Bart Ehrman, Former Fundamentalist, Debunks the Bible, Says Most of the New Testament is a Forgery

I came across a very interesting article on CNN's website in which Bart Ehrman says he's not the anti-Christ, but strives to debunk the Bible. His latest book is "Jesus Interrupted." He is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a biblical sleuth whose investigations have made some people very irate, as has Dan Brown, the author of "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons," which I am currently reading. In his latest book, "Jesus Interrupted," Ehrman said Christianity has never been about the Bible being the inerrant word of God" and "Christianity is about the belief in Christ." His insight has fallen on fertile ground in some circles, as evidenced from the fact that he is now a regular fixture on the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, CNN, BBC and National Public Radio, talking about Christianity. He maintains that at least 19 of the 27 books in the New Testament are forgeries. That's pretty heavy-duty stuff, but one has to pause and ponder the biblical truths as we know them today. His message has resonated with me, in large part, because I feel that there are parts of the Bible that the early church deliberately ommitted. This does not mean I don't believe in God and want a deeper Chrisitian relationship with my Lord and Savior. It just means there are so many more things that we have not been told.

While there are detractors to Mr. Ehrman's findings, there are also others who feel that he has forced them to confront tough questions about the Bible in front of their congregations. Pastors need to wrestle with the Bible's claims and seek to interpret them for their congregants, rather than gloss over everything. The reality is that no one accepts everything in the Bible. People pick and choose what they want to believe. Take Sarah getting pregnant in her old age and Noah building the ark to house two or every animal. How big was that ark, since we literally have millions of different species, or even the resurrection, for that matter. What do you wrestle with?

Ehrman backs his arguments with a deep knowledge of the culture and history of the New Testament world. He's written 20 books on early Christianity and is an authority on ancient manuscripts used to translate the Bible. His claims, though, take on some of Christianity's most sacred tenets, like the resurrection of Jesus. Ehrman says he doesn't think the resurrection took place. There's no proof Jesus physically rose from the dead, and the resurrection stories contradict one another, he says. He says he doesn't believe the followers of Jesus saw their master bodily rise from the dead, but something else.

"My best guess is that what happened is what commonly happens today when someone has a loved one die -- they sometimes think they see them in a vision," Ehrman says. "I think some of the disciples had visions." Ehrman says he immerses himself in the Bible, though he doesn't believe in its infallibility, because it's the most important book in Western civilization. Source: CNN

Some Christians may feel that Mr. Ehrman views are a threat to Christianity, but on the contrary. There is nothing wrong, as President Obama has said of the abortion issue, for us to have a constructive dialogue. The New Testament is a very important body of work. Look beyond the resurrection and you will see that it teaches you how to grow spiritually and live with others. I was baptized in 2000 after going through a dark period in my life. I found strength by leaning on the word of God and I found answers to many of the issues I confronted then in the Bible. I believe in the power of prayer and that it can literally move many of the mountains in our lives. Though I have questions about the veracity of some of the claims in the Bible, I believe we didn't just appear out of thin air. There is a power greater than we can ever imagine that made all this possible.

I am reminded of a childhood game in which you whisper in the ear of one person and tell them to pass it on. By the time it gets to the last person in that room, what has been said is completely different from the first statement uttered. The Bible is of an oral tradition and I believe that some things were lost in translation through the years. Though I struggle with the issue of the resurrection, the flood, the Virgin birth and Sarah getting pregnant in her old age and that the early church deliberately omitted many things from the Bible, the message is still the same. We must love one another, live a decent and honorable life, give to those less fortunate and have a deep and abiding faith in God.