Debunking Christianity: Bible Contradiction Quiz Show Part 1

John Loftus has posted a video from YouTube in which there is a mock quiz show with questions from the Bible. The thing is that the questions are phrased a certain way out of context and such that the answers seem ambiguous and conflicting. Let's see if we can help with the confusion. This is part 1.





How long Does God's Anger lasts?
Micah 7:18; Jer 17:4

18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy. - Micah 7:18

4 Through your own fault you will lose
the inheritance I gave you.
I will enslave you to your enemies
in a land you do not know,
for you have kindled my anger,
and it will burn forever." - Jeremiah 17:4

There is no contradiction look at the whole verses. Micah 7:18 is with respect to the remnant. The people God saved out of the ashes of those who were consumed by his wrath that kindles against them forever in Jeremiah 17:4. There is only one message here.

Does Yaweh temp people?
Gen 22:1; James 1:13

 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!"
      "Here I am," he replied. - Genesis 22:1

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; - James 1:13

So the issue is does Genesis 22:1 say "God tested Abraham" like modern translations (ie NIV) or does it say "tempted" like the KJV. The Hebrew word in question is "nacah". Any lexicon will tell you that the word can mean to "temp" or :"test" depending on the context. So why in this verse is "test" a better translation...or even "try" as in refining metal of impurities? The answer is simple. It lies in the difference between "tempting" and "testing". "Tempting" has the goal of destruction.  The idea is to goad one into doing something wrong with awful consequences. However "testing: is about improvement. Why do we give students tests in school? It's not to watch them fail but to show what they have learned and give them more tools to run with.  God tests us. Satan tempts us. In addition, comparing the two passages is a problem because Genesis is in Hebrew and James is in Kione Greek. Are they the same ideas? In James 1:13, the word is "peirazo" and it is used to translate nacah into Greek.


Can Salvation be attained by works? Yes and No
Gal 2:16,Romans 3:28
Matt 19:17, Luke 19:26-8;James 2:24

The Bible clearly tells us that salvation cannot be attained by works. I find it interesting that the quiz does not reference what Paul or James wrote about "works". These scriptures clear up the supposed confusion.

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:8-10 (written by Paul)

¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
 ¹⁸Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
 ¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. - James 2:17-19 (Written by James)

So both Paul and James were talking about salvation and faith, but were they talking about the same "works"? No. They both use the word "Ergon" but in different contexts. Paul is talking about religious acts and traditions that people think are going to guarantee salvation. James is talking about the hypocrisy of claiming faith and salvation but never doing anything to help others! They taught the same thing when you sum up all their letters: Salvation is throught faith in Jesus Christ but we are saved to do good works but we don't do good to get salvation.


Consequences of seeding Yaweh's face? Death and life
Exodus 33:20,John 1:18; 1 Tim 6:16
Ge 32:30,Ex 33:11, Genesis 12:11; EX 24:9-11



This video answers the above:






Does Yaweh Delight in burnt offerings?
Jer 7:22
Ex:20-24

Jeremiah 7:22 is offered as a rebuttal to the idea that God does not delight in burnt offerings but it's woefully out of context.

 ²¹ " 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! ²² For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, ²³ but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.

God does desire obedience more than sacrifice but that does not mean that they were not supposed to make sacrifices!

Is God the Author of Evil
IS 45:7;1 John 4:8

This question is not a Yes or No question. The question presupposes that God is accountable for allowing evil. I wrote more about that here!

Was Humans created before the animals
Gen 2:18-9;1:25-27

Genesis 2 is a snapshot that gives more detail than Genesis 1 does.  There is no conflict because Genesis 2 does not say the animals were made after Adam, just reiterates that God did it.

Did Paul's companions hear the voice he did on the road to Damascus?
Acts 229:9; Act 9:7

Answered here.

Will the Earth last Forever?
2 Peter 3:10; Ecc 1:4

The Bible and science says no.  Ecc 1:4 is talking about the earth being a constant with respect to human life spans. It is not saying that the earth is eternal.

Is Jesus the only man to have ascended into heaven?
2 Kings 2:11; John 3:13

Jesus is the only man who ascended into heaven. He went on his own! Enoch and Elijah were taken. 

Were Children supposed to be punished for the sins of their fathers?
Deut 24:16; Deut 5:9

Again context is ignored. Deut 24:16 is in context of people punishing crime in society.  Deut 5:9  is about what God does. The two can't be confused or conflated.  Big mistake.

God never tires or rest. IS 40:28 but Is 1:14; Is 43:24

More stupidity. Isaiah 40:28 is about God not being able to be tired with respect to becoming weak after exertion. God doesn't do that. Isaiah 1:14 and 43:24 are about about being fed up with circumstance and situation. This shows that God's patience does have limits.

Debunking Christianity: Bible Contradiction Quiz Show