Why is the bible contradictory?

“To be fair, much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents, composed, revised, translated, distorted and 'improved' by hundreds of anonymous authors, editors and copyists, unknown to us and mostly unknown to each other, spanning nine centuries”

― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion

The Bible is not a book, but a library of books, written by different people.

The police will tell you that for a given event, eye witness will always differ on details. In fact, if they don't, the police know that the people were working together on the story, and they become suspects. So, we have the three Synoptic Gospel writers with the same story: Jesus entering/leaving a city, with 2/3 companions, where a blind man with 2/3 friends calls out. Jesus heals the man for his faith. That is the crux of the story, and the reason for writing it - the other parts are details that really don't matter very much.

In fact, NONE of these contradictions (which are generally small) changes the overall message of the stories in any way at all. They are simply to be expected when multiple people write about the same things.

It's tough enough to get complete agreement even among people who share a culture, a background, a point of view. In fact, if we get absolute consistency among witnesses, we generally suspect collusion in foisting a fictional account on us.

When the writers are spread out over a thousand years of history and used multiple languages, such agreement would be ridiculous in any case. As many of them were writing critically of earlier contributors, it's not even remotely reasonable to expect agreement. The Bible is a set of excerpts from an argument, not a manifesto.

When my dad was a student at Liberty university one guy was heckling him about the contradictions in the Bible. And he said which contradictions are you talking about. And he said for starters Judas. Did he hang himself or did was he dashed to pieces on the rocks. It can't be both!

Dad smile and said, "The rope broke."

So sometimes contradictions are not really contradictions.

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THE BIBLE is not contradictory as it contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe in it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object; our good its design; and the glory of God, its end. It should fit the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened in the judgement, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, with reward the greatest labour, and with condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

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Some people say they don't like the Bible because it contradicts itself, but maybe it is really because it contradicts them!

Because it was written by umpteenth different people, some of whom didn't talk to each other, and then the Catholic Church picked and chose which books THEY wanted "in," and then there are the multiple translations.

Most of them can be explained. That is because of errors in translation, and those who in the past have removed things.

It has been manupulated over the years.....