The Bible Slam
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
- Book 01 – The Book of Genesis
- Book 02 – The Book of Exodus
- Book 03 – The Book of Leviticus
- Book 04 – The Book of Numbers
- Book 05 – The Book of Deuteronomy
Related posts:
- The Bible Slam: Numbers Chapter 35
- The Bible Slam: Numbers Chapter 29
- The Bible Slam: Deuteronomy Chapter 3
- The Bible Slam: Deuteronomy Chapter 01
- The Bible Slam: Leviticus Chapter 11
- The Bible Slam: Deuteronomy Chapter 02
- The Bible Slam: Numbers Chapter 34
- The Bible Slam: Leviticus Chapter 06
- The Bible Slam: Numbers Chapter 30
- The Bible Slam: Leviticus Chapter 15
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9 Responses to “The Bible Slam”
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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://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.
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.
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, but that does not mean that I don't believe in God.
[...] About the Bible Slam — If you are new here, please read the "about" page to understand the choice of the word "slam" and to read the Important Disclaimer about swear words. We have provided a link to biblical reading without swear words or commentary on the about page, just in case swear words are offensive to you. [...]
[...] About the Bible Slam — If you are new here, please read the "about" page to understand the choice of the word "slam" and to read the Important Disclaimer about swear words. We have provided a link to biblical reading without swear words or commentary on the about page, just in case swear words are offensive to you. [...]
[...] About the Bible Slam — If you are new here, please read the "about" page to understand the choice of the word "slam" and to read the Important Disclaimer about swear words. We have provided a link to biblical reading without swear words or commentary on the about page, just in case swear words are offensive to you. [...]
[...] About the Bible Slam — If you are new here, please read the "about" page to understand the choice of the word "slam" and to read the Important Disclaimer about swear words. We have provided a link to biblical reading without swear words or commentary on the about page, just in case swear words are offensive to you. [...]
[...] About the Bible Slam — If you are new here, please read the "about" page to understand the choice of the word "slam" and to read the Important Disclaimer about swear words. We have provided a link to biblical reading without swear words or commentary on the about page, just in case swear words are offensive to you. [...]