(First off, if you don't agree with what I say next regarding the history of Abrahamic beliefs, then please don't post in this thread. I am looking for answers and ideas as opposed to a debate about history.) ... O.k., with my admittedly limited knowledge of history, it seems that the Jewish beliefs evolved gradually over centuries from earlier polytheistic religions in that region. If you don't agree with me, then that's fine, but don't derail this thread please; I have a question that I want answered.
My question is this: how do you maintain your faith while believing the historical claim I made above? Isn't God supposed to reveal Himself to Moses, as Jesus, to Muhammad, etc.? Why would the historical evolution of these beliefs look so messy?
I've been asking myself why I do not believe in an Abrahamic God, and mostly it is this historical issue.
I think you're asking a question that they simply cannot answer.
I once attended a four-way debate between a
rabbi, a
Muslim, a
Christian pastor, and an
atheist.
The
rabbi essentially admitted that the Bible is a mixture of literal history together with fables which should not be taken as literal occurrences but as life lessons. It's like the story of the scorpion and the frog: A scorpion asks a frog for a ride across a river. The frog says, "No, you'll sting me." The scorpion says, "I will not sting you, because if I do, you'll sink and we'll both drown." So the frog is convinced, and takes the scorpion on his back. As they are crossing the river, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog asks, "Why did you do that? Now we're both going to drown." The scorpion replies, "I'm a scorpion; it is my nature." No one in their right mind will take that story literally, but there is obvious value in it.
The
Muslim contributed nothing except citing various verses from the Koran and asserting that we cannot discuss matters of whether or not these things are true.
The
atheist and the
Christian pastor argued with each other.
Culturally, Westerners do not separate scientific fact from religion. That is actually unique to us. This is why Christians, for example, try to deny evolution: if both science and religion are supposed to confirm one another, they cannot contradict one another, so evolution cannot be scientific.
What I take away from a culture like Judaism is the notion that they culturally value YHWH but that they generally do not believe he literally exists. They recognize the hardships that their ancestors went through and because of that they honor their Jewish traditions. But the Jews themselves admit that most of the things in the Old Testament are likely false (false in the sense that we Westerners would mean, but they actually would not find either "true" or "false" as appropriate), such as the 400 years of captivity in Egypt. It is utterly inconceivable that they could be in captivity for that long and yet read and write Hebrew upon their exodus. Combined with the fact that there is no physical evidence they were ever there, and you see we have an elaborate fable. And every fable has a purpose. What was the purpose of the Exodus fable? To give them the law. So when a little kid asks where who made the law up, they have their answer.
So if you realize how God evolved from a man (he walked in gardens and wrestled Jacob) to a disembodied mind that could speak but generally couldn't be gazed upon, and you see the evolution from a polytheistic worldview (God hates Molech? He hates Baal?) to a supreme monotheistic worldview where other gods are described as lifeless statues - and I know you realize this, of course, as you point it out as the reason for your atheism - then it is simply impossible to believe the Bible, literally believe, in the sense that we Westerners believe things.
