<no response from Aubrey>
but....
Izz (4/19)
Well, well! look what I got in my private mail:
Mark Irwin (4/19):
I'm not Aubrey, but i would like to respond to your "bait".
I am aware of places in which the NIV Bible appears to contradict itself,
especially in the area of numercial kinship records. The "contradictions"
that certain people like to point out, ever so smugly, (thinking that they
have found this great anti-Bible revelation no doubt) have no theological
relevance or doctrinal importance. Think about this: on all the attacks that
the Bible has faced over the centuries, wouldn't you think that this would
have been brought up before?? Apparently those who compiled the canon had no
problem with the "so called" contradictions that you might so gleefully point
out. Some of these "so called contradictions" are easy to explain, showing
that that they eare not contradicting, others are not. Unless, you are a
Bible student, or if you know how to exegete scripture properly and
scholarly, these "so called contradiction" statements carry absolutley no
reliability or validity.
And besides, in all reality.....does it really matter? Not really.
If anything, I think that people who say that they don't believe in God, but
continually try to disprove him are only attempting to rationalize and
justify
their own disbelief. I mean, if you don't believe in God, why do you spend
so
much time trying to disprove him to others? What should it matter to you?
Do you have nothing better to do with your time? I don't believe in UFO's,
but you don't see me trying to justify this unbelief to those who do believe
in them. They're not hurting me any. And if I find their beliefs pointless
and foolish, so what. If I were to attempt to rid the world of foolishness,
I would start in Washington D.C. Their beliefs in UFO's is unimportant to me.
My time is much more valuable.
As for my belief in God, I trust and love God. I see his presence in all
that I
see. I believe that Jesus Christ offered up his life as a ransom for me and
you, so that mankind could once again have a relationship with God. God has
worked in a mighty way in my life as he has others.
Sure you can comeback and say...what about the crusades? The inquisition?
Jim Bakker? Priests abusing altar boys? These people weren't working in
God's will. If you want to hurt Christianity, instead of baiting others on
"so called Bible contradictions", why don't you become a wolf in sheeps
clothing, like the priest who likes little boys, or the TV evangelist who
gets caught having an affair while bilking others of their money? You would
probably be much more effective.
God loves you and he wants you to know him. He wants the best that life has
to offer for you. Trust in him. Ask him to reveal himself to you. He is a
consuming fire.
There is historical proof on the existence of Christ. He said he was Lord.
Was he Lord? or was he a liar? or was he a lunatic? Something can not be
true and false at the same time. There is only one right answer. Who do you
say Jesus was?
In His service and yours,
Mark Irvin
Izz (4/19)
I will respond to your letter as soon as I can, Mark.
Izz
"When we view the Bible (or the Church) as the infallible instrument of God,
we surrender our reason and intelligence."
- from "Going by the Book" by Ernie Bringas, Master of Divinity, minister of
the United Methodist Church.