Recently got into a debate about the Dead Sea Scrolls being proof that the Bible is over 90% accurate ie: not "word of mouth" or "telephone"
How would you respond?
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"proof that the Bible is over 90% accurate"
What do you mean?
Dead Sea Scrolls are militaristic messianic text not passed through roman filters.
They are mostly the propaganda of the war against Rome and other Jewish factions.
No new testament scrolls were found a Qumran since they(new testament) were written after the destruction of the temple.(after 70 AD)
The Jesus character was invented after the destruction of the temple and that is why his life it is not mentioned anywhere in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
So if you just burn the new testament, you might get the 90% figure of what is left of the bible.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are nothing but folklore and propaganda. They are a collection of folklore handed down over many many years that were derived from many cultures and myths.
Like all propaganda they have some truths. A common practice of the NAZIs in the 30s-40s. Example being they would describe a place like Gomorrah which is an actual place, then attach a myth to it. Thus leading credibility to the whole story. The scrolls aren't factual by any means.
Admitted copies being 'over 90% accurate' (with the material they were copied from) is hardly evidence of anything supernatural. A better question is why aren't they 99.9% accurate, something even a young child should be able to achieve?
I have a 12 year old brother (whom before this point had not been exposed to anything religious) that both my mother(freewill Baptist) and I(atheist) asked to look through the Bible and tell us exactly what he thought it said. Let's just say he called it like it is, and while my mom wasn't happy, I simply walked up to him and patted him on the back. Now my mom has been struggling nonstop to indoctrinate him, and every night before he goes to bed he comes to my room and tells me what she said to him throughout the day. I tell him the actual meanings / explanations of what she said. Then, he says "Thanks,Bub(don't you dare laugh) and goes to bed. Now, after two weeks of this, my.mom has gotten frustrated to the point that she asked me to stop "demonizing" my brother, and that I had better not start with the rest of them. In what way am I supposed to react?
Well mothers tend to look at their children as someone to teach stuff, so you might be seen as an infected offspring that is trying to infect other children.
The best thing is to inform your mom that you are just following the bible in 1 PETER 3:15 when it says that:
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"
Put your mom in a position against her religious teaching.
Put her in a position to justify her interpretation of that religious teaching.
Make her realize that you do not see her interpretation as the right interpretation like the other 1000+ denominations of Christianity she never likes to think about.
Somewhere deep inside her, she will start to fear debating you on the subject not because you are possessed but because you have a different interpretation of her holy book.
Baby steps. learn baby steps when dealing with theists.
Look at religious people as sick, artificially made stupid people that haven't been thought what criticism means.
When you see that your mom disagrees on something you do not like, search the bible to support your agenda and put it forward.
It was created for that purpose, to support the leaders agendas, there is nothing wrong in pointing it out to your mother in the most vivid way possible :)
Thank you for the advice.
How does 90% accuracy not amount to the telephone game?
OK, the DSSs reference some things also referenced in the xtian bible. So what? Harry Potter is referenced in a ton of material other than the original series. Does that mean Harry Potter is real? Fiction is frequently repeated, tweaked, copied, retold...that doesn't make it non-fiction.