Brian63
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2001
- Messages
- 1,639
- Location
- Michigan
- Gender
- Male
- Basic Beliefs
- Freethinker/atheist/humanist
Soon I will be attending at least day 1 of an 8-session live seminar of a group heavily focused on promoting biblical prophecies, End Times, etc. Their brochure came in the mail days ago.
I plan to attend because I want to present an unexpected point of view. On the topic of religion, I am comfortable talking mostly about philosophical arguments and a little bit about scientific arguments. However, I am especially ignorant of historical matters of the bible. That is where I would ask for your help, please. I have never cared enough about the issue to study it in detail. Still don't.
One point I expect to raise is whether people should research criticisms of the bible, they argue for its historical inaccuracies. Should we read various books on the matter that espouse a wide variety of views? Or should people in their audience only read books that agree with their pre-existing view? If they pressed on examples for such books, I only have minimal to give.
I am looking for ones that are very ideologically diverse. Ones that argue for Jesus mythicism to a historical-but-embellished Jesus and such. Various takes on how literal or metaphorical the OT is. Also ones that range from beginner-level to very advanced in arguing against the bible and prophecies themselves. Anything that could help such a group get a realization that:
1. There do exist lots of scholarly counter-apologetics about how the bible is historically unreliable.
2. If the biblical inerrantists are not telling the group about the existence of knowledgeable critics and especially would be advising them to avoid researching such materials, that should be a red flag that they do not have the group's individual intellect and education in priority. Rather, thought control over the group is more important.
Could you please help me compile a list of such books, authors, speakers, podcasts, websites?
Even if you disagree with the resource, just the fact that they run counter to biblical inerrancy would be enough to help my larger purpose. I do not want any kind of list of arguments or evidences myself---just a list of resources which discuss them more. I do not care about the topic. Since they do though, I want to advocate for them to study a wide range of opinions and introduce them to heretical thoughts too. Plant a seed of reason.
Thanks.
I plan to attend because I want to present an unexpected point of view. On the topic of religion, I am comfortable talking mostly about philosophical arguments and a little bit about scientific arguments. However, I am especially ignorant of historical matters of the bible. That is where I would ask for your help, please. I have never cared enough about the issue to study it in detail. Still don't.
One point I expect to raise is whether people should research criticisms of the bible, they argue for its historical inaccuracies. Should we read various books on the matter that espouse a wide variety of views? Or should people in their audience only read books that agree with their pre-existing view? If they pressed on examples for such books, I only have minimal to give.
I am looking for ones that are very ideologically diverse. Ones that argue for Jesus mythicism to a historical-but-embellished Jesus and such. Various takes on how literal or metaphorical the OT is. Also ones that range from beginner-level to very advanced in arguing against the bible and prophecies themselves. Anything that could help such a group get a realization that:
1. There do exist lots of scholarly counter-apologetics about how the bible is historically unreliable.
2. If the biblical inerrantists are not telling the group about the existence of knowledgeable critics and especially would be advising them to avoid researching such materials, that should be a red flag that they do not have the group's individual intellect and education in priority. Rather, thought control over the group is more important.
Could you please help me compile a list of such books, authors, speakers, podcasts, websites?
Even if you disagree with the resource, just the fact that they run counter to biblical inerrancy would be enough to help my larger purpose. I do not want any kind of list of arguments or evidences myself---just a list of resources which discuss them more. I do not care about the topic. Since they do though, I want to advocate for them to study a wide range of opinions and introduce them to heretical thoughts too. Plant a seed of reason.
Thanks.