Why Are There So Many Biblical Scholars Who Still Believe In Christianity ?

[Guest AntiChrist]

As title.....I really don't understanding why some scholars like Bart D. Ehrman , Robert M Price quit Christianity based on intellectual findings, ....but there are still some many cling to such belief (in the face of contradictory evidence)?

[florduh]

I don't know how many "so many" comprises.

 

There are scholars and there are apologists. People have different motives and needs. Some who are heavily vested in a belief system find it hard to abandon the belief in spite of the evidence against it. Others are intellectually honest and accept their findings and no longer cling to old fables.

 

Some Biblical scholars are Catholic, some Protestant, some Jewish, some Atheist. A scholar does not a believer make.

[Robbobrob]

Idle (Idol?) specuation ahead:

 

Some may so need to believe something, they will wilingly do the mental gymnastics to get there.

 

Some have been so brainwashed, there is no way out for them (ie, if it don't fit their childhood teachings, it MUST be of the devil).

 

Some don't believe, but their careers are based on believing (or at least making other people believe they still believe)...money is more powerful than the truth. There are many stories about Catholic priests who go through the motions because they stopped believing long ago through their studies, but have to pretend to believe because it is what is expected of them by their employer and their customers (Pope and parish laity).

[mwc]

Some don't believe, but their careers are based on believing (or at least making other people believe they still believe)...money is more powerful than the truth. There are many stories about Catholic priests who go through the motions because they stopped believing long ago through their studies, but have to pretend to believe because it is what is expected of them by their employer and their customers (Pope and parish laity).

Isn't this sort of the Mother Teressa story?

 

mwc

[mwc]

As title.....I really don't understanding why some scholars like Bart D. Ehrman , Robert M Price quit Christianity based on intellectual findings, ....but there are still some many cling to such belief (in the face of contradictory evidence)?

And define "scholar." Look at biblical archaeology. There are still tons of people all over the deserts literally with a bible in one hand and a shovel in the other (look online for digs and you'll see that they want you to bring a bible along for the after hour study crap...so a scholarly dig in the sun and a good old fashion bible study after...wheeee! I'll be at the hotel thanks). These people are waiting for that one piece of evidence that will prove their myth true (a carving on a rock that says "HS+VM forever" or something I guess).

 

mwc

[orlando]

haha. yes, agree with the posts here - all depends on the motivations of the "scholar". It must be quite difficult being eg a Catholic theologian if you want to discuss htings with an open mind and go where your findings take you - while still having to have the official imprimatur and nhil obstat for your book...

[Justin]

Some have been so brainwashed, there is no way out for them (ie, if it don't fit their childhood teachings, it MUST be of the devil).

 

I think that is the biggest reason right there. Though i was no scholar i was still a devout christian who believed every letter of every word in the bible. When i came across something that went against the bible, no matter how glaring and full of truth it appeared to be, i would simply brush it off as lies, of the devil or something along the lines of "i don't understand it but i'm sure there are people out there who are more biblicaly educated who could provide a perfectly good answer for it". That comforted me and i just left it at that.

 

People like Bart D. Ehrman either woke up one day or went into it with an open mind to begin with. Needless to say, he and others like him where not devout fundies. I honestly can't tell you what it would take for a fanatical fundy to see the light. They may simply take a step back one day and look at it and catch something that they never noticed before. They may have a moment of clarity or experience something that they see as terribly wrong, and that wakes them up. Who knows for sure. What is for one isn't necassarily how it will be for another.

[woodsmoke]

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you" comes to mind...

 

I agree with Rob. Whether they believe it's true or not, biblical scholars have a vested interest in it being true--or, at least, relevant. Many of these folks went to college for the full 4+ years and invested a lot of time, money and energy into getting where they are today. Not many folks are going to be able to honestly come out and declare it all bunk when that bunk is what's putting food on their table.

[Insanity personified]

personally, I think people have a tendency to put aside common sense in favor of comfort, even when common sense is staring us right in the face. Who wants to own up and admit that there is no god and nothing after death....when you can put all evidence and common sense aside and believe that there is a loving god in the sky and a beautiful mansion up in heaven for you after you die?

 

in other words, people can ignore anything. ANYTHING, so long as their comfort zone fails to be dented