Cover of About The Holy Bible: A Lecture

About The Holy Bible: A Lecture

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  • 50 min read
  • 12 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"About The Holy Bible: A Lecture" by Robert Green Ingersoll is a critical examination of the Bible, focusing specifically on its origins, authorship, and moral lessons. Written in the late 19th century, this book serves as a philosophical treatise challenging the notion of the Bible as the inspired word of God. Ingersoll argues that the scriptures contain numerous contradictions and are reflective of the societal norms and prejudices of their time, rather than divine revelation. Ingersoll's lecture delves deeply into the inconsistencies and moral dilemmas presented throughout the Bible, questioning the legitimacy of its teachings and the character of God as portrayed in the text. He discusses historical inaccuracies related to its authorship, emphasizes the absence of evidence supporting divine inspiration, and critiques the ethical implications of its laws and narratives. The work ultimately advocates for human reasoning and ethics over religious dogma, promoting the idea that true sacred knowledge lies in the collective wisdom and moral advancements of humanity.

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  • Bible · Criticism, interpretation, etc.

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I. The Origin of the Bible

A FEW wandering families—poor, wretched; without education, art or power; descendants of those who had been enslaved for four hundred years; ignorant as the inhabitants of Central Africa—had just escaped from their masters to the desert of Sinai.

Their leader was Moses, a man who had been raised in the family of Pharaoh, and had been taught the law and mythology of Egypt. For the purpose of controlling his followers he pretended that he was instructed and assisted by Jehovah, the god of these wanderers.

Everything that happened was attributed to the interference of this god. Moses declared that he met this god face to face; that on Sinai's top from the hands of this god he had received the tables of stone on which, by the finger of this god, the Ten Commandments had been written, and that, in addition to this, Jehovah had made known the sacrifices and ceremonies that were pleasing to him and the laws by which the people should be governed.

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Contents

  1. I. The Origin of the Bible
  2. II. Is the Old Testament Inspired?
  3. III. The Ten Commandments
  4. IV. What Is It All Worth?
  5. V. Was Jehovah a God of Love?
  6. VI. Jehovah's Administration
  7. VII. The New Testament
  8. VIII. The Philosophy of Christ
  9. IX. Is Christ Our Example?
  10. X. Why Should We Place Christ at the Top and Summit of the Human Race?
  11. XI. Inspiration
  12. XII. The Real Bible

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About this edition

This free edition of About The Holy Bible: A Lecture by Robert Green Ingersoll comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #37703, released 2011-10-10. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Essays, Letters & Speeches, Philosophy & Ethics, Religion/Spirituality.

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