http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marduk
Well obviously Abraham came from Ur and would have been very well aquainted with all the historama of the Gods of his land. This is why I don't find it surprising that the Golden Calf emerged from the fire at Sinai. It was a deep rooted subliminal memory of the Golden Astral Calf that emerged from their collective subconcious. God would have to let them see it to remember it, and then allow the process of rehabilitation to work it's way through the collective psyche of his chosen people in order to work a salvation for them.
This is the fish and chip version, so it's not going to be long.
Bear in mind that the Mesopotamian Gods were a lazy lot and expected humanity to work their buts off so they got an easy life. Abraham was called by the one true God to leave and make a journey to a land he was shown. Which he was shown. Then there is the bit in between up until the sacking of the Second Temple, was it AD 72, or AD74? It definately wasn't AD73!
Meanwhile this guy Jesus had already been seen off by all parties, John the Baptist actually being the cruicial witness, working on the basis of 'it takes one to know one'.
Who is greater the object person or the person who recognises the person?
That's the old mirror trick at work again. (I sometimes look in the mirror and think 'you look awful in that mirror', and then laugh because I don't feel awful!) I think 'that's my alter ego trying to piss me off'! It helps if you are barking mad already..... ha!
Anyway the Greeks were pretty good at pinching everyone elses Gods, what if this statue of the God Marduk had somehow found its way to Greece, and the story of Paul encouraging the Greeks to name Jesus as the name of the 'Unknown God'? This is why I have always been suspicious of Paul. To have considered such blatant idolatory as a Roman Jew with a full Jewish background would be unthinkable.
This verse is from Acts 17 v23. Within the passage it makes sense, however even unwittingly Paul has annexed this 'unknown God' statue into the Jesus story. Along possibly with the pantheon of Mesopotamian Gods and their historical abuse.
I am not entirely sure that the idea of Jesus being 'Christ' consciousness comes from judaic thought either, it seems more aligned with Buddist thinking. I am more concenrned that I have been accepting a christian doctrine based on identity theft of a genuine person, who in his life and the teachings I found in the Gospels led me back to the old testament, and made more sense to me by far in a modern Jewish commentary by Avivah Gotlieb Zeinberg.
That's why I don't think Paul could have been Jewish. I think he might have more likely been Asian/Turkish in his lineage. I also did a lot of research years ago and came up with loads of connections to the Herodeans by marriage for him. I might still have the links on my favorites page or in a folder somewhere. Paul definately bogged off to a sect in Persia for about three years after the Damascus thing from what I managed to put together.
So is the rest of the Bible a fabrication? No, I think the New Testament minus Paul's 'new doctrine for the church' and this character manipulation and identity theft business with the statue is, good stuff. I would also keep all of the original texts that we call the 'Old Testament'. This all 'adds up' for me.
I believe Jesus died for me, so that I might find a hotline relationship with God. One that doesn't need a mediator, and one that I can enter into without shame, reluctance, or any other reservation. God seems pretty reasonable to me. I get out of my relationship with him more than I put in, because He is God and He/She is infinate. I am not.
I am saved, and I know it. I am saved from making choices based on other peoples ideas and doctrines, and I am saved to thinking for myself, taking responsibility for myself, and doing something useful. Hopefully this is it, because I can't seem to find anything else to do right now.
I am especially saved tonight from watching the 'I'm a celebrity get me out of here' drivvel my Husband is watching on TV downstairs!
I have aleady said what I think about Jesus. The funny thing is, here in our Jersey Parishes we call Jesus 'St Saviour'. I like this, because Jesus never made any direct claim to be the 'Son of God'. Others recognised this of Him, but he never said it outright, except for the woman at the well.
That woman could have been me. I was a very lost person until I asked Jesus to show me the way.
I wonder what the Christian Church would look like without Pauline Theology?
Right time for a cuppa and a roll up, yup... I am saved also from giving up smoking! It probably doesn't make my wheezy asthema any better, but I am sure not going to give up smoking all the while there is so much antagonism towards those of us who like a smoke. Anyway, we are less likely to get stomach cancer!
Sweet dreams, and a very blessed day tomorrow. I am thinking of all the OWS and similar movements all over the world having to keep warm in these colder days. Perhaps we could just dump all the cold weather on the bad guys and have a white out where people need to mend their ways? Better start a prayer chain for it, and all the other good things we need on this planet.
Sleep well, God bless everyone.