--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For the Bible, despite all its…" description: "\"“For the Bible, despite all its contradictions and absurdities, its barbarisms and obscenities, remains grand and gaudy stuff, and so it deserves caref..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/h-l-mencken-2-5374_bible_for-the-bible-despite-all-its-contradict_2006334.jpg" --- # For the Bible, despite all its contradictions and… ![“For the Bible, despite all its contradictions and absurdities, its barbarisms and obscenities, remains grand and gaudy stuff, and so it deserves careful study and enlightened exposition. It is not only lovely in phrase; it is also rich in ideas, many of them far from foolish. One somehow gathers…” quote by H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/h-l-mencken-2-5374_bible_for-the-bible-despite-all-its-contradict_2006334.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/h-l-mencken-2-5374_bible_for-the-bible-despite-all-its-contradict_2006334.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/h-l-mencken-2-5374_bible_for-the-bible-despite-all-its-contradict_2006334.jpg) > ““For the Bible, despite all its contradictions and absurdities, its barbarisms and obscenities, remains grand and gaudy stuff, and so it deserves careful study and enlightened exposition. It is not only lovely in phrase; it is also rich in ideas, many of them far from foolish. One somehow gathers the notion that it was written from end to end by honest men—inspired, perhaps, but nevertheless honest. When they had anything to say they said it plainly, whether it was counsel that enemies be slain or counsel that enemies be kissed. They knew how to tell a story, and how to sing a song, and how to swathe a dubious argument in specious and disarming words.”” [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Bible, despite flaws, offers rich language and ideas, written plainly whether advocating war or love, showing skill in storytelling and rhetoric. **In simple terms:** The Bible is flawed but rich, plain, and skillful. Key Takeaway Read critically and appreciate its literary craft. Themes literature religion critique language storytelling Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - academic study - public discourse - personal reflection - artistic adaptation Key Concepts theology rhetoric history Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile its contradictions? - What lessons can be drawn from its plain style? A Different Perspective Its contradictions can cause misinterpretation if not contextualized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Bible Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible-despite-2678232/) [Careful Study](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careful-study-1336279/) [Despite Contradictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despite-contradictions-3557716/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Enlightened Exposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened-exposition-3557717/) [Honest Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-men/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“Studying the Bible and trying to make sense of it in our own lives has been called "thinking God's thoughts after him." 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They are soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/it-is-curious-but-you-cannot-make-a-revolution-without-honest-men/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [The day is for honest men, the night for thieves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-day-is-for-honest-men-the-night-for-thieves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cardinal-richelieu/if-you-give-me-six-lines-written-by-the-hand-of-the-most-honest-of/) [Cardinal Richelieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cardinal-richelieu/) > [There are only two kinds of men in this world: Honest men and dishonest men. ...Any man who says the world owes him a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-moody/there-are-only-two-kinds-of-men-in-this-world-honest-men-and/) [Ralph Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-moody/) > [“Rumors to frighten honest men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-blade/rumors-to-frighten-honest-men/) [Adam Blade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-blade/) > [There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/there-is-no-safety-for-honest-men-except-by-believing-all-possible/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“Honest truths from lesser men are always better than lesser truths from honest men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-e-fisher/honest-truths-from-lesser-men-are-always-better-than-lesser-truths/) [R.E. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-e-fisher/) > [Tobacco is the passion of honest men and he who lives without tobacco is not worthy of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/tobacco-is-the-passion-of-honest-men-and-he-who-lives-without-tobacco/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) ## More by H.L. Mencken > [“Suffice it to say that the vile arts of the hussy prevailed over that noble and upright man—that she enticed him, by adroit appeals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/suffice-it-to-say-that-the-vile-arts-of-the-hussy-prevailed-over-that/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [“I can't recall a single masculine figure created by a woman who is not, at bottom, a booby.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/i-can-t-recall-a-single-masculine-figure-created-by-a-woman-who-is/) [H.L. 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Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [“If the average man is made in God's image, then a man such as Beethoven or Aristotle is plainly superior to God, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/if-the-average-man-is-made-in-god-s-image-then-a-man-such-as/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [“The American moron’s mind simply does not run in that direction; he wants to keep his Ford, even at the cost of losing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/the-american-moron-s-mind-simply-does-not-run-in-that-direction-he/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [“Once I ventured the guess that men worked in response to a vague inner urge for self-expression. But that was probably a shaky theory,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/once-i-ventured-the-guess-that-men-worked-in-response-to-a-vague/) [H.L. 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Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [“If I had my way no man guilty of golf would be eligible to any office of trust or profit under the United States,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/if-i-had-my-way-no-man-guilty-of-golf-would-be-eligible-to-any-office/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) [Explore all 99 H.L. Mencken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. 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