How do Christians who believe the Bible is infallible explain all the errors?
473574
I'm a Christian, who sees many errors in the bible. the don't shake my faith at all. That's because my faith isn't blind faith. First, your conversations with fundamentalists are probably being confused, by the ambiguous term, 'literal truth'. Thomas Jefferson wrote a bible, that ignored all the errors you speak of. It was a short read.\n     I try to get dogmatic Christians, to tell me what scriptures they take to be factual, or allegorical first, and then point out the error, after they have committed themselves.\n     A good example, is the creation of day and night, several days before the sun, and the moon. If a Christian, with blind faith believes that the day and night, of the first day of creation is to be taken factually, then they have a much harder time arguing that it is some other form of daylight, or spiritual light, etc., when you point out that the sun was created later.\n     If the mechanism that you refer to kicks in at that point, you might have one angry Christian, who thinks of you as the serpent in their garden. Or, you will have a chance to explore the allegorical lesson presented.\n     The lesson to be learned in this example, is that ancient thinkers, believed that the human eye was the source of light, and that light particle went from the eye to the object, and then to the sun, illuminating the sun in the day. To them, daylight had nothing to do with light from the sun. That was the reasoning behind the rejection of the sun (helios) as a god worth worshipping, because, who needs a sun, during the day. People need light, when it's dark, so the moon would be a better god to worship.\n     Also, the sun and the moon created to rule the day and the night. If that's the case, is the story telling us to worship them? What exactly do they rule? This is very much a pagan concept, and will propably result in the willful ignorance that you refered to, as fundamentalists are forbidden to even think of, much less discuss this concept.\n     The only practical reason for speaking this way to dogmatic Christians, is to identify them, and deter further fruitless conversations.
809934
obviously some Christians believe that the Bible they hold in their hands wasn't just written by God but was edited and collated by God as well.  apparently some Christians don't know about the Nicene Council and how it decided which gospels were to be put into the Bible, which were to be left out and how the ones that were kept would be revised to ensure power for the elite.  i see Christians saying that they'd not read any newly publicly released gospel because it contradicts the Bible, obviously many failing to understand that the Bible has been rewritten and revised many times to make the text conform to history, religious dogma and "prophesy".   \n\nJesus himself could return and say "but but that's not what I said!  That's not what I meant!"  and the Christians would rebuke him saying that he contradicts the Bible.
380136
Actually, true Christians, who study the bible, not only can find logic, but scientific evidence in the Bible's teachings.\n\nFor instance, in the book of Leviticus, the Israelites were instructed to leave the camp and bury their excrement.  This was centuries before scientists truly found out what benefits proper sanitation brought.  They also were told to quarantine those who had leprosy, even before they knew what leprosy truly was or how it was spread.\n\nSecondly, the Bible gives scientific facts that were before their actually being proven in the scientific field.  Isa. 40:22 states that God dwells "above the circle of the Earth."  It wasn't until well past Jesus' life that scientists could agree that the earth was round, but under Godly inspration, such facts were put into writing.  Other examples in the Bible state that the Earth "Hangs above nothing" in space, and give an accurate description of even the water cycle, years and years before scientists even discovered it.\n\nLogic and reason are a solid basis for faith.  Hebrews 11:1 says that Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the EVIDENT DEMONSTRATIONS OF REALITIES though not beheld."  In other words, Faith is based on previous experiences known, but not beheld personally.  This is the whole reason Jesus performed miracles on earth.  To prove that in the future, he would be able to redo the same things.  These acts could help others to instill faith in him.\n\nThe Bible is not a science textbook, but is a book full of scientific examples and logical reasoning.
814056
Many do not believe that,because they don't believe in God. Many of them also say they know the Bible better than the believers,and thus they will also be held accountable for all the knowledge they have gotten from God's Word and still remained unbelievers.
1082446
The bible is 99% pure, however there still exist copyist errors which you most definitely have pointed out.  The first is a numbering copyist error and the second, one of the daughters is actually Merab.  However the christian faith does not rest on tiny pieces of data like these examples.  All of the questionable material of the bible has absolutely no impact on the doctrine of Christianity--they are all very minute details such as the ones you have pointed out.  The other 'supposed' contradictions out there commit several logical fallacies such as quoting out of context and juxtaposition, and do not look at hebrew or greek colloquialisms
1024395
Truth is true whether we understand it or believe it. You said yourself, something is true or it isn't. It can't be both. People are fallible. Nobody has perfect understanding. All we can do is share what we believe to the best we understand it. God communicates through imperfect people, through nature, through the Bible. He will be found if you look for Him. But there is still some mystery to it. It requires faith, not every question has an easy answer
939388
The verses you quoted are just one of many contridictions the Bible contains.  The most blatant one is the one that claims the Bible is the literal word of God.  If so, the Bible could not say anything which could even be the least bit ambiguous.  This of course accepts the premise that God is perfect.  Either God is imperfect, or the Bible is not God's\n literal word.
77203
First on you assertion that the Bible is infallible I know it is. I believe the standard in reference is that people are not and never will be infallible. The Bible is the living text of God, Christ his son and the Holy Sprit. The translation is subjective according to your choice of the events and how you interrupted them. The realization that the Bible also states that God is the creator of the Universe. This also being infallible. The Bible without a doubt was written my men intent on understanding something that is beyond any human comprehension. \n\nAs for murder or killing, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ simply state love your self and love you neighbor and he died so that we may live. This is in the same infallible Bible, so killing or murdering a person is wrong no matter how we do it. The other big fact stated in the Bible is that all people are born sinners and this is one of the most important facts in the Bible. So being born into sin is why we accept killing or murder, killing and murder are the biggest issues the bible tries to impress on us. After all Jesus Christ was murdered. The lessons of faith and personal accountability to the power greater than our self should lead us to the definitive answers to such questions.
1093782
There are a lot of contradictions in the Bible. Kind of makes sense, considering that the four gospels were just four of dozens that were picked and chosen into one book. So, with all those accounts and perspectives, that humans witnessed, there's bound to be some difference.
29407
People believe this because the Christian religion tells them it's true.  Also, it's convenient to have someone take the rap for your mistakes.
842255
You are right.  There are a lot of things recorded in the Bible that make us cringe.  I am not going to make excuses for it (like "oh well that was God's law back then.")  Slavery is wrong.  It was wrong then and it's wrong now.  Period.  \n\nFirst, you have to understand what the Bible is.  It's a collection of writings -- some of which were passed down orally for centuries before ever being written down -- all different kinds of writings.  Each book is different; written for a different purpose.  Do you really think that all Christians believe every word in the Bible is a direct dictate of God?  Okay, some Bible fundamentalists do, but not all of us.  It's the difference between being dictated by God and inspired by God.  "Inspired" is not quite so dogmatic.  \n\nThis particular verse, I believe, is a record from when Moses and the Israelites were in the desert.  It records the early development of the modern concept of the rule of law.  At the time, most tribes had kings, and kings were the law.  Under Moses, the Israelites developed consistent laws and the concepts of legal interpretations and precedents.  This is what you are reading.  While most Christians see the ten commandments as revelation from God, most Bible scholars don't see the long list of rules and penalties as divine revelation in the same sense.  \n\nThat's why religious leaders study the Bible throughout their lives.  They try to understand its wisdom -- its beauty -- and they take what is best and make that their way of life.  \n\nJesus was a real master at this.  His famous summary of the ten commandments into two actually came from the Old Testament:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.  \n\nThis is the foundation of Christianity.  What a beautiful faith.  What a wonderful way to live your life.  This is why I am a Christian.  I do not let a handful of inconsistent verses from 3500 years ago rob me of what keeps me connected to God and to my neighbor and fulfills my life.\n\nBest of luck in your search for Truth.
375977
Don't you have that backwards? I've met many people who believe every word in the bible even if you can prove that it is a miss translation, or against known facts. The bible can be used to "prove" anything you like if you take it out of context and add your own spin.
1046399
Wow, this is an easy question. I think you know the answer already, but basically this is simple combination of ignorance, brainwashed mindsets, and fear.\n\nThrough these qualities they foolishly think the bible is the literal word of god, so they just blindly follow that no matter how absurd out-dated their reasoning is.\n\nhere is a great list of absurdities listed in the bible:\nhttp://skepticsannotatedbible.com/abs/long.htm
999104
Not all Christian truth is in the Bible. A lot of Christian truth is made up of sacred tradition.
801332
The fact is that the Bible is full of contradictions, in face, there is a whole book that lists all the contradictions in the Bible, that makes it totally unbelieable.
42734
Because the human mind cannot comprehend God.\n\nBecause one needs faith in order to be able to really learn from the Bible.\n\nBecause many people are deceived and fall for the alternatives of easy, cheap Grace.
993985
It's typical Christian behaviour. \n\nThey are right, everyone else is wrong, and God /did/ tell them what to write in the Bible.\n\nWRONG. The Bible is man's interpretation of his God. If God is real, which I don't believe, the Bible does not reflect his wishes properly.