Is the Bible Just a Myth?

[Ben Avraham]

Oh I agree 100%, sorry if I gave other impression. Some metaphor can also be more parabolic (i.e. more like a parable to relate to those who understand a certain language) - true?

You see, I believe that the Trinity doctrine is a result of terminology used in Scripture itself using "father gods" and "son gods" (e.g. Saturn-Jupiter) terminology (in some places) to relate the reality of the one true God becoming man to pagans who had pervasive concepts of "father gods" and "son gods". They even believed that some of their gods impregnated human women and had children of "gods". In the Roman Empire, some emperors were "gods" and had the title "son of god" (Divi Filius)."father-son" "god-man".

So, I propose that much of the Gospel of John (a later Gospel) is a parabolic metaphor for Greek/Roman pagan religious (of Roman Empire) to help them relate to the one true God. In the Christian Creeds we see repeated emphasis: "one God", "true God", "you alone are the Most High"... They are dealing with pagans who believed in many "gods" and "sons of gods". Even the Creeds had to keep stressing this into their heads. Jewish people did not need this, they already believe in one God. Is it any wonder Jews were not interested in what was once a Jewish movement (Christianity)?

Sorry Coder, but Christianity - if not for others, to me yes - was never a Jewish movement. It was born already Christian when Paul preached for a whole year in the synagogue of the Nazarenes in Antioch and, at the end of a whole year, the disciples started being called Christians. (Acts 11:26)

 

[Ben Avraham]

Well, the Bible exists. But the question is if it is based on a true story......

For instance, we celebrate Passover for about 4000 years. Do you think that the Jews, considering the reasons why the great Mark Twain paid homage to in his famous essay about the Jews would be stupid to celebrate something that never happened? Of course the Bible is based on a true story!

 

[Ben Avraham]

The problem with metaphors is that anything that doesn't make sense literally can be interpreted metaphorically and made to look as if it makes sense. And that which does make sense literally doesn't have to be interpreted metaphorically.

Well, let's try to translate what you are saying above. When Joshua was fighting 5 kings in Canaan, the sun and the moon stopped in the sky for a whole day till he came out victorious from the main battle. Does that make sense to you? It doesn't to me. So, a metaphorical interpretation is called for.

 

[Ana.J]

For instance, we celebrate Passover for about 4000 years. Do you think that the Jews, considering the reasons why the great Mark Twain paid homage to in his famous essay about the Jews would be stupid to celebrate something that never happened? Of course the Bible is based on a true story!

Hm....Do you celebrate Halloween?

 

[Ben Avraham]

Is there a version of the Bible where somebody has translated all the metaphors into clear and understandable contemporary English? Where it means what it says?

No, there is not. And that's the problem with hundreds of Christian sects following an interpretation of their own.

 

[Ben Avraham]

Hm....Do you celebrate Halloween?

Of course not! That's a Christian celebration. We celebrate Purim though! But Purim is also based on a true event.

 

[Ana.J]

Of course not! That's a Christian celebration. We celebrate only true events of the past.

Are you sure it is Christian celebration? How do you know if something happened in the past? From the holy books?

The holiday, though, has roots reaching much further back. Some researchers claim that the holiday can be traced back about 2,000 years to the Celts of Europe, who occupied parts of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France. It was a pagan festival called “Samhain” (pronounced “sow-in”) that celebrated more or less the honor of the dead and involved the offering of large sacrifices of crops and animals.

Source

 

[Ben Avraham]

Are you sure it is Christian celebration? How do you know if something happened in the past? From the holy books?

Source

Well! Christians celebrate Halloween every year. Perhaps this is an evidence that Paganism is the basis of Christianity.

 

[Ana.J]

Well! Christians celebrate Halloween every year. Perhaps this is an evidence that Paganism is the basis of Christianity.

Paganism is paganism and Christianity has nothing to do with it. It just used some traditions and dates of pagan holidays to smoother the spread of the religion.

 

[Ben Avraham]

Paganism is paganism and Christianity has nothing to do with it. It just used some traditions and dates of pagan holidays to smoother the spread of the religion.

Really! Ana, that's a modern method to spread the religion which I had had never heard of. To make use of pagan holidays to spread Christianity! That's a serious statement, mind you!

 

[12jtartar]

Ben Avraham,
Are people really Christian, if they make a practice of disobeying Jesus' or God's commandments, Titus 1:16, James 1:21-27, 1John 2:3,4, Revelation 21:8, 22:15, Galatians 5:19-21.
ANY kind of spiritism has always been against God's commandments, Deuteronomy 18:9-14, Isaiah 8:19,20.
Spiritism means anything that inquires about the future, from palm reading to inquiring of the dead, necromancy.

 

[ArtieE]

Well, let's try to translate what you are saying above. When Joshua was fighting 5 kings in Canaan, the sun and the moon stopped in the sky for a whole day till he came out victorious from the main battle. Does that make sense to you? It doesn't to me. So, a metaphorical interpretation is called for.

I see your point. But what makes sense to one individual doesn't to another. Some people see this a miracle from God. So what happens if you interpret all miracles metaphorically? Would you have a religion left?

 

[ArtieE]

Really! Ana, that's a modern method to spread the religion which I had had never heard of. To make use of pagan holidays to spread Christianity! That's a serious statement, mind you!

"What is today thought to be a celebration of the birth of Christ began as the pagan midwinter festival." https://www.ucg.org/vertical-thought/paganism-in-christianity
Want to spread a religion? Adopt what was previously a pagan celebration and sneak your god in there and get him associated with the festival so people in the end thinks the festival was/is for Christ. Worked, didn't it?

 

[Ben Avraham]

"What is today thought to be a celebration of the birth of Christ began as the pagan midwinter festival." https://www.ucg.org/vertical-thought/paganism-in-christianity
Want to spread a religion? Adopt what was previously a pagan celebration and sneak your god in there and get him associated with the festival so people in the end thinks the festival was/is for Christ. Worked, didn't it?

You are right. The celebration about the birth of Jesus is another myth all right. Yeah! I think the op was right to say that the bible is just a myth. Indeed, if he or she had the Christian bible in mind aka the NT.

 

[Ben Avraham]

I see your point. But what makes sense to one individual doesn't to another. Some people see this a miracle from God. So what happens if you interpret all miracles metaphorically? Would you have a religion left?

I don't believe in a miracle of God. Perhaps of man yes. Nothing can be a miracle to the Creator of the universe. To say that something constitute a miracle of God, we are simply debasing God down to the level of man. The great Philosopher Baruch de Spinoza said in his book "Tratactus Theologico Politico" that, to attribute a miracle to God is a depreciation of His Pawer as the Creator of the universe.

 

[Ben Avraham]

Ben Avraham,
Are people really Christian, if they make a practice of disobeying Jesus' or God's commandments, Titus 1:16, James 1:21-27, 1John 2:3,4, Revelation 21:8, 22:15, Galatians 5:19-21.
ANY kind of spiritism has always been against God's commandments, Deuteronomy 18:9-14, Isaiah 8:19,20.
Spiritism means anything that inquires about the future, from palm reading to inquiring of the dead, necromancy.

You are right and, the answer to your question, "Are people really Christian? is a solid YES. That's what Christianity is all about. Now, if you ask me, I have nothing to say in condemnation of Spiritism or necromancy. That's not what I oppose in Christianity.

 

[ArtieE]

I don't believe in a miracle of God. Perhaps of man yes. Nothing can be a miracle to the Creator of the universe. To say that something constitute a miracle of God, we are simply debasing God down to the level of man. The great Philosopher Baruch de Spinoza said in his book "Tratactus Theologico Politico" that, to attribute a miracle to God is a depreciation of His Pawer as the Creator of the universe.

The point was that you said the sun and the moon stopping in the sky called for a metaphorical explanation. Why when supposedly God can stop them anytime he likes?

 

[Ben Avraham]

The point was that you said the sun and the moon stopping in the sky called for a metaphorical explanation. Why when supposedly God can stop them anytime he likes?

The Lord can do any and every thing but one, the thing you wish He did or should have done. So, it is much safer to go metaphorical than to depreciate God's power as the Creator of the universe by attributing to Him a miracle.

 

[ArtieE]

The Lord can do any and every thing but one, the thing you wish He did or should have done. So, it is much safer to go metaphorical than to depreciate God's power as the Creator of the universe by attributing to Him a miracle.

So just stopping the sun and moon for a day is beneath the dignity of a god capable of creating the universe including that sun and moon?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I don't believe in a miracle of God. Perhaps of man yes. Nothing can be a miracle to the Creator of the universe. To say that something constitute a miracle of God, we are simply debasing God down to the level of man. The great Philosopher Baruch de Spinoza said in his book "Tratactus Theologico Politico" that, to attribute a miracle to God is a depreciation of His Pawer as the Creator of the universe.

Oh. I had to stop at this for clarification. Do you mean when god performs miracles to say they he performed miracles is depreciating his power as the creator?

If anything, it would depreciate god if we said man did miracles rather than god. However, miracles, by biblical definition, comes from god. So how is that depreciating his power to say he perform miracles?

If he doesn't perform miracles, what does he do that man can't do that you wouldn't consider a miracle?