Dave I don't agree with much you say but I've been thinking about this one and its exactly what Steven and malakhi have done IMO and I'm wondering if they were to undertake with the same zeal and methods that they have in decoustructing Christianity and apply that to Judisiam what would happen to their faith or beliefs?
What do you guys have to say?
BigMack
Yes.
What do you guys have to say?
What I have to say is that God spoke with Moses and wrote the testimony on two tablets of stone. God spoke and God wrote. What you have is a collaboration of men with pointy hats. That being said I agree that Jews were not immune to pagan influence. But the results are different. Despite certain pagan influences that Jews brought back from Assyria & points beyond after the destruction of the 1st temple ultimately they have not divided the unity of God. They have stuck to the Shema "Hear O' Israel the Lord is our God, The Lord is One." (Shema Israel Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad) Not so Christians. They have incorporated goddess worship replacing Diana of the Ephesians with Mary, and Greek Mythology man-god worship with Jesus and a Trinity.
Sorry for the delay in replying; its been a busy few days.
Ultimately its a matter of faith, Mack. I believe in the inspiration of the Hebrew scriptures. I don't believe the Christian scriptures are similarly inspired. I may use critical theory at times in examining them, and I recognize that the same can be done to the Hebrew scriptures. But this is more a matter of "faith seeking understanding" (or "disbelief seeking understanding") than it is of relying upon this sort of analysis as the basis for my belief. Conviction comes first.