by frankiespeakin 35 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
LW: You didn't misunderstand me, and what I said is certainly debatable and debated.
You may have a look at this link:
http://www.bibleorigins.net/MountHoreb.html
Or google "exodus . wilderness . conquest" to have both critical and apologetic viewpoints...
Narc,
I will look at the links (and thanks so much).
I am now thinking the Jewish religion was created at or after the forty years of wandering though...
Your thoughts?
Why would the records (in this case the OT) be any more accurate than Stalin's encyclopedias?
We come to a place where the light is on, and we see that Jehovah is but an anthropomorphic deity: "Mankind makes gods in their own image, after their own likeness." -- as Scully expressed. An important crossroads? Now what? Do we become angry and bitter for dedicating so much of our lives to nothing? Do we then ignore the spiritual hunger within? Where does one turn when it is seen that what we seek is not out there? Where do we go then? j
Aside from that, I agree that a very large part of the world remained "God-free" to this very day, and this remains the biggest challenge to monotheism.
I disagree just a bit. Some forms of Vaisnaivism are highly monotheistic. Islam seems monotheistic but I don't know that much about it, as does Bahai, and the Sikh faith.
Self exploration, nature, atheism, humanism, secularism...just to name a few
LW: Briefly, my opinion is that the Bible picture of "Israel's religion" really begins with Josiah's reform, which enforces the exclusive worship of Yhwh (not yet "God") and centralizes it into the royal temple of Jerusalem -- and above all the exile which follows some 35 years later. This is the start of Deuteronomistic history, resulting in the "Egypt / exodus / wilderness / conquest / judges / united monarchy / kingdom division" pattern which, I think, is mostly theological fiction aimed at giving the new religion an old and pure origin (foundational myth). In this perspective, the true historical and religious memories of Israel and Judah are depicted as sinful deviance from an ideal start (Moses / Joshua / Samuel / David / Solomon). If we want to have an idea of the old Israelite religion from the Bible, we'd better look at what is forbidden by the deuteronomistic and postexilic Torah: golden calves/bulls, "high places" (actually temples), ancestor worship, sacred prostitution, Yhwh-Baal and Asherah, and so on.
James:
Assimilation, but not the customary direction
The Jewish Religion begins with Reform??????
Bwwwwaaahaaahaaaaahaaaaa
Sorry....ya lossed me.
I do agree that the Jewish religion accepted and added onto previous theology.
And then I laugh....tee hee hee
My point is, it is not a novel religion, just brick on brick on brick until they are literally fighting about a wall.
