Is the OLD or NEW testament borrowed from paganism?

[CruciFixed]

I have a couple of pregnant morons telling me this is fact but I am pretty sure they are wrong because liberal atheists usually are about religious facts.

Help me out here.

 

[ebia]

I have a couple of pregnant morons telling me this is fact but I am pretty sure they are wrong because liberal atheists usually are about religious facts.

Help me out here.

What exactly do they mean? Such a comment has a tiny grain of truth - ancient writers are influenced by and borrow from the literature around them. So the Noah story borrows from Gilgamesh, Genesis 1 refutes quite directly Enuma Elish and therefor has some points of contact,...

But if the mean that, say, the Jesus story is simply a reworking of pagan stories that's clear misinformation.

There are, after all, only so many possible plot-lines - some degree of crossover is to be expected. The interesting points ate where the stories diverge.

 

[Christ's_Warrior]

Rubbish, although there consists certain areas where similarities are expected, for e.g. Feed the hungry and be charitable etc the profound differences are quite evident when comparing old and new testament constructs.

One such example is that the Israelites were not ashamed to repeatedly disclose their sins and bring shame upon themselves where most other ancient writings would focus primarily on themselves in a more positive light. Also God in the new testament was always depicted as a God who loved and had compassion towards human beings, when you look at some other ancient writings their gods cared little for humans.

Now in regards to the NT I believe, with the exception of common religious type statements, that it is completely original. Jesus' life was original and don't let anyone fool you into believing in other messiah's, I have read much about these other messiahs that Internet scholars try to link with the story of Jesus to be nothing more than wishful thinking on their part, historians call it "parallelism".

There are many excellent books and Internet sites out there that deal extensively with this 19th century rubbish, pm me and I'll gladly assist you.

 

[Dark_Lite]

I have a couple of pregnant morons telling me this is fact but I am pretty sure they are wrong because liberal atheists usually are about religious facts.

Help me out here.

It would help if you had specifics. If you don't have specifics, then they're probably just repeating a "fact" they read somewhere that had nothing or very bad/out of context sources to back it up.

 

[Vendetta]

Responses thus far have been good. I'll just buttress Ebia by saying that there's definitely some things that the Bible and other cultures may have in common. That doesn't really hurt us, since we believe that while we've been given the fullness of the Truth, that doesn't preclude other cultures from getting pieces of the Truth. The Genesis creation story is similar in some ways to other cosmological stories, but it's actually pretty unique on the whole as far as those go. If they're saying that Jesus is just a copy of Horus or some other pagan deity, then that is certainly false.

 

[thereselittleflower]

Pagans breathed air, so since we breathe air, we must have borrowed it from the pagans, or that must make us pagan somehow ....

 

[thereselittleflower]

The point of the matter is this . . superficial similiarities mean nothing. There must be a legitimate connection, and absent their ability to prove such a legitimate connection, it is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

Just remember, it's their claim, so the burden of proof is on them, not you. . . . .

If they present their evidence, just pick it apart .. you have no need to prove anything.

 

[Tigg]

Pagans breathed air, so since we breathe air, we must have borrowed it from the pagans, or that must make us pagan somehow ....

I knew there was something! ROFLing....

God bless and have a good day.

 

[CruciFixed]

I just quit the board that was for pregnant women. Its too full of rubbish, atheism and hardcore liberals. I deal with enough of that here at CF I don't need to be cranky and pregnant talking to women who are also pregnant who will want to kill me and I them if we discuss the issues of religion.

They used some website called religioustolerance as their evidence. I am so glad people follow Zeitgeist because we all know that's fact. Whatever. Thanks all for this.

 

[ivebeenshown]

I am so glad people follow Zeitgeist because we all know that's fact.

NO KIDDING...

Every snarky college kiddo who smokes pot or uses Linux can now instantly become a professional theologian and philosopher with the help of our good friends Bill Maher, Ricky Gervais, and Peter Joseph.

 

[AMDG]

What exactly do they mean? Such a comment has a tiny grain of truth - ancient writers are influenced by and borrow from the literature around them. So the Noah story borrows from Gilgamesh, Genesis 1 refutes quite directly Enuma Elish and therefor has some points of contact,...

But if the mean that, say, the Jesus story is simply a reworking of pagan stories that's clear misinformation.

There are, after all, only so many possible plot-lines - some degree of crossover is to be expected. The interesting points ate where the stories diverge.

Or...The story of Gilgamesh "borrowed" from the story that was "all the rage" at the time--the Noah story. Or... no one "borrowed" from anyone else, since "great minds think alike".

That honestly used to bother me. (One of my Biblical studies used the book by Boadt). No more. There is such a thing as parallel thinking and just because pagans have a similar idea, doesn't mean that ours is less true or that we got our idea from them.

 

[Lady Bug]

As much as I think that Christianity has to have some elements in it that are from paganism or bear resemblance to some tenets of pagan beliefs, it is offensive to me for someone to that Christianity "stole" from those beliefs.

 

[ebia]

Or...The story of Gilgamesh "borrowed" from the story that was "all the rage" at the time--the Noah story. Or... no one "borrowed" from anyone else, since "great minds think alike".

That honestly used to bother me. (One of my Biblical studies used the book by Boadt). No more. There is such a thing as parallel thinking and just because pagans have a similar idea, doesn't mean that ours is less true or that we got our idea from them.

It itself, no. But variants of the Gilgamesh story were pretty much ubiquitous across the ancient near-east: that's not true of the Noah story. And the Noah story is more theologically sophisticated. It's more plausable that the Noah story borrows from Gilgamesh than the other way around. And there is no reason why it should not - that in no way deminishes it as the Word of God.

 

[D'Ann]

My understanding is that there has only been protestantism for a short time... since the 1600's I think...

Before that time, the Catholic Church intertwined a few things from a few pagan's traditions...

For instance, the Christmas tree... supposely came from a pagan custom...

It was a way for Christianity to reach out to the pagans by intertwining some of their customs and/or traditions that didn't contradict our Christian beliefs... or something like that.

I really don't know that much about it... and personally, I really don't think on this stuff very much.

I've heard all kinds of different variations... and now... I just roll up my eyes and just think.... whatever. It doesn't matter to me what other non-Christian pagan religions say or believe. Why? Because, at the end of the day, they will believe whatever they believe and I will believe the same as I've always believed... will I try and plant some seeds... with the help and grace of God, yes, but one's heart has to be opened to truth and most are not imo.

Anyway, I'm glad that you are not wasting your time talking with these other pregnant women. It's difficult enough being pregnant and taking care of your family. I do hope that you find some peace and calmness and enjoyment here in the OBOB though.