Did gnorm just said lying is fine as long as it makes people convert?(when "explaining" contradictions)
What I said was that the reason that there are four Gospels was to speak to a wider group of people, for the penguin asked why there wasn't one, large, comprehensive Gospel. To exemplify, I noted the magi in the Gospel According to Matthew and the shepherds in the Gospel According to Luke. I believe that most scholars agree that Matthew was written for a Jewish audience, and Luke for a Gentile audience, which would explain the difference; Gentiles paid no mind to magi, and Jews no mind to poor shepherds. I do not argue that these are "lies," but merely different parts of the story.
I was not explaining contradictions in the general sense. In fact, I invited any who had any contradictions in mind (Genesis through Revelation) to bring them to this thread. In my opinion, a Christian who does not think about these things and find answers is not a good Christian.
As for the leviathan, it sounds so ridiculous it can't be true. Therefore, it must be a misinterpretation of a crocodile.
Funny how when Jesus does something so ridiculous as to walk on water, turn water to wine, etc. it MUST be true, because it is written in the Bible.
Why believe in water-wine and not water-beast?
I see your point. Still, the Leviathan is in the Book of Job to show God's power. If it was a real creature, God demonstrates His power and Job's weakness. If it was a symbolic invention, it still demonstrates that Job would not be able to contend with God's power. Perhaps the extensive description of the Leviathan's might is to prove God's point.
As for Jesus, His miracles are mentioned a lot more extensively than the presence of the Leviathan is, and His teachings provide the basis for the Christian religion. Hence, people are more inclined to believe in Him than the Leviathan.
May I remind everyone that Jesus's first miracle was to summon wine at a party because they drank all the wine they had?
The fact that american abolitionist pretend that the bible is against booze is slightly bafling to me.
There's a certain amount of writing in the Bible that advises against drinking to inebriation. There's still plenty of alcohol referenced in the Bible, so I'd chalk up a good portion of the anti-drinking verses as advice, rather than a true commandment. Still, alcohol can and does endanger people and harms relationships with God, so I can see why some choose to follow the Bible's
advice more closely.
Also, I don't think "abolitionist" is usually used to describe a prohibitionist or a temperance activist.