Ten errors in the bible.

1. The genealogy of Christ. Matthew 1 and Luke 3 give two very different genealogies for Joseph, Mary's husband. In fact, even Luke admits that he isn't sure that Joseph was actually Jesus' father (Luke 3:23, NIV). You would think that someone who was directly inspired by god would know what he's writing.
2. Scientific errors. I find it suspect that those who take the Bible literally as a scientific text for the larger, cosmological arguments can simply ignore the number of small scientific mistakes the Bible makes. For example, rabbits don't chew their cud and the bat is not a bird. Those are only two. For more scientific and mathematical mistakes in the Bible, click here.
3. The story of Jesus' death and resurrection. Were Jesus' last words “Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit,” “"It is finished,” or “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” followed by a loud cry? Did the rooster crow once or twice? How did Judas die—by suicide or fall?
4. God or Gods? In Hebrew, Genesis 1 mentions “Elohim” created the heavens and the earth. Elohim is plural (the rationalization of this is really extraordinary), and Genesis states that God said “Let us make men in our image.” Also, in Jewish literature, Asherah is the female counterpart to Yahweh, though the Bible condemns worshiping her. Nevertheless, she appears in the same Jewish literature the Old Testament is drawn from, but is completely ignored in Christianity.
5. Faith or works or belief? Ephesians 2:8-9 says that salvation is not of works, “lest any man should boast.” James 2:24 says man is justified by works and “not by faith alone.” Most justify it by saying it is both, but Paul is very clear that salvation is not of works, and even gives a reason why. Then, to add confusion to the mix, verses such as Acts 16:31 claim that belief alone is sufficient salvation. Not only that, but your entire household will be saved just by one person believing. Other verses show various conglomerations of the three.
6. Where is Jesus? In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus is quoted as saying that he would return before the end of that generation. There are some interesting theories as to why he has not yet returned, the most common being that there is a gap or a figurative generation, however, it is obvious that the writer's of the text thought he meant that physical generation. I find it hard to believe that a theologian 2,000 years later can better figure out what Jesus meant than the people who were actually there. Some people think it is a mistranslation, and that Jesus actually meant “race,” not “generation.” This probably makes the most sense, but still is dubious and does not explain much.
7. Freewill or not? There is almost no greater theological debate bigger than the idea of Calvinism vs. Arminianism, or freewill vs. predestination. Do we humans have any choice whether to believe in God or not? Though most Christians acknowledge the differing viewpoints, somehow the fact that the issue is confusing because the Bible is so contradictory on the subject escapes many.
8. Does God ever change? Ezekiel 24:14: "I  the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD." (KJV) But God changed his mind about destroying or punishing people several times in the Bible, most notably in Genesis 18:23-33. The Bible also directly contradicts Ezekial 24:14 in Genesis 6:6: “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
9. Are God's laws good? Many verses seem to suggest that God is, indeed good. There are too many to list. But the Bible also says "Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD." Ezekial 20:25-26.
10. Should we judge? 1 Corinthians 2:15 says "The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment,” but 1 Corinthians 4:5 says "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God."

For many Christians, these errors are minor, simply explained away, or ignored on faith, and they don't take away from the overall message of the Bible. One site even claims that the Bible can have no errors, but it does have "difficulties." Not everything in the above list can fit into the categories the writer lists to explain away the contradictions, though. Also, an entire book written to explain religion should at least explain it. It's true that many contradictions aren't “serious,” but whether or not we have any choice in whether or not we believe and how to obtain salvation (faith or works or belief?) are two very important, even critical issues. If the Bible is clear on anything, it should be how to obtain salvation. I've heard it explained that the stories and writings sometimes contradict in small matters merely because the writers have different perspectives, but for those that rely on the Bible as a science and historical book, or believe that every word was directly inspired by God, these errors present more of a problem. Remember, too, that these errors and contradictions are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more that are inferred, such as using pi to find a numerical error, etc. Add to that debates over other aspects of Biblical correctness such as who actually wrote what book of the Bible, translation errors, application problems, etc, and it becomes a dubious prospect to believe that every word in it is true, and completely ludicrous to believe it is error-free.

Sources: Infidels.org and Laura Talley Little Rock Atheism Examiner