It doesn't work biblically though. The flood was done specifically to wipe out those with blood that wasn't suited to the god of the Bible's tastes. And so according to it, everyone is descended from Noah and his family.
If you read the Apocrypha, you learn why. The other angels/deities felt sorry for man and were trying to help raise man to be more like them. They were reproducing with humans to make them more divine. The god of the Bible is always jealous of anything that becomes at all powerful (see Babel, tower of) and thus the flood.
I suppose. But they'll just go back and have it explained to them why that argument doesn't work, and thus they'll become more convinced of their own rightness.
I do prefer to emphasize that the serpent is the hero of the tale. I never did understand how one could read the Bible and side with god. But then, I was raised on the first five books. The New Testament always seemed incredibly inconsistent and in a completely different tone. There's just no connection. They don't seem like works by the same personality at all.
But if you look at it from the point of view of the writing, the absolute worst thing you can do is to become Christian.
Because there are many deities (which is fairly clear just from reading the Bible. The Old Testament is fairly clearly pantheistic. People just don't like to admit it.), and presumably, you fall under the jurisdiction of the deity you worship/submit to. Now we know the JudeoChristian god is a vengeful asshole. He's very quick to punish, very slow to educate or help, and he has a penchant for making people suffer both in this world and the next. So, you can either try to placate the abusive power figure (and we know how well that tends to work) where you constantly run the risk of not measuring up - or you can find a deity who is kinder, gentler, loving, and accepting.
Personally, I nominate myself. But people can find whoever they'd like to their own tastes.
Some people might consider me a bit of a heathen...
(oh, and the use of a snake in my userpic is quite deliberate. I do like how the snake in the ouroborus is a symbol for eternity, intelligence, and teaching. Ever notice how we give apples to teachers.)
It doesn't work biblically though. The flood was done specifically to wipe out those with blood that wasn't suited to the god of the Bible's tastes. And so according to it, everyone is descended from Noah and his family.
If you read the Apocrypha, you learn why. The other angels/deities felt sorry for man and were trying to help raise man to be more like them. They were reproducing with humans to make them more divine. The god of the Bible is always jealous of anything that becomes at all powerful (see Babel, tower of) and thus the flood.
I suppose. But they'll just go back and have it explained to them why that argument doesn't work, and thus they'll become more convinced of their own rightness.
I do prefer to emphasize that the serpent is the hero of the tale. I never did understand how one could read the Bible and side with god. But then, I was raised on the first five books. The New Testament always seemed incredibly inconsistent and in a completely different tone. There's just no connection. They don't seem like works by the same personality at all.
But if you look at it from the point of view of the writing, the absolute worst thing you can do is to become Christian.
Because there are many deities (which is fairly clear just from reading the Bible. The Old Testament is fairly clearly pantheistic. People just don't like to admit it.), and presumably, you fall under the jurisdiction of the deity you worship/submit to. Now we know the JudeoChristian god is a vengeful asshole. He's very quick to punish, very slow to educate or help, and he has a penchant for making people suffer both in this world and the next. So, you can either try to placate the abusive power figure (and we know how well that tends to work) where you constantly run the risk of not measuring up - or you can find a deity who is kinder, gentler, loving, and accepting.
Personally, I nominate myself. But people can find whoever they'd like to their own tastes.
Some people might consider me a bit of a heathen...
(oh, and the use of a snake in my userpic is quite deliberate. I do like how the snake in the ouroborus is a symbol for eternity, intelligence, and teaching. Ever notice how we give apples to teachers.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 09:22 am (UTC)I approves.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:02 am (UTC)If you read the Apocrypha, you learn why. The other angels/deities felt sorry for man and were trying to help raise man to be more like them. They were reproducing with humans to make them more divine. The god of the Bible is always jealous of anything that becomes at all powerful (see Babel, tower of) and thus the flood.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:08 am (UTC)I do prefer to emphasize that the serpent is the hero of the tale. I never did understand how one could read the Bible and side with god. But then, I was raised on the first five books. The New Testament always seemed incredibly inconsistent and in a completely different tone. There's just no connection. They don't seem like works by the same personality at all.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:15 am (UTC)But if you look at it from the point of view of the writing, the absolute worst thing you can do is to become Christian.
Because there are many deities (which is fairly clear just from reading the Bible. The Old Testament is fairly clearly pantheistic. People just don't like to admit it.), and presumably, you fall under the jurisdiction of the deity you worship/submit to. Now we know the JudeoChristian god is a vengeful asshole. He's very quick to punish, very slow to educate or help, and he has a penchant for making people suffer both in this world and the next. So, you can either try to placate the abusive power figure (and we know how well that tends to work) where you constantly run the risk of not measuring up - or you can find a deity who is kinder, gentler, loving, and accepting.
Personally, I nominate myself. But people can find whoever they'd like to their own tastes.
Some people might consider me a bit of a heathen...
no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-21 11:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 09:22 am (UTC)I approves.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:02 am (UTC)If you read the Apocrypha, you learn why. The other angels/deities felt sorry for man and were trying to help raise man to be more like them. They were reproducing with humans to make them more divine. The god of the Bible is always jealous of anything that becomes at all powerful (see Babel, tower of) and thus the flood.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:08 am (UTC)I do prefer to emphasize that the serpent is the hero of the tale. I never did understand how one could read the Bible and side with god. But then, I was raised on the first five books. The New Testament always seemed incredibly inconsistent and in a completely different tone. There's just no connection. They don't seem like works by the same personality at all.
no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:15 am (UTC)But if you look at it from the point of view of the writing, the absolute worst thing you can do is to become Christian.
Because there are many deities (which is fairly clear just from reading the Bible. The Old Testament is fairly clearly pantheistic. People just don't like to admit it.), and presumably, you fall under the jurisdiction of the deity you worship/submit to. Now we know the JudeoChristian god is a vengeful asshole. He's very quick to punish, very slow to educate or help, and he has a penchant for making people suffer both in this world and the next. So, you can either try to placate the abusive power figure (and we know how well that tends to work) where you constantly run the risk of not measuring up - or you can find a deity who is kinder, gentler, loving, and accepting.
Personally, I nominate myself. But people can find whoever they'd like to their own tastes.
Some people might consider me a bit of a heathen...
no subject
Date: 2005-03-15 10:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-21 11:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-21 11:03 am (UTC):digs around:
feh. can't find it. but it basically comes down to "who did cain marry?"
no subject
Date: 2005-03-21 11:03 am (UTC):digs around:
feh. can't find it. but it basically comes down to "who did cain marry?"