Who wrote the Bible?

Tim Robbins

Here's an excellant documentary, I found very interesting. My argument to Christians is that their best evidence for their views is the Bible, but is the Bible that historically accurate? Is it not spin, propoaganda, or is it really factually accurate?? This is the crux of the matter

http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/can_you_believe_it/debates/bible.html

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2061773048178434620

Have a look and let's have a discussion, about this? I see there's a similar thread in the christianity forum, however I would interested on atheists views on this.

Thanks

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Yes, IMO it is spin and propoganda. It was compiled from a massive collection of ancient documents, by Constantine The Great AFAIK, who, it would appear used the religion to affirm his control of the Roman empire

Beruthiel

sean_keevey wrote:

Yes, IMO it is spin and propoganda. It was compiled from a massive collection of ancient documents, by Constantine The Great

I believe the Pagans (Romans) and Christians weren't getting along so well, so he compiled a book that took in part of both religions to bring them together and keep everyone happy.
Sunday was always a pagan holy day for example, there are loads more examples like this.

/edit
Some more examples

The Romans celebrated the Winter Solstice on December 25th as a renewing of the sun every year. In many European countries, this is called Yuletide, meaning wheel time, the cycles of time. The Church tried to put an end to this festival but failed. So, in 354 CE Pope Liberius repackaged this Pagan festival as Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus despite the fact there is no recorded date for the event. Another Pagan festival of the Romans was Lupercalia. Romans believed believed that the goddess Juno Februata inflicted her love fever on the young and unwary in the ides of of February. This festival was converted to St. Valentine's Day.

early Christianity “honored the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday, but Constantine shifted it to coincide with the pagan’s veneration day of the sun.”
“To this day, most churchgoers attend services on Sunday morning with no idea that they are there on account of the pagan sun god’s weekly tribute

LFCFan

whoever wrote it, it's a scary thought that so many billions of people have led their lives based on not only what may be written in the book but mainly on how mere Men have interpreted it. If God himself came down from the heavens and told us that the Bible was all true and we should live our lives based on what the Pope told us then maybe I'd be swayed (although I'd be fairly pissed off about it) but to put so much faith in 1 book and the preachings of a few.........no chance.

Asiaprod

Beruthiel wrote:

I believe the Pagans (Romans) and Christians weren't getting along so well, so he compiled a book that took in part of both religions to bring them together and keep everyone happy.

Correct, as always. A Hybrid, a pacifier that became a control tool, but it does have some good info in it.

bullpost

Ye're going a bit off topic but you might like to consider the following quote from the german secular philosopher Habermas:
"Christianity, and nothing else, is the ultimate foundation of liberty, conscience, human rights, and democracy, the benchmarks of Western civilisation".

Tim Robbins

LFCFan wrote:

whoever wrote it, it's a scary thought that so many billions of people have led their lives based on not only what may be written in the book but mainly on how mere Men have interpreted it. If God himself came down from the heavens and told us that the Bible was all true and we should live our lives based on what the Pope told us then maybe I'd be swayed (although I'd be fairly pissed off about it) but to put so much faith in 1 book and the preachings of a few.........no chance.

Technically, it's more than one book, it's a collection of books by the authors. I used to think the same myself.

doonothing

ah its not too scary, 90% of it is just basic life lessons we should be taught as children.
ok, so 10% of it is scary...

Dades

bullpost wrote:

"Christianity, and nothing else, is the ultimate foundation of liberty, conscience, human rights, and democracy, the benchmarks of Western civilisation".

That sounds exactly what a Christian would say. What's an "ultimate foundation" anyway? Socrates and a few others were talking sense long before Jesus.

robindch

> you might like to consider the following quote from the german secular
> philosopher Habermas: "Christianity, and nothing else, is the ultimate
> foundation of liberty, conscience, human rights, and democracy,
> the benchmarks of Western civilisation".

Christianity is the foundation of democracy? I'm sure the Ancient greeks would like to have a word with him about that!

bullpost

The Atheist wrote:

That sounds exactly what a Christian would say. What's an "ultimate foundation" anyway? Socrates and a few others were talking sense long before Jesus.

The guy is an atheist .

Thomas_S_Hunterson

bullpost wrote:

"Christianity, and nothing else, is the ultimate foundation of liberty, conscience, human rights, and democracy, the benchmarks of Western civilisation".

That's just being naive.

Liberty, conscience, human rights and democracy were around long before Christianity.

Scofflaw

bullpost wrote:

The guy is an atheist .

Well, yes. And your point? That only a Christian would accept what you said? Maybe not all Christians, either...

Western civilization, insofar as it has an "ultimate foundation", is founded on Graeco-Roman civilisation, as is Christianity.

cordially,
Scofflaw