in seeking truth, and removing untruth, often more is removed then ever initially imagined possible.. christianity, claims that jesus was & is the messiah.
this claim is primarily based on the writings of the greek scriptures.. throughout history, god has given signs to people, in order for them to believe.
never has he become upset with an individual asking for a sign.. some individuals such as moses asked for multiple signs.
Since Jesus as a cosmic 'god' was preached by Philo and other in the first century and Josephus records the Ebionites as being excentric why are YOU following after myths?
The second coming came about after the destruction of the temple in 70CE
There never was a historical Jesus... i used to think so.. but based on Philo and Josephus I say no... ... no one knew of a Jesus.
i'm atheist and not ashamed of it.
however, it is so politically incorrect, especially where i live.
i have a legitimate concern that being out of the closet too much will hurt my career or neighborly relations--i know for a fact it probably would.. i'm really cautious about who i tell.. how about you?
No... because of family/friends I am stuck in for now. However many people know i'm skeptical and some have guessed I'm an athiest ... but have no proof.
In Canada, epecially British Columbia Secularism is normal ... though most believe in God. Athiests are not persecuted here though.
one of the most important sources that we have for the most ancient stages of the religion of israel are some epic texts about the gods of canaan that were found in an archaeological excavation in a place called ras shamra (ancient ugarit) early in the twentieth century.
these epics reveal a very rich ancient canaanite mythology, especially in the elaborated stories of the gods el and baal and their rivals and consorts.
while, of course, the israelite branch of the canaanite group partly defined itself through the rejection of this mythology, much of the imagery and narrative allusions that we find in the works of the israelite prophets, the psalms, and other biblical poetic texts are best illuminated through comparison with these ancient texts.
That Yahweh was represented by a bull is interesting as El was as well. Here is a funny referance for you:
1 Kings 22: 10-12: 10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.11 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘With these you will push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”12 All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Zedekiah connected Yahweh to a bull in this story.
its interesting to find out that there is no evidence of king david or his son solomon.
what about this amazing temple that solomon supposedly built??
there is no arcylogical evidence that it ever excisted either.
Thats a text from 'the atheists book of bible stories'
Acurate and Chronicles is a fantasy!
its interesting to find out that there is no evidence of king david or his son solomon.
what about this amazing temple that solomon supposedly built??
there is no arcylogical evidence that it ever excisted either.
The Pslams are a good start. The constant mention of Yahweh a Judean King and a temple for Yahweh can only fit from a 'first temple'. (While the majority of Pslams are from 50BCE-100AD there are several pre-exilic ones.
Like I said I think there was a first temple however it was one of many temples to differnt gods until Josiah.
I do NOT belive the second temple was built in the same place as the first!<<<<<<<
eight year old getting baptized!
(from a jw site.
this 8 year old sister was the youngest of the 31 who were baptized at a regional convention in bogo city, cebu, philippines on the weekend.
She is in the Philippines... the majority of the people are religious very much so.... The JWs there ironically belive in a 'paradie gospel' so she will continue to belive this until she dies or the JWs crash...
judges chapter 15:.
14 when he came to lehi, the philistines shouted triumphantly at meeting him.
then jehovahs spirit empowered him,+ and the ropes on his arms became like linen threads that were scorched with fire, and his fetters melted off his hands.+ 15 he now found a fresh jawbone of a male donkey; he reached out and grabbed it and struck down 1,000 men with it.+ 16 then samson said: with the jawbone of a donkeyone heap, two heaps!
The story is a chronogical mess for me in trying to date certain texts in my book...Samson is very plainly a spin off of Hercules and his association with the 'Sea Peoples' is a good clue to the origins of the story. Some date it pre exiclic but I can't... to many Greek ideas and parallels in it.. which places it after 332 BCE (Alexander's conquest) Yet is follows the other judges perfectly which tell me the other stories like Gideon, Barek etc ae much older and the text was onlt finalized later.
Also a BIG shocker in is the following chapter (17) a man steals from his mother the exact same amount of money as Samson was betrayed for... is he Samson's son?.... This story is set before where the Samson story is set chronologically... What is worse the following story Judges 19-21 is set as an apoligetic to David-Saul and follows from 18.... (The worst part of the bible to read.)
I see no historical personage for Samson.... (Son of Sun)
as part of my deconversion catharsis, i have been building a(nother) website to highlight some of the more ridiculous jw beliefs.
im a looong way from done, but i wanted some early feedback on one article: dinosaurs.
http://www.jwbeliefs.com/dinosaurs/.
Actually a few years ago an elder showed me the picture in the bible story book (1978) with the ark floating on the waters and people drowning.... there is an identicle picture in the 1983 You can enjoy life on earth forever-brochure... only in that picture two dinosaurs are seen...... So in 83 they felt dinos died in the flood!
i have a family member that will not believe that the jws put a dinosaur in the front cover of thier bible.
i am looking for a copy that has that map inside front cover with the raptor.
if anyone has one they can sell let me know.
I have to ask the obvious. Why is a dinosaur on the inside cover of the bible so amazing? Dinosaurs are all through other books of the WTBTS...
i have a feeling i am going to have to explain to my jw folks why i have decided to allow my children to participate in holidays at school.
theyll probably be wondering too why i will get together with our non jw family for the holidays.. .
we know jws avoid holidays because of their pagan origins.
Carrying the bride over the threshhold I understood to be about cleaness... imaging a 15ht century house with a literal threshhold... yeah.. it makes sense lol
