Cyprus-Forum.com

[supporttheunderdog]

While doing research into some comments made here on Cappadocia as a Jewish homeland I came across an essay on the history and thus historicity of the bible.

http://www.bidstrup.com/bible.htm

I pass it on as read. I cannot vouch for the accuracy as I have not had time to check the sources and it clearly represents the non Christian views of an Apostate, i.e, someone who fell out of The church, but it is a well argued text setting out the author's findings or beliefs into the Hidtory of the bible and thus to religious thought and belief.

The essential conclusion is that the bible is a human construct as must therefore be the faith of those that rely upon it as the word of god, who has morphed over time from being quite a nasty bit of work, through to being an allegedly loving personal god. In particular it suggests the Jesus story as contained in the bible is a construct made out of amalgamations about many myths (and with later falsifications and modifications of historical works eg Josephus ) ,developed over as much as 500 years, being put together in an officially recognised form after about 320 AD.

I commend it to everyone, in particular those who may try to quote from the bible or refer to Christian tradtion to support their own theses, which I am aware some have done, prominently but not exclusively Get Real and Greek Island Girl.

I am well aware that such an attack on profoundly held religious belief will be found offensive by some. I concluded some years back that religions are man made and as devout agnostic, if there is a god or creator, it is not anything portrayed in the bible. Pastafarianism has about as much religious validity.

[GreekIslandGirl]

When have I quoted the Bible as the source of my beliefs? Epictetus is my primary source for philosophy/life-choices of that period. I can't help it if later writers of the Bible sourced Epictetus too!

P.S. wow - can't believe you had time to follow up my accidental find on Cappadocia/Anatolia/Jews. Thank you - will read it tomorrow.

[Sotos]

I don't think anybody would doubt that bible was a human construct... the argument is that those humans who wrote it were enlightened by the holy spirit. Lots of different people wrote lots of different things... but then the Byzantines, I believe with something called the Council of Nicea, decided what goes in the bible and what it doesn't.

[Robin Hood]

I do not believe in any form of a single deity, whatever name it is given but I do believe that there is 'life' after death ........ but not as we know it. Who was it who said;

'I think ..... therefore I am!' ..... that'll do me for now.

[supporttheunderdog]

I do not believe in any form of a single deity, whatever name it is given but I do believe that there is 'life' after death ........ but not as we know it. Who was it who said;

'I think ..... therefore I am!' ..... that'll do me for now.

I will not argue with that...

[supporttheunderdog]

I don't think anybody would doubt that bible was a human construct... the argument is that those humans who wrote it were enlightened by the holy spirit. Lots of different people wrote lots of different things... but then the Byzantines, I believe with something called the Council of Nicea, decided what goes in the bible and what it doesn't.

I do not think you have read the article.

Try this which shows how supposedly divinely inspired people writing the inerrant word of god come up with errors, which suggest that the bible cannot be the divinely inspired inerrant word of anyone....that or god is stupid.....and we know he has a sick sense of humour,

http://www.bidstrup.com/bible2.htm

[repulsewarrior]

...in the Greek's Heaven, there was a God, but there was despair, because there were many Gods.

...i feel that our (as social beings) original conclusions remain the most valid. Where we came from is where we will return to, the everlasting, that as a creature, or a thing, on this planet, we die.