The Bible's Candid Nature as a Proof of Divine Inspiration

under_believer

One of the proofs the Witnesses (and others) use as proof of the Bible's divinely inspired nature is its supposed candor in exposing Israel's and others' flaws. If it were written by men, the argument goes, they would have hidden their failures, inadequacies, and weaknesses. So, we see Moses taking credit for producing water from the crag; we see all of the Israelite kings who "did what was bad in the eyes of Yahweh." We see Jonah disregarding God's command and heading in the exact opposite direction of his commission.

However, there is (at least) one flaw in this theory. The flaw is that we assume that the traditionally accepted writer is the actual writer. I guess if Moses really wrote the Pentateuch, then it might be convincing that he lays bare his own flaws in so stark a manner... but this doesn't really follow if someone else wrote it as a carefully crafted morality tale designed to motivate people or develop religious control.

Many Biblical scholars now believe that much of the Torah was written after the Jewish civil war that split the kingdom, mostly by priests, as condemnations of the priesthood class of the rival nation. It would make sense, then, that a lot of the text is condemnatory of the practices of the rivals--thing like the Commandment that forbids molten images. Israel used a full on golden calf as the symbol of their worship, whereas Judah had gold-plated cherubs in the temple. The cherubs, though obvious images, were not molten and therefore didn't violate the commandment.

In any case, I disagree that the Bible's "candor" is proof of its divine inspiration, with or without the above hypothesizing. What do you think?

proplog2

The premise is that telling the truth is something impossible for humans to do. The idea that humans tell the truth only 99% of the time still leaves a gaping hole in the candor theory.

This is one of those arguments that are bundled together with other half baked arguments. But a bunch of weak arguments don't make a good argument.

gumby

Hi there underbeliever bastard guy

I think that you should not stop at reading any book that convinces you of something that is of big importance to you and the world.....that being whether or not the bible indeed does have at least some credentials as being from the person(s) who made you and I and everyone else, that offers an explanation to life and it meaning.

Read apologists explanations that go contrary to what you have been reading......then make an informed decision.

Rabbiy Gumbyghandieinstein the 3rd

{edited to correctly spell the word "you"

hamsterbait

Does that mean that all the honest and open autobiographies of recent years show divine approval of the writers?

OMG! It makes it even harder to see who is divinely inspired : The drug crazed rock star, smashing up a room on crack, or the weakened JW anorexic in ward 5 who admits she is starving herself to death because of guilty masturbation over life control issues.

"Yeah - I cheated on my wife, and almost drank myself to death..."

Proof of divine inspiration for the writer?

HB

Qcmbr

I think the only proof of the bible other than the personal experience one gets when reading it is in the fulfillment of prophecy. The awkward thing is to identify the prophecy from the biased interpretation. Too often christianity has made itself look stupid by proclaiming the fulfillment of prophecy only to change its mind when a better candidate arried. Things that suggest a divinity to the Bible to me. The continued existence of the nation of Israel including a gathering of people to their new homeland. The clear ingrediants for an Armageddon scenario. There is no nation on earth that is so precariously perched and surrounded by hostile countries and idealogies. The state of the world's ecological system and its potential collapse. The first truly global powerbase in the form of the UN. There are lots of LDS interpretations of scripture but I won't bore you with them.

AlmostAtheist

I read "Who wrote the Bible?" by Joseph Friedman (I think) and he pointed out that the Bible was actually written by many people, and then sliced and diced together later. So you have passages that support Moses (written by his friends) and passages that reveal his flaws (written by his enemies). No need for any "honest" writers, just everyone with their own agenda, and a final editor cut-n-past'ing it all together.

It's a good read, though I've read very little on the subject and couldn't say if he treats it well or not.

Dave

StillGroggy

I always thought this made the bible unique, but it in no way proves divine authorship.

M.J.

One of the proofs the Witnesses (and others) use as proof of the Bible's divinely inspired nature is its supposed candor in exposing Israel's and others' flaws. If it were written by men, the argument goes, they would have hidden their failures, inadequacies, and weaknesses.

Interesting how ALL WTS publications are the complete opposite! This is a great point to bring up to a JW.

Butters

Here's my favorite verse. No matter who wrote it or what some scholar says I like this:

1Co 13:1

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

1Co 13:2

And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1Co 13:3

And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor , and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

1Co 13:4

Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

1Co 13:5

doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;

1Co 13:6

rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;

1Co 13:7

beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

LOVE, YOUR FRIEND, BUTTERS. PEACE AND JOY PEOPLE. LOVE YOU ALL.

Satanus

The bible is the cleaned up story. The real truth about those barbaric jews back then is probably worse.

S

The Bible's Candid Nature as a Proof of Divine Inspiration

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