Fellow Christians, is this deception?

Question

Are atheists lying about the Bible being inspired by earlier folklore?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgO.Xhr3E..fOWcspd1Wo9vsy6IX?qid=20061202004748AAF4zEz

I think it's all a coincidence and fabrication, what do you think? I'm not sure.

If no one can defeat Sheldon's argument then case closed.

Answer 1

Well, historically speaking, other religions did know about things like the flood, etc.

Between the flood and the biblical teachings that we have historical proof of, polytheism was a very popular way of life... the only thing that we actually have proof of. That is not saying that there weren't still monotheists who believed in God, but 3000-5000 years later, it's hard to have proof. People served many gods, most of them the mythological ones. The first person that we have historical proof of serving only ONE God was, I believe Akhenaton (who had a dream... changed his name,etc.), but that was very short lived, and when he died, his people went back to polytheism and believed that they could pick whatever gods they wanted to serve. So if the Sun god was mad at them, they could serve others. Who needed that one anyway... was their way of thinking.

There were tons of people worshiping different Gods, statues, idols, temples etc. throughout history, but we do have historical PROOF of biblical writings, such as King David. The stories of David and Goliath are historical FACT, not fiction.

I haven't yet seen the site, but there were other religions besides Christianity. Christianity was not then what it is now. Most religions saw lots of persecution for thousands of years. It is nothing new.

Even in the Catholic church; there have been uncountable times when the Church has seen unbelievable trials and tribulations and poor leadership. For instance, during the middle ages, the King's Templars were appointed to protect the City of Jerusalem at all costs. They were also given banking priveledges via the Pope. They were badly persecuted, torchured and killed (thought to be spreading the plaugue, had all of the money, everyone owed them money, etc.) before the Pope himself was kidnapped and moved outside of Rome. Before that fiasco was over with, there were three Popes at once and the Catholic Church faced very rough times.

Answer 2

It's not just Mithra. There's also Osiris, Dionysos, Attis, Horus, Heracles, Zoroaster, and quite notably a deity that is worshipped to this day by Hindus - Krishna.

And, as many people have stated, it's not just the story of Jesus, but also the flood story, and many others that have been predated by stories in other cultures.

Have a look at the video. It's about an hour long. It goes through much of this very topic.

Answer 3

Many stories that are found in the Bible can be found in other cultures. Take the flood story. Why wouldn't other cultures tell there children about it. Let me give you an example. There's a big fire down the street, and someone tells you about it. Two hours later, I tell you about the fire. Does that mean my story of the fire was based upon the first person's story? Or could we both have seen the fire?

What's told in the Bible isn't recapping folklore, but are true, accurate stories.

Answer 4

You'd be surprised how little most atheists have against christians.

Few have any bad feelings at all. The way to see that may be to consider them as having taken a different gamble on their soul or afterlife.

Remember that many of them are as sure of what they believe as you are, and that they are willing to be as respectful of you as they hope you will be.

If the bible is inspired by earlier folklore, it doesn't make your truth less true to you. Stay strong in your belief, but consider the fact that it may be based on other things.

Answer 5

The Bible is the word of ancient men pretending to be God.. If the story of Noah & the Arc is the word of God, how did Noah get to Antarctica to gather 2 Polar Bears? How did he get to the Amazon Rainforest to gather some of the 1 million different species of insects? Somethings wrong with a God Concept that has taken over 100 million lives and encourages the followers to ignore it.

Answer 6

A similarity between Mithra and Christ struck even early observers, such as Justin, Tertullian, and other Fathers, and in recent times has been urged to prove that Christianity is but an adaptation of Mithraism, or at most the outcome of the same religious ideas and aspirations (e.g. Robertson, "Pagan Christs", 1903). Against this erroneous and unscientific procedure, which is not endorsed by the greatest living authority on Mithraism, the following considerations must be brought forward. (1) Our knowledge regarding Mithraism is very imperfect; some 600 brief inscriptions, mostly dedicatory, some 300 often fragmentary, exiguous, almost identical monuments, a few casual references in the Fathers or Acts of the Martyrs, and a brief polemic against Mithraism which the Armenian Eznig about 450 probably copied from Theodore of Mopsuestia (d. 428) who lived when Mithraism was almost a thing of the past -- these are our only sources, unless we include the Avesta in which Mithra is indeed mentioned, but which cannot be an authority for Roman Mithraism with which Christianity is compared. Our knowledge is mostly ingenious guess-work; of the real inner working of Mithraism and the sense in which it was understood by those who professed it at the advent of Christianity, we know nothing. (2) Some apparent similarities exist; but in a number of details it is quite probable that Mithraism was the borrower from Christianity. Tertullian about 200 could say: "hesterni sumus et omnia vestra implevimus" ("we are but of yesterday, yet your whole world is full of us"). It is not unnatural to suppose that a religion which filled the whole world, should have been copied at least in some details by another religion which was quite popular during the third century. Moreover the resemblances pointed out are superficial and external. Similarity in words and names is nothing; it is the sense that matters. During these centuries Christianity was coining its own technical terms, and naturally took names, terms, and expressions current in that day; and so did Mithraism. But under identical terms each system thought its own thoughts. Mithra is called a mediator; and so is Christ; but Mithra originally only in a cosmogonic or astronomical sense; Christ, being God and man, is by nature the Mediator between God and man. And so in similar instances. Mithraism had a Eucharist, but the idea of a sacred banquet is as old as the human race and existed at all ages and amongst all peoples. Mithra saved the world by sacrificing a bull; Christ by sacrificing Himself. It is hardly possible to conceive a more radical difference than that between Mithra taurochtonos and Christ crucified. Christ was born of a Virgin; there is nothing to prove that the same was believed of Mithra born from the rock. Christ was born in a cave; and Mithraists worshipped in a cave, but Mithra was born under a tree near a river. Much as been made of the presence of adoring shepherds; but their existence on sculptures has not been proven, and considering that man had not yet appeared, it is an anachronism to suppose their presence. (3) Christ was an historical personage, recently born in a well known town of Judea, and crucified under a Roman governor, whose name figured in the ordinary official lists. Mithra was an abstraction, a personification not even of the sun but of the diffused daylight; his incarnation, if such it may be called, was supposed to have happened before the creation of the human race, before all history. The small Mithraic congregations were like masonic lodges for a few and for men only and even those mostly of one class, the military; a religion that excludes the half of the human race bears no comparison to the religion of Christ. Mithraism was all comprehensive and tolerant of every other cult, the Pater Patrum himself was an adept in a number of other religions; Christianity was essential exclusive, condemning every other religion in the world, alone and unique in its majesty.

Answer 7

no , there are ACTUALLY stories in the bible that came from nordic and viking folk lore, david and goliath was a story about the viking conquering the sea and the story of abraham was a nordic tradition told to the sons of the community to keep them away from christianity(1 god)

what one god gives , the rest will take away
not
the lord giveth and the lord taketh away

Answer 8

Umm, everyone's been giving you plenty of decent answers. It's true: Half of those stories in the Bible can be found elsewhere. The flood story in particular can be found in all sorts of other religions. Why do you think we're making this all up?

Answer 9

Pick up an encyclopedia. Go to the Wikipedia. Find out for yourself. You are capable of independent thought, right?

Answer 10

Expand you mind, and draw your own conclusions, dont follow the herd on what you think. Have you ever know two people to fully agree on one subject? No, without being brainwashed people will have different views and should think for themselves.