The Bible and historical accuracy

SezMe said:
You may be right, TM, but color me...skeptical. :)
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Well, try explaining why Caligula was so unpopular without explaining why marrying Vestal Virgins, knocking a hallway between Castor and Pollux in their own temple, sticking your own statue in Jupiter's place, and dressing up like Venus were so upsetting to people.

It's a wonder the guy had any time for the incests, orgies, murders, and horse racing.
 
I wonder what percentage of Americans think that the moses stories are significantly true.

I suspect it might be over 80%. There seems to be very little public discourse on the subject and the idea that the pentateuch is probably almost entirely made up is rarely discussed in public. It would be sad if the public schools reinforced that ignorance in the public. I don't think I 've seen anything like what was described above in the California schools that my daughters have attended but it seems very plausible that bible belt public schools might not be so secular.
 
TragicMonkey said:
Well, try explaining why Caligula was so unpopular without explaining why marrying Vestal Virgins, knocking a hallway between Castor and Pollux in their own temple, sticking your own statue in Jupiter's place, and dressing up like Venus were so upsetting to people.

It's a wonder the guy had any time for the incests, orgies, murders, and horse racing.
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Ya know, I just don't know how to respond. There are several possibilites:

1. This is an April Fools response but your system clock is really effed up.

2. You are yanking my chain with irrelevancies (may be a subset of 1, above)

3. I am a complete idiot, having no knowledge to evaluate your insightful comment.

See, here is what is wrong with this forum. I vote for #3. I seem to always vote for #3. It seems everyone here knows so damn much that I gotta keep ducking to keep from getting my head blown off.

No, ignore all that. Here is my real response: You're right, TM! I knew that all along, but just wanted you to make it explicit.

:) :( :o
 
Well, he is right. Without understanding the religion of a culture, you cannot get a complete picture of a culture. Same goes for mythology and superstition.

For example, take what you know of China. You may know quite a bit, or nothing at all. But part of understanding China is understanding the base superstitions of the people - the fact that Chinese houses and businesses often are peppered with 'little gods' and mini-altars. Keep all the spirits happy, you know - can't leave anyone out. Burn 'hell-money' and paper goods for your deceased relatives. Take part in spirit weddings and betrothals. Burn joss-sticks. It all seems like mundane customs and bizarre mini-rituals with little or no meaning to outsiders, but the fact is, without understanding the superstitions and religious origins behind these traditions, you really cannot come to understand the people. Do you know why sticking your chopsticks upright into a bowl of rice is offensive? How do you react when a Chinese man tells you he wants you to marry his dead daughter?

The same is true for any culture. This doesn't mean schools ought to be presenting Hebrew legends as fact, but they certainly ought to be presenting them as part of the study of Israel - or any part of the Middle East, for that matter.
 
davefoc said:
I wonder what percentage of Americans think that the moses stories are significantly true.

I suspect it might be over 80%. There seems to be very little public discourse on the subject and the idea that the pentateuch is probably almost entirely made up is rarely discussed in public. It would be sad if the public schools reinforced that ignorance in the public. I don't think I 've seen anything like what was described above in the California schools that my daughters have attended but it seems very plausible that bible belt public schools might not be so secular.
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Davefoc--I live in Orange County, too. Sometimes, I forget that OC can be very religious and conservative.
 
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