The Bible Slam

Do we hate the Bible?  No.  But at God Discussion, we don't think it was meant to be taken literally.

That said, welcome to the Bible Slam!

In the spirit of a "poetry slam" where poets read or recite their original work or other people's work and the audience judges the poem,   we felt a Bible Slam would be interesting for our readers at God Discussion.   Here, the original work is the Bible and you, dear reader, are the judge.

Featured Bible Reader:   ChelevSaRa

Our "poet" is an entertaining young man who has been reading the Bible on a chapter-by-chapter basis and posting his readings on YouTube.   Using the handle "ChelevSaRa," he reads from the New Living Translation of the Bible.   Chelev started making his recordings on December 8, 2008, and has agreed to let us use his series on GodDiscussion.com.

DISCLAIMER AND WORD OF WARNING:   For those who are easily offended, please note that Chelev uses swear words when Biblical passages amaze or disgust him.   If you find this type of thing offensive, you might not want to listen to these videos.   There are some other readers on YouTube that you may enjoy.   We chose ChelevSaRa because he makes Bible reading interesting.   Even if you think he's blasphemous, you'll have to admit that Chelev's laugh and smile will light up your computer screen.

As the readings progress, you'll see that Chelev gets better and better with his video productions.

Why a Bible Slam? | The Problem of Inerrancy vs. Selective Literacy

Many Christians believe that the Bible is the "inerrant" word of God.   In fact, the organizers of the National Day of Prayer have volunteers sign a statement of belief that begins with "I believe that the Holy Bible is the inerrant Word of The Living God" (emphasis added).

"Inerrant," according to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, means "Free from error."   Wikipedia goes on to describe Biblical inerrancy as "the doctrinal position that in its original form, the Bible is totally without error, and free from all contradiction; referring to the complete accuracy of Scripture, including the historical and scientific parts."

This means that for Christians who believe in Biblical inerrancy, no part can be removed or rejected.   It cannot be called metaphor.   It is absolute and free from error.   For those "values based" voters and politicians who condemn gays, women and non-believers, this creates the problem of selective literacy.   If the Bible is indeed infallible and inerrant, then it is illogical to quote Biblical scripture for the purposes of condemning or judging others while ignoring other verses that condemn activities that are accepted by society, such as the abolition of slavery.

Why a Bible Slam?   | Christians Do Not Read the Bible

An estimated 35% of born-again Christians do not read the Bible at all, writes the Center for Bible Engagement, quoting Ron Rhodes, President of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries.   Studies by The Barna Group and Gallup indicate that Americans are "illiterate" when it comes to the Bible and understanding the Christian faith.

We believe that this is a serious issue, particularly with right wing Christians attempting to blur the line between the separation of church and state.   Issues such as teaching creationism in public schools, national days of prayer, gay marriage, women's reproductive rights and placing the Ten Commandments in the public square are often fueled by "Bible believing" Christians in an atmosphere where the majority of people have not read the Bible.

For those who have not read the Bible before, be prepared to be shocked. You'll find that it is not the loving wisdom so often portrayed by Christianity.   You'll find unusual and bizarre Biblical laws that, if broken, are punishable by death, you'll discover that slavery and polygamy are perfectly acceptable in the Bible and, among many other shockers, you will find that God does not have a kind view toward women.

Join Our Bible Slam

We definitely want comments, whether from Christian apologists or from atheists and skeptics. For additional research, we highly recommend the Skeptics Annotated Bible (which is more comprehensive than a concordance when referring to discrepancies in the Bible).   People with a scholarly bent who are interested in further study may wish to visit the Religion and Literature site, which is an online compendium of academic journals and other works.

Contents – The Old Testament

admin

More Posts - Website

  • http://www.goddiscussion.com Dakota O'Leary

    This is going to be interesting to follow, and dovetails nicely with the world religions series as well! Hoping for some incisive commentary from others!

  • http://myyouthsolution.blogspot.com/ cindy

    http://truthseekerjournal.com/1997archive/124_1/46_shoulders_paine.shtm
    It can't get better than that. Thomas is the man of reason and universal thinking. I really admire him.

  • Dan

    I don't believe in bible inerrancy; I don't see how anyone who has read it can. However, while you're busy slamming the old testament you are ignoring that in the new testament Jesus/Yeshu/Iesou fulfills old testament prophecy and in so doing does away with the old requirements.

    The bible is not infallible as it has been corrupted by man over the years for political and other reasons. I will offer you a verse that encourages me to continue searching for truth and not give in doubt whatsoever.

    2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

    I've had a fundamental belief in God since before I was even able to read the alphabet let alone the bible. That faith has served me well in life and discrepancies in scripture move me closer to him, not further away, as all I see is the corruption in man. I believe we must search far and wide for the truth and not give in to discouragement.

    Furthermore, assuming you are correct and God does not exist, let's examine the ramifications. Because I believe in God and struggle each day to be as moral and upstanding as possible. Notice I used the words "struggle" and "as possible". I'm not perfect by far, but like anything in life you must work at what you want to achieve. Also, I try to look outside of my needs and help others as best I can. If one TRULY follows the teachings of the Messiah the world around the person becomes better because the focus is always to serve others above yourself.

    When I die this is what I want my legacy to be; and if death is the end and there truly is no God I will still be satisfied knowing that I lived according to this principle: Romans 15:1 "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." Is this really so bad?

    By the way, when I refer to God as "him" I do so out of pure habit. I have no idea if God would refer to himself in terms of gender.

    • Anthony

      Jesus is God

      "…in the name of the FATHER…"
      Mt 28:19

      Dan said:
      "By the way, when I refer to God as "him" I do so out of pure habit. I have no idea if God would refer to himself in terms of gender."

  • admin

    Thank you for your thoughtful replies, Dan. The "slam" is meant as a poetry slam with the hopes that people will actually read the Biblical chapters and comment on them. Too many people selectively quote the Bible in order to judge others and justify their actions without actually reading it. It sounds like you are in the minority who actually reads the Bible. Good for you!

    As to Jesus, we'll get there. We are going one chapter at a time and covering the entire Bible, from cover to cover. If this is indeed the word of God, every single word of it must be read. Some would disagree with your statement about Jesus, although it is a common belief. For instance, if Jesus "wiped out" the Old Testament, why publish it in the first place? He talks about fulfilling the law and upholding the law. There's debate on both sides of the issue.

    As to "assuming you are correct and God does not exist," we never said God does not exist. Personally, my beliefs go more along with what Thomas Paine had to say about the Bible.

  • Pingback: The Bible Slam: Numbers Chapter 16 - God Discussion

  • Pingback: The Bible Slam: Numbers Chapter 21 - God Discussion

  • Pingback: The Bible Slam: Numbers Chapter 26 - God Discussion

  • Pingback: The Bible Slam: Numbers Chapter 28 - God Discussion

  • Pingback: The Bible Slam: Numbers Chapter 30 - God Discussion

  • http://www.scre.ca Issie Rabinowitz

    Issie Rabinowitz , Chartered Accountant
    312 Robin Lane Ottawa ON K1Z 7J8
    Tel: 613-722-1353 Fax: 613-722-0437 E-mail: scre123@gmail.com

    October 17, 2010

    Dear All

    I read your website and I enjoy it very much. I started a new website http://www.scre.ca that might be of interest to you and to your readers. Here are highlights of the site:
    • In project 1 we annotate scientifically the Holy Books and we already put in our system a good portion of the New and Old Testament, and the Koran.
    • In project 2 we created a news system for people committing bad things because of religion.
    • In project 3 we created an on line course “God and the Holy Books”
    As you can see from my video below, I’m not able to this project on my own. I’m looking for partners from like minded people and organizations to join me on the board of the organization and help me. I’m open to your suggestions on how to proceed. I would greatly appreciate if you could:
    • Become a guiding member on our board.
    • Ask your readers if they want to volunteer, and write on the projects.
    • Incorporate this project with your website.
    • Pointing me to people and organizations that would like to help in making the project a success.

    Attached is article written about me and Newstart Institute (project 5) http://educationfree.org/dying_mans_last_wish_is_to_help_others_get_ahead.html

    I attach here a video I made http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvZnDGpFdE

    I greatly appreciate your time and effort.
    Yours truly,
    Issie Rabinowitz

  • http://www.aneurisko.blogspot.com Chris Mills

    I have enjoyed looking over your site. Many of the articles I have written on my blog seem to go along nicely with your thinking. I have set aside my beliefs concerning biblical inerrancy, infallibility and authority. I try to avoid cynicism and seek to find helpful pathways to the God I know is there. My blog can be found at http://www.aneurisko.blogspot.com

  • Bob Cauler

    Concerning the problem of inerrancy vs. selective literacy, you have to decide what your final authority will be – if it is society, then yes, you can't quote scripture out of one side of your mouth to justify a particular idea, and quote another ("society approved") scripture for something, that would seem to contradict the former, from the other side…but if the Bible is your final authority, and you sincerely handle it using generally accepted methods of exegesis, then you will find and see the common denominators of all the so-called Biblical contradictions that stymie so many of us, and realize the inherent harmony of scripture, instead…

  • Anthony

    Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you.