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The Bible: So Misunderstood It's a Sin

BY KURT

EICHENWALD / DECEMBER 23, 2014 6:54 AM EST

TheywavetheirBiblesatpassersby,screamingtheircondemnationsofhomosexuals.Theyfallontheirknees,worshippingatthe
baseofgranitemonumentstotheTenCommandmentswhiledemandingprayerinschool.TheyappealtoGodtosaveAmerica
fromtheirpoliticalopponents,mostlyDemocrats.Theygatherinfootballstadiumsbythethousandstoprayforthecountrys
salvation.
TheyareGodsfrauds,cafeteriaChristianswhopickandchoosewhichBibleversestheyheedwithlesscarethantheyexercisein
selectingsideordersforlunch.Theyarejoinedbyreligiousrationalizersfundamentalistswho,unabletofindScripture
supportingtheirbiasesandbeliefs,twistphrasesandmodifytranslationstoprovetheyarehonoringtheBibleswords.
Thisisnolongeramatterofpersonalorprivatefaith.Withpoliticians,socialleadersandevensomeclergyinvokingabookthey
seemtohaveneverreadandwhosephrasestheydontunderstand,AmericaisbeingbesiegedbyBiblicalilliteracy.Climate
changeissaidtobeimpossiblebecauseofpromisesGodmadetoNoahMosaiclawfromtheOldTestamentdirectsAmerican
governmentcreationismshouldbetaughtinschoolshelpingSyriansresistchemicalweaponsattacksisasignoftheendtimes
alloftheseargumentshavebeenadvancedbymodernevangelicalpoliticiansandtheirbrethren,yetnoneofthemaresupportedin
theScripturesastheywereoriginallywritten.

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TheBibleisnotthebookmanyAmericanfundamentalistsandpoliticalopportuniststhinkitis,ormoreprecisely,whattheywant
ittobe.TheirlackofknowledgeabouttheBibleiswellestablished.APewResearchpollin2010foundthatevangelicalsranked
onlyasmidgenhigherthanatheistsinfamiliaritywiththeNewTestamentandJesussteachings.AmericansreveretheBible
but,byandlarge,theydontreadit,wroteGeorgeGallupJr.andJimCastelli,pollstersandresearcherswhoseworkfocusedon
religionintheUnitedStates.TheBarnaGroup,aChristianpollingfirm,foundin2012thatevangelicalsacceptedtheattitudesand
beliefsofthePhariseesreligiousleadersdepictedthroughouttheNewTestamentasopposingChristandhismessagemore
thantheyacceptedtheteachingsofJesus.
NewsweeksexplorationhereoftheBibleshistoryandmeaningisnotintendedtoadvanceaparticulartheologyordebatethe
existenceofGod.Rather,itisdesignedtoshinealightonabookthathasbeenabusedbypeoplewhoclaimtorevereitbutdont
readit,intheprocesscreatingmiseryforothers.WhentheilliteracyofselfproclaimedBiblicalliteralistsleadsparentstobanish
childrenfromtheirhomes,whenitsetsneighboragainstneighbor,whenitengendershateandcondemnation,whenitimpedes
scienceandunderminesintellectualadvancement,thetopichasbecometooimportantforAmericanstoignore,whethertheyare
deeplydevoutortepidlyfaithful,believersoratheists.
Thisexaminationbasedinlargepartontheworksofscoresoftheologiansandscholars,someofwhichdatesbackcenturiesis
areviewoftheBibleshistoryandarecountingofitswords.ItisonlythroughacceptingwheretheBiblecomesfromandwho
putittogetherthatanyonecancomprehendwhathistorysmostimportantbooksaysand,justasimportant,whatitdoesnotsay.

Moses carries the ten commandment tablets. KEN WELSH/DESIGNPICS.COM

PlayingTelephonewiththeWordofGod

NotelevisionpreacherhaseverreadtheBible.Neitherhasanyevangelicalpolitician.Neitherhasthepope.NeitherhaveI.And
neitherhaveyou.Atbest,weveallreadabadtranslationatranslationoftranslationsoftranslationsofhandcopiedcopiesof
copiesofcopiesofcopies,andonandon,hundredsoftimes.
About400yearspassedbetweenthewritingofthefirstChristianmanuscriptsandtheircompilationintotheNewTestament.
(ThatsthesameamountoftimebetweenthearrivalofthePilgrimsontheMayflowerandtoday.)ThefirstbooksoftheOld
Testamentwerewritten1,000yearsbeforethat.Inotherwords,some1,500yearspassedbetweenthedaythefirstbiblicalauthor
putsticktoclayandwhenthebooksthatwouldbecometheNewTestamentwerechosen.Therewerenoprintingpresses
beforehandoruntil1,000yearslater.Therewerenovacuumsealedtechnologiestopreservepaperforcenturies.Driedclaybroke,
papyrusandparchmentcrumbledaway,primitiveinksfaded.
Backthen,writingsfromoneeracouldbepassedtothenextonlybycopyingthembyhand.Whiletherewereprofessionalscribes
whoseliveswerededicatedtothisgruelingwork,theydidnotstartcopyingthelettersandtestamentsaboutJesusstimeuntil
centuriesaftertheywerewritten.Priortothat,amateurshandledthejob.
ThesemanuscriptswereoriginallywritteninKoin,orcommonGreek,andnotalloftheamateurcopyistsspokethelanguageor
wereevenfullyliterate.Somecopiedthescriptwithoutunderstandingthewords.AndKoinwaswritteninwhatisknownas
scriptiocontinuameaningnospacesbetweenwordsandnopunctuation.So,asentencelikeweshouldgoeatmomcouldbe
interpretedasWeshouldgoeat,Mom,orWeshouldgoeatMom.Sentencescanhavedifferentmeaningdependingonwhere
thespacesareplaced.Forexample,godisnowherecouldbeGodisnowhereorGodisnowhere.
Noneofthismatteredforcenturies,becauseChristianswerecertainGodhadguidedthehandnotonlyoftheoriginalwritersbut
alsoofallthosecopyists.Butinthepast100yearsorso,tensofthousandsofmanuscriptsoftheNewTestamenthavebeen
discovered,datingbackcenturies.Andwhatbiblicalscholarsnowknowisthatlaterversionsofthebooksdiffersignificantlyfrom
earlieronesinfact,evencopiesfromthesametimeperiodsdifferfromeachother.Therearemorevariationsamongour
manuscriptsthantherearewordsintheNewTestament,saysDr.BartD.Ehrman,agroundbreakingbiblicalscholarand
professorattheUniversityofNorthCarolinawhohaswrittenmanybooksontheNewTestament.

Mostofthosediscrepanciesarelittlemorethanthehandwrittenequivalentofatypo,butthaterrorwasthenincludedbyfuture
scribes.Therewerealsominorchangesmadebyliteratescribescenturiesafterthemanuscriptswerewrittenbecauseofwhatthey
decidedwereflawsintheaccountstheywererecopying.Forexample,anearlyversionofLuke3:16intheNewTestamentsaid,
Johnanswered,sayingtoallofthem.TheproblemwasthatnoonehadaskedJohnanything,soafifthcenturyscribefixed
thatbychangingthewordstoJohn,knowingwhattheywerethinking,said.Today,mostmodernEnglishBibleshave
returnedtothecorrect,yetconfusing,Johnanswered.Others,suchastheNewLifeVersionBible,useotherwordsthatpaper
overtheinconsistency.
ButthisdiscussionisaboutsomethingmuchmoreimportantthanwhethersomescribeintheMiddleAgesdecidedGodhadnot
beenpayingattentionwhileguidingthehandofLuke.Indeed,therearesignificantdifferencesincopiesthattouchonfarmore
profoundissues.ScribesaddedwholesectionsoftheNewTestament,andremovedwordsandsentencesthatcontradicted
emergingorthodoxbeliefs.
TakeoneofthemostfamoustalesfromtheNewTestament,whichstartsinJohn7:53.AgroupofPhariseesandothersbringa
womancaughtcommittingadulterytoJesus.UnderMosaicLawthelawsofMoseshandeddownintheOldTestamentshe
mustbestonedtodeath.ThePhariseesaskJesuswhetherthewomanshouldbereleasedorkilled,hopingtoforcehimtochoose
betweenhonoringMosaicLawandhisteachingsofforgiveness.Jesusreplies,Hethatiswithoutsinamongyou,lethimfirstcast
astone.Thegroupleaves,andJesustellsthewomantosinnomore.
Itsapowerfulstory,knownevenbythosewithjustapassingknowledgeoftheBible.ItwasdepictedinMelGibsonsmovieThe
PassionoftheChristandisoftenusedtopointoutthehypocrisyofChristianswhodenouncewhattheyperceivetobethesinsof
others.Unfortunately,Johndidntwriteit.ScribesmadeitupsometimeintheMiddleAges.Itdoesnotappearinanyofthethree
otherGospelsorinanyoftheearlyGreekversionsofJohn.EveniftheGospelofJohnisaninfallibletellingofthehistoryof
Jesussministry,theeventsimplyneverhappened.Moreover,accordingtoEhrman,thewritingstyleforthatstoryisdifferent
fromtherestofJohn,andthesectionincludesphrasesthatdonotappearanywhereelseintheBible.Scholarssaytheyarewords
morecommonlyusedlongafterthatGospelwaswritten.

ForPentecostalChristians,animportantsectionoftheBibleappearsintheGospelofMark,16:1718.Theseversessaythatthose
whobelieveinJesuswillspeakintonguesandhaveextraordinarypowers,suchastheabilitytocastoutdemons,healthesickand
handlesnakes.Pentecostalministersoftenbabbleincomprehensiblesounds,proclaimingbasedinpartontheseversesinMark
thatthenoisestheyaremakingshowthattheHolySpiritisinthem.Itsalsoaprimaryjustificationfortheemergenceofthe
Pentecostalsnakehandlers.
Butonceagain,theversescamefromacreativescribelongaftertheGospelofMarkwaswritten.Infact,theearliestversionsof
Markstopat16:8.Itsanawkwardending,withthreewomenwhohavegonetothetombwhereJesuswaslaidafterthe
CrucifixionencounteringamanwhotellsthemtoletthedisciplesknowthattheresurrectedJesuswillseetheminGalilee.The
womenfleethetomb,andneithersaidtheyanythingtoanymanfortheywereafraid.
InearlycopiesoftheoriginalGreekwritings,thatsit.The12versesthatfollowinmodernBiblesJesusappearingtoMary
MagdaleneandtheDisciplesandthenascendingtoHeavenarenotthere.Asignificantmomentthatwouldbehardtoforget,one
wouldthink.
ThesameistrueforothercriticalportionsoftheBible,suchas1John5:7(Fortherearethreethatbearrecordinheaven,the
Father,theWord,andtheHolyGhost:andthesethreeareone)Luke22:20(Likewisealsothecupaftersupper,saying,Thiscup
isthenewtestamentinmyblood,whichisshedforyou)andLuke24:51(Anditcametopass,whileheblessedthem,hewas
partedfromthem,andcarriedupintoheaven).ThesefirstappearedinmanuscriptsusedbythetranslatorswhocreatedtheKing
JamesBible,butarenotintheGreekcopiesfromhundredsofyearsearlier.
ThesearenottheonlypartsoftheBiblethatappeartohavebeenaddedmuchlater.Therearemany,manymoreinfact,farmore
thancanbeexploredwithoutfillingupthenextseveralissuesofNewsweek.

Hands of poll workers are seen on a Bible as head precinct judge Deloris Reid-Smith reads the voters oath to poll
workers before opening the polls at the Grove Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina Nov. 4, 2014. CHRIS
KEANE/REUTERS

TranslationTransubstantiation
Thencomestheproblemofaccuratetranslation.ManywordsinNewTestamentGreekdonthaveclearEnglishequivalents.
Sentencestructure,idioms,stylisticdifferencesallofthesearechallengeswhenconvertingversionsoftheNewTestamentbooks
intoEnglish.AndthiscantbesolvedwithaBerlitzcourse:KoinisancientGreekandnotspokenanymore.ThisiswhyEnglish
translationsdiffer,withmanyhavingbeenrevisedtoreflecttheviewsandguessesofthemoderntranslators.
ThegoldstandardofEnglishBiblesistheKingJamesVersion,completedin1611,butthatwasnotatranslationoftheoriginal
Greek.Instead,aChurchofEnglandcommitteereliedprimarilyonLatinmanuscriptstranslatedfromGreek.AccordingtoJason
DavidBeDuhn,aprofessorofreligiousstudiesatNorthernArizonaUniversityandauthorofTruthinTranslation,itwasoften
veryhardforthecommitteetofindthecorrectEnglishwords.ThecommitteesometimescomparedLatintranslationswiththe
earlierGreekcopies,founddiscrepanciesanddecidedthattheLatinversionthelaterversionwascorrectandtheearlierGreek
manuscriptswerewrong.
ThegoalofthetranslatorswastocreateaBiblethatwasagorgeousworkthatwasveryaccurateinitstranslationandclearinits
meaning,butthatdidnthappen.TheKingJamesBibleisabeautifulpieceofEnglishliterature,saysBeDuhn.Intermsofthe
othertwogoals,however,thistranslationfallsshort.
ForsubsequentEnglishBibles,thoseslightlyofftranslationsinKingJameswerethenoftenconvertedintophrasesthatmost
closelyfittedthepreconceptionsofevenmoretranslators.Inotherwords,religiousconvictionsdeterminedtranslationchoices.For
example,,aGreekwordusedabout60timesintheNewTestament,equatestosomethingalongthelinesofto
prostrateoneselfaswellastopraiseGod.ThatwastranslatedintoLatinasadoro,whichintheKingJamesBiblebecame
worship.Butthosetwowordsdontmeanpreciselythesamething.WhentheKingJamesBiblewaswritten,worshipcouldbe
usedtodescribebothexhibitingreverenceforGodandprostratingoneself.Whilenotperfect,itsadecenttranslation.

Asaresult,throughouttheKingJamesBible,peopleworshipmanythings.Aslaveworshipshisowner,theassembledofSatan
worshipanangel,andRomansoldiersmockingJesusworshiphim.Ineachoftheseinstances,theworddoesnotmeanpraise
Godsgloryoranythinglikethatinstead,itmeanstoboworprostrateoneself.ButEnglishBiblesadoptedlatertheNew
InternationalBible,theNewAmericanStandardBible,theLivingBibleandsoondroppedthewordworshipwhenitreferenced
anyoneotherthanGodorJesus.AndsoeachtimeappearedintheGreekmanuscriptregardingJesus,inthesenewer
Biblesheisworshipped,butwhenappliedtosomeoneelse,theexactsamewordistranslatedasboworsomethingsimilar.By
translatingthesameworddifferentways,thesemodernBiblesareaddingabitoflinguisticsupporttotheideathatthepeoplewho
knewJesusunderstoodhimtobeGod.
Inotherwords,withalittletranslationaltrickery,afundamentaltenetofChristianitythatJesusisGodwasreinforcedinthe
Bible,eveninplaceswhereitdirectlycontradictstherestoftheverse.
Thatkindofmanipulationoccursmanytimes.InPhilippians,theKingJamesVersiontranslatessomewordstodesignateJesusas
beingintheformofGod.TheGreekwordforformcouldsimplymeanJesuswasintheimageofGod.Butthepublishersof
someBiblesdecidedtoinserttheirbeliefsintotranslationsthathadnothingtodowiththeGreek.TheLivingBible,forexample,
saysJesuswasGodeventhoughmoderntranslatorsprettymuchjustinventedthewords.
WhichraisesabigissueforChristians:theTrinitythebeliefthatJesusandGodarethesameand,withtheHolySpirit,area
singleentityisafundamental,yetdeeplyconfusing,tenet.SowheredoesthecleardeclarationofGodandJesusaspartofa
triumvirateappearintheGreekmanuscripts?
Nowhere.Andinthatdeceptionliesastoryofmasskillings.

Birth of Christ KEN WELSH/DESIGNPICS.COM

TheSociopathEmperor
WhywouldGod,inconveyinghismessagetotheworld,speakinwhispersandriddles?Itseemsnonsensical,butthebeliefthathe
refusedtoconveyaclearmessagehasledtotheslaughterofmanythousandsofChristiansbyChristians.Infact,Christiansare
believedtohavemassacredmorefollowersofJesusthananyothergroupornation.
ThosewhobelievedintheTrinitybutcheredChristianswhodidnt.GroupswhobelievedJesuswastwoentitiesGodandman
killedthosewhothoughtJesuswasmerelyfleshandblood.SomefeltcertainGodinspiredOldTestamentScriptures,otherswere
convincedtheyweretheproductofadifferent,evilGod.SomebelievedtheCrucifixionbroughtsalvationtohumankind,others
insisteditdidnt,andstillothersbelievedJesuswasntcrucified.
Indeed,forhundredsofyearsafterthedeathofJesus,groupsadoptedradicallyconflictingwritingsaboutthedetailsofhislifeand
themeaningofhisministry,andmurderedthosewhodisagreed.Formanycenturies,Christianitywasfirstabattleofbooksand
thenabattleofblood.Thereason,inlargepart,wasthattherewerenouniversallyacceptedmanuscriptsthatsetoutwhatitmeant
tobeaChristian,somostsectshadtheirowngospels.
TherewastheGospelofMaryMagdalene,theGospelofSimonPeter,theGospelofPhilipandtheGospelofBarnabas.Onesect
ofChristianitytheGnosticsbelievedthatthediscipleThomaswasnotonlyJesusstwinbrotherbutalsothefounderof
churchesacrossAsia.Christianitywasinchaosinitsearlydays,withsomesectsdeclaringtheothersheretics.Andthen,inthe
early300s,EmperorConstantineofRomedeclaredhehadbecomefollowerofJesus,endedhisempirespersecutionofChristians
andsetouttoreconcilethedisputesamongthesects.Constantinewasabrutalsociopathwhomurderedhiseldestson,decapitated
hisbrotherinlawandkilledhiswifebyboilingheralive,andthatwasafterheproclaimedthathehadconvertedfrom
worshippingthesungodtobeingaChristian.YethealsochangedthecourseofChristianhistory,ultimatelyinfluencingwhich
booksmadeitintotheNewTestament.

Bythatpoint,theprimarydisputescenteredonwhetherJesuswasGodthefollowersofapriestnamedAriussaidno,thatGod
createdJesus.ButtheBishopofAlexandersaidyes,thatJesushadexistedthroughoutalleternity.Thedisputeragedoninthe
streetsofConstantinople,witheveryoneshopkeepers,bakersandtradesmenarguingaboutwhichviewwasright.Constantine,
inareflectionofhisshallowunderstandingoftheology,wasannoyedthatwhatheconsideredaminordisputewascausingsuch
turmoil,andfearedthatitweakenhimpolitically.Sohedecidedtoforceanagreementonthequestion.
ConstantineconvenedameetinginthelakesidetownofNicaea.Invitationsweresentaroundtheworldtobishopsandleadersof
varioussects,althoughnotallofthem.Thegroupincludedtheeducatedandtheilliterate,zealotsandhermits.Constantinearrived
wearingjewelsandgoldonhisscarletrobeandpearlsonhiscrown,eagertodiscussthetrueessenceofapoorcarpenterwhohad
died300yearsbefore.
ThingsthataretodayacceptedwithoutmuchthoughtwereadoptedorreinforcedatNicaea.Forexample,theOldTestamentwas
clearindeclaringthatGodrestedontheseventhday,makingittheSabbath.TheseventhdayoftheweekisSaturday,thedayof
Jewishworshipandrest.(JesushimselfinvokedtheholinessoftheJewishSabbath.)ThewordSundaydoesnotappearinthe
Bible,eitherastheSabbathoranythingelse.ButfouryearsbeforeNicaea,ConstantinedeclaredSundayasadayofrestinhonor
ofthesungod.
AtNicaea,ruleswereadoptedregardingtheproperpositionsforprayeronSundaysstanding,notkneelingnothingwassaidof
theJewishSabbathorSaturday.ManytheologiansandChristianhistoriansbelievethatitwasatthismoment,tosatisfy
Constantineandhiscommitmenttohisempiresmanysunworshippers,thattheHolySabbathwasmovedbyoneday,
contradictingtheclearwordsofwhatultimatelybecametheBible.AndwhiletheBiblementionednothingaboutthedayof
Jesussbirth,thebirthofthesungodwascelebratedonDecember25inRomeChristianhistoriansofthe12thcenturywrotethat
itwasthepaganholidaythatledtothedesignationofthatdateforChristmas.
ThemajorityofthetimeatNicaeawasspentdebatingwhetherJesuswasamanwhowasthesonofGod,asAriusproclaimed,or
Godhimself,asthechurchhierarchymaintained.ThefollowersofAriusmarshaledevidencefromthelettersofPaulandother
Christianwritings.IntheGospelofMark,speakingoftheSecondComing,Jesussaid,Butofthatdayandthathourknowethno

man,no,nottheangelswhichareinheaven,neithertheSon,buttheFather.InPaulsfirstlettertotheCorinthians,hewrotethat
thereisbutoneGod,theFatherandthereisbutoneLord,JesusChrist.InhislettertoTimothy,Paulwrote,Forthereisone
God,andonemediatorbetweenGodandmen,themanChristJesus.
PaulswritingsareconsistentinhisreferencetoGodasonebeingandJesusashisson.SamewiththeGospelofMatthew,where
PetertellsJesusthatheistheSonofthelivingGodandJesusrespondsthatFleshandbloodhathnotrevealedituntothee,but
myFatherwhichisinheaven.JesusevencalledouttoGodashisFatherashewasdyingonthecross.
ButConstantinesidedwiththosewhobelievedJesuswasbothGodandman,soastatementofbelief,calledtheNiceneCreed,
wascomposedtoproclaimthat.Thosewhorefusedtosignthestatementwerebanished.Otherswereslaughtered.Aftertheyhad
returnedhomeandwerefarfromRome,somewhosignedthedocumentlatersentletterstoConstantinesayingtheyhadonlydone
sooutoffearfortheirlives.
About50yearslater,inA.D.381,theRomansheldanothermeeting,thistimeinConstantinople.There,anewagreementwas
reachedJesuswasnttwo,hewasnowthreeFather,SonandHolyGhost.TheNiceneCreedwasrewritten,andthosewho
refusedtosignthestatementwerebanished,andanotherwholesaleslaughterbegan,thistimeofthosewhorejectedtheTrinity,a
conceptthatisnowhereintheoriginalGreekmanuscriptsandisoftencontradictedbyit.
Tothisday,congregantsinChristianchurchesatSundayservicesworldwiderecitetheNiceneCreed,whichservesasaffirmation
oftheirbeliefintheTrinity.ItisdoubtfulmanyofthemknowthewordstheyutterarenotfromtheBible,andwerethecauseofso
muchbloodshed.(SomemodernChristiansattempttousetheGospelofJohntojustifytheTrinityeventhoughitdoesnt
explicitlymentionitbuttheyarerelyingonbadtranslationsoftheGreekandsentencesinsertedbyscribes.)
TounderstandhowwhatwecalltheBiblewasmade,youmustseehowthebeliefsthatbecamepartofChristianorthodoxywere
pushedintoitbytheHolyRomanEmpire.Bythefifthcentury,thepoliticalandtheologicalcouncilsvotedonwhichofthemany
GospelsincirculationweretomakeuptheNewTestament.WiththepowerofRomebehindthem,thepractitionersofthis
proclaimedorthodoxywipedoutothersectsandtriedtodestroyeverycopyoftheirGospelsandotherwritings.

Andrecallthattheywerealreadyworkingfromafundamentallyflaweddocument.Errorsandrevisionsbycopyistshadbeen
writteninbythefifthcentury,andseveralbooksoftheNewTestament,includingsomeattributedtoPaul,arenowconsidered
forgeriesperpetratedbyfamousfiguresinChristianitytobolstertheirtheologicalarguments.Itissmallwonder,then,thatthere
aresomanycontradictionsintheNewTestament.Someofthosecontradictionsaretrivial,butsomecreatehugeproblemsfor
evangelicalsinsistingtheyarelivingbythewordofGod.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., stage a protest outside the non-denominational prayer and
fasting event, entitled "The Response" at Reliant Stadium, Aug. 6, 2011 in Houston. BRANDON THIBODEAUX/GETTY

NoThreeKings?
Toillustratehowevenseeminglytrivialcontradictionscanhaveprofoundconsequences,letsrecountthestoryofChristmas.
JesuswasborninahouseinBethlehem.Hisfather,Joseph,hadbeenplanningtodivorceMaryuntilhedreamedthatshed
conceivedachildthroughtheHolySpirit.Nowisemenshowedupforthebirth,andnobrilliantstarshoneoverhead.Josephand
hisfamilythenfledtoEgypt,wheretheyremainedforyears.Later,theyreturnedtoIsrael,hopingtoliveinJudea,butthatproved
problematic,sotheysettledinasmalltowncalledNazareth.
Nottheversionyouarefamiliarwith?NoangelappearingtoMary?Notborninamanger?Noonesayingtherewasnoroomat
theinn?Nogold,frankincenseormyrrh?FleeingtoEgypt?FirstlivinginNazarethwhenJesuswasachild,notbeforehewas
born?
Youmaynotrecognizethisversion,butitisastoryofJesussbirthfoundintheGospels.TwoGospelsMatthewandLuketell
thestoryofwhenJesuswasborn,butinquitedifferentways.Contradictionsabound.IncreatingthefamiliarChristmastale,
Christianstookalittlebitofonestory,mixeditwithalittlebitoftheotherandignoredallofthecontradictionsinthetwo.The

versionrecountedabovedoesthesameitusespartsofthosestoriesfromthetwoGospelsthatareusuallyignored.Sothereare
twoblendedversionsandtwoGospelversions.Takeyourpick.
Therearealsodeep,logicalflawsherethatshouldbeapparenttoanyonegivingtheBibleacloseread.ManyChristiansreadthe
OldTestamentashavingseveralpropheciesthattheMessiahwillbeadescendantofDavid,atoweringbiblicalfigurewhowasthe
secondruleroftheKingdomofIsrael.AndbothMatthewandLukeofferthatproofbothtraceJesusslineagetohisfather
JosephandfromtherebacktoDavid.
ExceptJosephwasntJesussfather.JesusisthesonofGod,remember?Moreover,thegenealogiesrecountedinthetwo
Gospelsaredifferent,eachidentifyingdifferentmenasJosephsfatherandgrandfather.Mary,themotherofJesus,canbetheonly
parentwithabloodlinetoDavid,butneitherGospelmakesanymentionofthat.
ThestoriesinthefourGospelsofJesussdeathandresurrectiondifferaswell.WhenbroughtbeforePontiusPilateintheGospel
ofMark,Jesusspeaksonlytwowordsandisneverdeclaredinnocent.IntheGospelofJohn,Jesusengagesinextended
conversationswithPilate,whorepeatedlyproclaimsthisJewishprisonertobeinnocentanddeservingofrelease.(TheBookof
JohnwasthelasttobewrittenandcameatatimewhengentilesinRomeweregainingdramaticallymoreinfluenceover
ChristianitythatexplainswhytheRomansarelargelyabsolvedfromresponsibilityforJesussdeathandblameinsteadispointed
towardtheJews.ThathasbeenoneofthekeybasesforcenturiesofantiSemitism.)
AndwhowenttoanointJesusinhistomb?InMatthew,itwasMaryandanotherwomannamedMary,andanangelmetthem
there.InMark,itwasMaryMagdalene,MarythemotherofJames,andSalome,andayoungmanmetthem.InJohn,itwasMary
alonenoonemether.AstoldinMatthew,thedisciplesgotoGalileeaftertheCrucifixionandseeJesusascendtoheaveninActs,
writtenbyLuke,thedisciplesstayinJerusalemandseeJesusascendfromthere.
SomeofthecontradictionsareconflictsbetweenwhatevangelicalsconsiderabsoluteandwhatJesusactuallysaid.Forexample,
evangelicalsarealwaystalkingaboutfamilyvalues.ButtoJesus,familywasanimpedimenttoreachingGod.IntheGospelof
Matthew,hestates,Andeveryonethathathforsakenhouses,orbrethren,orsisters,orfather,ormother,orwife,orchildren,or

lands,formynamessake,shallreceiveanhundredfold,andshallinheriteverlastinglife.
ThenthereiswhatmanyfundamentalistChristiansholdtobethemostimportantofallelementsoftheBible:theSecondComing
ofChristandtheendoftheworld.WhatmodernevangelicalswanttobelievecannotbereconciledwiththeBible.IntheGospelof
Mark,JesussaysoftheApocalypse,Thisgenerationshallnotpass,tillallthesethingsbedoneinotherwords,thepeoplealive
inhistimewouldseetheendoftheworld.Paulin1Corinthiansisevenclearerhestates,Thetimeisshort.Hetheninstructs
otherChristians,giventhattheendiscoming,toliveasiftheyhadnowives,and,iftheybuythings,totreatthemasiftheywere
nottheirown.Someevangelicalscountertheseclearwordsbyquoting2Peterassayingthat,forGod,onedayislike1,000years.
Twoproblems:ThatdoesnothingtocounterwhateitherJesusorPaulsaid.Andeveninancienttimes,manyChristianleaders
proclaimed2Petertobeaforgery,anopinionalmostuniversallysharedbybiblicalscholarstoday.
NoneofthisismeanttodemeantheBible,butallofitisfact.ChristiansangeredbythesefactsshouldbeangrywiththeBible,not
themessenger.
GodWrestlingDragons
ThenexttimesomeonetellsyouthebiblicalstoryofCreationistrue,askthatperson,Whichone?
FewoftheChristianfaithfulseemtoknowtheBiblecontainsmultiplecreationstories.ThefirstappearsonPage1,Genesis1,so
thatistheversionmostpeopletendtoembrace.However,itisnthardtofindthesecondversion:ItsGenesis2,whichusually
startsonthesamepage.Genesis1beginswiththewordsInthebeginning,GodcreatedtheheavensandtheearthGenesis2
startswithThisistheaccountoftheheavensandtheearthwhentheywerecreated.
Carefulreadershavelongknownthatthetwostoriescontradicteachother.Genesis1beginswithexpansesofwaterthatGod
separates,creatingtheearthbetweenthem.Genesis2describesaworldwithoutenoughwater,whichisthenintroduced.
VegetationexistsbeforethesunandthestarsinGenesis1itstheotherwayaroundinGenesis2.InGenesis1,maniscreated

afterplantsandanimalsinGenesis2,plantsandanimalscomeafterman.InGenesis1,AdamandEvearecreatedtogetherin
Genesis2,EveiscreatedoutofAdamsrib.
ThisisnothingunusualfortheOldTestament.Infact,eventhoughmanyevangelicalChristiansinsistthatMoseswrotethefirst
fivebooksoftheOldTestament(includingDeuteronomy,whichtalksaboutMoseshavingdiedandbeenburied),biblicalscholars
haveconcludedthattwoJewishsectswrotemanyofthebooks.EachprepareditsversionofOldTestament,andthetwowere
joinedtogetherwithoutanyattempttoreconcilethemanycontradictions.
Theseduplicationsareknownasdoublets.Inmostcases,saysRichardElliottFriedman,abiblicalscholarattheUniversityof
Georgia,oneoftheversionsofthedoubletstorywouldrefertothedeitybythedivinenameYahweh,andtheotherversionofthe
storywouldrefertothedeitysimplyasGod.OncethedifferentnarrativesappearingintheBibleweredividedbythewordthey
usedtoreferenceGod,othertermsandcharacteristicsturneduprepeatedlyinoneortheothergroup.Thistendedtosupportthe
hypothesisthatsomeonehadtakentwodifferentoldsourcedocuments,cutthemupandwoventhemtogetherinthefirstfive
booksoftheOldTestament,Friedmansays.
ThedoubletsmakereadingtheOldTestamenttheliteraryequivalentofahallofmirrors.TaketheGenesisstoryofNoahandthe
flood.InGenesis6,GodtellsNoahtobuildanarkandloaditwithanimals,andNoahdideverythingjustasGodcommanded
him.Then,inGenesis7,GodagaintellsNoahtoloadthearkwithanimals,andNoahdidallthattheLordcommandedhim.
Underthefirstsetofinstructions,Noahwastobringtwoofeverykindofcreatureontotheark.Butthedirectionschangedthe
secondtime,withNoahtoldtobringsevenofeverykindofcleananimalandtwoofeverykindofuncleananimal.
Itgetsstranger.InGenesis7:712,Noahandhisfamilyboardtheark,andthefloodbegins.Then,intheverynextverse,Genesis
7:13,Noahandhisfamilyboardthearkagain,andthefloodbeginsasecondtime.Thewaterfloodedtheearthfor40days
(Genesis7:17),or150days(Genesis7:24).ButNoahandhisfamilystayedonthearkforayear(Genesis8:13).

Evenwellknownstorieshavecontradictoryversions.Aseverychildknows,DavidkilledGoliathitsrighttherein1Samuel
17:50.Butdonttellthosechildrentoread2Samuel21:19unlessyouwantthemtogetreallyconfused.There,itsaysinmany
versionsoftheBiblethatElhanankilledGoliath.OtherBibles,though,fixedthattomakeitcoincidewiththewordsin1
Chronicles,wereElhanankilledthebrotherofGoliath.
TheseconflictingaccountsareonlyseriousmattersbecauseevangelicalsinsisttheOldTestamentisavalidmeansofdebunking
science.Butastheseexampleshow,theBiblecantstopdebunkingitself.
Infact,theBiblehasthreecreationmodels,andsomeexpertsmaintaintherearefour.InadditiontothetwoinGenesis,thereis
onereferencedintheBooksofIsaiah,PsalmsandJob.Inthisversion,theworldiscreatedintheaftermathofagreatbattle
betweenGodandwhattheologianssayisadragoninthewaterscalledRahab.AndRahabisnottheonlymythicalcreaturethat
eithercoexistedwithGodorwascreatedbyhim.GodplayswithaseamonsternamedLeviathan.UnicornsappearintheKing
JamesBible(althoughthatwasntthecorrecttranslationofthemythicalcreaturesHebrewname).Therearefieryserpentsand
flyingserpentsandcockatricesatwoleggeddragonwitharoostershead(thatwordwaslaterchangedtoviperinsome
EnglishlanguageBibles).AndinExodus,magicianswhoworkforthePharaohofEgyptareabletochangestaffsintosnakesand
waterintoblood.InGenesis,theSonsofGodmarrythedaughtersofmanandhavechildrenthesonsofGodareangels,as
ismadeclearintheBooksofJobandPsalms.
EvangelicalsciteGenesistochallengethesciencetaughtinclassrooms,butdontliketotalkaboutthoseOldTestamentbooks
withmonstersandmagic.

Workers paste a public service announcement over a billboard with an anti-homosexuality message on Bay Street in
Staten Island, N.Y., on March 8, 2000. The controversial billboard, with a quotation from the Bible, was paid for by an
undisclosed party and was covered over by the billboard company after complaints. CHRIS HONDROS/GETTY

SarahPalinIsSinningRightNow
Thedeclarationin1TimothyasrecountedintheLivingBible,theNewAmericanStandardBible,theNewInternationalVersion
Bibleandotherscouldnotbemoreclear:ThosewhopracticehomosexualitywillnotinherittheKingdomofGod.Butthe
translationthereisodd,inpartbecausethewordhomosexualdidntevenexistuntilmorethan1,800yearsafterwhen1Timothy
wassupposedtohavebeenwritten.SohowdiditgetintotheNewTestament?Simple:TheeditorsofthesemodernBiblesjust
madeitup.Likesomanytranslatorsandscribesbeforethem,theyhadareligiousconviction,somethingtheywantedtosaythat
wasntstatedclearlyenoughintheoriginalfortheirtastes.Andsotheymanipulatedsentencestoreinforcetheirconvictions.
TheoriginalBibleverseinKoinusedforwhathasbeentranslatedashomosexual.FortheLatinBible,itwasas
masculorumconcubitores.TheKingJamesVersiontranslatedthatasthemthatdefilethemselveswithmankind.Perhapsthat
meansmenwhoengageinsexwithothermen,perhapsnot.
Thenextthingtocheckhereiswhether1Timothywasbasedonaforgery.Andtheanswertothatisaresoundingyes.In1807,a
GermanscholarnamedFriedrichSchleiermacherpublishedaletterobservingthat1Timothyusedargumentsthatclashedwith
otherletterswrittenbyPaul.Moreover,1Timothyattacksfalseteachings,buttheyarenotthetypesofteachingsprevalentwhen
Paulwaswritinginstead,theyaremoreakintothebeliefsoftheGnostics,asectthatdidnotexistuntillongafterPaulsdeath.
Andattimes,whoeverwrotethisletterusesthesamewordsasPaulbutmeanssomethingcompletelydifferentbythem.Most
biblicalscholarsagreethatPauldidnotwrite1Timothy.
Butsupposeforamomentthat1TimothywaswrittenbyPaul,andthatdefilethemselvesdoesrefertohomosexuality.Inthat
case,evangelicalChristiansandbiblicalliteralistsstillhavealotoftroubleontheirhands.Contrarytowhatsomany
fundamentalistsbelieve,outsideoftheemphasisontheTenCommandments,sinsarentranked.TheNewTestamentdoesnt
proclaimhomosexualitythemostheinousofallsins.No,everysinisequalinitssignificancetoGod.In1Timothy,Paul,or
whoeverwroteit,condemnsthedisobedient,liarsanddrunks.Inotherwords,forevangelicalswhowanttousethisbookofthe
Bibletocondemnhomosexuality,mostfratboysinAmericaarecommittingsinsonparwithbeinggay.Butyourarelyhearabout
parentsbanishingtheirkidsforgettingtrashedonSaturdaynight.

Nowletstalkabouthow1Timothydealswithwomen.U.S.RepresentativeMicheleBachmann,theMinnesotaRepublican,
slammedgaypeopleasbullieslastMarchforopposinglegislationthatwouldhaveallowedArizonabusinessestodiscriminate
againstsamesexcouples.Well,accordingtotheBible,Bachmannshouldshutupandsitdown.Infact,everyfemalepolitician
whoinsiststheNewTestamentistheinerrantwordofGodneedstoresignimmediatelyoradmitthatsheisahypocrite.
Thatsbecause1TimothyisoneofthemostvirulentlyantiwomanbooksoftheNewTestament,somethingelsethatsetsitapart
fromotherlettersbyPaul.IntheKingJamesVersion,itsayswomenmustdressmodestly,cantembroidertheirhair,cantwear
pearlsorgoldandhavetostaysilent.Moreover,theycantholdanypositionofauthorityovermenandarentevenallowedtobe
teachersmeaning,iftheytrulybelievetheBibleistheinerrantwordofGod,womenlikeBachmanncantbeinpolitics.Infact,
while1Timothyhasjustoneparentheticalclausethatcanbeinterpretedasbeingabouthomosexuality,itcontainssixverseson
theshortcomingsofwomenandthelimitationsonwhattheyareallowedtodo.
ManyChristianspointtootherpartsoftheNewTestamentwhendenouncinghomosexuality.Romans,anotherletterattributedto
Paul,isapopularchoice.IntheKingJamesBible,itcondemnsmenwholustintheirheartsforeachother,atranslationthatholds
upprettywellwhencomparedwiththeearliestGreekversions.AndscholarsagreethatRomansisarealletterwrittenbyPaul.
Inotherwords,RomansisrealGospel,andwhatithastosaycantbequestionedbythosewhocallthemselvesbiblicalliteralists.
WhichmeanstelevangelistPatRobertsonshouldpreparehimselfforaneternityinhell.OnhistelevisionshowThe700Club,
RobertsonrecentlywentonatiradeaboutBarackObamaand,asheiswonttodo,prayedforhelp.God,weneedtheangels!We
needyourhelp!Robertsonsaid.Weneedtodosomething,topraytobedeliveredfromthispresident.
Andwiththat,PatRobertsonsinned.BecauseinRomanssooftenusedtocondemnhomosexualitythereisamuchlonger
seriesofversesabouthowtherighteousaresupposedtobehavetowardpeopleingovernmentauthority.ItshowsupinRomans
13:12,whichintheInternationalStandardBiblesays,TheexistingauthoritieshavebeenestablishedbyGod,sothatwhoever
resiststheauthoritiesopposeswhatGodhasestablished,andthosewhoresistwillbringjudgmentonthemselves.

Soyes,thereisoneverseinRomansabouthomosexualityandthereareeightversescondemningthosewhocriticizethe
government.Inotherwords,allfundamentalistChristianswhodecryObamahavesinnedasmuchastheybelievegaypeoplehave.
Itdoesntendthere.InthesamesectionofRomansthatisarguablyaddressinghomosexuality,Paulalsocondemnsdebating(allof
Congressisdamned?),beingprideful,disobeyingparentsanddeceivingpeople(yes,allofCongressisdamned.)Thereisnobold
printorunderliningforthesectiondealingwithhomosexualityPaultreatsitassomethingassinfulasprideordebate.
ThestoryisthesameinthelastNewTestamentversecitedbyfundamentalistswhoscornhomosexuals.Again,itisaletterfrom
Paul,called1Corinthians.Thetranslationisgood,andtheexpertsbelieveitwaswrittenbyhim.Butfundamentalistswhorelyon
thisbetterstayoutofcourtPaulcondemnsbringinglawsuits,atleastagainstotherChristians.Adultery,beinggreedy,lyingall
ofthesearedeclaredassinsonparwithhomosexuality.
Ofcourse,thereareplentyoffundamentalistChristianswhohavenoideawherereferencestohomosexualityareintheNew
Testament,muchlesswhatthesurroundingversessay.AndsotheyalwaysfallbackonLeviticus,theOldTestamentbookloaded
withdosanddonts.Theyseemtohavethewordsmemorizedaboutitbeinganabominationforamantoliewithamanashedoes
withawoman.Andeverytimetheymakethatargument,theydemonstratethattheyknownexttonothingabouttheNew
Testament.
AfundamentalconflictintheNewTestamentarguablythemostimportantoneintheBiblecentersonwhethertheLawsof
MosesweresupplantedbythecrucifixionofChrist.ThebasictensiontherewasthatPaulledachurchinAntiochwherehe
attemptedtobringgentilesintoChristianitybyespousingaliberalinterpretationoftherequirementstofollowtheLawsofMoses
circumcision,eatingkosherfoodandotherrulesspelledoutintheOldTestament.Hundredsofmilesaway,disciplesofJesus
andhisbrotherJamesheadedachurchinJerusalem.WhentheyheardaboutthegoingsoninAntioch,adebateensued:Did
gentileshavetobecomeJewsfirst(likeJesus)andfollowMosaicLawbeforetheycouldbeacceptedasChristians?

Someoftheoriginaldisciplessaidyes,anopinionthatseemstofindsupportinwordsattributedtoJesusintheGospelof
Matthew:DonotthinkthatIcametoabolishtheLawortheProphets....TheauthorofMatthewmadeitclearthatChristians
mustkeepMosaicLawlikethemostreligiousJews,inordertoachievesalvation.ButPaul,particularlyinGalatiansandRomans,
saysapersonssalvationiswonbyhisorherfaithinChristsdeathandresurrectionnothingmore.Thosewhotrytofollow
MosaicLaw,Paulbelieved,riskedlosingsalvation.
Inotherwords,OrthodoxJewswhofollowMosaicLawcanuseLeviticustocondemnhomosexualitywithoutbeinghypocrites.
ButfundamentalistChristiansmustchoose:TheycaneitherfollowMosaicLawbykeepingkosher,beingcircumcised,never
wearingclothesmadeoftwotypesofthreadandthelike.OrtheycanacceptthatfindingsalvationintheResurrectionofChrist
meansthatLeviticusisoffthetable.
Whichraisesonefinalproblemforfundamentalistseagertocondemnhomosexualsoranyoneelse:Iftheyacceptthewritingsof
Paulandbelieveallpeoplearesinners,thensalvationisfoundinbeliefinChristandtheResurrection.Foreveryone.Thereareno
exceptionsintheBibleforsinsthatevangelicalsreallydontlike.
Soapparently,Goddoesntneedthehelpoffundamentalistsindeterminingwhatshouldbedoneintheafterlifewiththeprideful,
thegreedy,thedebatersoreventhosehomosexuals.WhichcouldwellbewhyJesuscautionedhisfollowersagainstjudgingothers
whileignoringtheirownsins.Infact,hehadaspecificwordforpeopleobsessedwiththesinsofothers.Hecalledthem
hypocrites.

Members of the Pentecostal Church of God, a faith healing sect, surround a woman who has "Got the Spirit" as a man
holds a snake above her head in Evarts, Ky. on Aug. 22, 1944. AP

TheyHaventaPrayer
InAugust2011,TexasGovernorRickPerryhostedamassiveprayerrallyinHoustonatwhatwasthenknownasReliantStadium,
wherethecitysprofootballteamplays.Joinedby30,000fellowChristians,Perrysteppedtoapodium,hisfaceprojectedona
giantscreenbehindhim.Heclosedhiseyes,bowedhisheadandboomedoutalongprayeraskingGodtomakeAmericaabetter
place.Hisfellowbelieversstood,kneeled,criedandyelled,Amen.
Recently,LouisianaGovernorBobbyJindalannouncedhewouldbeholdinghismassiveprayerrallyatasportsarenainBaton
Rouge.Morethan100,000evangelicalpastorshavebeeninvited.
Jesuswouldhavebeenhorrified.Atleast,thatswhattheBiblesays.
ItisoneofthemostincomprehensiblecontradictionsbetweenthebehaviorofevangelicalsandtheexplicitwordsoftheBible.
Prayershowsandthereisreallynootherwordfortheseareheldeveryweek.IftheyarenotatsportsarenaswithRepublican
presidentialhopefuls,theyareonSundaymorningtelevisionshowsatmegachurchesholdingtensofthousandsofthefaithful.
Theyraisetheirarmsandsway,cryingandpleadinginprayer.
ButJesusspecificallypreachedagainstthisattheSermonontheMount,thelongestpieceofteachingbyhimintheNew
Testament.Specifically,asrecountedintheGospelofMatthew,Jesusspokeofthosewhomadelargepublicdisplaysoftheirown
religiosity.Infact,performanceprayereventscloselymimicthedepictionsinearlyChristiantextsofprayerservicesheldbythe
PhariseesandSadducees,twoofthelargestreligiousmovementsinJudeaduringJesusslife.AndthroughouttheGospels,Jesus
condemnsthesegroupsusingheatedlanguage,withpartofhisangertargetedattheirpublicprayer.
WhilethewordsintheKingJamesBiblemightbeabitconfusingbecauseitisnotwritteninmodernEnglish,theNewRevised
StandardVersionisagoodsubstitutehere.Init,JesusisquotedassayingBewareofpracticingyourpietybeforeothersinorder
tobeseenbythemforthenyouhavenorewardfromyourFatherinheaven.

ButJesussaysmuchmore,specificallycautioningagainstthekindofpublicperformanceprayerthathasbecomealltherage
amongevangelicalsoflate.TheverseinMatthewcontinuesquotingJesus,whosays,Wheneveryoupray,donotbelikethe
hypocrites,fortheylovetostandandprayinthesynagoguesandatthestreetcorners,sothattheymaybeseenbyothers.TrulyI
tellyou,theyhavereceivedtheirreward.
Instead,Jesussaysthetrulyrighteousshouldprayaloneandinsecret,inaroomwiththedoorshut.YourFatherwhoseesin
secretwillrewardyou,Jesusisquotedassaying.
Indeed,inthedozensofdiscussionsintheBibleaboutprayer,thevastmajorityfocusonGodsabilitytoknowwhataperson
wants.IntheNewTestament,itisoftenportrayedasadeeplypersonalaffair,withprayersutteredinprisoncellstoaGodwho
staysalongsidetheoppressed.
Moreover,babblingonasRickPerryandsomanylikehimhaveaboutfaithandcountryandtheblessingsofAmericarunscounter
toeverythingthatJesussaysaboutprayerintheBible.Whenyouarepraying,donotheapupemptyphrasesastheGentilesdo,
fortheythinkthattheywillbeheardbecauseoftheirmanywords,JesusisquotedassayinginMatthew.Donotbelikethem,
foryourFatherknowswhatyouneedbeforeyouaskhim.
BecauseGodknowswhatsomeoneneedswithoutbeingasked,thereisnoreasonforlong,convolutedprayers.Therefore,Jesus
saysinbothMatthewandLuke,peoplewhowishtoprayshouldonlysaytheLordsPrayer.Ofcourse,thereistheproblemthat
theLordsPrayercitedinthosetwoGospelscomesintwoversions,soChristianshavetochooseoneortheother.
ItseemsalmostamiraclethatthosewhoeffortlesslytransformPaulsstatementaboutthemthatdefilethemselveswithmankind
intohomosexualcanignoretheclear,simplewordsofJesusintheGospelofMatthew.Whatsmostamazingisthat,unlikeso
manyquestionsabouttheBible,theinstructionsonhowandwheretoprayarenotonlynotcontradictedtheyarereinforcedtime
andagain.

TheclosestJesuscametopublicprayerintheBiblewaswhenhewasfeedingthousandswithfiveloavesofbreadandtwofish.
ThisstoryisrecountedineachoftheGospels,andeachtime,JesusisdepictedaseithergivingthankstoGodorlookingtoheaven
andblessingthefood.ButheisalsodepictedasprayinginallfourGospels,andeachtime,Jesusdoessoafterheadingofftobe
alone.
SomeevangelicalshaveattemptedtoexplainawaythiscontradictionbetweenthewordsoftheBibleinMatthewandmodern
publicprayerperformancesbysayingJesuscondemnedonlymassprayer,whenthepeopledoingithadmadethatchoicejusttobe
seen.Butwithgovernorsprojectedongiant,highdefinitiontelevisions,withthousandspackedintosportsstadiumsweepingand
waving,withthousandsmoredoingtheirprayersonTVatmegachurches,itshardtoseewhatpossiblereasonmightexistother
thantobeseen.God,theBiblemakesclear,didntneedanyonetodrivetoafootballstadiumsohecouldhearthem.
Whichleadstoanobviousquestion:WhydontmoreChristiansopposeprayerinschool?Ifthesepeopletrulybelievethatthe
BibleistheWordofGod,thentheirchildrenshouldbetaughttheLordsPrayer,broughttotheirroomsandallowedtoprayalone.
Thatanswerdoesntlenditselftobigprotestsorangrycallsforimpeachingjudges.Butitdoesfollowtheinstructionsfromthe
Gospels.Andisntthatsupposedtobethepoint?

Triumph of Faith, by Tiepolo Giambattista, 18th Century PHOTOSERVICE ELECTA/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/REX

JudgeNot
SowhystudytheBibleatall?Sinceitsloadedwithcontradictionsandtranslationerrorsandwasntwrittenbywitnessesand
includeswordsaddedbyunknownscribestoinjectChurchorthodoxy,shoulditjustbeabandoned?

No.ThisexaminationisnotanattackontheBibleorChristianity.Instead,Christiansseekinggreaterunderstandingoftheir
religionshouldviewitasanattempttosavetheBiblefromtheignorance,hatredandbiasthathasbeenheapeduponit.If
ChristianstrulywanttotreattheNewTestamentasthefoundationofthereligion,theyhavetoknowit.Toomanyofthemseemto
readJohnGrishamnovelswithgreatercarethantheyapplytothebooktheyconsidertobethemostimportantdocumentinthe
world.
Butthehistory,complexitiesandactualwordsoftheBiblecantbeignoredjusttolineitupwithwhatpeoplewanttobelieve,
basedsimplyonwhatfriendsandfamilyandministerstellthem.NowhereintheGospelsorActsofEpistlesorApocalypsesdoes
theNewTestamentsayitistheinerrantwordofGod.Itcouldntthepeoplewhoauthoredeachsectionhadnoideatheywere
composingtheChristianBible,andtheywerelongdeadbeforewhattheywrotewasvotedbymembersofpoliticalandtheological
committeestobetheNewTestament.
TheBibleisaveryhumanbook.Itwaswritten,assembled,copiedandtranslatedbypeople.Thatexplainstheflaws,the
contradictions,andthetheologicaldisagreementsinitspages.Oncethatisunderstood,itispossibletofindoutwhichpartsofthe
BiblewerenotintheearliestGreekmanuscripts,whicharethebadtranslations,andwhatonebooksaysincomparisontoanother,
andthentrytodiscernthemessageforyourself.
AndembracewhatmodernBibleexpertsknowtobethetruesectionsoftheNewTestament.Jesussaid,Dontjudge.He
condemnedthosewhopointedoutthefaultsofotherswhileignoringtheirown.Andheproclaimed,Thoushaltlovethyneighbor
asthyself.Thereisnoneothercommandmentgreaterthanthese.
Thatsagoodplacetostart.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
1,683 comments

Add a comment

Ryan Sinclair
Wow, this is by far one of the worst articles on the Bible I have ever read. Not even worthy to be called "fringe scholarship" - this

Wow, this is by far one of the worst articles on the Bible I have ever read. Not even worthy to be called "fringe scholarship" - this
demonstrates no scholarship at all. A total train wreck, but this shows where bias leads people - to their own conclusions that make them
comfortable.
Reply Like

223 Edited December 23, 2014 at 9:33am

Michael Sheridan Sacramento, California

Would you be willing to point out a specific instance of inaccuracy?
Reply Like

519 December 23, 2014 at 10:53am

Lisa Evans

Top Commenter

Fascinating, since my professors at Hartford Seminary would have agreed with pretty much everything this article says. Where
did you study, Ye Wee Kirk o' the Prosperity Gospel Tabernacle of Ignorance?
Reply Like

348 December 23, 2014 at 11:23am

Aaron Morrow Beaverton, Oregon

Michael Sheridan One of literally dozens, but here is one clear enough for most contemporary readers to grasp. He says: "they
returned to Israel, hoping to live in Judea". They returned to Palestine. Israel, when it did exist prior to Roman occupation, was
the Northern Kingdom with Judah to the south. Additionally, Nazareth was not in Judea, it was in Galilee. This is basic
geography that could have been validated easily, and yet the author chose not too. It's kind of a thematic for this article which
is far more hyperbole and rhetoric than scholarship. Which is sad because, I think he makes some valuable points that are lost
in a shoddy regurgitation of easily refutable talking points made by enemies of the faith community for centuries.
Reply Like

148 December 23, 2014 at 12:12pm

View 195 more

AB FromJerzee

Top Commenter Richmond Hill, Georgia

It's about time a mainstream publication had the balls to talk the truth. Everyone is so scared of Christians, but they swear they're
persecuted because fox told them they are.
Only about 1% of them truly know what it means to be Christian, and 99% of them swear they're in that 1%) Notice all the "this article has
no s scholarly integrity" comments. They're in that 99%. The 1% know most of the bible is worthless and fake, so they have a personal
relationship with god and jesus, stay away from churches and ignore ancient politicians' forgeries.
These fake Christians are engaging in their pagan rituals this Christmas week (which jesus would flip their table full of pagan knick knacks
over for) and simultaneously accusing everyone else of not celebrating Christ's birth properly. So sad and pathetic.
This article will be featured in Fox news' latest "war on Christmas" segment, I'm sure. *rolling eyes*
Reply Like

138 December 23, 2014 at 1:25pm

Paula Coyle

Top Commenter Hancock Central High School

I would agree there are a lot of nominal Christians out there, some of which truly deserve the criticism they get. But those are
the ones who are twisting scripture and history as badly as Eichenwald here has done.
Reply Like

60 December 23, 2014 at 3:37pm

Jon Wagner Head-Guy, subject to 2nd guessing at Retired (sorta)

Paula, it would help us follow your thinking if you would only cite specific examples of twisting scripture in this article... specific
examples followed by your learned view.
Reply Like

74 December 23, 2014 at 6:43pm

HeadzUp FM
Jon Wagner How about this example from what he wrote: "Which raises a big issue for Christians: the Trinitythe belief that
Jesus and God are the same and, with the Holy Spirit, are a single entityis a fundamental, yet deeply confusing, tenet. So
where does the clear declaration of God and Jesus as part of a triumvirate appear in the Greek manuscripts?
Nowhere."
The resurrection of Jesus is the capstone in the arch of Christianity. Without the resurrection, Christianity is nothing.
This author is unaware of who rose Jesus from the dead according to the Bible. I can show from the text the resurrection came
to pass in Scripture by will of the Triune God.
Obviously the Father 1st Thessalonians 1:9-10 or Acts 5:30. Jesus rose Himself John 2:19-22 and John 10:17-18. The Holy
Spirit was involved as well Romans 8:11 or Romans 1:4.
Don't just trust the author of this article, do some study for yourself. I am a simpleton, yet I can see he is wrong in his
arguments.
Reply Like

38 December 23, 2014 at 10:49pm

View 112 more

Philip Schafer

Top Commenter San Rafael, California

After reading these comments, I have this to say:

The followers of Zeus thought he was the real deal too. It's nice that Christians believe their mythology, but what does that have to do with
reality. They're convinced that the dogma is real and think anyone who doesn't believe it will burn in hell - a terrible thing for a loving god
to do, by the way. And, so what? Believe what you want. Belief means nothing. What you say and do means everything. Christians have
behaved badly throughout history just like so many other human beings. They haven't exactly exemplified Jesus, yet they expect us to
accept their story. So, until your actions demonstrate your faith - let's say by opposing war instead of encouraging and joining in the
barbarity - just keep your religion personal and stop acting like your faith entitles you to last final word.
Eichenwald makes some good points here. Dispute it all you want. There are other ways to refute the religion too. It went through a
massive transformation from its Jewish messiah beginning to the exaltation of a Hellenized Christ in the Catholic Church, accommodating
a ton of paganism to get there. Don't believe me? It doesn't matter. I don't pretend to know what's going on between humans and the
Causative Force.
You wanna believe in Jesus? Go ahead - just make it real and forget the fantastical stuff.
Reply Like

96 December 23, 2014 at 9:12pm

Pip Drummond

Top Commenter

Do you think love exists? if not, you must be a purely -rational- animal willing to do anything to survive. Case CLOSED, Love

Do you think love exists? if not, you must be a purely -rational- animal willing to do anything to survive. Case CLOSED, Love
doesn't exist.
If you do think love exists, if we can agree on ANY act of love being love, then you can never successfully argue that less love
is more love.
The only way out is to argue that everything is subjective. (it is)
So stabbing someone is loving them! Why not? Oh yeah, the stupid crazy people will throw you in jail.
The only thing left is a matter of the heart.
You can not offer a more loving worldview than Jesus, its just not possible, God set it up to be absolute. I can explain it much
further than this if you want me too.
Does that suck now that you have the answer? NO! ITS JUST MORE LOOOOOVE! What you like already
Let me say that again ITS JUST MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE LOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE!
HEH. ........................................................................................................................that kinda love <:)
Reply Like

4 Edited December 27, 2014 at 5:45am

Jason Rothenberger Sprayer extraordinaire at Kraftmaid

Pip Drummond, are you saying, "Love exists and God is love, therefore God exists"?
If not, please elaborate; I don't understand your argument.
Reply Like

26 December 27, 2014 at 7:00am

Pip Drummond

Top Commenter

Jason Rothenberger
Yes. But I gaurantee you, you don't have a CLUE what I have to back that up with. You want empirical, scientific proof? Youre
never gonna get it. Get over it, you need a free will.
So how do I have the balls to keep talking after that?
I can tell you how to realize the meaning of life.
Nope, not kidding.
...All you need are two people laughing.
Next time someone makes a joke, think. Think about HOW FAR that joke could possibly go. The list of possibilities is really
really really really long but it is finite.
Eventually you will be left with this simple answer. All you were saying the whole time is, Im celebrating my/our/the ability to
understand and THE MEANING OF LIFE IS LOVE... See More
Reply Like

2 Edited December 27, 2014 at 4:47pm

View 85 more
Paul Guyer

Top Commenter

Paul Guyer

Top Commenter

Pretty funny that none of the Christians who criticize this article can provide any substantive examples of inaccuracy. I suspect that's
because the author's thesis is true--most Christians are ignorant of their own (very flawed) Bible.
Reply Like

81 December 23, 2014 at 5:03pm

Joe Ganci

Top Commenter Washington, District of Columbia

That's because a real reading of the Bible causes most to question their faith, so they avoid reading it from start to finish, only
read those portions that don't challenge them. They love their scripture of the day calendars and consider that Bible reading. I
have read the Bible through and through three times. It's an amazing work of literature but it completely falls apart when it
comes to a consistent narrative. Basically, you can use portions of the Bible to support any beliefs you wish while ignoring the
rest. A modern narrative like The Hunger Games or the Harry Potter series has a much more consistent narrative with nary a
contradiction.
Reply Like
Don Sbragia

97 December 23, 2014 at 8:55pm

Top Commenter Equality Advocate and Activist at Unboxxed.org

Joe Ganci , got ya beat. Over 40 times in 27 translations including Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Chaldean. I've come to think
that the fastest route from Christian to atheist is to truly READ the Bible.
Reply Like

84 December 23, 2014 at 10:05pm

Marci Greig North Central University

I think that most Christians can't provide examples because, honestly, we aren't well studied...which is some of the point of
this article. It's true, a lot of people who claim Christianity know nothing about scripture outside a few quaint memories of
Sunday School. Nevertheless, as a student at a school that teaches biblical studies, I definitely agree that there are some
issues in this article. For example, and this is just one, the discussion of women in 1 Timothy is specific to the time and place.
(let's not forget that women were not prominently upheld in society in that day) https://christianfeminism.wordpress
.com/2008/07/04/the-mistranslation-of-1-timothy-211-12/ Anyway, many issues are resolved by looking at context. We cannot
look at the Bible as just literature, but understand that it is a compilation of letters... See More
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24 December 23, 2014 at 10:16pm

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Thomas Goodnow

Top Commenter

Oy, what a mess. I admittedly started skimming after the first few paragraphs. Life is too short to nitpick an article whose main thesis
seems to be "Republicans are dumb, so the Bible is crap, duh!" Here's a few gems, however:
1. "No one has read the Bible": the point seems to be that we don't have the original manuscripts. True. That's why there's an academic
specialty known as "textual criticism" (I think Bart Ehrman might know something about it), that can only tell us what 97% of the original
manuscripts said. If you want to pitch it all over 3%, feel free.
2. "There are more variations among our manuscripts than words in the NT": true, and irrelevant. The reason there are so many variations
it because we have tens of thousands of manuscripts to compare. It's like saying, "there are more worms in this orchard than t... See More
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76 December 23, 2014 at 9:09pm

Grimaldy Sinaga SMA ADVENT MARTOBA PEMATANG SIANTAR 372 followers

Grimaldy Sinaga SMA ADVENT MARTOBA PEMATANG SIANTAR 372 followers

Trinity is not a 'significant Christian doctrine'?
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23 December 24, 2014 at 6:27am

Thomas Goodnow

Top Commenter

The Trinity is not founded on one (or even two or three) Biblical texts, but was more of an outgrowth of thinking on the Jesus
represented in the Gospels in response to challenges to his divinity (i.e. Arius). Same is true of the Holy Spirit. Most catechisms
have scripture references attached to them which would give you a complete rundown; some do use disputed readings, but
none are reliant on them.
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20 December 24, 2014 at 10:19am

Olufisayo Ogunsanwo

Top Commenter Chicago, Illinois

Thomas Goodnow You don't have to be a biblical scholar to dismantle the author's falsehoods and half-truths. Just a snippet.
"Which raises a big issue for Christians: the Trinitythe belief that Jesus and God are the same and, with the Holy Spirit, are a
single entityis a fundamental, yet deeply confusing, tenet. So where does the clear declaration of God and Jesus as part of a
triumvirate appear in the Greek manuscripts?
Nowhere."
Actually, it's EVERYWHERE, Kurt. Why be so blatantly dishonest to your audience?
(1) Revelation 5:13-14 (Christ receives the highest form of Heavenly Worship that only Yahweh God could receive in the
presence of the heavenly host)
{ And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in
them, I heard saying:
Blessing and ho... See More
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45 December 24, 2014 at 12:55pm

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Virginia Cotts Rn Bsn

Top Commenter Lakewood, Colorado

Kudos to Kurt Eichenwald and Newsweek for an excellent review of the Bible(s) and how differently the sects use them. I was not born to
trinitarian parents so never indoctrinated with any Biblical teachings let alone reading it. I have made several attempts without getting far.
Eichenwald's final section, Judge Not, reinforces how important the Bible has been for 2000+ years. I continue to believe that by high
school there should be a class on religions, their beliefs & traditions, how they have affected human life. Like all things humans are
involved in, there is good, bad and a lot in between. As a critical care nurse I have seen several amazing recoveries of patients, not totally
explained by medical care. Their religious affiliations were: Native American, Sikh, Catholic turned Buddhist. My sense of religion is that it
can help. It doesn't matter what you believe, but that you believe - because the practice works for you. Many thanks for this thorough
discussion of the 'best selling book of all time.'
Reply Like

67 December 23, 2014 at 2:46pm

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67 December 23, 2014 at 2:46pm

Mark McGranahan Senior Pastor at Adoration Church

Kurt doesn't even understand what Bart Ehrman, his major source teaches. I challenge you to look at an excellent rebuttal of
this poorly written article. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7yxEjhiiM4#t=1467 See James White take on Bart Ehrman in a
debate here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moHInA9fAsI
Reply Like

27 December 24, 2014 at 7:54am

Virginia Cotts Rn Bsn

Top Commenter Lakewood, Colorado

Mark McGranahan Unfortunately in almost 6 decades of trying to understand Christianity, and one seeking Jesus very
sincerely, I came to realize 2 decades ago that it takes too much suspension of rational thought and empirical knowledge to be
a Christian. My brain does not do cognitive dissonance easily. I've read a lot of different authors on various aspects of
Christianity and highly respect several. (Tony Campolo and David Dark are two.) I have two Lutheran cousins, one a minister
and the other a PhD in theology. I've also taken seminars on evangelism and fundamentalism. When a childhood friend
explained Original Sin to me, I was about 6. My brain immediately and totally rejected it. I strongly believe, understanding
human growth and development, that the religious indoctrination that starts before an infant understands lang... See More
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Kuni Leml

56 Edited December 24, 2014 at 12:43pm

Top Commenter

Mark McGranahan
Someone claiming to rebut something; does not make it so.
For example:
At around 15:00 into his alleged rebuttal, he admits that the NT contradicts itself without even knowing it. Either Jesus said not
to judge, or Jesus told people to judge.
At around 16:30 into his alleged rebuttal he complains that the author did not read other authors take on gender in the Bible.
Conveniently forgetting that those other authors have no relevance to what the Bible itself says. This is an article on what the
Bible says, not an article on what others said.
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17 December 25, 2014 at 1:45am

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Patrick Tracy Hegarty Fort Collins, Colorado
Listen to what Dr James White has to say about this article at www.aomin.org at 5 PM EST.
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38 December 23, 2014 at 1:14pm

Paula Coyle

Top Commenter Hancock Central High School

He's asking for the author to call the toll free number to discuss the article. I'm thinking that Eichenwald isn't gonna call... but it
would be nice if he did.

would be nice if he did.

Reply Like

9 December 23, 2014 at 3:04pm

James Kelin Burke Licensed Salesperson at Bond Real Estate - New York Condo, Co-op and Home Sales & Rentals
I can't belive I watched this. Not quite the rebuttal or clearing of facts one might expect, but a lot of anger if that's your thing...
Reply Like

30 December 23, 2014 at 3:57pm

Patrick Tracy Hegarty Fort Collins, Colorado

James Kelin Burke What did you expect that was not provided? Dr white showed time and time again that the author does not
know what he is talking about in this article. And BTW Dr White is not finished rebutting the article, he will take it up again next
week. Glad you watched. It is so much easier to merely pretend that those you disagree with have nothing of substance to say.
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14 December 23, 2014 at 4:18pm

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Kevin Johnson
This article could have been titled "Read Bart Erhman's Books". No other current Biblical scholar is cited. Also, citing agreement from one
school of thought only shows bias. I would have appreciated this article if fundamentalist scholars viewpoints were included.
Reply Like

33 December 23, 2014 at 4:00pm

Mark Czerniec Web Developer at MarkCz.com

Richard Elliott Friedman would be another biblical scholar who is quoted.
Reply Like

10 December 23, 2014 at 7:19pm

Sara Scott Works at Stay a Stay at Home Mom

A book came out a month ago by C.C. Campbell that actually addresses every single one of these issues and WAY more. 'The
Stolen Light Of WoMen: A Quest For Spiritual Truth Beyond Religon' is easy to read and has a HUGE bibliography with
DOZENS and DOZENS of sources outside of Ehrman proving the same things and more. The book basically takes each of the
most controversial Bible verses used by extremists against women, sexuality, and homosexuality and examines them point by
point from mistranslation, history, religious politics, and dogma. It is a fascinating read that goes even further than this article but it never rags on Jesus or faith, it just tries to point out that Christians should educate themselves and ask whether they
truly follow the words of Christ (who never deemed homosexuality an issue and elevated women and the downtrodden), or are
they blindly tied to dogma that came from Paul (a man who never met Christ) and generations of corrupt, fallible men who had
plenty to gain power and money-wise from forcing their interpretation on the masses.
Reply Like

32 December 25, 2014 at 9:18am

Edward J Hassertt Jr.

Top Commenter Express Claims Associate at State Farm

There is no such things a a fundemantalist scholar as they reject real scholarship on a consistent basis.
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15 December 27, 2014 at 1:43am

View 10 more
Edward J Hassertt Jr.

Top Commenter Express Claims Associate at State Farm

I don;t understand all the Christians complaining about this article unless they have never read a book in their life except the bible. 22
years in ministry, degrees in ancient literature, a seminary degree and a law degree and everything in this article was taught at my
conservative seminary! The problem is most pastors realize that if they tell their congregation the truth, their mythology bubble will be
burst and they will stop providing money to pay their salary and for that big building they like to preach in. Most Christians have never
examined their faith critically, never dealt with real doubts and never read the bible for what it actually says. To avoid cognitive dissonance
Christians, of the fundamentalist variety, tend to bury their heads in the sand rather than deal with the difficult questions. For me, i have a
much stronger faith knowing the truths mentioned in this article, than walking along believing the mythology i was force fed as a child.
Grow up fundies and read what your bible actually says!
Reply Like

29 December 27, 2014 at 2:08am

Don Sbragia

Top Commenter Equality Advocate and Activist at Unboxxed.org

You prob already know this, Ed, but dang, we think alike. LOL
Reply Like

2 December 27, 2014 at 9:40am

Edward J Hassertt Jr.

Top Commenter Express Claims Associate at State Farm

Don Sbragia Yeah, we seem to think a lot alike most of the time! :-)
Reply Like

1 December 27, 2014 at 11:38pm

Cesar Restrepo Works at Park Cities Presbyterian Church

http://danielbwallace.com/2014/12/28/predictable-christmas-fare-newsweeks-tirade-against-the-bible/
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1 December 28, 2014 at 3:43pm

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Byron McDaniel Merck & Co.
Ironic this article comes out during Christmas week, from a publication that had 3.3 million subscribers to less than half of that, why?
Because of weak articles like this that have no scholarly approach. It is clearly and article written with a moviate and not truly seek the
truth.
Reply Like

30 December 23, 2014 at 10:32am

Brian Fullford

Top Commenter UC Engineer at Bank of America

Criticisms please. Actual parts which you find weak, with actual evidence to support your claim.
Reply Like
Mike EL

82 December 23, 2014 at 11:12am

Top Commenter Video Production Technologist at St. Clair College

Since this 'weak article' is just repeating contradictions we can all find in our own Bibles (if you've actually read yours), the fault
lies with the writers of the Gospel, not Newsweek.
Reply Like

83 December 23, 2014 at 4:41pm

Paul Guyer

Top Commenter

None of the Christians who criticize the article can point to any examples. Looks like even Christians admit their bible is full of
mistakes, contradictions, and errors.
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38 December 23, 2014 at 4:57pm

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