Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Atheism is Dead: Bart Ehrman, Interrupted - on the Bible and Christianity


Mariano has post a great article about how Bart Ehrman tries to wiggle out of his responsibility of his conclusions concerning the Bible. He seems to believe that one can be a Christian and have a low opinion of scripture. Ehrman thinks that scripture doesn't have to true  in order for  Christianity to be worth living. He seems to have forgotten the he credits his path to agnosticism as beginning  with his rejecting the Bible as the word of God. This is a wonderful article and you should read it if you think that the Bible does not matter. It's contents are profoundly relevant especially if you see yourself as a Christian. As Mariano wrote, how can you call yourself a  follower of  Christ if you don't endorse what Jesus endorsed, do the things he said, or live the way he said if you don't know what the Bible says about him?

Atheism is Dead: Bart Ehrman, Interrupted - on the Bible and Christianity
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8 comments:

  1. Since it seems most varieties of Christians outweigh just about any demographic of non-believer, in all likelihood there ARE more Christians who have a "low opinion" of scripture than apostates like Ehrman. Just sayin.

    Ben

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  2. If you have a lower opinion of scripture than Jesus himself did, then you may have to ask if your really are a Christian. Just sayin'.

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  3. Weeeeeelll...if you want to go there, then one has to admit the only reason we know what Jesus' opinion is is b/c of that very scripture they don't have an especially high opinion of. Maybe those are some of the especially fallible parts? hehe

    Ben

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  4. May be those who don't have a high opinion of scripture are wrong. Can anyone prove that they have falliable parts? No. hehe

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  5. Maybe so, maybe not. If you recall, we started with your original contention there was no feasible Christian gray area between inerrancy and apostasy. Hence it seems you admit Ehrman was correct about that after all?

    Ben

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  6. Nope. I would say that if you do not think that the Bible is true then you can't be a Christian. No one can prove that the Bible is fallible. Translations are fallible. Interpretations can be wrong. But Ehrman says that you can believe the Bible is not inerrant but not become an apostate. I'm saying that Apostasy is the logical conclusion to rejecting that the Bible is true. I never admitted that there was a gray area. Either the Bible is completely true or its worthless. On that Ehrman and I agree. The problem is he thinks it has errors and that its transmission introduced those errors. He's wrong.

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  7. Well, we don't need to get into a huge debate. I was just trying to show that Ehrman wasn't necessarily incorrect.

    take care,

    Ben

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  8. I agree there is no debate. If the Bible is wrong...then you are still in your sins because Jesus was not raised from the dead. It's a historical fact that Jesus died on the cross. In total agreement with the Bible. Not in dispute. However people dispute the rest of the story and it's implications. Who's right? That's what it comes down to. Ehrman says the rest of the story is not true because He thinks the Bible has it wrong. As a "Christian" what parts of the Bible are true and what parts are not? We can't just throw out the parts we don't like and keep salvation. Ehrman has failed to prove that the Bible is unreliable, just like everyone one else who has tried. I have only found it reliable. As a "Christian" how can one not have a high view of scripture? It quells question and debate if we just go by what it says.

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