When Bart Ehrman Investigates Bible, Some Run Scared

Bart Ehrman: a man of conviction

One of the more popular definitions of faith as posited by Merriam-Webster is that it is “a firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” As children, we place our faith in numerous things which we cannot see or prove via physical evidence: Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and imaginary friends.

In fact, many experts believe that having an imaginary friend in childhood is quite normal.  It’s often a stress-coping mechanism. More still believe that in an evolutionary sense, the inclination toward having imaginary friends is comforting, akin to a young child being comforted by sounds similar to those heard in the womb. As adults, we tend to leave behind parts of our original animal natures because… people would start to talk, acting in complete denial of the animal lusts that drive us to consume, obtain unsecured loans and pay day loans, then consume some more.

Regulated consumption is logical from an evolutionary standpoint. Our prime directive is to survive, and money systems are tied to our survival in the modern world. There’s nothing imaginary about that. It’s cold, hard and you can  hold it in your hand.

Knowledge vs. belief

Bart Ehrman, a best-selling author and religious studies professor at the University of North Carolina, embraces logic. For as a wise Vulcan once said, “logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end.” Without evidence of a thing, we cannot logically prove it to exist. Bart Ehrman believes that there is a faith in the unerring word of the Bible that simply shouldn’t exist. There is no logic in doing so, and to turn our backs on logic is to ignore the trinity that makes humanity unique in the animal kingdom: logic, compassion and kindness.

John Blake reports for CNN that Bart Ehrman “doesn’t intend to destroy your religious faith.” He is merely investigating as logic dictates, as he is a biblical detective, much like the Robert Langdon character in Dan Brown’s popular novels like “The DaVinci Code” and “Angels and Demons.” Much like Brown’s work, Ehrman’s latest book, “Jesus, Interrupted” has proven controversial. Here are just a few of his conclusions:

• Doctrines such as the divinity of Jesus and heaven and hell are not based on anything Jesus or his earlier followers said.
• At least 19 of the 27 books in the New Testament are forgeries.
• Believing the Bible is infallible is not a condition for being a Christian.

“Christianity has never been about the Bible being the inerrant word of God,” Ehrman says. “Christianity is about the belief in Christ.”

A popular guest-investigator

Bart Ehrman’s research and ideas have stirred controversy and made him a frequent guest in popular media. A large part of his discussions have to do with his the growing interest in the theory that large parts of the Bible were left on the cutting room floor by Christian councils throughout history. And it’s no wonder, as some of the Apocryphal Books portray Jesus as a mischief-maker who changes his friends into animals. But that’s not all experts believe was left out.

This is not a new idea. Critics like Bishop William Willimon say that Bart Ehrman “presents this stuff as if this is wonderful new knowledge that has been kept from backward lay people and this is the stuff your preachers don’t have the guts to tell.” Willimon and others of religious faith see it as arrogance, but they have to admit that Bart Ehrman has a “clear-thinking gift” for making New Testament scholarship more accessible to all. It’s imminently logical to do so.

Resurrecting controversy

“His take on the scriptures is a gift to the church because of his ability to articulate questions and challenges,” says Rev. Guy Williams, a Methodist minister. “It gives us an opportunity to wrestle with the [Bible's] claims and questions.”

For example, here’s a big claim Bart Ehrman makes: there was no resurrection. He doesn’t think the resurrection took place because there is “no proof Jesus physically rose from the dead, and the resurrection stories contradict one another.” Those contradictions and historical records of when the apostles likely lived tend to throw doubt about the Bible’s authorship claims as well. As a scriptural detective and teacher, it’s Bart Ehrman’s job to apply logical research to the issue. He has extensive knowledge of ancient manuscripts used in Biblical translation and knows much about the culture and history of the New Testament. Moreover, he’s written 20 books on early Christianity. He may be more of an authority on his subject matter than anyone else on Earth.

Women in the church

This is a big area where Ehrman points out more unavoidable inconsistency. Sure, most people sample from the Bible the way they’d eat at a buffet, but how can something like this be ignored? In I Corinthians, Ehrman points to how Paul insists women should “remain silent in church” (1 Corinthians 14:35-36). However, by Romans 16, Paul’s stance has changed completely and without explanation. The apostle says women can be church leaders, and he encourages such. He even goes so far as to cite women serving as deacons at the time, Ehrman says.

Always question

Ehrman once had a different attitude toward the Bible. He was raised Episcopalian and believed that the Bible was “God’s words.” But his experience in seminary school, frustration with a minister who tried to elicit deathbed confessions of sin from his father and those unanswerable questions changed his course. “How could there be a God when there is so much suffering in the world?” led him toward agnosticism, which is odd considering that a man interested in logic and finding the truth through thorough investigation would stop at a half-way point of non-commitment.

But as I’ve said, we never fully turn away from the things that comforted us as children, do we? And that’s OK. You don’t need my permission, because I’m in the same boat with you. Luckily, Ehrman knows how valuable logic is to humanity’s survival.

But I told you I’m happy

Yet there are countless people who can’t believe that Bart Ehrman is perfectly happy with his beliefs. They say they’ll “pray for him” because he’s agnostic. In other words, they reach out the proverbial condescending hand in a velvet glove of socially expected kindness. Still more are not so nice; they call Ehrman “the anti-Christ,” which makes for wonderful Tim LaHaye-esque theater…

“I’m not that powerful,” says Ehrman.

Blake concludes his look at Bart Ehrman by highlighting why so many people of the Christian faith are uncomfortable with him:

Whether it’s his family, critics or students, Ehrman says he has a better handle on why he is so threatening to so many people — some Christians worry they will make the same decision he has.

“I changed my mind,” he says. “My students find me more dangerous that way. I really do know what they’re talking about when they stake out an evangelical position.”

Keep thinking. It’s what we were born to do (along with eating and mating). If you think you need unsecured loans or pay day loans along the way, Bart Ehrman won’t stop you. Your personal decisions are your own.

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