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Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

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  • From: "George Athas" <gathas AT mail.usyd.edu.au>
  • To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Watch Terminology
  • Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 08:13:13 +1100


Silver Eiger wrote:

> [...] There is actually no reasonable reason to assert the
> Bible is wrong. Though there may be some higly scholarly reasons. It is no
> good
> to be dogmatic in this regard too. The scanty evidence that is presently
> available, may as well be just inadequately interpreted. Maybe there is no
> point
> in fighting too seriously about this. Sorry for such unscholarly views.

I think we need to clarify here what the Bible is or isn't "wrong" in. The
word "wrong" is
quite emotive and carries with it a bit of unnecessary baggage which can make
unnecessary
sweeping statements. We might be better off saying that the Bible is
"historically
inaccurate" or "unreliable" or "unverified", but this does not make it
"wrong". Does the
historical inaccuracy or unreliability or non-verifiability of the Bible make
its theology
wrong? Or its artistry wrong? Or its spiritual authority wrong? At the other
end of the
spectrum, does the historical accuracy of the Bible make its theology right?
Or its
artistry right? Or its spiritual authority right? The description "wrong"
puts a strike
against all of these aspects whether one intends it or not.

We need to be careful about the way we phrase our statements because we may
be saying
things that we never intended to say. And such statements can tread on a lot
of people's
toes and cross their sensitivities unnecessarily.

Best regards,
George Athas
Dept of Semitic Studies,
University of Sydney
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  • Watch Terminology, George Athas, 02/13/2000

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