Resource Manager Posted November 24, 2013 Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 THE BIBLE AND MODERN PREJUDICE By P. Watkins Can’t Win! Let’s ask this bright-looking young man if he believes that the Bible is a message from God. He smiles and tells us that the Bible is full of contradictions. Examples? He invites us to compare “tin eye for an eye and a topih for a tooth” with Jesus’ words about turning the other cheek. We explain carefully that it was the Lord Jesus himself who first invited us to make this comparison: and he stressed, on the occasion, that he had not come to destroy the Law of Moses, but to fulfil it. In any case, the Law was designed to restrain violence, not to encourage it. It did not permit men to gouge each other’s eyes out: “An eye for an eye” was the just sentence of the judges when, after careful enquiry, guilt had been established ... He waits for us to finish, and then asks where Cain got his wife from. For the thousandth time we suggest an answer to this problem. We say to our young man, “you said the Bible was full of contradictions. Give us one good example”. He can’t think of one just now. He mutters something about David’s sin. It is not easy to understand what his point is, but we do suggest that he ought to admire the exceptional honesty of a book that reveals the faults of its heroes so frankly. He tries another line. The Bible contradicts science, he says. When we ask him to explain, he says that evolution conflicts with the Genesis story of the beginning of life. We remind the young man that evolution is a theory—something not proven—and not a scientific fact. We want facts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 ‘Folly and Shame’ “By the way”, we say, “you are very critical of the Bible. Do you know anything about the book you are condemning? Have you ever read it through?” The young man has to admit that he has not read the Bible through once. Marvellous, isn’t it? No-one would dream of setting himself up as a critic of, say, Shakespeare, unless he had studied his works pretty thoroughly first. But young people galore—and older people too—see nothing wrong with criticising the Bible, although they know nothing about it. We are reminded of the Bible proverb: “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame”. Modern thought out-dated Quite obviously the young man’s reason for rejecting the Bible is because modern thought regards it as an out-moded book. He wants to keep in “step with modern thought. Above all else he must not be old-fashioned. It is of course true that our ancestors had some queer ideas. Wasn’t the earth supported by elephants—or tortoises—or gods? And there were fairies, phlogiston, spontaneous generation, trial by ordeal ... But everything ancient is not necessarily foolish, and everything modern isn’t necessarily wise. What many people forget is that the thoughts of bygone days were modem once. So one generation of modern thinkers is rejecting another generation of modern thinkers. In a few years’ time—if the return of the Lord Jesus does not intervene—another set of moderns will be laughing their heads off at some of the beliefs of these days. Caro to guess what the chief item for ridicule will be? Bible Prophecy We continue talking to our young man. We ask him to look at certain scriptures from Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Jeremiah (Lev. 26:31-33; Deut. 28:37; 28:64-67; Jer. 30:10; Jer. 31:10; 31:35-37). We show him Bible prophecies, written thousands of years ago, about the people of Israel. Their scattering, persecution and suffering are predicted; the meantime desolation of their land; their survival despite persecution; their re-gathering and establishment in their own land again. Nobody can deny that these prophecies have been fulfilled. We put it to our young friend that the Bible is able to make these and many other unlikely predictions because it is the Word of God. Has he a better explanation? No, he has not! He is impressed. He admits it and promises to read the Bible. He goes away and forgets all about it. And you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2013 Send to: C.A.L.S., 3 Regent Street, Birmingham, B1 3HG, for a free copy of the 88-page book “Back to the Bible” which will help you to a clearer understanding of the Word of God. CHRISTADELPHIANS WORLDWIDE 3 Regent Street,Birmingham B1 3HGEngland. Christadelphian Auxiliary Lecturing Societyhttp://www.godsaves.co.uk BibleModernPrejudiceWatkins.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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