spin

The bible is a small window into another world, which is very different from ours. It shows people dealing with the world they live in in ways that are very strange to our modern semi-scientific mindset. How does one cope with the world when there is no physics, meteorology, geology or sociology? Read the bible to find their solutions. We can also see a lot of cultural and political manipulation. At the same time there is a lot of beauty and a lot poetic ideas in the expression of thought. Again, there is a lot of stupidity and barbarity. All together not nonsense. What is often nonsense is what modern xians do with it.


spin

Godless Wonder

People go on and sort of say the Bible is a great work of literature, and so on. You know, I don't see it. Sure it's been influential, but reading the Bible, I don't see the great literature in it yet. Maybe I'm not reading the right parts. Then again I hate the Stephen King novels I've read, and Harry Potter too, thinking them both rather poorly written and juvenile (Harry Potter can be excused for that, I suppose), and many fiction books people recommend, I seem to find tedious and sophomoric. Maybe my standards are just too high.

Doctor X

Nothing to see here . . . just another hit-and-run . . . {Comment deleted}

Anyways, through a reference, I have started reading a book by Gerd Lüdemann, The Unholy in the Holy Scripture: the Dark Side of the Bible. He is Professor of ew Testament and Director of the Insitute of Early Christian Studies at the University of Göttingen. He appears to be a "believer" as in a god; however, he is quite clear with his criticism that German theologians have not been honest with what scholarship of the last two hundred and fifty years have show:

What I like about this book is it appears to be written by a man who knows his field but also has a faith. Too many times do posters such as the [CENSORED--Ed.] above claim that this is "atheist [Boo. Hiss.--Ed.] scholarship" and therefore invalid.

"You must read the Bible."

Well, he has. I may add this to the "recommendation" thread.

--J.D.

JTurtle

This author you quote says that Jesus was to return during the original disciples time, but did not. However, no where in the Bible does it say that Jesus was going to return in their time. In fact, it says that no one knows the hour when the Son will return. Maybe the disciples were expecting this, but this does not demonstrate a contradiction on behalf of the word of God.

Jonathan

Doctor X

On the contrary:

Quod erat demonstrandum.

--J.D.

JTurtle

Well I knew someone would try this one. Read those verses in their PROPER CONTEXT. If u just take those verses it may seem confusing. But read the whole chapter. The "generation that will not pass away until all these things have happened" I do not believe refers to the disciples generation. Sounds more like us...

Jonathan

Doctor X

Writing of fallacies. . . .

Both I, the professor, and other scholars have. It demonstrates exatly what it says.

Ipse dixit and contradicted by the texts. The explanation of the Fig Tree parable, the parousia, and other eschatological passages before these do not imply some "other" generation. The Greek is quite specific with the "this."

Sorry. . . .

--J.D.

cjack

To the true believer, it always does...




Seriously, though...what "context" is needed to understand what "this generation" means?

Is there some verse which provides an explanation of "generation" to mean "anyone born within the next 2 or 3 thousand years"???

For cryin' out loud, we've had two millenia pass without so much as a blip on the End-O-The-World Radar...when are we gonna stop moving the goalposts and admit that Jeebus ain't coming back?

Doctor X

Perchance some other quotes will go over better:

No?

--J.D.

Randy X

incoming. . .



This is the magical evidence? Is this supposed to be a joke?

Sincerely,

Christ