Toto

It is a fictional story, like a novel, which contains parables or stories that the main character tells.

If I write a novel in which the main character, for dramatic purposes, sits down and tells a moral fable to his followers, that does not mean that I am reporting the novel as fact.

For instance - the story of Scheherazade and the Arabian Nights. Each night she tells a fictional story. That does not mean that she must have been real.

Pyrrho

Okay. Fable or not, Jesus was depicted as not very bright (which you do not seem to be disputing). I am not under the impression, however, that it was originally intended to be taken as a fable, and certainly many have not taken it that way. But I certainly would not dispute the claim that the Bible is a work of fiction, or a collection of works of fiction.

yummyfur

It's an important symbol in Judaism why look elsewhere?

Just do a search for fig and fig tree in the old testement, read these sections and the surrounding chapters, maybe you will understand the context and symbolism.

for example

there also is a standard phrase used several times the OT



So the fig tree, that is cared for and able to produce, is a symbol of peace and security, and one that is not is a symbol of destruction. A withered fig tree is a symbol of unrighteousness. The first fruit before the regular season is a symbol of righteous Israel.

Also I think you could translate the text in Mark as
"for it was not fit to bear figs"

because a fig tree with leaves is almost by definition in season.

NOGO

Sorry Toto but I doubt it very much.

It does say that it was out of season.
This means that the authors justified the fact that the tree did not have figs.
If the tree was a metaphor for Israel then no justification is necessary.

By justifying the state of the tree the author probably wants the reader to know that the tree was not sick to begin with. Therefore the intent it seems to me was to show how much power Jesus had.

This is confirmed by what Jesus says after. If you have faith you too can go around killing trees or move mountains.

Pyrrho is correct this story makes Jesus look foolish. He does not know that the season is not right for figs and then takes his fustration out on a simple fig tree.

Ted Hoffman

Roger that.
Neither does it mean Kissing Hanks Ass is real.

Kilgore Trout

Here is a classic example of jesus' stupidity:

John 8:17-18

"In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

Talk about stupid! He is supposed to be the son of god, and he doesn't understand the law at all! The whole point of the law of testimony is that if two people say someone is guilty of a crime then he is guilty. You can't count yourself as one of the people and you certainly can't use god as the other person!!! :Cheeky: Get serious! I too can say I am the son of god, I am one of the witnesses and god is the other! Anybody can make that claim! That type of reasoning is what insane people use.

In answer to the question of HOW was jesus so stupid, The simple answer is that he is ignorant of the beliefs of Judaism that he is supposed to be a member of, so he is going to be putting his foot in his mouth a lot. He can't even get his own story straight of what his agenda is.

Here's a couple of quotes from Proverbs...

Proverbs 14:3
A fool's talk brings a rod to his back,
but the lips of the wise protect them.

Proverbs 18:6
A fool's lips bring him strife,
and his mouth invites a beating.

:wave: Hey jesus, sound like anyone you know?

missus_gumby

Here's a few quotes where the character of jesus sets himself up for a humongous platter of foot in mouth disease.
... later condemning himself to hell, rubbing it in several times in the process.

"And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man"(Jesus speaking) Matthew 7:26

"You fools!" (Jesus speaking) Luke 11:40

"But God said to him, 'You fool!' " (Jesus quoting god) Luke 12:20

"How foolish you are" (Jesus) Luke 24:25

"You blind fools!" (Jesus) Matthew 23:17

"You blind fools!" (Jesus) Matthew 23:19

What a loon! :rolling:

Riddick

Let's say you're on any particular street corner in Fallujah, Iraq. Now, let's say you have an acknowledged expert in quantum mechanics and/or germ theory at your side. Next, pick anyone off the street, randomly, and have the acknowledged expert describe to the person selected quantum mechanics or germ theory.

Do you understand what I'm getting at? Can you put yourself in the receivers shoes? What good will such information do him, when he is most likely heading to the market for some chicken?

Hell, you can tell him how to construct an atomic bomb, while you're at it, what good will it do him?

Somewhere, common sense must be applied. I think you can actually get too much of a good thing.
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"Veteran User" is such a misnomer for you people under 50.
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anthrosciguy

The expert could only explain such a theory, but god should be able to not just explain such a theory, but to demonstrate it concretely and simply through the use of miracles (which he supposedly produces at will) unlike the mere human expert.

Toto

Hi Riddick - getting off to a good start by mocking the moderators, I see.

Perhaps it would take some time to make quantum mechanics relevant to the average third world peasant. But germ theory is directy relevant. Jesus could have spent some time teaching his followers about avoiding contamination and spoiled food, telling them that illness is not caused by bad spirits and will not be helped by punishing the ill person. He could have saved the quantum mechanics for his inner circle. But instead he spoke in vague parables that still provide employment for exegetes, and doesn't seem to have understood science any better than the average person in his day.

And I'm a bit over 50