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Some Reasons Why Humanists Reject The Bible
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By Joseph C. Sommer
Introduction:
This article sets forth some reasons why Humanists assert that the Bible is
not the word of God. Humanists are convinced that the Bible was written solely
by human beings who lived in an age that was ignorant, superstitious, and
cruel. Humanists also believe that, because the writers of the Bible were
people who lived in an unenlightened and barbaric era, they produced a book
which contains many erroneous statements and harmful teachings.
A lot of criticism is directed at Humanists because they hold those positions
about the Bible. Some critics of the Humanist philosophy go so far as to say
that Humanists are evil or are agents of the devil. Hopefully, this article
will provide some clarification as to the real reasons that Humanists have the
views that they do about the Bible.
Importance of the Subject:
The importance of this subject results from the fact that in the United
States the Bible is pervasively hailed as a divinely inspired book. Today, the
television and radio media often feature programs that praise the Bible as
being the holy and infallible word of God. Religious organizations that produce
those programs distribute vast quantities of books, magazines, pamphlets, and
other literature. The programs and literature promote the viewpoint that, as
televangelist Pat Robertson has said: "The Bible...is a workable guidebook for
politics, business, families and all the affairs of mankind."
The Bible is also promoted by many politicians. For example, in 1983
President Reagan signed into law a congressional act which proclaimed that year
to be the "Year of the Bible." The law declared the Bible to be the "Word of
God" and asserted that there is "a national need to study and apply its
teachings."
Thousands of other religious and political leaders in communities throughout
the United States engage in unabashed promotion of the Bible. In most of those
communities, a voice in opposition to that view is rarely, if ever, heard.
The massive and incessant promotion of the Bible has a significant influence
on the beliefs of millions of people. A recent Gallup poll showed that over
thirty percent of Americans believe that the Bible is the actual word of God
and that its teachings should be taken literally. Gallup found that an
additional twenty-five percent of Americans view the Bible as being the
inspired word of God but are of the opinion that some verses should be
interpreted symbolically rather than literally.
In addition to the persons identified by Gallup as believing in the divine
inspiration of the Bible, there are many people who, while having doubts as to
whether the entire Bible is the word of God, still consider the book to be a
source of great moral truths
and regard its teachings as deserving considerable respect.
Undoubtedly, such views about the Bible are responsible, at least in part,
for the fact that over two-thirds of Americans belong to churches or synagogues
and forty percent attend services on a weekly basis.
Clearly, if the Humanist position concerning the Bible is correct, the
millions of Americans who are Bible-believers and church-goers are wasting a
great deal of time, money, and energy. The condition of humanity could be
greatly improved if those resources were used to improve this world rather than
being employed in the worship of a nonexistent biblical God.
Moreover, because so many people have been taught to consider the Bible to be
the "Good Book," biblical teachings influence the attitudes of millions of
Americans on many subjects. When those subjects involve political issues, all
of us -- whether we believe the Bible or not -- can be impacted as
Bible-believers make their views heard in the political arena.
Anyone who becomes politically active can soon discover that Bible teachings
strongly influence the opinions of many Americans on issues relating to nuclear
war, overpopulation, conservation, women's rights, homosexuals' rights,
corporal punishment of children, state-church separation, sex education,
science education, abortion, censorship, capital punishment, and many other
important subjects.
When people accept the statements of their religious and political leaders
that the Bible contains absolute truth as revealed by a just and omniscient
God, and attempt to embed in the laws and social practices of this country the
teachings contained in the Bible, there is great potential for serious error
and harm if the Bible is actually the product of fallible human beings who
lived during an unenlightened era. In that case, the Bible would not be a
guidebook for attaining human happiness and well-being, but would instead be
the means by which we perpetuate the ideas and customs of an ignorant and
superstitious past and fail to progress beyond that level.
Such a result would surely be tragic because ignorance and superstition, as
even most supporters of the Bible would agree, have caused humankind to suffer
tremendous amounts of misery throughout history.
Contradictions:
The fact that the Bible contains contradictions is one reason why Humanists
consider the book to be an unreliable authority. Clearly, if two statements in
the Bible contradict each other, at least one of the statements must be false.
Because there are numerous instances where certain biblical verses flatly
contradict other verses, it follows that the Bible contains many false
statements.
Contradictions appear in even the opening two chapters of the Bible, where
inconsistent accounts of the creation of the world are set forth. * For
example, Genesis chapter 1 tells us that the first man and the first woman were
made at the same time, and after the animals. However, Genesis chapter 2 states
that the order of creation was as follows: man, then the animals, and then
woman.
In addition, Genesis chapter 1 sets forth six days of creation, but chapter 2
speaks of the "day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens." Genesis
chapter 1 states that the fruit trees were created before man, but chapter 2
indicates that the fruit trees were created after man. Genesis 1:20 says that
the fowl were created out of the waters, but Genesis 2:19 states that the fowl
were created out of the ground.
Also, Genesis 1:2-3 asserts that God created light and divided it from
darkness on the first day, but Genesis 1:14-19 says that the sun, moon, and
stars were not made until the fourth day.
Contradictions also abound in the biblical account of a worldwide flood.
Genesis 6:19-22 says that God ordered Noah to bring "of every living thing of
all flesh, two of every sort...into the ark." However, Genesis 7:2-3 states
that the Lord ordered Noah to bring into the ark the clean beasts and the birds
by sevens, and the unclean beasts by twos.
Genesis 7:17 says that the flood lasted forty days, but Genesis 8:3 tells us
that it lasted one hundred and fifty days. Genesis 8:4 states that, as the
waters of the flood receded, Noah's ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat in
the seventh month, but the very next verse asserts that the tops of the
mountains could not even be seen until the tenth month. Genesis 8:13 states
that the earth was dry on the first day of the first month, but Genesis 8:14
reports that the earth was not dry until the twenty-seventh day of the second
month.
The Old Testament also contains a significant contradiction in the story of
the census taken by King David and God's subsequent punishment of the
Israelites. According to the story, God was so angered by the census that he
sent a plague that killed seventy thousand men. II Samuel 24:1 says that the
Lord caused David to take the census, but I Chronicles 21:1 tells us that David
was incited by Satan to take the census.
In addition, there is a contradiction regarding the question of whether God
punishes children for the sins of their parents. At Ezekiel 18:20, the Lord
states: "The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father...." However, at
Exodus 20:5, God says: "...I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate me."
Moreover, the Old Testament is contradictory as to whether the Lord commanded
the Israelites to sacrifice animals to him. At Jeremiah 7:22, God says that he
did not give the Israelites any commands about animal sacrifices. In contrast,
at Exodus 29:38-42 and many other places in the Pentateuch, God is clearly
depicted as requiring the Israelites to offer animal sacrifices.
Turning to the New Testament, there are contradictions between the genealogy
of Jesus as set forth in the first chapter of Matthew and the genealogy given
in the third chapter of Luke. Both genealogies list Jesus' father as being
Joseph (which is curious, given that Mary was supposedly impregnated by the
Holy Ghost), but Matthew states that the name of Joseph's father was Jacob,
while Luke says that his name was Heli. Also, Matthew tells us that there were
twenty-six generations between Jesus and King David, but Luke reports that the
number of such generations was forty-one. In addition, Matthew alleges that
Jesus' line of descent was through David's son Solomon, but Luke asserts that
it was through David's son Nathan.
In the story of the birth of Jesus, Matthew 2:13-15 says that Joseph and Mary
fled to Egypt with the baby Jesus immediately after the wise men from the east
had brought their gifts. However, Luke 2:22-40 indicates that, after the birth
of Jesus, Joseph and Mary remained in Bethlehem for the time of Mary's
purification (which was forty days, under the Mosaic law), then brought Jesus
to Jerusalem "to present him to the Lord," and then returned to their home in
Nazareth. Luke makes no mention of a journey into Egypt or a visit by wise men
from the east.
As to the death of the disciple Judas, Matthew 27:5 states that Judas took
the money that he had obtained by betraying Jesus, threw it down in the temple,
and then "went and hanged himself." However, Acts 1:18 reports that Judas used
the money to purchase a field and "falling headlong, he burst asunder in the
midst, and all his bowels gushed out."
In describing Jesus being led to his execution, John 19:17 states that Jesus
carried his own cross. In contrast, Mark 15:21-23 says that a man called Simon
carried Jesus' cross to the crucifixion site.
Regarding the crucifixion itself, Matthew 27:44 tells us that Jesus was
taunted by both of the criminals who were being crucified with him. However,
Luke 23:39-43 states that only one of the criminals taunted Jesus, that the
other criminal rebuked the one who was doing the taunting, and that Jesus told
the criminal who was defending him: "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
As to the last words of Jesus while on the cross, Matthew 27:46 and Mark
15:34 assert that Jesus cried with a loud voice: "My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?" Luke 23:46 says that Jesus' final words were: "Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit." John 19:30 tells us that the last statement of the
dying Jesus was: "It is finished."
There are even contradictions in the accounts of the resurrection -- the
alleged event which is the very basis of the Christian religion. Mark 16:2 says
that on the day of the resurrection certain women arrived at the tomb at the
rising of the sun, but John 20:1 states that they arrived when it was yet dark.
Luke 24:2 tells us that the tomb was open when the women arrived, but Matthew
28:1-2 indicates that it was closed. Mark 16:5 states that the women saw a
young man at the tomb, Luke 24:4 says that they saw two men, Matthew 28:2
alleges that they saw an angel, and John 20:11-12 insists that they saw two
angels.
Also in the resurrection accounts, there are contradictions as to who the
women were that came to the tomb, whether the men or angels that the women saw
were inside or outside the tomb, whether the men or angels were standing or
sitting, and whether Mary Magdalene recognized the risen Jesus when he first
appeared to her.
As a final example of a contradiction contained in the New Testament, the
conflicting accounts of the conversion of Paul can be cited. Acts 9:7 says that
when Jesus called Paul to preach the gospel, the men who were with Paul heard a
voice but saw no man. However, Acts 22:9 asserts that when Paul received his
calling, the men who were with him saw a light but did not hear the voice that
spoke to Paul.
The foregoing examples are just a few of the hundreds of contradictions
contained in the Bible. The presence of such contradictions plainly shows that
the Bible contains many erroneous statements and is therefore far from
infallible.
Cruelties:
Humanists also reject the Bible because it both describes and approves of the
most outrageous acts of cruelty and injustice imaginable. One of the underlying
principles of our legal system -- and the legal systems of all civilized
societies -- is the notion that the suffering of the innocent is the very
essence of injustice. Yet in the Bible we are told that God repeatedly violated
this fundamental moral principle by causing numerous innocent persons and
animals to be harmed.
Instances of cruel and unjust behavior by the God of the Bible are seen in
even the most basic teachings of the Christian religion. Some well-known acts
of the biblical God that are in fact immoral because they resulted in the
suffering of the innocent include the following: he damned the whole human race
and cursed the entire creation because of the acts of two people (Genesis
3:16-23; Romans 5:18); he drowned pregnant women and innocent children and
animals at the time of the Flood (Genesis 7:20-23); he tormented the Egyptians
and their animals with hail and disease because pharaoh refused to let the
Israelites leave Egypt (Exodus 9:8-11,25); he killed Egyptian babies at the
time of the Passover (Exodus 12:29-30); subsequent to the Exodus he ordered the
Israelites to annihilate the men, women, and children of seven nations and to
steal their land (Deuteronomy 7:1-2); he killed King David's baby because of
David's adultery with Bathsheba (II Samuel 12:13-18); he required the
torture and murder of his own son (e.g., Romans 3:24-25); and he promised to
send to eternal torture those persons who do not accept Christianity (e.g.,
Revelation 21:8).
In addition to the injustice and cruelties contained in many of the major
teachings of Christianity, the Bible features numerous other tales of violence
that are in complete opposition to all civilized standards of morality. Among
the most shockingly violent and unethical Bible passages are those in which God
is depicted as ordering or sanctioning the slaughter of various persons,
including children and the elderly. Some examples are the following:
-- At I Samuel 15:3, the prophet Samuel gives King Saul this commandment from
the Lord: "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and
spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep,
camel and ass."
-- Ezekiel 9:4-7 provides the following account of a message from the Lord:
"And the Lord said unto him, Go through...the midst of Jerusalem, and set a
mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the
abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in
mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye
spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little
children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark..."
-- Hosea 13:16 sets forth this description of a punishment from the Lord:
"Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they
shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their
women with child shall be ripped up."
-- Deuteronomy 32:23-25 reports that after the Israelites had provoked the
Lord to jealousy by worshiping other gods, the Lord said: "...I will spend mine
arrows upon them....The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both
the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs."
-- At Numbers chapter 31, the Lord indicates his approval of the following
order which Moses gave, as set forth at verses 17 and 18, regarding the manner
in which the Israelite soldiers were to treat certain women and children
captured in war: "Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill
every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children,
that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."
-- Isaiah 13:9,15-18 contains this message from the Lord: "Behold, the day of
the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger.... Every one that is
found shall be thrust through. ...Their children also shall be dashed to pieces
before their eyes...and their wives ravished. Behold, I will stir up the Medes
against them.... [T]hey shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye
shall not spare children." Clearly, these verses depict the biblical God as
having the moral scruples of a sociopathic mass murderer.
The God of the Bible also displays his sadistic tendencies by employing a
variety of other methods to torment the innocent. He opens the earth so that it
swallows entire families (Numbers 16:27-32); he causes fire to devour people
(e.g., Leviticus 10:1-2; Numbers 11:1-2); he sends wild animals such as bears
(II Kings 2:23-24), lions (II Kings 17:24-25), and serpents (Numbers 21:6) upon
people; he sanctions slavery (e.g., Leviticus 25:44-46); he orders religious
persecution (e.g., Deuteronomy 13:12-16); he causes cannibalism (Jeremiah
19:9); and he requires the killing of animals as expiation for the sins of
their owners (e.g., Exodus 29:36).
In addition to causing the innocent to suffer, another type of cruelty that
the biblical God is guilty of is the infliction of punishments that are grossly
disproportionate to the acts for which those punishments were administered. In
our legal system today, extreme disproportion between punishments administered
and acts committed is considered a violation of the U.S. Constitution's Eighth
Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishments.
Obviously, to punish persons who are completely innocent, as is seen in the
preceding Bible verses, constitutes punishment that is outrageously
disproportionate to the moral culpability of the persons being punished. As an
additional example of the biblical God requiring punishments that are
shockingly harsh in comparison to the acts committed, we may look at a list of
some of the trivial acts for which he required the death penalty.
In the Old Testament, the Lord prescribes execution as punishment for the
"crimes" of working on the sabbath (Exodus 31:15); cursing one's parents
(Leviticus 20:9); worshiping other gods (Deuteronomy 17:2-5); enticing a friend
or family member to worship other gods (Deuteronomy 13:6-10); being a witch,
medium, or wizard (Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 20:27); engaging in homosexual acts
(Leviticus 20:13); and not being a virgin on one's wedding night (Deuteronomy
22:20-21). Certainly, to require the death penalty for such acts is to
completely reject the notion that the severity of a punishment should bear some
proportion to the seriousness of the offense.
In the New Testament, the biblical God has not improved at all in regard to
his trait of inflicting excessively severe punishments, and in fact has gotten
worse. It would be hard to imagine anything more cruel and disproportionate
than requiring the punishment of eternal torture for the mere disbelief that
the son of God was born of a virgin in Palestine almost two thousand years ago,
turned water into wine, cast demons out of persons, walked on water, was killed
at the instigation of God's "chosen people," and rose from the dead. The
refusal to believe that story harms no one, and it has been disbelieved by some
of the greatest benefactors of the human race, yet the biblical God promises to
inflict upon such persons the most horrible punishment that can be conceived.
A major problem with the violence and injustice contained in the Bible is
that, all too often, the example set by the biblical God has incited and been
used to justify the cruel acts of his followers. Many of those followers
reasoned that since God, who is considered just and loving, committed and
allowed the most brutal acts of violence, good Christians need not have any
qualms about behaving in a similar manner. That reasoning process was
undoubtedly what the American patriot Thomas Paine was referring to when he
said: "The belief in a cruel god makes a cruel man."
An example of that type of reasoning is provided by the historian Joseph
McCabe in his work entitled The History of Torture. McCabe states that during
the Middle Ages there was more cruelty and torture in Christian Europe than in
any civilization in history. He points to the Christian doctrine of eternal
punishment as one of the main causes of the extraordinary prevalence of torture
in medieval Europe. McCabe describes in the following manner the philosophy
that supported the willingness of Christians to so frequently resort to
torture: "If, it was natural to reason, God punishes men with eternal torment,
it is surely lawful for men to use doses of it in a good cause."
Some specific historical examples of violent and unjust acts that were
incited or supported by Bible teachings would be the Inquisition; the Crusades;
the burning of witches; the religious wars in Europe; the pogroms carried out
against Jewish communities; the persecution of homosexuals; the forceful
conversion of heathen people in Europe and America; the enslavement of blacks
and other persons; the beatings of children; the brutal treatment of the
mentally ill; the suppression of scientists and other investigators of nature;
the use of torture in criminal interrogations; and the whippings, mutilations,
brandings, and violent executions of persons convicted of crimes. Those actions
were a regular part of the Christian world for hundreds of years.
After reviewing the cruel and unjust teachings contained in the Bible, and
the effect that they have had upon the course of world events, one can see why
Humanists agree that Thomas Paine was entirely justified in saying in regard to
the Bible: "It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and
brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it as I detest
everything that is cruel."
Teachings Inconsistent with the Laws of Nature:
A further reason that Humanists reject the Bible is that it contains numerous
statements that are inconsistent with the laws of nature. Humanists also
believe that the promotion of those statements as being true has caused
tremendous harm to humanity.
As a result of human observation and experience, a fundamental principle of
science is that the laws of nature do not change, cannot be violated, and have
acted uniformly over time. According to the noted paleontologist Stephen J.
Gould, this uniformity or constancy of natural laws is the "methodological
assumption" that makes science practicable.
What Gould is referring to is the fact that, without the assumption that the
physical world operates according to unchanging natural laws, there would be no
practical benefit to be derived from studying that world, conducting
experiments, or otherwise learning from experience. Those activities would be
useless in a world that did not operate according to unvarying natural laws
because, in such a world, knowledge of past situations would not provide
guidance as to what will happen in similar situations in the future. There
would always be the possibility of supernatural or other arbitrary forces
intervening in events to alter outcomes from what would otherwise, based on
past experience, be expected to occur.
In this world, the evidence is overwhelming that physical events occur
according to natural laws that are immutable in their operation. As a result,
an increasing knowledge of the workings of nature enhances our ability to
predict future events and to shape the course of those events.
The teachings of the Bible are, however, diametrically opposed to the
fundamental scientific principle of the uniform operation of natural laws.
Consequently, belief in the Bible is inconsistent with a scientific outlook and
has served to discourage the development of a scientific approach to dealing
with problems.
In the Bible, we are told stories involving a talking snake (Genesis 3:4-5);
a tree bearing fruit which, when eaten, gives knowledge of good and evil
(Genesis 2:17; 3:5-7); another tree the fruit of which gives immortality
(Genesis 3:22); a voice coming from a burning bush (Exodus 3:4); a talking
donkey (Numbers 22:28); rods turning into serpents (Exodus 7:10-12); water
changing into blood (Exodus 7:19-22); water coming from a rock (Numbers 20:11);
a dead man reviving when his corpse touched the bones of a prophet (II Kings
13:21); and other people rising from the dead (e.g., I Kings 17:21-22; II Kings
4:32-35; Acts 9:37-40).
There are also accounts of the sun standing still (Joshua 10:13); the parting
of a sea (Exodus 14:21-22); iron floating (II Kings 6:5-6); the shadow going
back ten degrees (II Kings 20:9-11); a witch bringing the ghost of Samuel back
from the dead (I Samuel 28:3-15); disembodied fingers writing on a wall (Daniel
5:5); a man living for three days and nights in the belly of a fish (Jonah
1:17); people walking on water (Matthew 14:26-29); a virgin impregnated by God
(Matthew 1:20); blindness cured by spit (Mark 8:23-25); a pool of water that
can cure the ailments of those who dip in it (John 5:2-4); and angels and
demons intervening in earthly affairs (e.g., Acts 5:17-20; Luke 11:24-26).
Clearly, such stories are totally at variance with any sane person's
experience of the way this world operates, and are therefore completely at odds
with the scientific view as to the consistent and unvarying operation of
natural laws. These biblical fables are instead supportive of the idea, which
has been commonly held by primitive and illiterate people throughout history,
that supernatural beings frequently and arbitrarily intervene in the affairs of
this world.
When examined in the light of experience and reason, the Bible's claims of
suspension of the laws of nature do not warrant belief. Our experience is that
the natural world operates according to principles of regularity which are
never violated. It is further our experience that people are frequently
mistaken or dishonest. Thus, it is far more likely that the authors of the
Bible either erred or lied than that the laws of nature were violated as is
alleged in so many nonsensical biblical stories.
A terribly harmful effect of the belief that supernatural beings intervene in
worldly affairs has been that people have often misdirected their energies in
attempting to solve the problems of this world. Instead of studying the natural
world to discover facts that could be used to develop scientific solutions to
their problems, they engaged in religious activities in an effort to obtain the
assistance of benevolent supernatural beings or to thwart the influence of
malicious preternatural beings.
An example of such a misdirection of energies can be seen in the history of
the attempts to prevent the outbreak and spread of diseases in Europe. The
historian Andrew White states that, during many centuries in the Middle Ages,
the filthiness of European cities repeatedly caused great pestilences that sent
multitudes to their graves. Based on the teachings of the Bible, Christian
theologians during those centuries believed that the pestilences were caused
not by lack of proper hygiene, but by the anger of God or the malevolence of
Satan.
Due to their belief in spiritual causes of illnesses, the theologians taught
people that the plagues could be averted or alleviated by religious acts such
as repentance from sin; the provision of gifts to churches, monasteries, and
shrines; participation in religious processions; attendance at church services
(which often only increased the spread of disease); and the killing of Jews and
witches (since it was believed that Satan used Jews and witches as his agents
in causing illnesses). The possibility of physical causes and cures of diseases
was largely ignored by the theologians.
White states that, despite all the prayers, rituals, and other religious
activities that were performed in an effort to influence the activities of
spiritual beings, the frequency and severity of plagues did not diminish until
scientific hygiene began to make its appearance. In speaking of the hygienic
improvements that occurred during the second half of the nineteenth century,
White says: "[T]he sanitary authorities have in half a century done far more to
reduce the rate of disease and death than has been done in fifteen hundred
years by all the fetiches which theological reasoning could devise or
ecclesiastical power enforce."
The superior results of relying on the assistance provided by science rather
than on the supernatural aid promised by religion can also be seen in other
fields. As a result, Humanists accept the scientific view that the world
operates according to unvarying natural laws which can never be suspended by
the performance of religious rituals or by any other means. Furthermore,
Humanists believe that those persons who have sought to increase understanding
of this world -- and not the theologians who focus on influencing supernatural
powers -- have enabled humankind to make the greatest strides in terms of
alleviating suffering and increasing happiness.
Teachings Inconsistent With the Structure of the Physical World:
An additional reason that Humanists reject the Bible is that it contains many
teachings that are contrary to what science has found to be the structure of
the physical world. As is the case with the Bible's teachings that are
inconsistent with the laws of nature, the Bible's views concerning this subject
are similar to beliefs that have been held by many primitive and illiterate
people throughout history.
A classic example of such an incorrect Bible teaching can be seen in the
account of the opposition that Christian theologians mounted against Galileo's
proof of the Copernican doctrine of the double motion of the earth. In the
sixteenth century, Copernicus set forth the idea that the earth rotates on its
axis and revolves around the sun, and in the following century Galileo's
telescope provided strong evidence that Copernicus had been right. In opposing
the Copernican doctrine and attempting to show that the earth remains
stationary while the sun moves around it, the Catholic Church pointed to the
tenth chapter of the book of Joshua. There we are told that Joshua, in order to
have a longer period of daylight in which to carry out the Lord's command to
slaughter the Amorites, told the sun to stand still -- and not the earth.
Other passages demonstrating that the Bible writers thought that the earth
remains stationary include Psalm 93:1 ("[T]he world also is [e]stablished, that
it cannot be moved."), I Chronicles 16:30 ("[T]he world also shall be stable,
that it be not moved."), and Psalm 104:5 (The Lord "laid the foundations of the
earth, that it should not be removed for ever.").
Because of Galileo's advocacy of the Copernican doctrine, the Inquisition
threatened him with torture, forced him to recant his support for that
doctrine, and sentenced him to imprisonment. In addition, based upon the
teachings of the Bible, for nearly two hundred years the Catholic Church's
Index of Forbidden Books condemned all writings which affirmed the idea of the
double motion of the earth. Moreover, for generations the major branches of the
Protestant church -- Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican -- denounced the
Copernican doctrine as being contrary to scripture.
The Bible also grossly errs in upholding the viewpoint that the earth is
flat. In the sixth century, a Christian monk named Cosmas wrote a book entitled
Topographia Christiana in which he described the structure of the physical
world. Cosmas based his conclusions on the teachings of the Bible and held that
the earth is flat and surrounded by four seas.
One of the reasons for Cosmas' belief in a flat earth was the statement at
Revelation 1:7 that, when Christ returns, "every eye shall see him." Cosmas
reasoned that if the earth were round instead of flat, people on the other side
would not be able to see Christ's second coming.
Further support for the idea of a flat earth is contained in the Bible verses
which speak of the "four corners of the earth" (e.g., Isaiah 11:12; Revelation
7:1) and the "ends of the earth" (e.g., Jeremiah 16:19; Acts 13:47).
As a consequence of such Bible teachings, most of the early church fathers
believed that the earth is flat. Also, the view of the world as set forth in
Cosmas' book was for several centuries accepted as part of the orthodox
Christian doctrine. In addition, when Christopher Columbus proposed, in the
fifteenth centruy, the idea of sailing west from Spain to reach the East
Indies, biblical support for the notion of the earth's flatness was a major
source of opposition to his proposal.
The Bible additionally sets forth the ridiculous idea that the sky is a solid
vault. In the creation account given in the first chapter of the book of
Genesis, verse 17 states that the Lord set the sun and moon "in the firmament"
to provide light upon the earth. The Hebrew word translated as "firmament" is
"raqia," which means "hammered metal."
More support for the idea of a solid sky is found at Job 37:18 (where the sky
is described as being like a "molten looking glass"), Isaiah 40:22 (God
"stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to
dwell in"), and Revelation 6:14 ("And the heaven departed as a scroll when it
is rolled together").
The notion of a domed earth, as contained in the preceding Bible verses, was
a common conception in the ancient Near East and was taken for granted by the
biblical writers. Based on the teachings of the Bible, most of the early church
fathers accepted the idea of the firmament. That idea was also supported by
Cosmas and consequently was part of the orthodox Christian doctrine for several
centuries.
Included in that orthodox doctrine was the childish belief that there are
windows in the firmament that are opened by angels whenever God wishes to send
rain upon the earth. Cosmas believed that when the windows were opened, a
portion of the waters contained above the firmament, which are mentioned at
Genesis 1:17, would fall to the earth. Cosmas' basis for that viewpoint was the
statement, at Genesis 7:11-12, that at the time of the Noachian Flood the
"windows of heaven were opened" and the rain fell.
The Bible also naively asserts that the earth rests upon pillars. The
"pillars" of the earth are referred to in several verses in the Old Testament
(I Samuel 2:8; Psalm 75:3; Job 9:6), but no explanation is given as to what the
pillars themselves were thought to stand upon. Perhaps that issue was not even
considered by the writers of the Bible, as logic obviously was not their strong
point. In any event, such verses are a reflection of the belief of the ancient
Hebrews that the earth sits upon pillars.
In addition, the Bible contradicts modern medical science by declaring that
illnesses and other physical maladies result from supernatural agencies, such
as the activity of demons, rather than from physical causes. In describing
Jesus' healing miracles, the New Testament states that the following
afflictions were produced by demons: blindness (Matthew 12:22), muteness
(Matthew 9:32-33), lameness (Luke 13:11,16), epilepsy (Matthew 17:14-18) and
insanity (Mark 5:1-13).
As a result of such teachings, the early church leaders generally discouraged
the view that illnesses are caused by natural processes and supported the idea
of demonic agency as the primary cause of disease. For example, St. Augustine,
whose views strongly influenced Western thought for over a thousand years, said
in the fourth century: "All diseases of Christians are to be ascribed to these
demons...."
Even with the coming of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century,
there was no great change in the Christian attitude toward the cause of
diseases. Martin Luther repeatedly attributed his own illnesses to "devils'
spells" and taught that: "Satan produces all the maladies which afflict
mankind, for he is the prince of death."
The Bible also contains verses which mention dragons (Jeremiah 51:34),
unicorns (Isaiah 34:7), and cockatrices (Isaiah 11:8). Based on such verses,
many naturalists in the Middle Ages believed that those mythical creatures
actually exist.
Moreover, for centuries Bible verses led the Christian world to believe that
comets are sent by God to warn humankind of divine anger and imminent
punishment; that the appearance of stars and meteors presages beneficial events
such as the birth of heroes and great men; that eclipses signify divine
distress in response to occurrences on earth; that storms and unpleasant
meteorological phenomena are caused by the anger of God or the ill will of
Satan; and that, even if the earth is in fact round, people do not live on the
other side.
Furthermore, the Bible is scientifically incorrect in stating that the bat is
a bird (Leviticus 11:13,19), that the hare and the rock badger chew the cud
(Leviticus 11:5-6), and that the mustard seed "is the smallest of all seeds"
(Matthew 13:32). It is also inconsistent with science, and in fact absurd, to
assert that God confounded the language of human beings because he was afraid
that they would build a tower high enough to reach heaven (see Genesis 11:1-9).
The effect of looking to the Bible to obtain ideas regarding the structure of
the physical world has been aptly summed up by the historian Andrew White. He
states: "[T]here were developed, in every field, theological views of science
which have never led to a single truth -- which, without exception, have forced
mankind away from the truth, and have caused Christendom to stumble for
centuries into abysses of error and sorrow."
In view of the Bible's numerous incorrect statements concerning the structure
of the physical world, there appears to be no reason to believe that the
biblical writers were any more correct when they wrote about things which are
invisible. Being so greatly in error in regard to the observable universe, the
Bible cannot be considered a reliable guide for addressing spiritual and
ethical questions.
Unfulfilled Prophecies:
Also supporting the Humanist position that the Bible is not the word of God
is the fact that it contains prophecies that have proved to be false. The
nonoccurrence of biblically prophesied events constitutes clear proof that the
Bible is not inerrant.
The Bible itself sets forth a test for determining whether a prophecy was
inspired by God. Deuteronomy 18:22 states: "When a prophet speaketh in the name
of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which
the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou
shalt not be afraid of him." In applying that test to the Bible, we are led to
the conclusion that the book contains statements which were not inspired by
God.
At Genesis 2:17, the Lord is said to have warned Adam and Eve regarding the
fruit contained on the tree of knowledge: "[I]n the day that thou eatest
thereof thou shalt surely die." Yet in Genesis chapter 3, we are informed that
Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and did not die on the day that they did
so.
Genesis 35:10 tells us that God said to Jacob: "[T]hy name shall not be
called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name..." However, eleven
chapters later, at Genesis 46:2, the statement is made that: "...God spake unto
Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here
am I."
II Chronicles 1:12 alleges that God said to Solomon: "Wisdom and knowledge is
granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as
none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any
after thee have the like." As the great American agnostic Robert Ingersoll said
the nineteenth century, there were several kings in Solomon's day who could
have thrown away the value of Palestine without missing the amount. It may be
added that the wealth of Solomon is small by today's standards and has been
exceeded by many kings who ruled subsequent to him.
Some examples of other unfulfilled prophecies in the Old Testament include
the following: the Jews will occupy the land from the Nile to the Euphrates
(Gen. 15:18); they shall never lose their land and shall be disturbed no more
(II Sam. 7:10); King David's throne and kingdom shall be established forever
(II Sam. 7:16); no uncircumcised person will ever enter into Jerusalem (Isaiah
52:1); Damascus will be reduced to a heap of ruins (Isaiah 17:1); and the
waters of Egypt will dry up (Isaiah 19: 5-7).
By applying to the New Testament the Bible's test for identifying false
prophets, we are forced to conclude that Jesus made statements that were not
inspired by God. For instance, Jesus' prophecies concerning the time at which
the world would end are clearly incorrect. At Matthew 16:28, Jesus states to
his disciples: "...There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death,
till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." Obviously, the persons who
were standing there have all died, and they never saw Jesus return to establish
a kingdom.
In addition, at Mark 13:24-30 Jesus is depicted as listing a number of signs
that shall accompany the end of the world, including the sun becoming darkened,
the moon not giving any light, the stars of heaven falling, the son of man
coming in the clouds with great power and glory, and angels gathering the
elect. Then Jesus states, at verse 30: "Verily I say unto you, that this
generation shall not pass, till all these things be done." Clearly, that
generation passed away long ago and the predicted occurrences never happened.
Analysis of the New Testament also reveals that Jesus was incorrect in his
prediction concerning the amount of time that he would be in the tomb. At
Matthew 12:40, Jesus states: "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in
the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth." However, Mark 15:42-45 shows that Jesus died on the
afternoon of the day before the sabbath (i.e., on Friday afternoon), while Mark
16:9 and Matthew 28:1 tell us that Jesus left the tomb sometime on Saturday
night or Sunday morning. There is no way that a period from Friday afternoon
until, at the latest, Sunday morning, can be made to equal three days and three
nights.
To give one more example from the New Testament, Jesus states at John
14:13-14 that: "[W]hatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the
Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do
it." There have been millions of instances in which requests have been made in
Jesus' name, and Jesus failed to perform on his promise to deliver.
As an example of such an unanswered request, we may recall the assassination
of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. During the hours immediately following the
shooting, millions of persons prayed in Jesus' name for the recovery of Senator
Kennedy. If there ever was a test for the power of Christian prayer, this was
it.
We all know the result of that test. Contrary to the promise contained in the
fourteenth chapter of the book of John, Jesus did not respond to the pleas for
the fallen senator's recovery and, tragically, Kennedy died. The same failure
of Christian prayers to produce any effect occurs over and over each day.
As is the case with other types of false statements in the Bible, the
existence of incorrect prophecies casts doubt on the veracity of all biblical
teachings. If one verse in the Bible is wrong, it is possible for many verses
to be wrong.
Inaccurate Statements About History:
One more reason that Humanists reject the Bible is that it contains erroneous
statements regarding history. The findings of historians and other scholars
indicate that many assertions in the Bible are historically inaccurate.
In regard to the Old Testament, historians have determined that the story of
a worldwide flood, as set forth in the book of Genesis, is a myth. For example,
Andrew White reports that nineteenth century Egyptologists found that Egypt had
a flourishing civilization long before the biblical Flood of Noah and that no
such flood had ever interrupted it.
In addition, the book of Exodus claims to contain an historical account of
the escape of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, but historians and
archaeologists have been unable to verify any of the events related in that
book. No known Egyptian records refer to the biblical Moses, the devastating
plagues that God supposedly inflicted on the country, the escape of the Hebrew
slaves, or the drowning of the Egyptian army. Moreover, Andrew White reports
that the records contained on Egyptian monuments show that the pharaoh ruling
at the time of the alleged escape of the Jews was certainly not overwhelmed in
the Red Sea.
The book of Esther purports to tell how a young Jewish girl named Esther was
chosen by the Persian King Xerxes I to be queen after the king had divorced
Queen Vashti. Although historians know a great deal about Xerxes I, there is no
record that he had a Jewish queen named Esther or that he was married to
Vashti.
Additionally, the book of Esther insists that the Persian empire was divided
into one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, but historians tell us that there
was no such division of the empire. Also contrary to what the book of Esther
says, historians state that Xerxes I did not order Jews in his territories to
attack his Persian subjects.
The book of Daniel contains an account of certain events that supposedly
transpired during the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. In the fifth chapter of
the book, we are told that the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded on
the throne by his son Belshazzar. However, historians tell us that Belshazzar
was not the son of Nebuchadnezzar and was never king.
The book of Daniel also states that one "Darius the Mede" captured Babylon in
the sixth century B.C.E. In contrast, historians inform us that it was actually
Cyrus of Persia who took Babylon.
Turning to the New Testament, the second chapter of the book of Luke states
that, shortly before the birth of Jesus, the emperor Augustus ordered a census
to be taken throughout the Roman world. Luke states that every person had to
travel to the town of his ancestors in order for the census to be taken. He
points to the census as the reason that Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth
to Bethlehem, where Jesus is said to have been born.
In the book entitled Gospel Fictions, Randal Helms states that no such census
was ever taken in the history of the Roman Empire. He also says that it is
ridiculous to think that the practical Romans would require millions of people
to travel enormous distances to towns of long-deceased ancestors merely to sign
a tax form. Moreover, in Asimov's Guide to the Bible, Isaac Asimov states that
the Romans certainly would arrange no such census.
The third chapter of Luke contains a genealogy that traces Christ's ancestry
back only seventy-six generations to Adam, who, according to Genesis chapter 1,
was created along with the rest of the universe during the course of one week.
The Bible therefore supports the idea that the history of the human race, and
also that of the universe, extends back in time for just a relatively short
period, probably no more than several thousand years. In fact, on the basis of
biblical teachings such as those set forth in Luke chapter 3, during many
centuries the orthodox Christian position, to doubt which was to risk
damnation, was that the Creation took place sometime between four and six
thousand years before the birth of Christ.
Today, however, scientists and other scholars agree that the evidence shows a
much longer historical record. They state that the universe is between ten and
twenty billion years old, that the age of the earth is approximately 4.6
billion years, and that humans evolved from ape-like ancestors during the last
few million years.
The second chapter of the book of Matthew asserts that, shortly after the
birth of Jesus, King Herod ordered the massacre of all male children two years
of age or under in Bethlehem and its vicinity. In the book of Luke, which
contains the only other New Testament story of Jesus' birth, there is no
mention of this horribly cruel order. It is also not mentioned in any of the
secular histories of the time, and not even by those writers who carefully
described many far less wicked deeds of Herod. Clearly, such lack of
corroboration is compelling evidence that Matthew's account was fabricated.
Matthew 27:45 states that while Jesus was on the cross, there fell over the
whole land a darkness which lasted from midday until three in the afternoon.
Andrew White states that although Roman observers such as Seneca and Pliny
carefully described much less striking occurrences of the same sort in more
remote regions, they failed to note any such darkness occurring even in Judea.
Concerning the issue of the alleged historical accuracy of the Gospel
accounts, Robert Ingersoll wondered why it was that the first century Jewish
historian Josephus, "the best historian the Hebrews produced, said nothing
about the life or death of Christ; nothing about the massacre of the infants by
Herod; not one word about the wonderful star that visited the sky at the birth
of Christ; nothing about the darkness that fell upon the world for several
hours in the midst of day; and failed entirely to mention that hundreds of
graves were opened, and that multitudes of Jews arose from the dead, and
visited the Holy City?" Ingersoll also asked: "Is it not wonderful that no
historian ever mentioned any of these prodigies?"
Ingersoll's questions are particularly cogent when one considers that there
are still in existence at least some of the works of more than sixty historians
or chroniclers who lived in the period from 10 C.E. to 100 C.E. Those writers
were contemporaries of Jesus, if in fact he ever existed.
In regard to the subject of historical inaccuracies contained in the Bible,
the various contradictions mentioned above could also be cited, such as those
contained in the accounts of the Creation, the Flood, David's census, the birth
and genealogies of Jesus, the Resurrection, Paul's calling, etc. In each
instance where the Bible contains a contradiction concerning an alleged
historical event, at least one of the accounts must be incorrect and is
therefore historically inaccurate.
Thus, the presence of historical inaccuracies is another fact that gives the
lie to the claim of biblical infallibility.
Conclusion:
In summary, Humanists reject the Bible because it contains contradictions,
cruelties, assertions that are totally inconsistent with the laws of nature,
inaccurate statements about the structure of the physical world, incorrect
prophecies, and historical inaccuracies. Other problems with the book could
also be cited, such as the fact that we do not know who wrote most of it, the
fact that much of it was written many years after the events which it purports
to describe, its many obscene passages, and its promises of salvation for the
ignorant and credulous and condemnation to eternal torture for skeptics and
investigators who have bestowed innumerable benefits upon the human race.
All of these problems and others constitute clear evidence that the Bible is
not the word of God. Instead of being infallible, the Bible has far more
incorrect assertions and immoral teachings than are contained in most other
books.
As a result of treating such a mistake-ridden book as being inerrant, Western
civilization has been led down many paths of error and misery throughout
history. In addition, the Bible's extensive track record in leading humanity
astray is support for the conclusion that, in today's world, the influence of
biblical teachings in the political arena could very well result -- and, in the
opinion of some persons, certainly does result -- in the continuance of a large
number of harmful social policies and opposition to many progressive proposals
for social improvement.
Moreover, reports carried in the news media make it clear that Bible verses
still lead some Christians to commit bizarre and harmful acts such as beating
children, withholding medical treatment, handling snakes, drinking poison,
chopping off hands or feet, plucking out eyes, violently attempting to drive
out demons and devils, withdrawing from the affairs of this world, renouncing
the pleasures of life, and expecting the imminent end of the world.
Because the Bible contains many incorrect statements and unethical teachings
and has caused -- and continues to cause -- numerous mistakes and tremendous
harm, we should reject the advice of those persons who exhort us to turn to the
Bible for the answers to our personal, social, and political problems.
What has enabled humanity to correct many of the false ideas that the Bible
gave to the world has been the application of a scientific approach to solving
problems. That approach involves reliance on human observation, experience,
logic, and empathy, rather than a blind acceptance of religious or secular
dogma.
When the results of relying on the scientific method are viewed in
conjunction with the incorrect ideas contained in the Bible and the harm caused
by those ideas, it becomes clear that we are far better off being guided by
human reason and compassion than by the teachings of the Bible.
---------------------------------
* Biblical citations in this article are to the King James Version, given
that it is perhaps the most widely used of the various versions on the market
today.
The author of this paper is the president of the Humanist Community of
Central Ohio, a chapter of the American Humanist Association.
© Copyright 1994 by Joseph C. Sommer
So long as profit is not your motive and you always include this copyright
notice, please feel free to reproduce and distribute this material in
electronic form as widely as you please. Nonprofit Humanist and Freethought
publications have additional permission to publish this in print form. All
other permission must be sought from the author through the Humanist Community
of Central Ohio which can be contacted at the following address:
HUMANIST COMM OF CENTRAL OHIO
PO BOX 141373
COLUMBUS OH 43214-6373
Phone: (614) 267-4030
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