The Religion of Atheism

Which part? We know history and mythology are loosely connected. Or is that the bible as a whole exhibits dubious examples of morality?

 

Paragraph 1 is simply assumption.


Then why was Jesus taken to the temple to be 'redeemed'.. Some Jewish sects still practise this. .Pidyon Ha'Ben

As I said once before - given time all prophecies come true. Given time all things repeat themselves in one way or another.

You can see the hand of God in the events, naturally. The simple reason for these events was the rebellion of the Zealots and their Sicarii.

Why? Is it that important when people have been taught to believe scripture? You have accepted what you've been told. Have you ever questioned whether it was enough to buy - not a grave site - but a whole field?

We don't know any size for any kingdom. All we have are maps based on Biblical description. As I've already pointed out the Biblical description is nonsense. Study what is written against background of the day. We are told David actually had a small regular army. Every month, for 1 month, each tribe would contribute a certain number to bolster it in succession. In time of need David could call upon all tribes to supply these at once. These 'part-time soldiers' were needed to keep their own tribes running - as in harvest time. But with all these David could not have maintained a large kingdom. According to the Bible David conquered many 'cities'. He would have had to maintain a garrison in each. (Much as the Romans did in Jerusalem). Put what is known about Palestine into perspective first and then read the Bible.

 

What parts of history are known? Did George Washington have wooden teeth? Did he chop down a cherry tree? Does it really matter?

 

That would be the parts where we have a cross reference to other bits of history, since the romans kept very accurate notes.

If accuracy matters, then yes.

 

It would depend on how important the event or historical info is to the purpose.

 

This guy a friend of yours?

Evangelism Report: This Man Cuts Off Every Atheist Driver He Sees So They’ll Read His Christian Bumper Stickers

https://babylonbee.com/news/evangel...so-theyll-read-his-christian-bumper-stickers/

 

And if he cuts off a driver, causes and accident that injures someone, will god forgive him? Bumper stickers - no problem. Stupidity - a problem.

 

The nation of Israel was prophesied in the Bronze Age. Along with that prophecy
was the declaration that it would not survive, but would be reconstituted later.
You know of any faith/religion that would make such striking predictions, and then
actually fulfill them like Israel and Jews have done?
(Maybe the Aztecs and Cortez comes close?)
Yes, the Romans did Israel in. The bible said God would finish the nation. Who
is right? Both. God uses natural agency.
There was no need for the Jews to rebel as they did. It was destined. Jesus told
his followers this and they were spared that holocaust.
Have you read Josephus' War of the Jews? Quite chilling. Josephus felt his nation
had been cursed by God. Some of the things he reported with the caveat that he
didn't believe this himself, but reported what the Jews said.

 

Well there are people who actually believe it is not a work of fiction.

 

Where is the Prophesy of the Israel in the Bronze age? Don't use the Bible. Ditto the destruction of Israel. It's all in the Bible.

Then it was also destined for the Jews to invite the Romans in to solve their internal strife in the Maccabean period?

The Bible says many things that can be taken in many ways. The Romans finished the Nation.

Jesus simply saw what was happening, and as an astute man, knew what was going to happen. Several times the Romans put down 'messiahs' and their followers. It was obvious they were going to run out of patience. The Jews were given a lot of leeway by the Romans but the Zealot uprising was serious and had to be dealt with. When the Jews were incensed by tax rises and rebelled the Governor took Temple money for Caesar. The Roman garrison was besieged so Rome took action. Palestine in Jesus time wasn't the peaceful place described in the Bible. Jesus knew what was coming. The religious rulers knew and tried to prevent it. They didn't.

Israels Proclamation of Independence 1948 Israel will be a Jewish state, ‘and will be based on the principles of liberty, justice and peace as conceived by the Prophets of Israel; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of religion, race, or sex; will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, education and culture; will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and will loyally uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter’. ( Not verbatim)

Is this the Israel prophesied? Where is God in all this?

Josephus, for all his writings, was a traitor to his people and became a puppet of Rome.

 

I get up religiously every morning at 8 and pee...am I religious?

 

If you consider its purpose it is not a work of fiction. If you just want to poo poo religion you will see what you want.

 

What is its purpose, that I might consider it?

 

It describes human nature and gives guidance on how to live.

 

I don’t see how it’s very good at that, it’s a poor choice of literature for learning how to behave.

 

Human nature is not pretty but I do not see atheists offering any alternative.

 

There doesn't need to be an "alternative" when we can all agree that the golden rule covers most issues. We can at least see where choosing reality over mythology is a sound choice, there is really no need for embellishing a series of fantasies is doing anyone any favors.

 

Yes, if you are going to poo poo the status quo you should offer an alternative. So far godless societies have been a complete disaster. Why don't you and your atheist bretheren establish your own society on an island somewhere and get back to us in a couple of thousand years. If what you guys have produced is better than what we have, we will consider it. Until then you guys should not be criticisizing others....mmmkay?

 

Well if it isn't a work of fiction then it must be a work of fact. And it isn't. Maybe just a collection of parables intellectually and content wise inferior to Aesop's Fables.

 

Oh you spoilsport. You mean I can't kill firstborn children, or bring plagues, or famines, or torture the faithful. Dang! Not to mention I sure would like to be able to turn water into wine.

 

My favorite was Jacob's blessing to Judah in Genesis 49
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet
until he to whom it belongs shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.

Jacob was a tribal (or extended family) leader in Egypt
The scepter is a symbol of monarchy
There was no scepter in Jacob's day
No was there a Hebrew nation
There was no law (law of Moses)
until --- the monarchy and the law would end
he to whom it belongs - the Messiah
shall come - standard prophecy of the OT
the obedience - obey the Messiah
of the nations - the gentiles
shall be his - he who owns all things.

Similar to what was said to Abraham and Isaac and Job - among others
that I can think of.

"until" is the most interesting word here. For the Jews it was
puzzling. "Until" means what the Jews were given would be taken
from them. And this wasn't just the Babylonian Captivity, Moses said
the Jews would be scattered throughout the world and their nation
would end.
I think the Babylonian Captivity only involved about a quarter of the
population of Judah, and was temporary.

 

So the story of The Lion and the Mouse had its equivalence in the story
of King David and the kingdom of Israel?
Aesop's Fox and the Stork was equivalent to the story of the Bronze Age
Hebrew nomads?
The rat and the elephant was equivalent to the Gospel account of Jesus?

What prophetic power did Aesop have?
Did he give indication, like the bible did, that his stories were actual events?

 

The bible laid down the foundation principles of Western Civilization.
It's moral foundation of human universality (meaning no-one is superior
to anyone else) and brotherhood of all mankind were strange and unique
to the pagan world. It's story of the fall of man was replaced by Locke's
"tabula rasa," the blank slate which lead to the Marxist ideas that people
can be rewired to anything the government wishes. And that became, and
still is, one of our greater tragedies.

Perhaps you have some better belief? If so, what is it?

 

As Daniel, of Babylonian times, said they would. Daniel also said the Romans would
take away the Messiah. And this was a profound mystery to the Jews who thought
the Messiah would be sent to save them.

 

There would always be false Messiahs. Jesus alluded to this when He asked the
question was He speaking of Himself, or promoting Himself.
The false Messiahs of Israel didn't want to live like the suffering Redeemer written
in prophecy - they were people seeking power and importance for themselves.
To say there were false prophets or false Messiahs is to say all prophets and every
Messiah was false - this is a logic fallacy. There were simply things that Jesus as a
common man could not have arrange or exploited, ie the fall of Israel, the going of
the Gospel to the Gentiles, the fall of the temple etc..
You have to think this through. People these days seek the lowest common denominator
in thinking to "explain away" what once animated the thinking of Western society.