Given that nobody likes to have their sure religious beliefs overturned, defenses against challenge are usually ready and waiting. Although faith, not reason, is the mainstay of religious defense, reason is attempted at every opportunity. Using all the presuppositions inherent in the Bible-based religion I attached to, I became pretty good at defending my beliefs and, sadly, convincing others. That is until I opened my mind. Then, the full array of facts and unbridled reason made my clever arguments seem silly. I had fallen victim to confirmation bias, that is, entertaining only those facts and ideas which comported with my preexisting beliefs.
 
Here are some of the defensive arguments commonly used.
 
The Waiting for "New Light" Argument
 
To those who, in effect, worship a holy book, contradictions, conflicts with ethics, injustice, absurdities, and obscure passages are attributed to "spiritual blindness." "Divine mysteries" veiled in the mysterious sacred words must wait for ''new light'' to be shed through special anointed human religious agents.
 
However, the ever-present prospect of "new light" effectively inoculates holy books against any possible disproof. Making a holy book unfalsifiable also makes it unverifiable.

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​The "Out of Date" Argument
 
The previous chapters outlining how the Bible conflicts with reason, facts, consistency, and ethics create a terrible dilemma for believers. In defense, they (and I for a time) say the "Old Testament law" is out of date and replaced by the "new law" of Jesus and Paul. (Romans 10; 2; Corinthians 3) Those guys of the past, well, you know, boys will be boys. (Similarly, Islamic scholars solve such problems in their holy book by what they call abrogation, meaning the more recent texts trump the older ones. Jihadists disagree.)
 
The Bible itself, however, says all of it must be embraced and specifically forbids selective cherry-picking. As detailed previously, but worth repeating, the New Testament refers to the Hebrew (old) books and says: "All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2Timothy 3:16) "You received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God." (1Thessalonians 2:13).
 
Everything in the Bible is to be exactly obeyed upon penalty of death or worse: "See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it." (Deuteronomy 12:32; also note: Joshua 1:8; Isaiah 40:8: Leviticus 19:37, Matthew 5:17; Luke 16:17; John 7:23; 10:17-19,35; 1Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 11; 1Peter 1:20,21). "The word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8); "The scripture cannot be broken." (John 10:35; see also Hebrews 11:1-39; Matthew 5:17)
 
The Allegory, Metaphor, Symbolism, and Context Argument
 
As I look back, I was able to set aside virtually every criticism of the Bible because I had allowed myself to be convinced by superficial proofs that it was inerrant. Once you do that you're bulletproof.
 
For example, the literal meaning of words is taken until there is a conflict with fact, science, or other words in the book. Then the interpretation is groomed with arguments about symbolism and context to make the problem disappear. It's like making a doctrinal smoothie—a little of this, a little of that, a lot of the most delicious, and something to mask the bitter taste of contradictions and nonsense.
 
All words permit multiple meanings, particularly when parsing ancient languages. This can result in obvious virtue (like not slaughtering unbelievers) being a crime, and obvious crime (like stoning to death a disobedient son, offering a daughter to be raped, etc.) being a virtue.
 
But this means the books have no certainty or ethical standard. And certainty, unlike human-created words, is what the Creator is, as evidenced by the natural laws governing us and the universe.

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​The Religious Experience Argument
 
Many believe their religion is affirmed by the feeling of holiness and connection to god when reading their holy book, the joy of conversion, the results of prayer, or being transformed from a wayward life when "born again." Such feelings, and then any benefit that coincidentally may come to life, are considered all the proof needed that holy providence is at play.
 
But feel-good personal experiences are not a compelling reason for committed belief. After all, people can experience transformation by getting a new job, being in love, having children, or having quarters gush out of a slot machine. Some never feel closer to god than when their children martyr themselves blowing themselves up in a shopping mall, guaranteeing the family a certain seat in heaven and a paycheck from sponsors of terrorism.
 
If you feel good, saved, excited, or fulfilled, that's true to you. But it has nothing to do with the rest of reality—where the real world and Creator of the universe reside.
 
Arguments from Authority, Name Dropping, and History
 
Many believers cite religious authorities as proof. There are religious scholars, departments in universities, and countless books that defend human-made religions. Famous people, scientists, Ph.D.'s, and rulers can be quoted who espouse belief. Then there are thousands of years of religious history, Cathedrals, traditions, beautiful music, and community. The Bible is the best-selling book in history, with over five billion sold and distributed. The Koran has sold about 800 million.

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​But, of course, none of that proves anything other than the ability of humans to create ideas and institutions that other humans follow. Truth, on the other hand, is revealed by reason, evidence, natural law, experience, and conscience which have nothing to do with following other people's ideas or commands.