Why do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34880397/ns/technology_and_science-science/

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/01/08/bible-really-written/

 

Thanks.

 

You're welcome, I'm sure you'd do the same for me.

 

Thanks. What does it say? Is it a book? Is it from the Bible? How did they go about dating it? Has the finding been peer reviewed? What were the reviewers' reactions? In 2007, an archaeologist announced that he discovered Jesus' tomb ,complete with His remains, and the finding was ballyhooed in the press and became the subject of a Discovery Channel documentary. Did you get excited and think about giving up your faith in the Resurrection? Me neither.

The writing specimen you provide seems to be a pottery shard measuring a few inches by a few inches, dealing with some important social themes, mentioning God and consistent with the Bible (treatment of widows, orphans, slaves). But it is not from the Bible, is not a book, and what it "could mean" remains to be seen. Before I'd get really excited, I'd want to find out how reputable scholars, as opposed to Live Science (a website run by Top Ten Reviews) are reacting to it, and to make sure it isn't a hoax or a forgery. Besides the obvious motives religious groups might have for overselling the find, there are also political ramifications in bolstering Israeli land claims. In other words, I wouldn't bet the farm or my faith on it quite yet. By the way, I never meant to accuse you of fabricating anything. It's your sources that I question. So thanks for mentioning who this one is.

 

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It did seem like you were accusing me of fabricating, so thanks for correcting that impression.

As for getting excited about or basing my faith on secular findings, be it finding Jesus' tomb or Noah's Ark, I'm sure you know by now that for me that is not going to be the case.

I base the "3500 years" on the internal chronology of the Bible and not on what some secular authorities may say or think.

As you can see from the post some secular authorities "held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further" but now someone is saying; this discovery shows that Hebrew writing existed at least 400 years earlier. Meaning that, instead of the Bible having to be written 2600 years ago, the Bible could now have been written more than 3000 years ago which is more in harmony with the internal chronology of the Bible. So as the secular authorities argue and debate, it seems some new discoveries continue to show the Bible was right all along, that Moses started the writing of the Bible about 3500 years ago.

 

As is the case with all human knowledge, our ideas are based on the best information available, which is always incomplete and subject to revision if something new turns up. If the shard turns our to be as significant as the press release makes it out to be, that would be an important find. Until then, however, we have no reasonable basis for dating the Bible to 3000 years ago, although we have now slender evidence that it "could have been"--only in the sense that the Hebrews apparently had writing back then and writing is a pre-condition for books. Until the age and significance of your shard are better established, older writings are: the Precepts of Ptah-hotep (2100 BCE),portions of the Gilgamesh epic (2000 BCE or older), and the earliest tablets of the Enuma Elish (around 2000 BCE). The latter two are of particular significance, because they contain materials that resemble Genesis in some respects but are presumably Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian.

 

It is not "My" shard and as I've already pointed out, I have no vested interest in whether it is what they say it is or not.

Also I find it interesting that after you got up in my face, saying that everybody gives sources for what they say, you seem to have neglected to provide sources for your statement: "older writings are: the Precepts of Ptah-hotep (2100 BCE),portions of the Gilgamesh epic (2000 BCE or older), and the earliest tablets of the Enuma Elish (around 2000 BCE)". It would seem that it is not the custom after all.

Quoting you; "How did they go about dating it? Has the finding been peer reviewed? What were the reviewers' reactions?"

 

You're right. I apologize. Looking back on our recent exchanges, they aren't exactly what I'd call "Christian", and I take full responsibility. I do think a lot more highly of you than you might gather from my posts.

 

Sorry I didn't respond to this earlier and I thank you for you kindness. Don't worry about it, I try to overlook things and just hope others will over look some of my faux pas as well.

 

Mister Zeppelin,
your post is laudable, but be careful of your citing real places & such as reasons to follow the Bible. Until recently, scientists thought the Hittites mentioned in the Bible to be a fabrication. Late findings proved the existance of these people and provided another reason as to the validity of this book in the light of growing speculation & doubt.
Thank you for the well-written post.

- JKHolman

 

There is a lot to think about in this thread.

 

Because the bible makes the major choice for God's creation. There is a difference between God as Supreme creator and God's supernaturally conceived creation. And in between there are environmentalistic considerations: such are the stable maintaining of man being at fault for the problems in the world as much as the truth of what scientifically He resists at controlling peaceful co-existence in the world. Alpha = Omega. That is at fault for misunderstanding how God wants us at peace. Alpha =Omega we conflict at each other for the knowledge that we have much to Learn. But in the end Alpha + Omega has no excuse for failing to maintain peace. Even if an Ayatollah cries for war; even if the christians start creating "progress" for the trust in perfectly teaching authority.

 

i don't. though some of it is written by people who personally knew other people who might have been specially chosen by god, such as christ, moses, abraham, noah and so on.

 

Because of love.

 

There are a few things that proves to me that the bible is the word of God. One, is whenever the bible touches on scientific matters it has been accurate, also, prophecies also have been correct. Another thing is the truthfullness of the writers, sometimes admitting their failings, also archelogical evidence is overwhelmingly accurate.

 

All good reasons.

 

Would that include the age of the earth, a seven day creation, sun moon & stars on day 4 after creation of vegetation on day 3, etc?

Which ones?

Why doesn't the archaeology confirm the blitzkrieg-style invasion of Canaan? See Finkelstein & Silberman, The Bible Unearthed.

 

Because if I don't my life will be chaos because I can't trust myself to make good decisions just for the sake of being good and doing good I am a child who needs to be told what to do and be punished when I choose to do wrong because I can't take responsibility for my own actions because I am weak because I am scared because I can't be alone and I need to believe that something loves me always because I am human and it is in my nature to feel these things.