criticisms and biblical theory

How do you deal with criticisms about the bible about any topic? I know some people use the Bible as the abolute final authority believing to the the inerrant Word of God and it is used as the filter for everything in life.

What I refer to is, when a piece of news is brought up that appears as if it contradicts the Bible how do you deal with it? Do you examine it and find out what does it really mean in light of the Bible?

The bible is full of history and some stories within it are cast as myths to some people yet we as christians defend it but sometimes we lack historical evidence that it happened and rely on 'faith' that it happened. The book of Job could be an example. Even the garden of Eden could be an example.

When we get an education we use it to know our world better and better examine our world and test those things that we wonder about. This is what science does, archeaology and so forth.

How do you react when given a piece of evidence that may appear to contradict something biblical?

Should't the secular realm of knowledge show biblical knowledge and testament to be true? Yet if it doesn't support it and contradicts it in someway how do you deal with that?

Often times criticisms against scripture require great patience in how we deal with them. I have noticed over the years that when people make some big bold claim against the word, the argument is later proven to have been a fallacy. But in the heat of the moment, people say silly things on both sides.

Patience, and a very very clear attention to detail often ends up overcoming. God gave us minds and he expects us to use them.

If something appears to contradict the word, I am willing to bet all the kaboodle in the world that were I to methodologically approach the problem, I could find an answer that satisfies how to deal with the issue at hand.

As far as reaction goes. I can say that I have learned over the years that if I react defensively to these things, it reveals that I doubt the truth myself. I used to get angry when people questioned the Bible. Now I am cynical when people question it. In other words, I am always more curious as to why they question it more than I am interested in their particular question. The question can be a smoke screen, and it is obfuscating something.

Dear Poster,

I would suggest you to listen to Ravi Zacharias. He has a ministry to face such scientific views and debates that contradict the word of God. He goes to highly esteemed universities and answers the questions posted by students. Most of them are atheists or Muslims who do not agree Bible as standard.
Personally I have debated with few of my unbelieving friends on the word of God and about his existence. The thing here is you need to be clear about your faith to even argue against scientific and archeological evidences. If your faith is not strong, I am sure you will fall or start doubting Bible.
Also it impossible for Science to disprove the existence of God. Also it is impossible for us to prove either his existence or his method of work because our wisdom is limited and it cannot contain God's wisdom. So based on the light we have, we can present the truth to them.
Finally there is no myth in Bible, the garden of Eden is true and also the stories of Noah and Job, because Jesus believed in all these. And Jesus is the only man who predicted his death and resurrection. No one else who lived on the face of earth has ever arisen from death not to die again like Jesus, so all his believes should be true because he is true.

DEADn:

You made a statement that I think you might want to take a good look at, "when a piece of news is brought up that appears as if it contradicts the Bible" It APPEARS to contradict the Bible. We need to make a decision. Do we believe God or not? Is His word truth or is it not? I know it might sound a bit simplistic, but it really does come down to that fact. I believe the Bible to be absolutely inerrant. (If is were not so then I could not legitimately trust ANY of it and hence my faith is founded upon a lie.) That being said, if a scientific discovery for example seems to contradict scripture I know it must be the discovery that is incomplete or a wrong interpretation of the data rather than scripture that is in error. It is a slippery slope indeed when we begin to alter the word of God to "fit" the latest scientific theory.

You also asked, "Should't the secular realm of knowledge show biblical knowledge and testament to be true? Yet if it doesn't support it and contradicts it in someway how do you deal with that?" You have to understand that all of us use our core beliefs as a filter for what we see in the world around us. So our interpretation of any secular knowledge is tainted by our basic, core belief system. For example, if an atheist looks at data related to the age of the universe and a Christian does the same, they will draw radically different conclusions that both seem to fit the data. It is we humans in our "secular knowledge" that are flawed, not the word of God. It is how we look at things that is to be held suspect, not the word of God.

When I see a piece of evidence that seems to contradict the Bible I believe the Bible and take a wait and see attitude toward the "evidence" knowing that it is filtered through man's fallen viewpoint and that in time the interpretation of that "knowledge" will change again and again. However God's word remains, even until the end of all things.

John,

There are so many 'experts' out there working to debunk a long held 'fact'. It can be food, Biblical truth, anything. For some things it really does not matter and for some it does.

Personally, I have the luxury to take a ho-hum attitude. Give it some time and the experts will once again change their mind.

We have been told so many times that certain foods are not healthy only to be told later these alarmists were wrong. Some archaeologists like to say that there is no archaeological record of a certain Biblical city ever being in existence, only to find the evidence later to prove the WORD correct.

I suspect there are too many grad students out there with grants working to defend their research project and then another will come along to discredit this 'research'.

So it is with the political scene as well. I read posts here on SI where people are sounding the alarm because of the global economical crises. Back in the 1960s the situation was so bad we were sure the Commies were going to take over the USA. There were riots, burnings, boycotts led by the Black Panthers, Student for a Democratic Society, the Civil Rights Movement started by Martin Luther King, Jr. (Today he is highly esteemed by many evangelical Christians.) It was a real scary time. It was a war. I promise!

What is a person suppose to believe? You cannot turn around but what you see some alarmists crying 'wolf'...It gets wearisome....everyone thinks they are so certain, so right. So we did back in the 60s - and we were, somewhat. Profound changes were imposed on the cultural landscape and the church gradually modified their theology to accept it. But democracy is still up and about; shopping malls have not been converted to concentration camps....

It is hard to understand what I am saying, I am sure. It still does not answer your question. However, one poster suggested you listen to Ravi Zacharias and I would second that.

Am I paranoid? Maybe, for for different reasons then most imagine. Now, if I could only find a cave in the mountains with a spring nearby, a woods flush with wildlife...

God bless...

I would tend to agree with ginnyrose. :)

As you get a bit older you become less concerned with the world's latest theory or scientific notion, because you have seen them come and go many times before, but... God's word never changes.

An example of this would be Darwinian evolution, believed as fact for many years and still is by many, but growing numbers of Scientist now reject this theory and believe in intelligent design, because the 'new' scientific evidence shows Dawin's theory to be completely wrong. They just need to rrealise that the intelligent designer is the God of the bible. Sad thing is many proffessing Christians felt they had to accept Darwin's view and changed what the bible taught into something else.

It's so good to just trust the revealed word and be consistent while all around us folk are believing one thing one minute and then something different the next!

Give it some time and the experts will once again change their mind.

So true.