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1
 
Analyzing the Bible Scientifically
Faith is knowing everything
.
I. The Origins and History of ChristianityExposing Biblicist Falsehoods
My
 
earlier
 
views
 
of 
 
the
 
unsoundness
 
of 
 
the
 
Christian
 
scheme
 
of 
 
salvation
 
and
 
the
 
human
 
origin
 
of 
 
the
 
scriptures,
 
have
 
become
 
clearer
 
and
 
stronger
 
with
 
advancing
 
years
 
and
 
I
 
see
 
no
 
reason
 
for
 
thinking
 
I
 
shall
 
ever
 
change
 
them.
 
Abraham
 
Lincoln
 
1. Personal Introduction
Christian
 
doctrine
 
is…
 
presented
 
as
 
having
 
such
 
unique
 
authority
 
that
 
it
 
must
 
have
 
been
 
made
 
in
 
heaven
 
rather
 
than
 
being
 
the
 
work
 
of 
 
thinkers
 
and
 
negotiators,
 
in
 
particular
 
periods
 
in
 
church
 
history,
 
and
 
therefore
 
open
 
to
 
historical
 
criticism
 
and
 
the
 
problems
 
of 
 
cultural
 
relativism.
 
John
 
Bowden,
 
SCM
 
© Dr M D MageeContents Updated: Monday, July 19, 1999
•
 
Scholarly
 
Integrity
 
•
 
Truth
 
•
 
Pious
 
Lies
 
•
 
Jewish
 
Myth
 
•
 
New
 
Testament
 
•
 
The
 
Fashion
 
for
 
Dying
 
Gods
 
•
 
Gospels
 
•
 
An
 
Honest
 
Religion
 
 
2
 
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3
 
When I cycled the seventeen miles to Ilkley to visit him each Saturday, he would tell me abouthis week’s explorations and we would discuss them. It was sufficient to ease his conscienceabout his split with the church but naturally when he recovered, as a working man, he found lesstime to continue his studies and his interest waned. I too found myself doing school examinationsand eventually entering university to study sciences and my interest also waned. It remained butin attenuated form and I would still read popular books about Christian origins from time to time.When I retired from government service the chance arose for me to follow these long suspendedinterests and that is how I came to write these books.My discoveries astonished me. They seemed so obvious that they quickly led me to doubt theintegrity of scholars in the field of biblical scholarship. Trained as a scientist, I looked forrational answers to the questions that arose, but biblical scholars seek to confirm their religiousoutlook. Experts in biblical studies are usually religious people, whether Christian or Jewish.Those who have no interest in religion turn to physics, molecular biology, music or literature.Though religious people might well opt for any of these subjects too, non-religious studentsrarely opt for religious studies.The result is that, whereas normal endeavours of life are practiced by a cross section of society inrespect of religious views, religious studies are the field of religiously inclined people almostexclusively. So, in biblical studies, a subject that professes to be scientific—nowadays at anyrate—the normal checks and balances that allow science to progress do not apply. I speak generally knowing that there are some who try hard to be objective but for most it is either toodifficult or they are so indoctrinated in religious belief they do not want to try.Religious experts are consequently far from a fair sample of society. They are biased towards thebeliefs they have grown up with and unlikely to question their basic tenets. Quite the reverse,though they profess to be scientific, they are really apologists for their religious view. Whenastonishing hypotheses are published which cast doubt on the accepted views of the religiousexperts they will be ignored. This allows biblical scholars to continue in well-paid careers rakingover the same muddy spoil and coming to false conclusions forever. Sometimes the samehappens in science but there, new discoveries cannot be ignored for long. Science is too big andscientists too diverse for an important discovery to be ignored. What some group would prefer togo away, another group find is just the link or breakthrough they have been waiting for.Essentially biblical research is monolithic. Everyone wants to confirm God’s plan. No one wantsto have their lifelong beliefs destroyed.Strong pressures have always existed for biblical scholars to maintain the status quo—their peerswho value the sinecures they have, their own careers within this orthodoxy, their belief thatChristians are saintly people and do not tell lies except to glory God and their conviction thatthey could not have been wrong all their lives and the church wrong for two thousand years.
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