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I'm aware of What literature do we consider to be foundational?, but it doesn't clearly ask/answer the question: how's the Bible to be treated?

What I mean is, in answering, should/must one assume the Bible to be 100% true? That everything in it is perfectly true, and the Word of God? That, for example, Paul never made a single mistake in his letters?

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No. This site neither assumes that the Bible be considered 100% true nor requires participants to do so. Remember this is a secular site.

The constituents of this site are another matter!

The views expressed in answers belong to the people who write them, and sometimes they represent some larger group or tradition. I personally believe that the bible is inerrant, but not everybody here will agree with me.

For example it would be perfectly valid to ask a question about the doctrine of inerrancy itself. In fact when I first saw your question title I thought you mistakenly posted something on meta that would belong on the main site. (Because of that I edited your question title so it would be more clearly a meta-question. Hope you don't mind.)

In answering questions, you are welcome to espouse whatever view you like. I think you will find the voting system is much nicer to you if you clearly identify what view your answer claims to represent. Answering a question about a scripture passage with "my opinion is X no matter what verse Y says" is likely to be viewed with some suspicion in a community where the "experts" are mostly professing Christians. However if you explain in an answer how you propose another view on an issue based on consistency with some other passage (or even text if, for example, you are JW or LDS), translation issues, or whatever, it is perfectly on-topic and allowed here.

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  • No, I don't mind, I like the edit.
    – Jürgen A. Erhard
    Aug 29, 2011 at 14:07
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    Oh, and I am a "professing Christian". Just... not very orthodox. Or maybe very orthodox. Heck, I hate these terminology problems :D My view of the bible is simply that it isn't perfect, because, being man-made, it can't be. The only "thing" in this world that was perfect was Jesus. But: the bible does what God intended it to do. So, it is "God's Word"... but not the highest authority. That can't be anyone else but God Himself.
    – Jürgen A. Erhard
    Aug 29, 2011 at 14:09
  • @Jürgen: "That can't be anyone else but God Himself." Then how do you explain John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."? [KVJ - emphasis mine] Also, how do you explain II Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God..."? [KVJ] If it isn't perfect, than how can it be taken seriously if it claims that it is?
    – Nathan Osman
    Aug 30, 2011 at 22:51
  • Does the Bible actually claim to be perfect? See, the usual claim is that the Bible is inspired (II Tim 3:16). Not dictated. But essentially actually 100% God's will/word, as if it was, but isn't. Semantics. As for John... he's prone to and known for writing mysterious things. Oh, and "Word" == "Bible" is nice, and I call it God's Word too, but is this "Word" the same as the Word in John 1:1?
    – Jürgen A. Erhard
    Aug 30, 2011 at 23:02
  • @Caleb - I asked the partner question on main just now :)
    – warren
    Aug 30, 2011 at 23:40
  • @warren: I already +1'ed and crossed it off my list of posts-to-write :)
    – Caleb
    Aug 30, 2011 at 23:42

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