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Old 06-23-2005, 04:30 AM   #71
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Even if Jesus was a real person that doesn't mean there isn't mythology associated with him. There's some evidence King Arthur existed; his name may even have been something like Artos; but most of the stories about him are myths.
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Old 06-23-2005, 05:59 AM   #72
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TA

The genesis of this thread was an initial, unequivocal affirmation that three storied characters existed. And the basis for the affirmation being the Bible. However, this forum is devoted to critically reviewing affirmations like these. Please don't hold it against members who challenge such statements and ask you to defend your thesis.

The problem lies with someone espousing a belief, but having a 'lazy' basis for that belief. I don't mean that in the perjorative sense - you have admitted that you haven't critically considered the basis for your belief (i.e. the Bible). Perhaps the best thing to do is not make absolute statements without backup. Especially in certain forums.

. . . kind of like waiving meat before hungry lions.
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Old 06-23-2005, 06:42 AM   #73
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Hey, folks, I'm no mod, but I suggest to stop making fun of and picking on True American - after all, he already conceded some mistakes and his claims became rather modest after the OP was demolished.
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Old 06-23-2005, 10:28 AM   #74
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Alright, alright.

Truce.
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Old 06-23-2005, 12:49 PM   #75
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Quote:
Originally Posted by True American
I certainly agree with this!

Puritans came here for religious freedom in 1620, and John Smith was in Virginia as far back as 1610. He didn't come here in the name of religion, his quest was to map the coastline of the new world.

We're talking about an era where religion stood for more in people's lives than most political issues,
Definitely. These Christian settlers happily built their homes on the corpses of the Indians they slaughtered. They spread all the blessings of civilization, including the deliberate contamination of the native peoples with small pox. And they regarded their god as having blessed them by wiping out those peoples to make room for good, god-fearing Christians.

These are the Christian principles you claim America was founded upon.
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Old 06-23-2005, 12:53 PM   #76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wallener
It's a bit more than that, IMO. What makes the Hebrew flood story unique is that it is the only one we have that attributes moral signficance to the event.
The only one to attribute "moral significance" to the event? My, my. That's quite an authoritative proclamation, isn't it?

Too bad you're wrong. Multiple times over.


Roman:

Jupiter, angered at the evil ways of humanity, resolved to destroy it. He was about to set the earth to burning, but considered that that might set heaven itself afire, so he decided to flood the earth instead.

Lithuanian:

From his heavenly window, the supreme god Pramzimas saw nothing but war and injustice among mankind. He sent two giants, Wandu and Wejas (water and wind), to destroy earth.

Pawnee (Nebraska):

The first people on the earth were giants, very big and strong. They did not believe in the creator Ti-ra-wa. They thought nothing could overcome them. They grew increasingly worse. At last Ti-ra-wa grew angry and raised the water to the level of the land so that the ground became soft. The giants sank into the mud and drowned. Their bones can still be found today. Ti-ra-wa then created a man and woman, like people of today, and gave them corn. The Pawnees are descended from them.

Navajo (Four Corners area):

The first world, where Navajos originated, was inhabited by Insect People of twelve types. For their sins of adultery and constant quarreling, the gods expelled them by sending a wall of water from all directions.

Yellowstone (Wyoming):

People came who hunted for sport, burned and cleared forests, and didn't think of the animals as their brothers. The Great Spirit was sad and let the people's smoke from their fires lie in the valleys. The people coughed and choked but continued their evil ways. The Great Spirit sent rains to extinguish the fires and destroy the people. The people moved to the hills as the waters rose. Spotted Bear, the medicine man, said they would be safe as long as they had buffalo, but there were no buffalo around. The young men went hunting for buffalo, revising their treatment of nature as they went. The waters rose, and people climbed to the mountains. Finally, two men came back with the hide of a white bull buffalo which had tried to climb to the mountains but had drowned in the floodwaters, though a cow and young buffalo survived. Spotted Bear announced that, since the people were no longer destroying the world, that buffalo would save those who were left.

Algonquin (upper Ottowa River):

Long ago, when men had become evil, the Strong Serpent Maskanako came. He was the foe of people, and they became embroiled, hating and fighting each other. The small men (Mattapewi) fought with Nihanlowit, keeper of the dead. The Strong Serpent resolved to destroy all men, and the Black Serpent brought the snake-water rushing, spreading everywhere, destroying everything. Then the waters ran off, and the great evil went away by the path of the cave.

Victoria:

Bunjil, the creator, was angry with people because of the evil they did, so he caused the ocean to flood by urinating into it. All people were destroyed except those whom Bunjil loved and fixed as stars in the sky, and a man and a woman who climbed a tall tree on a mountain, and from whom the present human race is descended.



Quote:
The others are more or less acts of divine capriciousness, but with Noah, there are specific human (im)moral behaviors that bring on the catastrophe.
You'll have to excuse us if we don't take your viewpoint seriously. Apparently you have a habit of grandiose sweeping claims with absolutely no foundation.
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Old 06-23-2005, 07:11 PM   #77
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John A. Broussard
Definitely. These Christian settlers happily built their homes on the corpses of the Indians they slaughtered. They spread all the blessings of civilization, including the deliberate contamination of the native peoples with small pox. And they regarded their god as having blessed them by wiping out those peoples to make room for good, god-fearing Christians.

These are the Christian principles you claim America was founded upon.

OK,
Last post.

The settlers didn't begin having problems with Indians until England decided they wanted to take America back from France. I refer you to the French/Indian War. http://web.syr.edu/~laroux/history/history.html
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Old 06-23-2005, 07:54 PM   #78
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Quote:
Originally Posted by True American
OK,
Last post.

The settlers didn't begin having problems with Indians until England decided they wanted to take America back from France. I refer you to the French/Indian War. http://web.syr.edu/~laroux/history/history.html
Too bad that:

1. your claim isn't true; and
2. your source above doesn't even say what you posted above. No mention of the starting point for problems between settlers and Indians.

Oh, well. Another one bites the dust, I suppose.
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Old 06-23-2005, 09:10 PM   #79
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In addition to "The Bible Unearthed," take a look at "Out of the Desert" by William H. Stiebing Jr.; "It Ain't Necessarily So" by Matthew Sturges; and "Archaeology of the Land of the Bible" by Amihai Mazar.
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Old 06-23-2005, 10:35 PM   #80
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Quote:
Originally Posted by True American
OK,
Last post.

The settlers didn't begin having problems with Indians until England decided they wanted to take America back from France. I refer you to the French/Indian War. http://web.syr.edu/~laroux/history/history.html
Tell that to the Nez Perce, the Comanche, the Sioux, etc.. And, of course, you completely ignore the settlement of the rest of the New World "settled" by god-fearing Christians. Care to discuss the Aztecs, the Incas?
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