Biblical revelation and the problem of divine commands
If the Bible contains commands for genocide, how do we test modern revelation? Explore the moral and logical challenges of claiming divine authority.
Best quote from Biblical revelation and the problem of divine commands
If the feeling of certainty is the same across different traditions but the content is contradictory, then the feeling cannot be a reliable guide to the truth; it is a psychological fact, not a theological one.
This audio lesson was created by a BeFreed community member
What are the criticisms of “revelation” found in scripture, or Bible , that have held up over time. That Continue be not well answered. For instance, some Christian’s say that the spirit still speaks, but it can’t contradict the Bible. So would they be okay with the church deciding to genocide Utaha, because they are Mormon. Such as the Bible had God genocide nations. It seems very difficult to trust not just one persons , but many .. even if it was good writing.. to say it is life or death.
Frequently Asked Questions
The symmetry objection is the philosophical argument that the evidence used to defend one specific religious revelation is often identical to the evidence used by competing religions. For example, a Christian may claim the Holy Spirit proves the Bible is true, while a Muslim may claim the beauty of the Quran proves it is the final word. Because these personal, self-authenticating experiences lead to contradictory truth claims, they essentially cancel each other out as reliable external evidence, creating an evidential stalemate.
The Documentary Hypothesis, popularized by scholars like Julius Wellhausen, suggests that the first five books of the Bible were not written by a single author like Moses, but are actually a "patchwork quilt" of four distinct source documents (J, E, D, and P) edited together over centuries. This research indicates that the text reflects the competing political and theological agendas of different committees and time periods rather than a single, direct download from the divine. This makes it difficult to view the Bible as a "flat" revelation where every command carries the same eternal weight.
The Outsider Test for Faith, proposed by John Loftus, suggests that individuals should evaluate their own religious claims with the same level of skepticism they apply to religions they do not believe in. In a moral context, if a listener hears about a "divine command" for violence in a foreign tradition and immediately recognizes it as human superstition or tribalism, they should apply that same critical lens to "texts of terror" within their own scripture. This test serves as a "BS detector" to help distinguish between universal moral truths and ancient cultural biases.
Many institutions use a "pedagogical approach" or "salvific truth" loophole to handle difficult passages. For instance, Catholic theology suggests that God "accommodated" Himself to human language and limitations, revealing truth in stages. Under this view, the Old Testament might be seen as a "Beta version" that reflects the primitive state of ancient people, while later revelations (like the life of Christ) serve as the "Final version" used to interpret and override the violent cultural norms of the earlier texts.
While personal spiritual experiences feel intensely real and "noetic" to the individual, they are considered problematic because they occur across all religious traditions and often deliver contradictory messages. If the "spirit" tells one person a specific group is an enemy and tells another person that same group is sacred, the feeling of certainty cannot be a reliable guide to objective reality. Instead, it suggests that such feelings are psychological phenomena rather than a neutral arbiter of divine policy.
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
