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Originally posted by Hand of HecateAre you sure it said there are no other gods?
Er, excuse me, but, You said there were no other Gods. WTF?
"On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD."
My suspicion is that the Bible is really one god's book out of many gods. El is not YHWH for instance. El is the creator and YHWH was one of his kids who was responsible for Israelites or Judah or something.
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Originally posted by AThousandYoungIsaiah 45:5 says there is only one God: "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God besides me."
Are you sure it said there are no other gods?
My suspicion is that the Bible is really one god's book out of many gods. El is not YHWH for instance. El is the creator and YHWH was one of his kids who was responsible for Israelites or Judah or something.
You can't have it both ways, which, of course, is exactly my point.
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Originally posted by Hand of HecateIsaiah 45 was written long after Exodus. From Wiki:
Isaiah 45:5 says there is only one God: "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God besides me."
You can't have it both ways, which, of course, is exactly my point.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Isaiah
Two crises occurred between [Isaiah 39] and [Isaiah 40]. The first was the late 7th century Deuteronomistic reform of official Judean religion under king Josiah, who banned many elements of the old polytheistic cult from the Temple...
Apparently Judaism became monotheistic about that time. David the slinger was probably a polytheist.
Look at Isaiah 41:28 and you will see mention of multiple gods.
Originally posted by Hand of HecateSmall g.
Er, excuse me, but, You said there were no other Gods. WTF?
"On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD."
There is only one true and living God. All others are an illusion.
Simple logic.
Originally posted by josephwLogic, of course.
Small g.
There is only one true and living God. All others are an illusion.
Simple logic.
After reading the Bible again, cover to cover, it occurs to me that the one sure way to drive a person away from Christianity is to force them to do exactly this. I find it terribly frustrating to try to make sense of it all.
Originally posted by Hand of HecateIt helps to think of it not as The Bible but as an anthology of bibles written over a millenium.
Logic, of course.
After reading the Bible again, cover to cover, it occurs to me that the one sure way to drive a person away from Christianity is to force them to do exactly this. I find it terribly frustrating to try to make sense of it all.
The religious tradition evolved over time from animistic pantheism to shamanism to polytheism and then monotheism. Its a natural evolution in humanitys perspective about religion. It was written by men who were different from one another and fallible not written by one god.
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Originally posted by Hand of Hecategods, small g.
Er, excuse me, but, You said there were no other Gods. WTF?
"On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD."
Not God, big G.
Small g gods are created by men.
Originally posted by josephwWere there upper and lower cases in ancient Hebrew? Or were perhaps the two instances of god/God different in some other way? Just asking.
Small g.
There is only one true and living God. All others are an illusion.
Simple logic.
It makes sense that Yahweh was the survivor as monotheism came to be.
As ATY indicates, the following source agrees: "Yahweh, slowly taking shape in a welter of polytheism, took one or another attribute from various of Israel's early gods."
http://www.thevenusproject.com/downloads/ebooks/30426379-Homer-W-Smith-Man-and-His-Gods.pdf
page 80.
The above book is a good resource for its title subject. It is searchable via control-F which opens a search box in the upper right corner. Search on yahweh, or on polytheism, in this case. Numerous mentions of both.
Originally posted by Hand of Hecateputting himself as number one, above the gods of stone , wood etc. would it be better for you if he had said "and i will bring judgement on all the false gods of Egypt"?
Er, excuse me, but, You said there were no other Gods. WTF?
"On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD."
Originally posted by stokerOf course it would. The point I'm struggling with is that the bible has become so polluted over millennia as to be useless. I read it one last time and have resolved to put it aside. It will no longer have a place in my search for spiritual truth. It is an unusual feeling to abandon the faith of your youth.
putting himself as number one, above the gods of stone , wood etc. would it be better for you if he had said "and i will bring judgement on all the false gods of Egypt"?
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Originally posted by Hand of HecateBefore you do that, in your mind try setting aside all but the words of Jesus. Apart from the doctrine of the OT, Paul and others, the words of Jesus hold up reasonably well as a whole. A second pass free of the doctrine of others should prove enlightening.
Of course it would. The point I'm struggling with is that the bible has become so polluted over millennia as to be useless. I read it one last time and have resolved to put it aside. It will no longer have a place in my search for spiritual truth. It is an unusual feeling to abandon the faith of your youth.
Originally posted by ThinkOfOneI.e. read the Jefferson Bible.
Before you do that, in your mind try setting aside all but the words of Jesus. Apart from the doctrine of the OT, Paul and others, the words of Jesus hold up reasonably well as a whole. A second pass free of the doctrine of others should prove enlightening.