Scary Bible Quotes: Editor’s Introduction    

Since I first began editing Scary Bible Quotes, many people have had questions about it (for example, “You know you’re going to hell, don’t you?”, “Don’t you know that Jesus loves you?”, and “If I want to sell my daughter into slavery, how much should I charge for her?”(1)) Unfortunately, since writing the remarks appearing in Scary Bible Quotes, God has been unavailable for comment. So I have prepared this introduction, which includes answers to common questions.

Sources

Alternate Translations

Following are versions of the same scary Bible passages, in different translations:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1:

What is the purpose of Scary Bible Quotes?

A:

According to polls conducted in 2004, 82% of Americans believe that the Bible is the word of God,(2) and 55% believe that “every word of the Bible is literally accurate.”(3) But it seems to me unlikely that 55% of the country believe all of the assertions quoted on the Scary Bible Quotes page. So I think many people must be unaware of what the Bible actually says. (It’s understandable – who has time for reading books these days?) It seems to me that a look at these quotations would provide valuable evidence relevant to whether the Bible is in fact the word of God and whether every statement in it is literally true.

 

Q2:

And why is that important?

A:

For one thing, because people often try to use the Bible to answer such important questions as whether abortion is wrong, whether homosexuality is wrong, and whether humans evolved from apes. Before we rely on the Bible in this way, we need to assess whether it is actually the word of God, and how accurate it is in general.

 

Q3:

Is this supposed to prove that there is no God?

A:

No, there could be a God whether or not the Bible is accurate.

 

Q4:

I think some of your quotations are mistranslations.

A:

In view of this possibility, I have made available the alternate translations listed above.

 

Q5:

I think some of your passages are quoted out of context.

A:

No, they aren’t. Those who want to read the context surrounding any of the quotations may see the complete NIV, KJV, or ESV, all available on the web. In no case does the context significantly alter the meaning, or the level of plausibility, of the passages.

 

Q6:

I think some of the statements you’ve quoted from the Bible are actually true.

A:

It is possible that some Biblical statements that appear false are true, though it is extremely implausible that all of them are. Following are links to discussions of the most popular topics in Biblical errancy. In each case, “Pro” links to a pro-Bible page, while “Con” links to an anti-Bible page.
•    Rabbits chew cud Pro Con
•    4-legged grasshoppers Pro Con
•    pi = 3 Pro Con
•    Flat Earth Pro Con Pro

 

Q7:

I hate you.

A:

All of the hostile messages I have received about Scary Bible Quotes appear to be from Christians. If you genuinely believe the Bible is the word of God, you should be happy, not angry, that I am helping to spread the word of God. If, on the other hand, you think that my page is anti-Christian, then that seems to me a tacit admission that some of the statements in the Bible are so difficult to believe that merely reproducing a collection of them serves to undermine Christianity.

Notes

1.

Exodus 21:7 generously advises: “If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do. If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed . . .” (NIV)

2.

Source: Gallup Poll, Nov. 7-10, 2004. N=1,016 adults nationwide (U.S.). MoE +/- 3. Reported by PollingReport.com <http://www.pollingreport.com/religion.htm>.

3.

Source: Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, Dec. 2-3, 2004. N=1,009 adults nationwide (U.S.). MoE +/- 3. Reported by PollingReport.com <http://www.pollingreport.com/religion.htm>.