There are many claims in the Bible that can’t be supported or refuted by direct evidence. For example, in Genesis 5:23 (New International Version) we learn that,
Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years.
The way I interpret this verse is that “altogether” means the real years Enoch lived plus the bullshit years.
I actually prefer the Amplified Bible translation:
So all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
A body doesn’t have rings that, when cut through, can be counted. And we don’t have Enoch’s body in deep freeze, so there is no way to verify whether or not this “man of God” lived that long. Since the average life span today for believer and non-believer alike is edging up toward 80 years in prosperous countries, and because there have been few documented cases of people living a dozen or so years past the 100 year mark, we have strong reason to doubt the above statement. But when wearing our philosopher’s cap, we have to leave it at that. No we can’t be absolutely certain that a statement that, in all reasonably ways, appears to be total B.S. is, in fact, total B.S. Oh sure, beyond reasonable doubt it is. But mixing reasonable doubt and religion is like mixing oil and holy water. Blind faith can surmount reasonable doubt without blinking. Even exponentially extreme reasonable doubt.
In addition to biographical and historical statements, there are claims in the Bible that can be tested to determine if, in fact, they hold up. Of course, when confronted with the falsity of a Biblical statement, believers will do some version of a rationalization tap-dance, including these favorites: 1) while it was true in Biblical times, times have changed, yet the truth somehow remains; 2) well, that part is poetry, or metaphor -sorta like Biblical window dressing, 3) Satan must have inserted that line while the Bible god was refilling his coffee cup and sharpening his quill, 4) my God works in mysterious ways, except of course when it comes to the things I like, which are crystal clear.
How might they explain this passage about sheep from Genesis 30:37-40?
Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.
To me it reflects the superstitious voodoo that passed for science in ancient times. But it wasn’t even science, maybe proto-science if you are generous. For one, Jacob forgot to include a control group in his protocol. Furthermore, we can determine his results were bogus by putting them to the test today. Jacob may have been innovative in his breeding program for sheep, but he was also completely mistaken. His quaint attempt at genetic engineering works in the story, but only because a story is a story.
I suspect that when Jacob’s tale was originally composed, it wasn’t so much about a miracle. Rather the Bible writer wanted to illustrate what he perceived as Jacob’s wisdom. Jacob, after all, is a pillar of the Old Testament.
In terms of wisdom, we know the writer got it wrong. The Bible remains wrong about it today. We know that with absolute certainty because we can test it.
My overall conclusion is the testable “scientific” claims unique to the Bible fail time and time again. What can’t be tested falls into the extremely implausible category. Is this a book we want informing our students, whether in public schools or private? I say no. Yet I also believe in freedom. So keep it out of the public domain. To all those students stuck in private schools where the Bible is considered a textbook: good luck. The education you are receiving isn’t fit for a sheep-herder living in remote mountains. Not if he or she wants speckled sheep, anyway.
April 17th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Hoo-Yah! Tell it, brother. And you didn’t even get a chance to touch on all the translation issues that make gobbledy-gook even more gobbledy. I am addicted to scholarly, critical studies of the sacred texts of the world’s various religions; I learn so much more about humanity from them than I ever did as a child being spoon-fed in Sunday school and Summer Bible School. Give me Armstrong, Pagels, Ehrman, and now Robert Wright. That is a charming story about the speckled sheep, isn’t it?
April 18th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Nance -
One of my favorite biblical scholars is Robert Price. Have you heard of him?
http://robertmprice.mindvendor.com/
I particularly enjoy his podcasts, “The Bible Geek.” He is a deep well of information of all things biblical/religion, without bias for or against. A superb source.