Questions from a Brand New Atheist

I came across the Brand New Atheist blog via Cameron Rilley's Blog, initially to a great and moving older post about how he became an atheist. More recently he posted a series of questions he wanted his Xn friends to answer since no one he knew was polite enough to answer I thought I’d give it a go. I'm guessing he's hot asking these questions so someone can convince him to become a Xn or so he can bait them but perhaps rather to answer the question "How can someone believe this stuff?"

These are my somewhat condensed answers. I’m happy to expand on any of them if you want.

Here’s a very small list of items that are wrong in the Bible, I would like you to explain how you deal with them.

1. The Bible refers to the Bat as a bird. (science has proven this to be wrong) Leviticus 11:13-19 and .Deuteronomy 14:11-18

2. The Bible refers to the Earth being flat. (science has proven this to be wrong) There’s too many, here’s an article that lists them all. http://www.goatstar.org/the-bibles-flat-earthsolid-sky-dome-universe/

3. The Bible refers to the Earth as being the center of the solar system. (science has proven this to be wrong) 1 Chronicles 16:30, Job 9:7, there are others but these are the easiest to interpret.

4. The Bible refers to the Moon as having it’s own light. (science has proven this to be wrong) Genesis 1:16, Isaiah 13:10

I'll deal with these 4 questions in one hit. You can also add that Pi = 3 and technically that the earth is a dome with waters above and below (kind of like an inverted snow dome). All of these are really the same critique, that is that the Bible is not scientifically correct. I would argue that the Bible is trying to answer why the world has been created rather than how the world is created which is why much of the creation story is a re interpretation of already existing creation myths with an emphasis on the world being ordered rather than a random accidental chaos. I've written a bit about this if you want to read more at http://achurchlessfaith.blogspot.com/2006/06/not-so-intelligent-and-definitely-not.html

5. The Bible condones slavery. (written in the text of the Bible) Too many to list, here’s a link to them all http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/interp/slavery.html

I think how you read these texts depends on how you view the Bible. that is whether you view it like a big law book were you can quote random verses from anywhere or whether you see it as an unfolding story or revelation. if you believe the first option then you have to disagree with Paul that you can be Xn without being Jewish as well. to me arguing that slavery is ok is a bit like arguing that neo is still trapped in the matrix by showing selected clips from the matrix.

6. Adam didn’t die the day he ate from the tree of knowledge. (written in the text of the Bible) Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:6, Genesis 5:5

Personally I think this is very much intentional rather than an overlooked flaw. it is part of an ongoing pattern of God promising to do one thing but then relenting and not doing it, or doing something less severe. This was exactly Jonah's problem with God and why he goes off to sulk in the last chapter of Jonah (the chapter usually left out by Sunday school teachers)

7. The Book of Judas and Book of Jasher are missing. (written about in the text of the Bible) Book stores already have the Gospels of Judas on the shelves http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5327692, Joshua 10:13

Also the book of Jude quotes Enoch (a non canonical book) as well. quoting texts outside the cannon will disturb you depending on your view of the cannon of scripture. If you view it as divine instructions handed down from God kind of 10 commandments style and the only source of any truth then this is going to be a problem (and you'll still be arguing that the world is flat and 6000yrs old). however if you view it as something that people chewed over for a while before they decided what was in and what was out (which is historically what happened) then it might not be so much of a problem. Also, if you are happy to accept that there is wisdom to be found outside of the cannon then it's not so much of a problem either.

8. The virgin Mary was a mistranslation of the maiden Mary. (written in the text of the Bible http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m8ntlyrXnY

Yep, the passage in the old testament that Luke quotes (Isaiah 7:14) is best translated as a young girl and was interpreted as virgin in Luke (from the slightly off Greek Septuagint rather than original Hebrew). some people might argue that the intent of "young girl" was virgin, it is also possible that Mary was a virgin even if the passage was mistranslated. I know that people make a big thing about the virgin birth but to honest for me it's just one small passage in just one gospel and personally I don't think it makes a big difference to the overall narrative either way.

9. The Bible speaks of the unicorn which has never been proven to have existed. (written about in the text of the Bible) http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i2/unicorn.asp

Hey what about the Leviathan (Job 41)? Or has someone found that ;) . See answers to question 1-4.

10. Atheists can’t get into heaven. Does that also mean Jesus didn’t let Peter into Heaven? (written about in the text of the Bible) Matthew 10:33, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzzORZhnCao

Sure atheists can get into heaven. Any Xn who doesn't believe that hasn't read Matt 25:31-46. in this passage those who didn't describe themselves as Jesus followers (no reason why they couldn't be atheists as well) get into heaven, and those who do don't get in.

I hope these answers explain how at least one person is able to believe even though they know this stuff.

Peace.