Originally posted by rapalla7
I whole heartedly agree with you. It is very difficult to find information about origions that are accurate. If your bible is like mine The story of abraham is pretty basic. If you have a different reference I would be glad to have it. I have decided it is time to read it all again. It has been a long time since I have read it in one shot. Abraham starts in genisis 11 and on.
Mike
Mike, there are no other sources I have heard from. I've read sources discussing Lilith in the period after Adam and Eve and Adam and Eve standing in a freezing river for something like 180 days to beg God for forgiveness, but these are unreliable sources.
The problem with trying to understand more about the Bible with 'additional sources' are that the valid sources were all already included in the Bible. Thus any additional information re: Abraham and his father, I would have to be sceptical to take it on face value.
Add dead sea scrolls and I will probably admit that it has a good chance of validity, however as Abraham's story would fall in the realm of masoretic and septuagint, I would have assumed those would contain all information already.
Like I stated earlier, your best comparison would be that of Christianity/Judaism to Greek Mythology, but then again your main source of information will be the Illiad, which ofcourse holds very little in the form of a credible historical document. So.. don't know really 🙂
"Ralph! Get your skinny butt out there and bring in some more fire wood! It's getting cold in this damned cave!", she yelled.
"I ain't going out there. It's dark. That new guy who is taking meat and berry's for making us safe warned me not to go out tonight, and I ain't going! If you want wood, you go get it.", Ralph replied.
"You aren't falling for that quacks story are you? I mean all that clap about the wolves and bears? We all know that as long as we kill a child each year to celebrate the return of the Sun, we are safe from demons. 'The great bear struggled with the wolves until the dawn came." , she snorted. "I guess that is supposed to justify him scaring our kids silly... and the extortion of food and wealth for these silly 'protections' and 'curses'! Really Ralph! You should be ashamed. Get out there and get me some wood, or your name is Mudd!"
Er... prolly about like that in every hut,cave and tent for fifty thousand years. Nobody likes the unknown. It's dark out there.
Originally posted by StarValleyWy
Er... prolly about like that in every hut,cave and tent for fifty thousand years. Nobody likes the unknown. It's dark out there.
I believe it is a God given attribute to feel a need for a God, a need for understanding, a need to want to know why we are here. I believe even the earliest men, with no concept of God, realised the futility of life early on.
Thing is, whether you believe there is something in the dark or not, your belief, or lack thereof really isn't going to make a difference to them. Some can tell a leopard by its tracks. Call them what you like, but when you hear the roar behind you... well, probably too late then.
On thet subject, the exact definnition of religion, according to Noah Webster is: "In its most comprehensive sense, includes a belief in the beingand perfections of God, in the revelation of his will to man , in man's obligation to obey his commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and in man's accountableness to God; and also true godliness or peity of life, with the practice of all moral duties. It therefore comprehends theology, as a system of doctrines or principles, as well as practical peity; for the practice of moral duties without a belief in a devine lawgiver, and without refrence to his will or commands, is not religon." And i am finally finished typing.(!!)
I would like to be able to track the origins of religions back like a family tree. Did they start up separately or did they branch from one and change as the cultures separated form one another?
I guess it is hard to define what I am talking about, but here goes....
Did two people separated by distance with no contact have no religion one day and then the next day did?
Did it start with one group, and when that group split up did the religion slowly evolve separately and different?
Where does the evolution stop, with writing?
Will it continue to evolve with more knowledge and finally become one religion again with more understanding?