The Bible. Myth or Reality?

Greatest I am · May 19, 2015

As a Gnostic Christian I see literal reading of the Bible as a gross distortion of what the Bible was written to do. That being to inspire people to seek God and his best laws and rules. Literal readers just become idol worshipers and do not seek God the way Jesus instructed.

Bill Moyers Journal . Watch & Listen | PBS

Literal reading has created and idol worshiping closed minded people who have settled for an immoral God whom we name as a demiurge as his morals, if literally true, are more satanic than God like.

Literal reading has also created a climate where scholars and experts, historians and archeologist, and all the academically well accepted information they uncover, --- is being ignored or called lies by those who are not academics of the various disciplines.

What is the point of producing good academics if literalists are going to ignore facts because of blind faith?

Remember please that if not a book of myths, then real talking serpents are somehow supposed to still exist and believers have to believe in a lot of supernatural phenomenon without any evidence whatsoever. Literalist Christians, it seems to me, have suspended rational judgement that has created in Christians a new Dark Age of thought and an Inquisitional attitude towards all other thinking. They no longer seek God and are true idol worshipers instead of the God seekers that Jesus wanted to see.

Do you think the Bible to be a book of myths or a book trying to show reality and history?

Regards

DL

outhouse · May 19, 2015

It Is both myth and reality.

And it takes an education with no bias to know and understand exactly what those differences are.

George-ananda · May 19, 2015

Greatest I am said:
Do you think the Bible to be a book of myths or a book trying to show reality and history?

Some of both.

Breathe · May 19, 2015

George-ananda said:
Some of both.

This.
And myth =/= "bad" or "worthless", of course.

Theweirdtophat · May 19, 2015

There is definitely some truth to it, but I think some are exaggerated. I believe there is always some truth to myths and legends, otherwise they wouldn't BE myths and legends in the first place. Sometimes there is more truth in legends, than in history though.

jonathan180iq · May 19, 2015

It's mythology.

There are factual Islands and kingdoms listed in the Iliad. Yet we would not claim the Iliad to be a book of History, would we? No, for we recognize that it is a book of mythology.

There are factual places and kingdoms listed in the Bible. But should we claim the Bible to be a book of History, since there is much mythology contained therein? No, for without bias we recognize that It's a book of mythology, just like any other example you care to use.

Guy Threepwood · May 19, 2015

Greatest I am said:
The Bible. Myth or Reality?

As a Gnostic Christian I see literal reading of the Bible as a gross distortion of what the Bible was written to do. That being to inspire people to seek God and his best laws and rules. Literal readers just become idol worshipers and do not seek God the way Jesus instructed.

Bill Moyers Journal . Watch & Listen | PBS

Literal reading has created and idol worshiping closed minded people who have settled for an immoral God whom we name as a demiurge as his morals, if literally true, are more satanic than God like.

Literal reading has also created a climate where scholars and experts, historians and archeologist, and all the academically well accepted information they uncover, --- is being ignored or called lies by those who are not academics of the various disciplines.

What is the point of producing good academics if literalists are going to ignore facts because of blind faith?

Remember please that if not a book of myths, then real talking serpents are somehow supposed to still exist and believers have to believe in a lot of supernatural phenomenon without any evidence whatsoever. Literalist Christians, it seems to me, have suspended rational judgement that has created in Christians a new Dark Age of thought and an Inquisitional attitude towards all other thinking. They no longer seek God and are true idol worshipers instead of the God seekers that Jesus wanted to see.

Do you think the Bible to be a book of myths or a book trying to show reality and history?

Regards

DL

How do you create a book, that is the most popular, influential book in the history of humanity, resonating with people across ages, races, continents, cultures, technologies etc.

i.e. by the nature of it's purpose, it has to mean different things to different people at different times does it not?

Greatest I am · May 19, 2015

outhouse said:
It Is both myth and reality.

And it takes an education with no bias to know and understand exactly what those differences are.

Do you see it speaking of a real God or a mythical God?

Does reality to you include miracles and a creator God?

Regards
DL

Greatest I am · May 19, 2015

George-ananda said:
Some of both.

Please see the post just above and answer the same questions please.

Regards
DL

Greatest I am · May 19, 2015

Breathe said:
This.
And myth =/= "bad" or "worthless", of course.

Myths read as myths, the way they were intended to be read, are quite useful to us.

Regards

DL

Greatest I am · May 19, 2015

Theweirdtophat said:
There is definitely some truth to it, but I think some are exaggerated. I believe there is always some truth to myths and legends, otherwise they wouldn't BE myths and legends in the first place. Sometimes there is more truth in legends, than in history though.

You might have a point as history is written by the winners and not the losers.

Winners tend to lie a lot.

Regards
DL

Greatest I am · May 19, 2015

jonathan180iq said:
It's mythology.

There are factual Islands and kingdoms listed in the Iliad. Yet we would not claim the Iliad to be a book of History, would we? No, for we recognize that it is a book of mythology.

There are factual places and kingdoms listed in the Bible. But should we claim the Bible to be a book of History, since there is much mythology contained therein? No, for without bias we recognize that It's a book of mythology, just like any other example you care to use.

Well put. Thanks.

Regards
DL

Greatest I am · May 19, 2015

Guy Threepwood said:
How do you create a book, that is the most popular, influential book in the history of humanity, resonating with people across ages, races, continents, cultures, technologies etc.

i.e. by the nature of it's purpose, it has to mean different things to different people at different times does it not?

It should but if it is that great of a book, why did Christianity have to murder so many to have it accepted?

Have you forgotten the bibles bloody history and how it helped usher in the Dark Ages of free thought and Inquisition?

If so, have a refresher.

Regards
DL

Guy Threepwood · May 19, 2015

Greatest I am said:
It should but if it is that great of a book, why did Christianity have to murder so many to have it accepted?

Have you forgotten the bibles bloody history and how it helped usher in the Dark Ages of free thought and Inquisition?

If so, have a refresher.

Regards
DL

Christianity was the keeper of knowledge, books, science, literacy during the dark ages, and hence drove the renaissance - it spread civilization to the darkest corners of the globe thereafter

George-ananda · May 19, 2015

Greatest I am said:
Do you see it speaking of a real God or a mythical God?

God to the best of their understanding. The finite's attempt to understand the infinite.

Greatest I am said:
I Does reality to you include miracles and a creator God?

I do believe miracles occur. I see the God concept as a non-dualist (God and creation are not-two).

9-10ths_Penguin · May 19, 2015

Greatest I am said:
The Bible. Myth or Reality?

I believe the Bible is real. I once saw a blurry home movie of a Bible.

I know there are some people who say it's faked - that it was just a dictionary in a forged dust jacket - but I consider this unlikely.

outhouse · May 19, 2015

Greatest I am said:
Do you see it speaking of a real God or a mythical God?

Doesn't matter what it speaks to. The lessons and moral sand teachings are a positive thing for some.

Greatest I am said:
Does reality to you include miracles and a creator God?

No.

outhouse · May 19, 2015

Greatest I am said:
You might have a point as history is written by the winners and not the losers.

The NT was not written by the winners. It was written by the common man in the diaspora by Hellenist

outhouse · May 19, 2015

Guy Threepwood said:
How do you create a book, that is the most popular, influential book in the history of humanity, resonating with people across ages, races, continents, cultures, technologies etc.

When it was written, it was written to and for a small audience.

Paul did not think of himself writing Gospel. We was sending letters later people found value in.

Greatest I am · May 19, 2015

Guy Threepwood said:
Christianity was the keeper of knowledge, books, science, literacy during the dark ages, and hence drove the renaissance - it spread civilization to the darkest corners of the globe thereafter

Sure. The Inquisition did that for sure. It was a great asset that Christianity should revive.

Regards
DL

The Bible. Myth or Reality?

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