Why are there so many inconsistencies in the bible?

There are no "contradictions" in the bible, only people who do not read everything. People love to take things out of context because they are trying (I stress "trying") to prove the bible false. Why don't you tell me about some of these supposed "contradictions" and then go to this website to see the answers. www.bringyou.to/apologetics/bible.htm

Why do you think? Either the Bible is the infallible word of God, or it isn't. Christians have many ways of explaining away the inconsistencies in the Bible, but their explanations are usually just weak excuses. I think that if the Bible really were the infallible word of an all knowing and all powerful god, then there would be no inconsistencies to even discuss. Don't you think a god would have made sure that everything lines up before handing it over to man?

Based on documents written by multiple sources, each with their own differing opinions

Multiple versions of the bible created, put together by people with their own differing opinions

Combined into one version, but what actually was included was decided by people with their own differing opinions

Starting to see a pattern here?

And that goes for both the old and the new testament as historical evidence has proved

As others have already mentioned today's versions will have been translated, re-translated, corrected, etc.

But unlike the absurd statements that some have come up with, some of the content is historical fact as it has been corroborated by records from other sources. Not necessarily did they agree on the outcome of an event, however, but that an event took place for instance and during a certain time period

There is no inconsistencies in the history or geography or the message. A few differences in accounts can be explained and the ones that can't, are minor and do not effect the overall consistency of the message. The 40 writers from different generations and backgrounds never contradict each other on doctrine or argue about any other writer. It is possible that the translation could have produced a few inconsistencies, but it would be very, very few.

Because it has been rewritten and rewritten so many times after the first translations, by monks and kings, such as King James, that if you were to compare the first ever written and translated bible to a copy of today's bible, they will read very differently.

Also because a lot of original gospels were left out due to the scrolls being found years and years after the first written bible, like the gospel of Mary Magdalene and others

1) Because it is not history book.

2) Because MANY people wrote various parts of it.

3) For the same reason that 15 witnesses to an incident will give 15 different accounts of what took place. Human nature to see things in our own way.

4) There is something called hyperbole ( hy PEHR' buh lee ) that is exaggeration to make a point. e.g. There were a million people on line. It was a thousand degrees outside. You haven't called me in like a year. It's used for effect. It is not accurate reportage like the evening news. Its to make a point.

More than one story was pieced together. This is because the Northern Kingdom and Judah had good stories and the editors preferred to keep both rather than pick one.

The Gospel writers were writing to their own people addressing specific problems. The Gospels are written to explain a theological point of view more than to be a historical eye-witness report.

There were a big collection of stories and sayings for the evangelists to pick from. Read the first sentence of Luke. You've heard this before, but I'm going to give it to you straight.

He has something to say that the other Evangelists didn't cover. He uses the same teaching healing, dying rising story, but fills in the outline to say what he wants (as he is inspired) to say.

They were not intended by their authors to be consistent. They weren't even trying to prove anything. The writers were writing to believers, not to unbelievers.

Such as? You did not list any.

There are numerous Quranic contradictions, inconsistencies and errors. Read the Quran and Hadith for yourself or visit http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/SKM/contradic... and http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/

Because man has never agreed with each other.

It was written thousands of years ago before spell check, grammar check, and modern science.