HoustonHorn Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 As part of my confusion, I've started using e-sword to keep notes on questions I have specific to certain verses. I noticed in the Strongs notes for Gen 1:1 that the original word used for God can be a plural, as can the word originally used for "Heaven", but they can both also be used as proper nouns. So now I'm even more confused as to how we're supposed to know whether "God" is supposed to refer to multiple gods or the actual Christian God. Same thing with Heaven. I'm thinking this could also explain why some English translations have "created Heaven" and some have "created the Heavens". Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 It's part of why I reject Xianity - actually, it's the primary reason. It contradicts itself on everything, including anything that one would think is necessary for a sane religion to have. When you read both the OT and the NT, you see that they just don't dovetail. They contradict themselves as well as each other. It's like trying to put a 1" diameter round peg in a 1/4" square hole. They just do not fit together. Hence, I just throw the whole mess away and use the brain I was born with. Besides, the Yahweh-worshippers of the OT were originally henotheists. That means someone who acknowledges a pantheon of gods, but honors one above all. They just took it further and further until Yahweh became the only god, and all others false idols. It stands to reason therefore that any mention of a plurality in Heaven in the OT is merely a left-over from the heneotheistic period of ancient Jewish belief and wasn't entirely weeded-out yet. Of course, a fundy Xian will assert that any time you read of Gawd being mentioned pluralistically implies the concept of the Trinity, which isn't even set forth in the NT. That's just another example of Xians doing literary contortions to prove to an increasingly-educated world that their religion is correct. No wonder they're losing believers left and right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonHorn Posted March 27, 2006 Author Share Posted March 27, 2006 worshippers of the OT were originally henotheists Do you have a source for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 worshippers of the OT were originally henotheists Do you have a source for that? http://www.eblaforum.org/library/bcah/intbibarch05.html That's a good read, and there are a few other links, but since I must dash off to work like a good little worshipper of Mammon, I haven't time to search. Perhaps someone else has the links handy...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willybilly30 Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 heres a link to judiac mythology. i am posting the link about ashera jehovahs wife but theirs a billion more gods and goddesses in the list. http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/mi...c/articles.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasemonkey Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 can't come up with any links offhand, but I know the "thou shalt have no other gods before me" was indicative of other gods existences; only that he was to be the numero uno among them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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