before destruction," and Mt 10:16, 10:19, 1 Tim 6:20, & 1 Cor 8:2 Wisdom is evil, and
knowledge is sin.
Is 13:9 God is called "cruel" and examples are given to prove it: "Behold, the day of the Lord
comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger. . . . whoever is found will be thrust through.... Their
infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives
ravished." Which considerably contradicts "God is Love," "Sins of fathers not visited on
children," God of Mercy, Justice, and quite a few commandments.
Is 54:9 God swears never to get angry with Israel again. However, in Is 59:15, & Jer 39 He
does get angry with them again and slays them by the thousands. Which also happens to
contradict Jas 1:16, the unchangeability of God, and a considerable number of attributes and
commandments.
Hos 13:16 "Samaria shall bear her guilt, because she rebelled against her God; they shall fall by
the sword, their little ones shall be dashed to pieces and their pregnant women ripped open."
Contra killing commandment, God of Love, Mercy, Kindness, and Deut 24:16 "Children shall
not suffer for sins of fathers."
Joel 2:12 God "repents" of "evil" that He has done. And also Amos 3:6 "Does evil befall a city
unless the Lord has done it?" Both of which contradict a God of perfect goodness.
Zeph 1:1 God says He will destroy the entire earth and every person on it. Then from 3:9 He
says, afterwards everyone will be nice. Contra logic: who would be nice and where?
Ex 35:1 God says one shall not even light a fire on the Sabbath. Contra Mk 2:27 Jesus says
"The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Then He proceeds to work on the
Sabbath.
Lev 11:1 God explains what is, and is not edible. May not eat pork, rabbit, squirrel, shellfish,
etc. In fact, no animal is clean unless it has a cloven hoof and chews a cud, (with the exception of
locusts and grasshoppers, which are permissible). Contra Mk 7:14, Gen 1:31, & Tim 4:4 which
say that everything made by God is clean.
Lev 24:16-22 God says if anyone blasphemes, he must be stoned to death; also, if anyone kills
or harms anyone else, an eye must be given for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. Contra
killing commandment, and Jesus' "Forgive your enemies," and "Turn the other cheek."
Josh 24:19 God will not forgive sins. Contra Lk 15:7. Repent sins and they will be forgiven.
Prov 14:15 "The simple believe anything. But the prudent man looks where he is going." Contra
Mt 18:3, Mk 10:15, & Lk 18:17 "Truly, I say unto you, unless you turn and believe as little
children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Prov 6:16-19 God hates one who sows discord among brothers. But in Gen 11:14 He likes
discord. Tower of Babel story: "And the Lord said, behold, they are one people, and they have
all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they
propose will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and therefore confuse their
language that they might not understand one another's speech." Also contra Mt 10:34, Jesus says
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man
against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-
in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household."
Eccles 9:9 Enjoy this life, for there is no other; when you are dead, there is no consciousness.
Contra Rom 8:18, Jn 12:25, & Mk 8:34 Must hate this life or suffer eternally. He who loves his
life will lose it, etc.
Is 46:8 God says "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me." Contra
Jesus, who said he existed always with the Father. "Even before Adam, I was," etc.
Gen 3:7, Jer 13:26, & Lev 15:16-19 Sex organs are shameful. Contra Gen 1:27 "So God
created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created
them.... And God saw everything He had made, and behold, it was very good." Also contra Tim
4:4, & Mk 7:14 All things made by God are good.
Deut 24:1 Moses says if one is displeased with a wife, give her a bill of divorce, and you may
both remarry. Contra Mt 19:9 in which Jesus says divorce is sinful, and Mk 10:2-12 remarriage
is adultery.
Jn 8:53 or (8:7) A woman admits adultery and does not repent, but Jesus forgives her anyway.
Contra Lk 13:5 which says sins may be forgiven only if repented.
Heb 5:13 Inability to distinguish good from evil is a sign of immaturity. Contra Gen 3:4 in which
the ability to distinguish good from evil was the primary sin.
and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters." But where were the waters lying
if the earth had not yet been created? This statement apparently assumes the ancient theory of
the earth as an island floating in a limitless ocean -- perhaps on the back of a giant turtle.
Gen 1:5 There was morning and night: one day, etc. But, Gen 1:14, the sun was not created until
the fourth "day."
Gen 1:20 God created creatures first, then man. But in Gen 2:18 He created man first, then
creatures.
Gen 4:17 Adam's family supposed to be only human beings, but suddenly Enoch and Cain take
wives from out of nowhere. Cain and his wife then build a city -- just the two of them, a city,
which implies thousands of people.
Gen 16:1, and 30:1 God condones adultery. Contra commandments.
Gen 34:1-35:5 Jacob's sons break covenant and slaughter and loot whole city. God condones it.
Contra commandments for murder and theft.
Ex 2:11 Moses murders someone in cold blood. God condones it. Contra commandments.
Ex 22:29 The first son of every family must be killed as a sacrificial offering.
Ex 32:25 God and Moses order a group of men to turn on their own sons, fathers, and brothers.
They do, and slaughter 3,000. Contra commandments for murder, honoring parents, and "sins of
fathers shall not be visited on children."
Ex 32:3-14, and Num 14:10 God gets upset with His people ... gonna slay 'em all. Moses twice
talks Him out of it. Contra Heb 7:21 and Jas 1:16 God does not change His mind. Contra Heb 7:
18 and 8:6-13 in which God changes His mind twice more.
Deut 24:16 says fathers shall not suffer for sins of children, or children for sins of fathers. Which
is opposed to His consistent behavior, as for example in Gen 19:24, Sodom and Gomorrah,
where He kills everyone, including the children.
Deut 22:20 Woman must be stoned to death if hymen found to be missing before marriage.
Contra commandment for killing and contra Jn 8:53 "Let him without sin cast the first stone."
Gen 3:8, Ex 33, 34:5-14, & Num 12:5 God is clearly man-like and not "All-Knowing." Also Ex
12:13 When God "sees" the blood on the door, He will then know who is in the house, and He
will "Passover" it and not harm it. And in 1 Sam 8:21 "When Samuel had heard all the words of
the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord." All of which are contrary to Heb 4:13,
which says nothing is hidden from the Lord.
2 Kings 10 Seventy innocent children are beheaded, and 42 helpless prisoners are murdered
under the auspices of Elisha - a man of God.
2 Kings 2:24 Boys call Elisha "bald-head," and he "curses them in the Name of the Lord," and
she-bears come out of the woods and mangle 42 of them.
Prov 19:8 "He who gets wisdom and loves himself will prosper." Contra Prov 16:18 "Pride goes
before destruction," and Mt 10:16, 10:19, 1 Tim 6:20, & 1 Cor 8:2 Wisdom is evil, and
knowledge is sin.
Is 13:9 God is called "cruel" and examples are given to prove it: "Behold, the day of the Lord
comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger. . . . whoever is found will be thrust through.... Their
infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives
ravished." Which considerably contradicts "God is Love," "Sins of fathers not visited on
children," God of Mercy, Justice, and quite a few commandments.
Is 54:9 God swears never to get angry with Israel again. However, in Is 59:15, & Jer 39 He
does get angry with them again and slays them by the thousands. Which also happens to
contradict Jas 1:16, the unchangeability of God, and a considerable number of attributes and
commandments.
Hos 13:16 "Samaria shall bear her guilt, because she rebelled against her God; they shall fall by
the sword, their little ones shall be dashed to pieces and their pregnant women ripped open."
Contra killing commandment, God of Love, Mercy, Kindness, and Deut 24:16 "Children shall
not suffer for sins of fathers."
Joel 2:12 God "repents" of "evil" that He has done. And also Amos 3:6 "Does evil befall a city
unless the Lord has done it?" Both of which contradict a God of perfect goodness.
Zeph 1:1 God says He will destroy the entire earth and every person on it. Then from 3:9 He
says, afterwards everyone will be nice. Contra logic: who would be nice and where?
Ex 35:1 God says one shall not even light a fire on the Sabbath. Contra Mk 2:27 Jesus says
"The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Then He proceeds to work on the
Sabbath.
Lev 11:1 God explains what is, and is not edible. May not eat pork, rabbit, squirrel, shellfish,
etc. In fact, no animal is clean unless it has a cloven hoof and chews a cud, (with the exception of
locusts and grasshoppers, which are permissible). Contra Mk 7:14, Gen 1:31, & Tim 4:4 which
say that everything made by God is clean.
Lev 24:16-22 God says if anyone blasphemes, he must be stoned to death; also, if anyone kills
or harms anyone else, an eye must be given for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. Contra
killing commandment, and Jesus' "Forgive your enemies," and "Turn the other cheek."
Josh 24:19 God will not forgive sins. Contra Lk 15:7. Repent sins and they will be forgiven.
Prov 14:15 "The simple believe anything. But the prudent man looks where he is going." Contra
Mt 18:3, Mk 10:15, & Lk 18:17 "Truly, I say unto you, unless you turn and believe as little
children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Prov 6:16-19 God hates one who sows discord among brothers. But in Gen 11:14 He likes
discord. Tower of Babel story: "And the Lord said, behold, they are one people, and they have
all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they
propose will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and therefore confuse their
language that they might not understand one another's speech." Also contra Mt 10:34, Jesus says
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man
against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-
in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household."
Eccles 9:9 Enjoy this life, for there is no other; when you are dead, there is no consciousness.
Contra Rom 8:18, Jn 12:25, & Mk 8:34 Must hate this life or suffer eternally. He who loves his
life will lose it, etc.
Is 46:8 God says "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me." Contra
Jesus, who said he existed always with the Father. "Even before Adam, I was," etc.
Gen 3:7, Jer 13:26, & Lev 15:16-19 Sex organs are shameful. Contra Gen 1:27 "So God
created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created
them.... And God saw everything He had made, and behold, it was very good." Also contra Tim
4:4, & Mk 7:14 All things made by God are good.
Deut 24:1 Moses says if one is displeased with a wife, give her a bill of divorce, and you may
both remarry. Contra Mt 19:9 in which Jesus says divorce is sinful, and Mk 10:2-12 remarriage
is adultery.
Jn 8:53 or (8:7) A woman admits adultery and does not repent, but Jesus forgives her anyway.
Contra Lk 13:5 which says sins may be forgiven only if repented.
Heb 5:13 Inability to distinguish good from evil is a sign of immaturity. Contra Gen 3:4 in which
the ability to distinguish good from evil was the primary sin.
Many Christians today claim to believe only the New Testament, and not the
Old, yet Paul and Jesus both verify that all of the Old Testament is absolutely
true. Heb 11:1-39, & Mt 5:17 Jesus says "I do not come to abolish the laws and
the prophets, but to fulfill them." However, as these notes indicate, He was
constantly contradicting them.
Preachers today are fond of pontificating that the Gospels were on-the-scene
accounts written with divine guidance by the original disciples for whom they
are named.
But this theory presents a number of difficulties:
The four stories duplicate each other in many points, contradict each other in
many others, and each story omits many elements contained in one or more of
the others. The direct contradictions are, of course, irreconcilable. But are not
the omissions also irreconcilable with the duplications? If we give credence to
the stories which are duplicated, then the omissions make no sense. If all
important events are to be repeated in each Gospel, but in different words, what
are we to think of those which appear less than four times? Are we to take a
census? Are we to put our greatest faith in those stories which appear in all four
Gospels, and become increasingly skeptical of those incidents which appear less
often? If we do that, we assume that God is not trustworthy, that He sometimes
lies to us.
Are we to believe that the stories which appear less often are not less true, but
less important to God's plan, and those which appear more often are more
important? In that case, the virgin birth and the resurrection are not very
important because the virgin birth is mentioned by only two authors, and no two
authors agree on what, exactly, happened after the crucifixion.
On the other hand, if we give credence to the occurrences which appear only
once, on the assumption that the Gospels are intended to complement, instead
of reiterate each other, then the duplicated stories make no sense. Is God an
absent-minded old man who kept forgetting that He had already told us the
same story two or three times before? If a human reporter were that absent
minded, if his work were that inconsistent, we would certainly have little
confidence in the accuracy of his accounts.
Many Christians try to excuse God from these difficulties by saying that, after
all, the Bible was not written by God's own hand; it was written by mere
mortals who were inspired by God, and anything touched by human beings,
much less a committee of them, is bound to get muddled.
But this is no excuse at all. If the Bible is the Word of God, and not just the
word of men, then the fact remains that this is the manner in which God chose
to communicate with men; and if men got His messages garbled, it is because
God permitted them to. Didn't God have the power to get His messages clearly
transcribed if He had wished?
If we assume that God had nothing to do with the actual writing of the Bible,
that He only caused the events, which were then recorded by unaided mortals
as best they could, then the Bible is not the "Word of God," but the word of
men. It is then no more reliable than any other book. In fact, it is a good deal
less reliable than most books because it was not written by trained observers,
but credulous peasants. In that case, a disagreement, whether contradiction or
inconsistency, is simply a disagreement about what happened rather than sloppy
writing on the part of God. However, if the authors of the Gospels had been on-
the-scene reporters keeping running accounts of things as they happened, aware
of their responsibility to countless unborn souls, one would think the disciples
would at least compare notes and talk to each other about the unprecedented
events they observed. But Matthew, for example, says that all children in the
province were massacred in an effort to kill the infant Jesus. Later, he says that
upon Jesus' death, there was an earthquake, and the tombs were opened and the
dead arose. Mark, Luke, and John do not flatly call Matthew a liar, but neither
do they mention any such slaughter, earthquake, or wholesale resurrection. One
would think that competent reporters would not have allowed these little news
items to escape their attention. Mark and Luke report that during the crucifixion
the sun was blotted out for three hours over the whole earth. But that minor
detail was overlooked by Matthew, John, and the entire Roman Empire, the
records of which contain no eclipse or unusual meteorological phenomena at
that time.
If those four authors could not agree on events of such magnitude which,
according to the preachers' theory, they all observed together, there is small
wonder they could not agree on the smaller and more complex details - like
what Jesus said or did not say.
Scholars use a method of linguistic analysis to locate the composition of a work
at a particular time and place. And this method has shown the preachers' theory
to be false. Actually, historical scholarship reveals that the four Gospels were
written between 60 and 100 C.E. But even without considering that evidence,
the notes which will follow should suggest the greater probability of the Gospels
having been written many years after the events described, by persons who had
not observed them directly, and who had never even read each other's books
carefully, if at all.
The probability of their having been unified by a divine hand, we have already
considered.
Old, yet Paul and Jesus both verify that all of the Old Testament is absolutely
true. Heb 11:1-39, & Mt 5:17 Jesus says "I do not come to abolish the laws and
the prophets, but to fulfill them." However, as these notes indicate, He was
constantly contradicting them.
Preachers today are fond of pontificating that the Gospels were on-the-scene
accounts written with divine guidance by the original disciples for whom they
are named.
But this theory presents a number of difficulties:
The four stories duplicate each other in many points, contradict each other in
many others, and each story omits many elements contained in one or more of
the others. The direct contradictions are, of course, irreconcilable. But are not
the omissions also irreconcilable with the duplications? If we give credence to
the stories which are duplicated, then the omissions make no sense. If all
important events are to be repeated in each Gospel, but in different words, what
are we to think of those which appear less than four times? Are we to take a
census? Are we to put our greatest faith in those stories which appear in all four
Gospels, and become increasingly skeptical of those incidents which appear less
often? If we do that, we assume that God is not trustworthy, that He sometimes
lies to us.
Are we to believe that the stories which appear less often are not less true, but
less important to God's plan, and those which appear more often are more
important? In that case, the virgin birth and the resurrection are not very
important because the virgin birth is mentioned by only two authors, and no two
authors agree on what, exactly, happened after the crucifixion.
On the other hand, if we give credence to the occurrences which appear only
once, on the assumption that the Gospels are intended to complement, instead
of reiterate each other, then the duplicated stories make no sense. Is God an
absent-minded old man who kept forgetting that He had already told us the
same story two or three times before? If a human reporter were that absent
minded, if his work were that inconsistent, we would certainly have little
confidence in the accuracy of his accounts.
Many Christians try to excuse God from these difficulties by saying that, after
all, the Bible was not written by God's own hand; it was written by mere
mortals who were inspired by God, and anything touched by human beings,
much less a committee of them, is bound to get muddled.
But this is no excuse at all. If the Bible is the Word of God, and not just the
word of men, then the fact remains that this is the manner in which God chose
to communicate with men; and if men got His messages garbled, it is because
God permitted them to. Didn't God have the power to get His messages clearly
transcribed if He had wished?
If we assume that God had nothing to do with the actual writing of the Bible,
that He only caused the events, which were then recorded by unaided mortals
as best they could, then the Bible is not the "Word of God," but the word of
men. It is then no more reliable than any other book. In fact, it is a good deal
less reliable than most books because it was not written by trained observers,
but credulous peasants. In that case, a disagreement, whether contradiction or
inconsistency, is simply a disagreement about what happened rather than sloppy
writing on the part of God. However, if the authors of the Gospels had been on-
the-scene reporters keeping running accounts of things as they happened, aware
of their responsibility to countless unborn souls, one would think the disciples
would at least compare notes and talk to each other about the unprecedented
events they observed. But Matthew, for example, says that all children in the
province were massacred in an effort to kill the infant Jesus. Later, he says that
upon Jesus' death, there was an earthquake, and the tombs were opened and the
dead arose. Mark, Luke, and John do not flatly call Matthew a liar, but neither
do they mention any such slaughter, earthquake, or wholesale resurrection. One
would think that competent reporters would not have allowed these little news
items to escape their attention. Mark and Luke report that during the crucifixion
the sun was blotted out for three hours over the whole earth. But that minor
detail was overlooked by Matthew, John, and the entire Roman Empire, the
records of which contain no eclipse or unusual meteorological phenomena at
that time.
If those four authors could not agree on events of such magnitude which,
according to the preachers' theory, they all observed together, there is small
wonder they could not agree on the smaller and more complex details - like
what Jesus said or did not say.
Scholars use a method of linguistic analysis to locate the composition of a work
at a particular time and place. And this method has shown the preachers' theory
to be false. Actually, historical scholarship reveals that the four Gospels were
written between 60 and 100 C.E. But even without considering that evidence,
the notes which will follow should suggest the greater probability of the Gospels
having been written many years after the events described, by persons who had
not observed them directly, and who had never even read each other's books
carefully, if at all.
The probability of their having been unified by a divine hand, we have already
considered.
CONTINUED
