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Originally posted by whodeyWhat you refer to as "Biblical archaeology" does not support the claims Jews make about being "God's Chosen People" or the claims Christians make about the divinity of Christ.
There is Biblical archeology that has sprung up from the pages of the Bible. These are not religious zealots, rather, they are simply archeologists who have enough respect for the veracity of scripture that they have dedicated a whole branch of archeology to studying the words of the Bible to help them on their digs.
Originally posted by whodeyThis is nothing different from the kind of thing Grampy Bobby and others used to come out with, in other words: other religions are not the same as the religion I follow so they can't be true. Several of your other points have pretty much the same basis.
The religions that I stay away from are religions who have one person sit down to revise the Bible. It simply does not work that way.
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Originally posted by chaney3The story of Gilgamesh negates Noah's story? Really?
Your post does not address the character of God in the Bible, which seems man made. A 'God' would not act so immature. Not to mention that the story of Jesus seems to be taken from previous accounts of earlier cultures.
The story of Gilgamesh for example negates the Noah story.
So all ancient civilizations have a flood story and that somehow negates the flood story?
To even know what a flood is, one would have to have a point of reference
There was a flood, so it is up to you to decide exactly how big it really was for all these cultures to have a flood story.
As for God's character, how does a finite human being that was not even around during those times sit in judgement over an infinite all knowing God?
Good luck with that.
For me, the best representation of God is Jesus. He was God in the flesh that came down to actually talk to us.
Sorry, but there is no one like him. Men like Socrates often sounded like him, but were far from filling the role. The most notable thing Socrates ever said was something to the effect that if there ever walked the earth a righteous man with no guile, he would be murdered.
Is it any wonder that he himself was also murdered?
Originally posted by FMFI never said it did.
What you refer to as "Biblical archaeology" does not support the claims Jews make about being "God's Chosen People" or the claims Christians make about the divinity of Christ.
All I said was, this particular branch of archeology views the veracity of scripture good enough to use it to find their digs.
Originally posted by whodeyFloods have always been commonplace. Big ones, too. People with severely limited horizons and a proclivity for superstition and a belief in magical things ~ like the ones in ancient times we are talking about here ~ only have to see water as far as the eye can see - which is what? a few dozen hectares - and fear and imagination will provide a narrative, probably a supernatural one. It's the nature of culture and the human condition that gives birth to it.
There was a flood, so it is up to you to decide exactly how big it really was for all these cultures to have a flood story.
Originally posted by FMFIf you read the Quran, one man wrote it.
This is nothing different from the kind of thing Grampy Bobby and others used to come out with, in other words: other religions are not the same as the religion I follow so they can't be true. Several of your other points have pretty much the same basis.
If you read the writings of Joseph Smith, one man wrote it as well.
The Bible is a different animal. Naturally, the authors of both books mentioned try to latch onto the Bible. In fact, most religions do try to latch onto the Bible in some capacity.
Coincidence?
Originally posted by FMFSo we agree that there was an ancient flood.
Floods have always been commonplace. Big ones, too. People with severely limited horizons and a proclivity for superstition and a belief in magical things ~ like the ones in ancient times we are talking about here ~ only have to see water as far as the eye can see - which is what? a few dozen hectares - and fear and imagination will provide a narrative, probably a supernatural one. It's the nature of culture and the human condition that gives birth to it.
I reckon that is something.
Originally posted by whodeyIf it does not support the claims Jews and Christians make about supernatural things, then it is neither here nor there when it comes to the question raised by this thread.
I never said it did.
All I said was, this particular branch of archeology views the veracity of scripture good enough to use it to find their digs.
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Originally posted by whodeyThere have been millions and millions of floods right down through history - and throughout the umpteen millions of years of pre-history too - and there are countless hundreds of them every year, all around the world, just as there will be this year.
So we agree that there was an ancient flood.
I reckon that is something.
Originally posted by whodeyLike I said, all you are saying is 'other religions are not the same as the religion I follow so they can't be true'. It's not really an argument. It's just an assertion.
If you read the Quran, one man wrote it.
If you read the writings of Joseph Smith, one man wrote it as well.
The Bible is a different animal. Naturally, the authors of both books mentioned try to latch onto the Bible. In fact, most religions do try to latch onto the Bible in some capacity.
Coincidence?
Originally posted by chaney3God is consistant throughout the Bible in terms of trying to eradicate sin.
Can you explain the character of God in the OT. No you cannot. A Creator who is jealous and angry?
If you were honest, you would admit it is flawed.
In the OT, people were wiped out who became too wicked. For example, if you read the accounts of Sodom and Gomorrah, they would try to gang rape anyone who visited. Or if you read the accounts of the land of Canaan before the Hebrews conquered it, they would sacrifice their children to idols.
Then enters Jesus who dealt with sin in a different fashion. Instead of destroying the sinner to destroy the sin, Jesus delivered people from their sins so as to spare the sinner.
The end goal has always been to destroy sin. God has never unleashed his wrath on anyone who was not desperately wicked, except for the man mentioned in Isaiah 53. Jesus became sin on the cross which is why God unleashed his wrath against him.
Originally posted by FMFI am merely showing the origins of various religions.
Like I said, all you are saying is 'other religions are not the same as the religion I follow so they can't be true'. It's not really an argument. It's just an assertion.
I would think that the more eye witness accounts to substantiate a particular belief the better in terms of validating its veracity the better.
Originally posted by FMFGood, so we agree there was a big flood.
There have been millions and millions of floods right down through history - and throughout the umpteen millions of years of pre-history too - and there are countless hundreds of them every year, all around the world, just as there will be this year.
Originally posted by whodey"A big flood"? There were millions of them for billions of years. You are talking nonsense about something you single out as "a big flood" and then, what can one say, except that it is your utterly unconvincing prerogative to then assign some sort of magical causality to it.
Good, so we agree there was a big flood.