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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 9:06 pm
Hebrews in the Bible never seemed to embraced a pure monotheism, nor was there a single universal religion. Many important biblical characters in post-Exodus times, for instance, had names ending in "Baal," who was a major Canaanite deity. Gideon, one of the most famous of the early Judges, also was known as Jerub-baal, and Saul, first King of Israel, had a son named Esh-baal and this son succeeded him on the throne.
Christianity has multiple gods all with different purposes. Like Satan seem like a god ruling over hell. He's not so different from the ancient Greek god Hades, who is supposed to be running the underworld.
So, Christianity is henotheism - meaning that only one deity among many should be worshiped because Christians still believe in a host of supernatural beings, particularly angels and the devil. They are beings created by the one all-powerful Creator - just as the Egyptian deities were the product of the one all powerful Egyptian Creator.
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 9:17 pm
(October 20, 2022 at 8:38 pm)Huggy Bear Wrote: (October 20, 2022 at 8:03 pm)Jehanne Wrote: The First Commandment implies henotheism:
"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)
How could the author speak of "other gods" if the author did not believe in gods other than Yahweh?
The definition of 'god' simply means object of worship, which could mean anything. God is saying he should be number one priority, anything you prioritize over God is your god.
Great spin. I am so unconvinced. How about this one:
“Who is like thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, majestic in holiness, terrible in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" (Exodus 15:11)
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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 9:31 pm
Who, and when, brought xtianity to your ancestors, Huggy?
If you get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around.
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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 9:33 pm
(October 20, 2022 at 9:31 pm)Fireball Wrote: Who, and when, brought xtianity to your ancestors, Huggy?
Clearly, white supremacy was thinking about their eternal souls by forcing Christianity upon them via slavery.
"Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat."
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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 9:54 pm
(October 20, 2022 at 9:31 pm)Fireball Wrote: Who, and when, brought xtianity to your ancestors, Huggy?
My ancestors WERE the ancient Hebrews...
Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? Amos 9:7
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. - Song of Solomon 1:5
The Lord shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone - Deuteronomy 28:36
And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you. - Deuteronomy 28:68
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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 9:56 pm
But what is the historical and cultural religion of Africa? Hint: it certainly isn't christianity.
"Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat."
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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 10:01 pm
(October 20, 2022 at 9:54 pm)Huggy Bear Wrote: (October 20, 2022 at 9:31 pm)Fireball Wrote: Who, and when, brought xtianity to your ancestors, Huggy?
My ancestors WERE the ancient Hebrews...
Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? Amos 9:7
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. - Song of Solomon 1:5
The Lord shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone - Deuteronomy 28:36
And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you. - Deuteronomy 28:68
DNA evidence can, of course, settle that question, and it has; you almost certainly do not have significant, if any, ancestral Semitic DNA in your genes. In fact, unlike humans outside of Africa (and, the majority to most contemporaneous American blacks are not pure Africans), you probably have little to no Neanderthal DNA.
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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 10:02 pm
(October 20, 2022 at 9:56 pm)Tomato Wrote: But what is the historical and cultural religion of Africa? Hint: it certainly isn't christianity.
Africa's kind of a big place.
The Copts are in Africa, and they have a long history and cultural influence.
Ancient Alexandria was an important center for the development of early Christianity.
So some of Africa's historical and cultural religion is Christianity.
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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 10:05 pm
(October 20, 2022 at 10:02 pm)Belacqua Wrote: (October 20, 2022 at 9:56 pm)Tomato Wrote: But what is the historical and cultural religion of Africa? Hint: it certainly isn't christianity.
Africa's kind of a big place.
The Copts are in Africa, and they have a long history and cultural influence.
Ancient Alexandria was an important center for the development of early Christianity.
So some of Africa's historical and cultural religion is Christianity.
The Jews were never in Egypt, at least in large numbers.
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RE: Henotheism in the Hebrew Bible.
October 20, 2022 at 10:06 pm
And Egypt was fond of its cults, but not of the Christian variety.
"Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat."
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