Tripping Up the Fundamentalists: A Guide for Skeptics
Revised, corrected, and expanded
by Vincent F. Safuto
Author's note:
This is a revised version of my original piece on debating
Christians. In addition to more material, I have corrected
typos, included the titles, authors, and publishing houses of
books about Christianity that have been written from a critical
perspective, and added the addresses of a few more
organizations. Thanks to all for the comments on the first
piece.
Although this piece is written primarily as a guide for
skeptics and those seeking to understand the Christian
religion's past hold on them or present hold on friends and
relatives, I am well aware that Christians may download it, too;
indeed, I welcome them to the ideas herein.
TO THE SKEPTIC: The main purpose of this piece is to provide
you with the groundwork for further study of the Bible from a
skeptical perspective. The works listed at the end are the "tip
of the iceberg," so to speak, in that regard. I was once a
believer and my emergence into the light of truth and reason was
made easier not only by the books I read but by the fine people
I met. Although humanists, atheists, and agnostics are very
loosely organized, you may be able to find a group near you from
the organizations i have listed at the end. As a last resort,
check out your local Unitarian Fellowship. While I am not a
Unitarian, such fellowships are open to people of all views;
atheists and agnostics who like going someplace on Sunday
morning often attend Unitarian services, which are very open and
enjoyable.
TO THE BELIEVER: I have little or no expectation of changing
your mind regarding your beliefs. You may believe, as I once
did, that you are absolutely correct in your beliefs and
interpretations of the Bible, but belief does not make fact.
(Do you believe the Bible because it is true, or is the Bible
true because you believe it?) I have written this piece mainly
for the skeptic who wishes to learn the truth about the Bible.
You may speculate about my motivations; you have no right,
however, to extrapolate from the facts about myself and my
experiences in religious organizations described at the end and
conclude that I have somehow been misled by Satan, Beelzebub, or
any other such mythical being. It may disturb you to see your
beliefs in God and the Bible subjected to criticism and
analysis; it is my right to do so and, indeed, has been done by
countless others, including former preachers. Bear in mind that
you may possibly be wrong and that the deity you worship and the
writings in the book you claim to follow literally and believe
to be inerrant may be the products of human invention and
imagination. The reverse may be true, but based on my past
experience and that of others with whom I have talked, I doubt
it.
If you have ever tried to debate Christian fundamentalists, you
may have become very frustrated by their claims that the Bible
has no contradictions because it is allegedly "divinely
inspired." They rattle off alleged "proofs and prophecies"
seem, at first glance, to prove their points
The only verse in the Bible that seems to prove that the Bible
is divinely inspired is 2 Timothy 3:16, which says that "All
scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness."
(RSV)
We must, however, bear in mind that at the time that this
sentence was written, there was no Bible. The Vulgate, or Latin
Bible, was not commissioned until the Council of Nicea in 325
A.D. To apply the above verse to a book compiled three
centuries later is typical of the logical contortions Christians
often engage in when debating atheists, agnostics, and even
religious liberals. Also, remember that different translations
of the Bible say different things. In the New English Bible
(among others), for example, the verse says "All inspired
scripture has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error,
etc." This says, then, that some (not all) scripture is
inspired. Who, then, is to decide which books are inspired and
which are not? The Catholic Bible has more books than the
Protestant King James (the books not in the King James are
called the Apocryphal (hidden) books). The books of the Bible
were decided by a committee; many writings were left out. Why
are there four Gospels? Because, the compilers said, there were
four winds! Pretty scientific and inspired, eh?
Fundamentalists take the easy way out and decide that the whole
book must be either totally true or totally untrue; needless to
say, they prefer to believe that it is totally true. (I often
hear Christians talk abut living and worshipping as was done in
the first two centuries of Christianity, meaning according to
the Bible, but since there was no Bible until later, such
sentiments are little more than reflections of modern-day
wishful thinking.)
Of course such an attitude allows no room for ambiguity in the
book. I have heard many Bible teachers insist that a belief in
the truth of the entire book, no matter how nonsensical some
verses might be, is essential if one is to live a Christian
(read: good, moral, upright) life. While this leads to a
rejection of all logical means of interpreting the world, all
other religions, and all evidence to the contrary of the alleged
"Truth," Christians seem content to do so and to try to impose
that view on others.
One way to impose that view is to "witness" to people who,
while they may have some Christian belief, or none at all, are
not fundamentalists. Few people today have much knowledge of
the Bible beyond Sunday School fare and are susceptible to the
persuasive abilities of someone who seems to have more knowledge
about the Bible than they do. As we saw with David Koresh, such
blind acceptance of someone's Bible interpretation can lead to
disaster.
A common ploy often used by fundamentalists is to use "ad
hominem" attacks against people who dare to question the alleged
inerrancy of the book. I have had my morality, sexual
preference, patriotism, sanity, and intelligence questioned by
street corner preachers and letter writers to newspapers that
have published my writings about religion. Having been a
fundamentalist Christian for a short time, though, I know that
there are quite a few Christians who are not playing with a full
deck, so to speak. A friend who is a devout Catholic has
expressed even more extreme views about fundamentalists and
their behavior in church. But if you bring that up, the
preacher will often declare that "you shouldn't judge all
Christians by the acts of a few." They themselves, however, are
quite willing to blame all the world's problems on atheists,
agnostics, and skeptics and insist that all crimes are committed
by them. If this were true, why are so many inmates in our
prisons from Christian families? Christians claim that there
are no atheists in foxholes; that's nonsense because there are
even fewer in prison. Some even use religion as a means to
enrich themselves after they are sprung:: look at Chuck Colson
since he got out of jail. As for Christians being paragons of
morality because of their adherence to the book, we have seen
that hypothesis disproved. The actions of Jim and Tammy Bakker,
Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, and so on have shown that Bible
belief is no guarantee of moral behavior.
I sometimes hear that the Bible must be literally true and
divinely inspired because there were so many witnesses to the
events in the book and so many have attested to its veracity.
I'm not a Mormon, but the same can be said, as Dan Barker of the
Freedom From Religion Foundation has pointed out, of the Book of
Mormon. In fact, the claims for the inspiration for the Book of
Mormon can be viewed as even stronger since we have signed
statements attesting to its veracity and the original
manuscript! Here are the claims, from the version on the CDROM
entitled "Library of the Future."
THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people,
unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of
God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the
plates which contain this record, which is a record of the
people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren,
and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of
which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been
translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath
declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the
work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the
engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown
unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare
with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from
heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we
beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we
know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord
Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things
are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the
voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of
it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we
bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are
faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of
all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of
Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And
the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Ghost, which is one God. Amen.
OLIVER COWDERY
DAVID WHITMER
MARTIN HARRIS
THE TESTIMONY OF EIGHT WITNESSES
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people,
unto whom this work shall come: That Joseph Smith, Jun., the
translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which
hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as
many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did
handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon,
all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of
curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of
soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have
seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has
got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names
unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have
seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it.
CHRISTIAN WHITMER
HIRAM PAGE
JACOB WHITMER
JOSEPH SMITH, SEN.
PETER WHITMER, JUN.
HYRUM SMITH
JOHN WHITMER
SAMUEL H. SMITH
What follows is a long, detailed description of how Smith found
and translated the plates.
This is quite a bit more evidence than what we have for the
traditional Christian Bible. The fact that these persons had a
vested interest in whether Joseph Smith really did find plates
and translated them may have led them to sign the statements.
Of course, the Book of Mormon is similar to the Bible in that
the "originals" (in the case of the Book of Mormon, I mean the
plates that the angel took away after they were translated; in
the case of the Bible, I mean the original manuscripts, which
many Bible scholars doubt ever existed. If you go back far
enough, you can always find people who claim that there are
older, lost manuscripts are conveniently unavailable for
inspection. Most people would admit that the originals existed
only in the mind of Joseph Smith, in any case. So the idea that
because people attest to the veracity of any event makes that
event true even if evidence proves otherwise is invalid.
What is the bast way to deal with a fundamentalist who rings
your doorbell or accosts you on the street? How can you debate
someone who seems to have all the answers? I have found that it
is best to become familiar with the arguments of Christian
apologists such as Josh McDowell ("Evidence That Demands A
Verdict, Vols. 1 and 2") and Norman Geisler ("When Skeptics
Ask"). I have read some of their books and have learned the
techniques they recommend for dealing with skeptics. I also
have every Chick tract ever published, subscribe to the Chick
magazine "Battle Cry," and subscribe to "Christianity Today" Be
forewarned, though: if you have a low tolerance for nonsense,
you may find their books and periodicals difficult to read.
Also, McDowell has been criticized even by Christian Bible
scholars for some of his views. You should also read books on
the Bible from the secular and skeptical perspective. One of
the best and most interesting is historian Robin Lane Fox's "The
Unauthorized Version: Truth and Fiction in the Bible." Steve
Allen's and Isaac Asimov's books on the Bible may also prove
useful if you wish to learn about the Bible. There are also
publications such as "The Skeptical Review" and "Biblical
Errancy" which expound on Biblical contradictions and also
provide hearings for apologists. (Addresses at end of piece.)
One of the most salient arguments for the alleged inerrancy of
the Bible is, say fundamentalists, the supposed fact that it has
no contradictions. Indeed, apologists rarely even call
contradictions such; they prefer "difficulties" or "apparent
contradictions" as what they think are more precise terms. But
facts are facts; there are many contradictions, especially in
the story of Jesus and even more so in the resurrection. It is
obvious that the Bible, as Dennis McKinsey of "Biblical Errancy"
says, "has more holes in it than a screen door."
Apologists often claim that while current translations of the
Bible may have "apparent contradictions," in the original
documents_which we do not have_there were no contradictions.
Thus contradictions become "copyist errors," "errors in
translation," and "verses taken out of context." Pressed on
such matters, fundamentalists trying to convert people often
resort to calling skeptics fools and questioning their morals
and values while refusing to deal with the Bible anymore.
Some fundamentalists are getting into what is sometimes called
"qualified fundamentalism," which means that if a verse cannot
be taken literally one should then take it figuratively; the
problem is: which verses should be taken literally and which
should be taken figuratively? Who ultimately decides?
What are some of the most egregious contradictions in the
Bible? The following is only a short list culled from nontracts
from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Dennis McKinsey of
"Biblical Errancy." While by no means complete, it is a good
start.
1. There are actually two separate creation stories in Genesis.
Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 is one creation story; Genesis 2:4 to 2:25 is
another. In the first, man and woman are created at the same
time (1:27) but in the second (2:7 and 2:21-23) man is created
first, then woman.
Some might say that the second is an expanded version of the
first.
2. Does God change his mind? Compare Malachi 3:6 and Exodus
32:14
3. Are we punished for our parents' sins? Compare Exodus 20:5
and Ezekiel 18:20
4. Has anyone seen God? Compare John 1:18 and Genesis 32:30
5. How old was Ahaziah? 2 Kings 8:26 says he was 22 when he
began to reign; 2 Chronicles 22:2 says he was 42
6. Did Solomon have 4,000 or 40,000 stalls? Compare 1 Kings
4:26 and 2 Chronicles 9:25
When looking at contradictions and philisophical difficulties,
look for words such as "shall," "all," and "must" in sentences
in the Bible. For example, Romans 3:23 says that "all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But Job 1:1 says
that Job was perfect. How can Job be perfect and still be a
sinner? As Dennis McKinsey of Biblical Errancy has noted, all
means all.
The life of Jesus is a source of many contradictions since
there are four books that purport to tell his story. Any effort
to create a consistent narrative from the four Gospels is
futile. An incident in one Gospel is often reported differently
in another. For the Bible to be considered a logically
consistent whole and the product of a supreme being, repeated
stories should be consistent with no differences in details and
events. But the contradictions point to human authors with their
own agendas, not a divine author, fundamentalist claims
notwithstanding.
1. Who came to worship Christ when he was born? Matthew 2:5
says "wise men from the east." Luke 2:8 says shepherds of the
same country.
2. How were they led? Matthew says by a star (2:6). Luke says
by an angel (2:8).
3. How many blind men did Jesus heal near Jericho? Matthew
20:30 says two; Mark and Luke say only one.
4. At what hour was Christ crucified? Mark 15;26 says it was
the third hour; John 19:16 says after the sixth hour.
5. There is disagreement not only on which women went to the
tomb after Jesus was placed there but also what they saw there.
Matthew says an angel, Mark says a young man, Luke says two men,
John says two angels.
6. When did Jesus ascend into heaven? Luke says on the day of
the resurrection, John says it was nine days after the
resurrection, and Acts says it was 40 days after.
7. When Jesus died, there were supposedly earthquakes, tombs
opening, and dead people arising. Why are there no records of
this?
A common claim by fundamentalists is that the four Gospels may
contradict each other in details but that it is merely a matter
of four different reporters presenting their versions. The fact
is that there are major contradictions in the story of Jesus.
So much so that it is impossible to construct a coherent
narrative from all four Gospels. In fact, one organization has
a monetary reward that has never been claimed for such an
effort. Try even to construct a narrative of the events
surrounding the resurrection and ascension and you realize that
it is impossible to make a coherent narrative from all four
Gospels.
Among other interesting items are these questions:
1. Was Jesus illegitimate? A Jewish friend has told me that
when a Jewish man is called "the son of his mother," that
indicates that he has no father and is therefore illegitimate.
2. Was Jesus married? This same friend says that it was the
mother of the groom's responsibility to ensure a supply of wine;
hence Mary's demand to Jesus that he get some more.
3. If Jesus was the result of an impregnation of Mary by the
Holy Spirit (a virgin birth following fertilization by a spirit
was often part of pagan religion), why was Joseph's genealogy
traced by two of the Gospel writers? Why don't the genealogies
match up?
4. According to the Jewish Scriptures, the Messiah was supposed
to be a political leader of the lineage of David (passing
through his real father) who would free the Jews from their
oppressors. Nowhere does it say that the Messiah would be God.
Indeed, saying a man could be God was one of the worst
blasphemies a Jew could commit.
5. What is the scriptural basis for the doctrine of original
sin? Jews do not believe in it; Jesus never preached it. It was
Paul who invented the idea that Adam and Eve's actions in the
Garden of Eden made all sinful at birth and that Jesus'
sacrifice was needed to atone for it. I often hear that Jesus
was the Passover lamb who died for the sins of the world. But
the Passover lamb did not die for the sins of the people; it was
to commemorate the escape from Egypt. At the Atonement, the
Jewish priests passed the sins of the people into a goat (the
scapegoat) that was then let loose.
I could go on, but according to one source, there are 277
contradictions in the New Testament. Clearly, these obvious
contradictions cannot be dismissed as merely different points of
view. Talk to a Jewish person or a rabbi sometime about Jewish
expectations regarding the Messiah.
The truth is that apologists have only mere speculation
qualified by phrases such as "may have been," "could have been,"
and "possibly" to try to explain things to skeptics. Believers
are usually too frightened or ignorant of the Bible to dare to
raise such questions. Apologists often refuse to debate
skeptics, especially in the presence of believers, out of fear
that the believers may start doubting. For this reason,
apologists such as Josh McDowell refuse to debate skeptics.
Fundamentalists may dismiss discussion of contradiction as
nit-picking but are quite willing to do the same to try to prove
alleged prophesies about Jesus and future world events. Have we
skeptics not the same right to do so ourselves?
Finally, I think that it is vitally important that skeptics
understand the Bible because there are some who wish to make
biblical law the law of the land rather than the Constitution.
Those who wish this are a vocal minority, even within the
Christian faith, but they have positions of authority in the
Christian subculture. These include men like Pat Robertson,
Patrick Buchanan, D. James Kennedy, and Rousas John Rushdoony.
While it might seem at first preferable to have biblical law
running our seemingly out-of-control nation, keep in mind that
there is much law in the Bible that is not even enforced on
Christians. For example, misbehaving children, homosexuals, and
those who violate the Sabbath could be executed under biblical
law. Many of the laws in the Bible were written in a primitive
time for primitive people. Would such laws work today?
Those who seek to "fix" society by resorting to the Bible for
answers to social problems are about as useful as car mechanics
who try to fix 1993 Corvettes with 1925 Ford Model T shop
manuals. Our economics, politics, families, and social
environments are far more complex than before. Teacher-led
prayer, presenting creationism as if it were valid science, and
putting the Ten Commandments on classroom walls will do far less
for education than adequate funding, better facilities, smaller
classes, and better pay and working conditions for teachers.
With the knowledge to argue intelligently with Christians plus
the understanding that there are Christians who are not
fundamentalists and are opposed to the idea of imposing the
fundamentalists' regressive sociological views on American
society (liberal Christians, in fact, fear that the
fundamentalists' emphasis on the Bible is destroying
Christianity), we can, at the very least, show that the
"evidences" for the inerrancy of the Bible are fictitious and
that one can lead a moral, upright, and decent life without
religion in general and the Christian fundamentalist religion in
particular.
With the knowledge to argue intelligently with Christians plus
the understanding that there are Christians who are not
fundamentalists and are opposed to the idea of imposing the
fundamentalists' regressive sociological views on American
society (liberal Christians, in fact, fear that the
fundamentalists' emphasis on the Bible is destroying
Christianity), we can, at the very least, show that the
"evidences" for the inerrancy of the Bible are fictitious and
that one can lead a moral, upright, and decent life without
religion in general and the Christian fundamentalist religion in
particular.
For more information on "The Skeptical Review," write to:
The Skeptical Review
P.O. Box 617
Canton, IL 61520-0617
The editor is a former Church of Minister who gives space (some
say too much space) to apologists. Subscriptions are free for
the first year and $4 after that.
For more information on "Biblical Errancy," write to:
Biblical Errancy
3158 Sherwood Park Drive
Springfield, OH 45505
The editor and publisher has debated apologists on the radio and
is very knowledgeable about the Bible. Subscriptions are $12
for one year and $23 for two years.
For more information on the Freedom From Religion Foundation and
"Freethought Today," write to:
Freedom From Religion Foundation
P.O. Box 750
Madison, WI 53701
Dan Barker, a former fundamentalist minister and author of
"Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist," is a part of
this fine organization of freethinkers. His story is
fascinating as he was a very popular Christian musician and
evangelist until he decided, after years of reading and study,
that the Bible was not the literally true work of a perfect
being.
For information on secular humanism, the magazine "Free
Inquiry", and to receive the Prometheus Books catalog, contact:
The Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH)
Free Inquiry
3965 Rensch Road
Buffalo, NY 14228-2713
Some books about the Bible and analyses of the Christian faith
from a skeptical perspective:
"Jesus Doesn't Live Here Anymore", by Skipp Porteus: A former
fundamentalist preacher tells his story. Prometheus Books
"Science Versus Religion", by Tad Clements. Prometheus Books
"Who Was Jesus?", by G.A. Wells. Open Court Books
"Asimov's Guide to the Bible (2 vols.) by Isaac Asimov. Avenal
Books
"On the Barricades: Religion and Free Inquiry in Conflict",
edited by Robert Basil, Mary Beth Gehrman and Tim Madigan. Past
articles from "Free Inquiry" magazine. Prometheus Books
"The Born Again Skeptic's Guide to the Bible", by Ruth Hurmence
Green. Available from the Freedom From Religion Foundation
"Holy Horrors: Murder and Madness in the Name of Religion", by
James A. Haught. A newspaper religion editor looks at the
bloody history of religion. Prometheus Books
"On the Gods and Other Essays", by Robert G. Ingersoll. Five
brilliant essays by "The Great Agnostic." Prometheus Books
"Some Mistakes of Moses", by Robert G. Ingersoll. Critical
analysis of the first five books of the Bible. Prometheus Books
"Don't Call Me Brother" and "Setting the Captives Free", by
Austin Miles. A former Assemblies of God minister describes how
the Pentecostal Church destroyed his family, his finances, and
almost destroyed his career. Also some very interesting
information about Jim and Tammy Bakker. Prometheus Books
"The Unauthorized Version: Truth and Fiction in the Bible", by
Robin Lane Fox. A history of the Bible. Alfred A Knof
"Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality" and "More
Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality", by Steve
Allen. A fascinating exploration of the Bible with many
references to leading Bible scholars. Prometheus Books
"The Mind of the Bible Believer", by Edmund D. Cohen. A former
fundamentalist and respected psychologist analyzes Christianity
from a psychological perspective. Prometheus Books
"The Faith Healers", by James Randi. A look at faith healing in
general and such stars as Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, etc.
Prometheus Books
"Salvation for Sale", by Gerard Thomas Straub. A former
producer of "The 700 Club" takes a critical look at both his own
life and the life, teachings, and activities of Pat Robertson.
Prometheus Books
"Freeing the Bible from Fundamentalism" and "Born of a Woman",
by John Spong. An Episcopal Bishop's critical look at the Bible
and Jesus. Publisher unknown
About the author
I'm a 32-year-old freelance writer and postal worker who, when
not working, studying for a degree in communications, and
messing around with my computer, is interested in modern day
religion and its efforts to integrate its primitive world view
into the modern world. Like all people, I was born an atheist.
My parents raised me Catholic. In 1978 a Southern Baptist
minister convinced me that the end of the world was imminent and
that I, along with all the world's Catholics and other
"non-Christians," was doomed to hell. (This minister,
incidentally, was Dr. Adrian Rogers of Bellevue Baptist Church
in Memphis, Tenn. He was elected president of the Southern
Baptist Convention in 1979.)
Over time, and even after being converted to
ultra-fundamentalism, I began to realize that much of the Bible
was nonsense. In 1989 I finally "came out" as an atheist and
began writing letters to local newspapers about religion. I've
gotten very friendly responses from local people, which
compensates for the many vituperative and angry letters I
personally and the newspaper have received about my writings.
I enjoy intelligent discussion and spirited debate but am weary
of endless "ad hominem" attacks. I will gladly respond to
anyone who writes to me either at my home address or through
America OnLine.
My home address is:
Vincent F. Safuto
7934 Aztec Court
Lake Worth, FL 33463-8037
My telephone number is:
(407) 968-2134
My AOL screen name is:
VSafuto
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