newfie
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already is (In God we Trust)
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already is (In God we Trust)
Sportello
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That's a fairly recent development. It happened in my life time.
wkmac
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wkmac
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~ Ancient Israel's Co-Creatress - Asherah ~
Despite biblical claims to the contrary, archaeological artifacts unquestionably demonstrate the worship of a Co-Creatress, i.e. Asherah, in Ancient Israel.
Doctor of Theology, Professor Andrew Stehlik, states that "Many faithful Judeo-Christians would be mightily surprised by archaeological finds in Palestine (The Holy Land of our faiths).
The sheer volume, and broad distribution of religious artifacts in Palestine clearly demonstrate that a strict biblical monotheism was wishful thinking and most likely a literary fiction projected back into history."
Professor Stehlik is pastor of Rutgers Presbyterian Church in NYC. He received his Doctor of Theology from Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic)
Despite biblical claims to the contrary, archaeological artifacts unquestionably demonstrate the worship of a Co-Creatress, i.e. Asherah, in Ancient Israel.
Doctor of Theology, Professor Andrew Stehlik, states that "Many faithful Judeo-Christians would be mightily surprised by archaeological finds in Palestine (The Holy Land of our faiths).
The sheer volume, and broad distribution of religious artifacts in Palestine clearly demonstrate that a strict biblical monotheism was wishful thinking and most likely a literary fiction projected back into history."
Professor Stehlik is pastor of Rutgers Presbyterian Church in NYC. He received his Doctor of Theology from Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic)
Sportello
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It hasn't? I thought a lot of writings were taken/left out over the millennia?
MrFedEx
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Yes, which is conveniently overlooked. The Bible has been heavily edited and reworked, most logically so it would conform with the ideology of the editor(s). Also,don't most religions have a holy book? How is it that all the rest of them have it so horribly wrong and only The Bible has it right?
Some of the most intolerant people I know are Christians, full of hate and bile when the man they refer to as their Savior stood for the exact opposite. I respect all religions and religious beliefs, so why can't Christians tolerate other faiths and beliefs? Everyone who isn't a Christian is somehow lessened.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Not surprisingly a lot of the stuff taken out is a much better read than what they left us with.
wkmac
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Dr. William G. Dever, from 1975' to 2002' Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology and Anthropology who specializes in the history of Israel and the Near East in biblical times.
Wiki on Professor Dever.
Lecture to the Academy of Temple Studies on "Did God have a wife? Folk Religion in Ancient Israel."
Wiki on Professor Dever.
Lecture to the Academy of Temple Studies on "Did God have a wife? Folk Religion in Ancient Israel."
newfie
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its always fascinating watching atheists try to define how Christians define the bible.
Sportello
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wkmac
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You make a good point. My wife and I watched the movie Noah with Russell Crowe a few weeks back and when it was out I was amazed at the criticism this movie took as a result of being so different from the Genesis story, and it was, in an orthodox sense.
But at the same time, as I watched the movie, the Book of Enoch and the book "Life of Adam and Eve" specifically leaped off the screen at me as some of Enoch's storyline is contained. The Rock giants or in the old language Archons for giants were fallen beings cast down to earth in the Enoch story.
The other interesting moment involved Tubal-Cain and the descendants of Cain, son of Adam and Eve who killed Able. The movie spoke of Tubal-Cain and clan mining the earth for Zohar. Zohar, meaning splendor or radiance, or in other words light, is associated with the esoteric practices of Judaism found in the Kabbalah and is a foundational work to this form of mysticism.
It is amazing what gets so-called left out of the orthodox bible but in reality is often right before your eyes if you know what to read and look for. Look up the names of people and places in the hebrew for example as those names most often mean something that add much to understanding on a deeper or esoteric level. Problem with that is this totally undermines a literalist view of the bible.
Dr. Dever lecturing on Asherah ofwhich I posted above brings out evidence on that one as it pertains to Yahweh and what is buried in the details.
And speaking of Yahweh and esoteric thought, Yahweh in hebrew is:
Yet re-configured vertically, Yahweh is:
If God made man in his image and the nature of god is in reality................Hmmmmmmmm!
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
You make a good point. My wife and I watched the movie Noah with Russell Crowe a few weeks back and when it was out I was amazed at the criticism this movie took as a result of being so different from the Genesis story, and it was, in an orthodox sense.
But at the same time, as I watched the movie, the Book of Enoch and the book "Life of Adam and Eve" specifically leaped off the screen at me as some of Enoch's storyline is contained. The Rock giants or in the old language Archons for giants were fallen beings cast down to earth in the Enoch story.
The other interesting moment involved Tubal-Cain and the descendants of Cain, son of Adam and Eve who killed Able. The movie spoke of Tubal-Cain and clan mining the earth for Zohar. Zohar, meaning splendor or radiance, or in other words light, is associated with the esoteric practices of Judaism found in the Kabbalah and is a foundational work to this form of mysticism.
It is amazing what gets so-called left out of the orthodox bible but in reality is often right before your eyes if you know what to read and look for. Look up the names of people and places in the hebrew for example as those names most often mean something that add much to understanding on a deeper or esoteric level. Problem with that is this totally undermines a literalist view of the bible.
Dr. Dever lecturing on Asherah ofwhich I posted above brings out evidence on that one as it pertains to Yahweh and what is buried in the details.
And speaking of Yahweh and esoteric thought, Yahweh in hebrew is:
Yet re-configured vertically, Yahweh is:
If God made man in his image and the nature of god is in reality................Hmmmmmmmm!
Interesting.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
What do you have to say about someone like Ken Ham, who claims the world is only 6,000 years old ( Young Earth Theory), and that dinosaurs co-existed with humans? In fact, everything was created at the same time, and Ham has lots of evidence from a literal interpretation of The Bible.
Is all science wrong? I can go out in my yard and pick-up a common rock that is probably millions of years old, and scientists can date items that go back hundreds of millions of years.
Mr. Ham is building a Noah's Ark-themed park in Kentucky that will be opening soon. Plan your summer trips now.
newfie
Well-Known Member
why should I care what that guy thinks?
I enjoy debating. I have never understood why religious people seem to think that merely talking about religion implies some deeper issue.
Cool diagrams. And yeah, I'm pretty sure that by the time of Aristotle the issue was settled; I don't know enough about the Egyptians beliefs on this issue but it wouldn't surprise me when you consider their mastery of other fields.True. The spherical firmament world of creation would be a good example of that. Professor Christine Hayes at Yale University in her lectures on Old Testament does a good job of covering that concept and then connecting it to the Enuma Elish creation myth. In this myth, Marduk slew Tiamat and then slicing Tiamat in half, unfolding her and thus creating the world from Tiamat. Half of Tiamat was the flat earth and its waters beneath if you will and the other half was elevated and bowed to become the firmament to holding back the waters that existed beyond in the heavenly realm.
Quoting Stephanie Dalley from her 1991' "Myths of Mesopotamia" and translating from the Enuma Elish:
"He sliced her in half like a fish for drying:
Half of her he put up to roof the sky,
Drew a bolt across and made a guard to hold it.
Her waters he arranged so they could not escape."
He being Marduk and her being Tiamat.
Our World in the Babylonian Enuma Elish concept.
The Hebrew Concept
The concept of the World Tree, popular among the ancient Celts and Norse in the form of the Yggdrasil Tree follows this flat earth concept to some extent.
So in one sense you are correct that at some point the idea of flat earth was popular but as you and I seem to agree, this once common concept believed was no longer the case at some point. The greeks would be a good start but I also think the Egyptians before them may also have had some form of idea of a round earth as opposed to a flat one. At least my thinking is open to that idea.
Good stuff and enjoying your input into this subject. Welcome to the fun!
Yeah, the behavior of some of the mega church pastors is abhorrent. It's so transparent
Yeah, that was forced in during the red scare. Not a pleasant time in our history.
wkmac
Well-Known Member
Today is Martin Luther King Day and in remembrance to Dr. King, this is a link to an archived paper from the King Institute at Stanford University written by MLK in 1949-1950 on the subject of mystery religions and their impact on early christianity. He also got an "A" for the paper and deservedly so IMO. Great read and there is nothing in it that undermines any faith so it's a great read for all audiences.
"The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity"
"The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity"
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