If the Bible is "proof" of God, then why can't the Edda's be proof of the Norse gods or the Book of the Dead

Question

for the Egyptians? They were all written by man, inspired by the gods. Besides the whole "Because God said so" is there an arguement?

Xyleshia: Actually they do if you take the time to read them. Don't bash something you haven't read or studied. You just look silly.

William: wonderful circular arguement there. LOL God is real because you say so. Should I convert now?

Wayne: What makes you think I haven't read them all? And if you think there isn't archeoligcal evidence of things written in those books, you obviously haven't studied them yourself.

Once again Quail, you give me faith in Christians. XOXO

Back at ya Wayne. I have studied the Bible. Let me guess, since I don't agree with you then I must "not understand"? Get used to it.

Answer 1

AMEN!!! You just became my favorite person here!

Answer 2

Indeed. One of the most common mistakes that seem to be made by members of any religion with a holy book is that proof of one line in the book is proof of any other line in the book. But it should be obvious that it doesn't work that way.

I could take a history book and scrawl stuff in the margins. 99% of the contents of the book would be verifiably true - WAY more than any religious text I know of. Does that make my scrawlings true also? Of course not! The very suggestion is patent nonsense.

Even if we did accept the complete and total truth of unverified portions on the basis of verified portions, most theists also blandly overlook the sheer monumental burden of what they are trying to claim.

If someone told me that they found a quarter on the street, I'd probably believe them - this is an event that demonstrably happens with regularity. If he told me that Tom Cruise gave him a quarter, I would probably be more skeptical without a few more witnesses and maybe a picture - though it's possible, it's so unlikely that it's difficult to believe. If he told me that an alien descended in a space ship and gave him alien currency which by sheer chance happens to look identical to ours, I doubt even a picture would convice me.

Even this latter case seems more plausible than some of the things claimed in religious texts. I have never even heard from a plausible source a case of someone returning from the dead three days later, nor walking on water, nor multiplying food hundreds of times over, nor many of the other things ascribed to heroes in these stories. And though it is easy to imagine illusions by which these things might SEEM to be so without actually being so, that is not what these texts claim.

It's going to take a LOT more then a heavily edited third-hand written account to make me believe any of it. It would be hard to swallow even if I saw it in person.

None of which means it couldn't have happened... just that it's so fantastically unusual, that any reasonable theist should understand why others don't buy into it. Perhaps that shows how few of them are reasonable...

Answer 3

I don't think there really is a reason why any other "religious text" holds less sway than the bible, at least not a religious one. I think it all really amounts to the fact that right now, at this time in history, the Christians are the "reigning religion" so, sad to say, they hold the most sway. Another thing is that during the time of the Book of the Dead and the Edda's is that people almost automatically trusted that the gods existed. They didn't demand proof.

Answer 4

Waes hael!

Hmm well firstly much of the Eddas and even more of the sagas can be proven. Everybody believed that Columbus was the first European to go to America. The history books said so. They completely disregarded the Vinland sagas as proof of anything. Hmm.. guess what? They found a viking village in Newfoundland! Real archaeological evidence of a village of around 40 houses.
sometimes the 'truth' is there but we just ignore it because it doesn't fit in with what we choose to believe.

As for the poor deluded individuals who cling for life to the assumption that they hold the only truth; or are perhaps too frightened of the alternative reality should they be wrong: I do understand that you need your 'security blanket'. But honestly I don't need to share it with you. I am secure enough in my beliefs to accept that other people see things differently from me without needing to convert everybody to my way of thinking. I can honour your beliefs without that shaking the core of what I hold to be true.

And at the end of the day we can each only decide what is 'true' for ourselves. We each have a unique perspective on the universe. No-one can prove that their view is any more or less valid than anyone else's. Indeed even if you could prove your view was valid it would only prove it was valid for you and not anyone else.

All Holy books were written by people. Inspired by God or just by politics, sometimes a bit of both perhaps? It is not enough to know what is said and quote it. You also need to take into account of who was writing it, why they were writing it, what were the political circumstances of the society at that time, etc etc. And not just to believe what they wrote as the reason for writing it.
Not to do so is to miss the essential truth of the message the person was trying to convey. And why Fundamentalists of any religion end up living in a world of paradoxes.

Answer 5

This is a great statement! In doing any kind of extensive search for proof of a Historical Jesus, it is easily discovered that there is more physical evidence that Hercules existed than that Jesus did. This could mean any number of things (such as all evidence was destroyed by book burnings, etc.), but it does give credence to the original question here.

So, if the bible is its own proof, how can it work to not find any evidence of Jesus in history? It is known that a civilization's gods die out when the civilization itself dies out, and new ones replace the former ones. Jesus is the retelling of the stories of Osiris, Horus, Mithras, Hercules, et al. These are all, of course, stories of Astro-Theology.

Answer 6

i used to think it was simply pathetic that people think that a few archaeological finds validate every word of the bible, but some of these people are scaring me. where's the proof that the red sea was parted, did the israelites drop nothing, did god hide the eqyptian chariots and weapons? why did the israelites even go that way? where's the trash pit full of fish bones from the feeding of the multitudes?

there are a lot of written documents that have been verified thru archaeology, many of them of much greater historical importance than the bible. the bible is a historical drama, using bits of real events as a background to fictional events.

no, wayne, revisionist histrory wouldn't be automatically accepted as the truth just because it was written down. i do know some people that believe in some pretty far-fetched revisionist history, tho, so you might as well give it a try.

yes, ray, flying monkees are real to those who choose to believe in them. i'd send mine over, but you don't believe in them, so it won't do any good.

Answer 7

Well, MY God says He's better, do any of those gods say they're better? using the "if it's written is true rule" then my God has just owned Osiris.

o wait, that might be considered "because God said so"


the Tao Te Ching proves the existence of the Tao also.

seriously, no, there is no argument. Actually for the most time the similarities have been celebrated instead of "ahh it's evil"
at least i think.

Answer 8

The one is as good a "proof" as the others!

(In other words, none of them "prove" anything. But I agree they can all be very inspiring and meaningful.)

P.S. Xyleisha, yes, there are some writings in other cultures that do contain prophecies that have come as true as those of the Bible. Some even include apocalyptic prophecies of the end of the world. Check out the Hermetica, for example.

Answer 9

I agree. If Christians accept the bible on face value, they must also accept "The Book of Going Forth By Day" at face value, in which case they should all still be worshiping Khepera as the original creator of all there is. Chronologically, Khepera did make that claim first.

Answer 10

My thoughts exactly, and even the Bible gives weight to, makes known the existence of, other Gods, so there must be more than one.

Goddess Bless.
Blessed Be.

Answer 11

Some need a book or a teacher to point out a "path". Sometimes one apple plus two apples = three, is all that is needed. Some need a story or stories to explain where the first apple came from anyway...and then the other two? What kind of apples were they? Blah, blah....

Hope that made sense. :P