[Quester]

Such is the stuff of imagination ... or speculation (at best).

Do you not believe that God would be able to protect His scriptures ?

Why of course He would be able to protect His (scriptures) unchanged and with no contradictions if He chose to do so. He could also have chosen a different path for mankind - no wars - no killing, stealing-lying, etc. The fact He didn't must be because He had a different plan.

He (God) also could have allowed mankind to wipe itself off of the face of the planet by now.

That He has allowed some evils to occur ... does not mean that He has not caused some particular things to endure.

It's His plan.

He promises that His scripture will endure.

Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Do you believe there are no outright contradictions and changes (some simply due to copy errors, some deliberate changes over the various iterations) contained in the current Bible(s)?

There are few, if any, significant contradictions (I know of a few insignificant examples ... like numbers not matching up) ... and, likewise, a few differences in the textual copies ... that have been detected and known about for several centuries now.

My point is that it's a rather large leap from this which we have evidence for ... to the presumption that scripture has somehow been twisted (or obliterated) beyond recognition.

[OLD REGGIE]

My point is that it's a rather large leap from this which we have evidence for ... to the presumption that scripture has somehow been twisted (or obliterated) beyond recognition.

Well, that is a giant leap from anything I have ever said. I have stated many times (at least a few times :)) that our present day Bible(s) while not perfect are good enough to live by. Any "errors" are inconsequential.