I have talk to several people about this topic and I was informed that several stories and character were "borrowed" from other cultures such as the Perians and Babilonians. I was informed that the biblical scholars inserted morals into these stories. I was given the examples of adam and eve, flood of gilgamesh=flood of noah, the devil/beelzebub of persian origen. I will post more information later.
Origen of Biblical Stories
by homme perdu 7 Replies latest watchtower bible
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euripides
As you may have guessed, homme perdu/lost man, Biblical stories did not arise in a vacuum or appear without context. The dynamics of storytelling have changed so much over the centuries that we can scarcely imagine the way they seemed to have functioned in ancient times. If you consider the other stories from outside the Bible that have survived, it seems that there is usually a cultural connection or hinge with which the culture perpetuates the myth. That is to say, stories devoid of cultural context tend not to be remembered, inasmuch as they would probably not be worthy of the retelling. Imagine your own family stories and what role they play in your family history. Probably there is a reason for their retelling, as in they are indicative of a trait, or recognizable in some contemporary way.
Bible stories do often have morals inserted in them, and they often depart from the source's moral...cultures do this also, wherein they adopt stories but modify them to suit cultural needs.
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redhotchilipepper
Someone brought it to my attention recently about how the story of Adam and Eve sounds pretty far fetched. I had never thought about it before, really, as it was always taught to me as a JW and a given. I thought about it pretty hard! (pause) Actually, I didn't have to think about it that hard. I mean come on. A snake comes down and entices the woman (Eve) to eat from the tree where she will learn the knowledge of the good and bad if she eats from it. It sounds like a Harry Potter theme book/movie, really! I don't know why I didn't see it a long time ago. Hello, people! What planet are we on here! It's a bit far fetched to me. Job: Ask any person: If you have children? Your beloved child dies. Example. David. He is dead. God replaces him with a different child, ten children. Is this going to fill that void. Is this going to replace David. "NO". I say. 50,000 Children will not replace one of my children. It's just a thought. These are seeds of doubts or doubt that were and have been planted in my head. Well it has worked. I no longer believe! That is not a just God. Not to me anyway. Biblical fairy tales/stories! Definately! Sorry to turn jokes into reality!
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redhotchilipepper
David is not a real person, just a name I picked. If I confused ya.
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redhotchilipepper
I don't know if that made any sense. It's hard to explain!
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missy04
I always wondered if alot of the stories were meant to be taken as metaphors. Like what redhotchilipepper brought up about Adam and Eve. I think that's one of the things that makes it so hard for me to understand the Bible..and plus everyone talked so different back then. and PLUS it has been translated from one language to others,..
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robhic
I was never particularly religious or a JW. I came to this site to gather information because a woman I was heavily involved with became a JW about 2 years after we got together.
In this information-gathering quest, I read extensively different JW internet sites, books on history, archeology, science, ancient cultures and finally (for the first time) the Bible. Being skeptical and cynical by nature this was an eye-opening event!
First, you have to step back a bit and try to put any and all religious indoctinations you were brought up with (in my case Catholic) out of your thinking. Then you need to use a bit of logic and some critical, historical perspective and, in my case, the whole thing comes off looking quite suspect as far as being some "inspired" document. All of the mistakes, changes, flip-flops and just, plain unbeliveable stuff makes you see the Bible for what it is -- again, my opinion -- a book of rules and parables writtne thousandsa of years ago by a bunch of superstitious, poorly educated (by today's standards), tribal, violent, territorial, mysoginistic, racist goat herders.
Everything that was unexplainable to them had to have a supernatural origin. Whatever they couldn't figure out was ascribed to the gods or God or spirits or whatever. It's a simple, easy exercise and gave them some feeling of comfort. And the ancient goat-herders were also operating under the ancient laws, rules and perspectives of their time.
The Bible is a fairly good source of parables for living (but so are Aesop's fables) and some educational ideas, health tips, etc. but they just don't hold true today. Don't eat shrimp or crabs or other non-scaly seafood? I don't think so. Bleed your animals before eating. A good idea (I don't want to think about eating blood) but more a social and health thing than anything else. Other ideas also. Good advice befoer the invention of refrigeration and other modern inventions/procedures but a load of useless nonsense in the modern world.
The Bible is a book of rules and fables designed to instill and keep the ancients in line and in fear of the greater power. Today it is just very difficult to justify it in such a serious light. It now totally amazes me that it has kept people in line and still fearing the higher power to this day. Just not enough critical thinking these days...
Robert
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gumby
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/Mithraism.html
Gumby.......food for "thought"