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Why are YOU an Atheist?
#71
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
Hahahahaha.

I hadn't spent enough time around the forum to know, but now I get why they call you a Christian-in-disguise.
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#72
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
(December 4, 2012 at 4:31 pm)thesummerqueen Wrote: Hahahahaha.

I hadn't spent enough time around the forum to know, but now I get why they call you a Christian-in-disguise.

I can't find the appropriate smiley to convey what I'm feeling to you right now.

But my position is in line with historians, archaeologists, anthropologists and other academics who work with ANE (ancient near-east) history. It is that there are several parts of the Bible which are verified by historical narratives and archaeological findings.

Therefore, it would be false to say the Bible is a fiction.

Rather, it's appropriate to say (as an atheist) that only "parts of the Bible are fictional".

Half these clowns on the forum haven't even cracked open a Bible let alone done any systematic study of the book to know what in the world they are talking about. 90% of it is as boring as a historical logbook. And at least according to New Testament scholars, many parts are as historically accurate as one.
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#73
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
Sweet pea, "The Da Vinci Code" has real places and mentions real events and narratives.

It's still fiction.
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#74
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
Honey cunt, the author of Da Vinci Code INTENDED it to be fiction.

The Bible, which is purported to have several authors, and is composed of several books, was intended, (at least in part, possibly as a whole), to be non-fiction.

Please, lrn 2 skool furst.
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#75
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
Vinny should be a comedian ROFLOL
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#76
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
I'd say that 1000 years from now people might be saying the same of Harry Potter, but then I remember that we have more than just an oral tradition.

Back when the Bible was compiled, there was a bare minimum of ability to confirm or deny the stories being written down. We have several respected Greek and Roman authors who also wrote about things that were "intended" as truth for the time but were later discovered to be fiction.

Having "real" elements in a book does not make it any more "a history" once it's found out to be inaccurate. Having "real" elements is often used to add legitimacy to any ol' claim someone feels like espousing. That includes oral traditions that people would love to pass on to continue social and religious control.

Dan Brown might have "intended" his book to be fiction, but many people like yourself would say "Well, gee, there's a lot of truth included in it - I better take this book with some seriousness!"

I'd love for my people's martyr complex to be further enhanced by the Exodus being true. There were some "real" elements in the story. Too bad there's no reason to believe the story itself and the narrative it proposes is real, thanks to the findings and diligent work of people who give a fuck about history and science.
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#77
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
Quote:Rather, it's appropriate to say (as an atheist) that only "parts of the Bible are fictional".

True, some parts of the Bible have some historical significance (they're still fragmentary and heavily biased, so even the historical details should be taken with a pinch of salt).

Then again, the Iliad is fiction, but has some historical significance (Schliemann found Troy thanks to it, after all). The Bible probably wasn't intended as fiction, but it can easily be labeled as mythology (just like the Iliad).
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#78
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
(December 4, 2012 at 5:02 pm)thesummerqueen Wrote: I'd say that 1000 years from now people might be saying the same of Harry Potter, but then I remember that we have more than just an oral tradition.

Back when the Bible was compiled, there was a bare minimum of ability to confirm or deny the stories being written down. We have several respected Greek and Roman authors who also wrote about things that were "intended" as truth for the time but were later discovered to be fiction.

Having "real" elements in a book does not make it any more "a history" once it's found out to be inaccurate. Having "real" elements is often used to add legitimacy to any ol' claim someone feels like espousing. That includes oral traditions that people would love to pass on to continue social and religious control.

Dan Brown might have "intended" his book to be fiction, but many people like yourself would say "Well, gee, there's a lot of truth included in it - I better take this book with some seriousness!"

I'd love for my people's martyr complex to be further enhanced by the Exodus being true. There were some "real" elements in the story. Too bad there's no reason to believe the story itself and the narrative it proposes is real, thanks to the findings and diligent work of people who give a fuck about history and science.
This is a thoughtful post. Kudos.

Pinch your nose and look at the Biblical book of 1 Chronicles. The first nine chapters look like this. I find it hard to call that fiction.

But in historical literary criticism, the point you made about historians faking things is serious. It's nice that you are aware. The explanations for this are very interesting.

But properly speaking, the Bible isn't one book. Nobody judges the Bible historically or from a position of literary criticism as one book. This is just Christians and Jews and religious ideologues (including atheists) who speak from within literary criticism of the Bible as if it is one book, thanks to the Council of Nicaea.

Properly speaking, the Bible is a collection of many books, some fiction some non-fiction. Others combining the two.

One thing it does not justify is the claim that "the Bible is fiction". Any more than "What thesummerqueen is saying is fiction, because parts of what he's saying is bullshit even though his claims have nuggets of fact in them".
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#79
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
1) you forgot the 's'. I'm a "she". Minor irritant.

2) I don't recall the one book or many books being relevant to its historical accuracy. Take it line by line for all I care. Discussing it as one book is a convenient way to reference everything listed in it. I'm not even discussing it as a linear narrative - if I were to take just certain stories and discuss their accuracy or relevancy, it would be the same.

3) Call it what you fucking want, it doesn't change the fact that he has a valid point for questioning belief and finding it severely lacking based on the inaccuracies, mythologies, lies and bullshit found within it.

We can play semantics all you want. If it's discovered that someone wrote a biography of George Washington that wasn't based in reality and included deliberate fabrication, I call that "a fiction". Or at least, as Robert Wuhl is fond of saying "based on a true story."
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#80
RE: Why are YOU an Atheist?
The bible: based on a true story...veeeeeeery loosely based...okay 90% < fake.
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