Frank Buffalo
Member
In the three synoptic gospels, there’s a story of Jesus sending demons into a herd of pigs, which then rushed down into a lake and drown.
The big problem with this story is that pigs can swim. They’re even known to like swimming in water. The same goes for hogs. So this story doesn’t make sense.
Do the Christians here really believe this nonsensical story?
Quoted from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible:
Matthew 8:28-32
28 When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce
that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, "What
have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us
before the time?" 30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some
distance from them. 31 The demons begged him, "If you cast us out,
send us into the herd of swine." 32 And he said to them, "Go!" So they
came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed
down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.
Mark 5: 1-8
Exorcism of the demon whose name is "Legion"
1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the
Gerasenes. 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a
man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. 3 He lived
among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with
a chain; 4 for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains,
but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces;
and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among
the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising
himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and
bowed down before him; 7 and he shouted at the top of his voice,
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I
adjure you by God, do not torment me." 8 For he had said to him,
"Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 9 Then Jesus asked him,
"What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are
many." 10 He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the
country. 11 Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was
feeding; 12 and the unclean spirits begged him, "Send us into the
swine; let us enter them." 13 So he gave them permission. And the
unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd,
numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the
sea, and were drowned in the sea.
Luke 8:-26-33
26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite
Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had
demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did
not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he fell
down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you
to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not
torment me" — 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to
come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept
under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break
the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then
asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons
had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back
into the abyss.
32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the
demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them
permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the
swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was
drowned.
I'm noting that in one version the herd is treated as singular, and in another the herd is treated as plural. Grammatical problems in the original texts?
The big problem with this story is that pigs can swim. They’re even known to like swimming in water. The same goes for hogs. So this story doesn’t make sense.
Do the Christians here really believe this nonsensical story?
Quoted from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible:
Matthew 8:28-32
28 When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce
that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, "What
have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us
before the time?" 30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some
distance from them. 31 The demons begged him, "If you cast us out,
send us into the herd of swine." 32 And he said to them, "Go!" So they
came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed
down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.
Mark 5: 1-8
Exorcism of the demon whose name is "Legion"
1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the
Gerasenes. 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a
man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. 3 He lived
among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with
a chain; 4 for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains,
but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces;
and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among
the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising
himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and
bowed down before him; 7 and he shouted at the top of his voice,
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I
adjure you by God, do not torment me." 8 For he had said to him,
"Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 9 Then Jesus asked him,
"What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are
many." 10 He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the
country. 11 Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was
feeding; 12 and the unclean spirits begged him, "Send us into the
swine; let us enter them." 13 So he gave them permission. And the
unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd,
numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the
sea, and were drowned in the sea.
Luke 8:-26-33
26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite
Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had
demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did
not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he fell
down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you
to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not
torment me" — 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to
come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept
under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break
the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then
asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons
had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back
into the abyss.
32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the
demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them
permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the
swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was
drowned.
I'm noting that in one version the herd is treated as singular, and in another the herd is treated as plural. Grammatical problems in the original texts?
