“The Bible is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God, and the spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.”
— President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924)
“I’ve often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying ‘this is fiction.’”
— Sir Ian McKellen, gay British actor
“In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man. All the good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book.”
— President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
“The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts.”
– John Jay (1745-1829), Founding Father and first US Chief Justice
“Hold fast to the Bible. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization, and to this we must look as our guide in the future.”
— President Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885)
“No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: he is always convinced that it says what he means.”
— George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Irish playwright and socialist
“[T]o argue that something is so because it is in the Bible is more than intellectually bankrupt.”
— Jon Meacham, editor, in a “Newsweek” editorial dated 12/15/08
“While that [the Bible] is a holy and sacred text to me, it is not for many Americans.”
— New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Vicki Gene Robinson, “‘Gay’ bishop doesn’t plan to use Bible at inaugural event” Associated Press – 1/12/2009 10:20:00 AM
“The interval between the dates of original composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established.”
— Sir Frederic Kenyon (1863-1952), British paleographer, biblical and classical scholar, and Professor in “The Bible and Archaeology” (NY: Harper, 1940), p. 288.
“The real concern is with a thousandth part of the entire text.”
— Archibald T. Robertson (1895-1934), American Greek scholar, in “An Intro to Textual Criticism of the New Testament” (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1925), p. 22.
“In fact, most of the changes found in early Christian manuscripts have nothing to do with theology or ideology. Far and away the most changes are the result of mistakes pure and simple slips of the pen, accidental omissions, inadvertent additions, misspelled words, blunders of one sort or another.”
— Bart Ehrman (b. 1955), UNC-Chapel Hill chairman of Religious Studies, an agnostic and Bible critic in “Misquoting Jesus” (NY: HarperOne), p. 55.