Renouncing Family & Country
Edward Gibbon argued that the tendency of Christian converts to renounce their family and country, (and their frequent predictions of impending disasters), instilled a feeling of apprehension in their pagan neighbors. He wrote:
"By embracing the faith of the Gospel the Christians incurred the supposed guilt of an unnatural and unpardonable offence. They dissolved the sacred ties of custom and education, violated the religious institutions of their country, and presumptuously despised whatever their fathers had believed as true, or had reverenced as sacred."
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Full article here.
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Edward Gibbon argued that the tendency of Christian converts to renounce their family and country, (and their frequent predictions of impending disasters), instilled a feeling of apprehension in their pagan neighbors. He wrote:
"By embracing the faith of the Gospel the Christians incurred the supposed guilt of an unnatural and unpardonable offence. They dissolved the sacred ties of custom and education, violated the religious institutions of their country, and presumptuously despised whatever their fathers had believed as true, or had reverenced as sacred."
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Full article here.
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"In the entire works of the Jewish historian Josephus, which constitute hundreds of pages, there are only two paragraphs that purport to refer to Jesus. Although much has been made of these 'references', they have been dismissed by many scholars and even by Christian apologists as forgeries. Bishop Warburton (1698-1779) labeled the Josephus interpolation regarding Jesus as 'a rank forgery, and a very stupid one too.'"
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From: The Origins of Christianity by D.M. Murdock.
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From: The Origins of Christianity by D.M. Murdock.
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"Christians proclaim their opposition to Paganism, yet celebrate Easter, which is named after the Pagan Goddess Eostre. And they don't celebrate this most important of festivals on a fixed date which marks the crucifixion of Jesus, but according to a Pagan lunar calendar. Even more absurdly, they mark this holy day by eating eggs, a symbol of the Pagan Goddess. Why don't we have chocolate crucifixes? After all, Christianity is about eating the body of Christ. Although it might be a bit of a problem deciding which end to start."
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From: The Laughing Jesus by Tim Freke.
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From: The Laughing Jesus by Tim Freke.
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Just Another Jewish Cult
When Christianity began, Judaism was highly sectarian and diverse. There was no ‘normative’ set of Jewish beliefs, but a countless array of different Jewish belief systems vying for popularity. We know of at least ten competing sects, possibly more than thirty, and there could easily have been more. But we know very little about them, except that they differed from one another (sometimes radically) on various political, theological, metaphysical, moral and other issues.
In fact the evidence we do have establishes that, contrary to common assumption, innovation and syncretism (even with non-Judaic theologies) was actually typical of early-first-century Judaism, even in Palestine, and thus Christianity looks much less like an aberration and more like just another innovating, syncretistic Jewish cult.
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From: On the Historicity of Jesus by Richard Carrier.
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When Christianity began, Judaism was highly sectarian and diverse. There was no ‘normative’ set of Jewish beliefs, but a countless array of different Jewish belief systems vying for popularity. We know of at least ten competing sects, possibly more than thirty, and there could easily have been more. But we know very little about them, except that they differed from one another (sometimes radically) on various political, theological, metaphysical, moral and other issues.
In fact the evidence we do have establishes that, contrary to common assumption, innovation and syncretism (even with non-Judaic theologies) was actually typical of early-first-century Judaism, even in Palestine, and thus Christianity looks much less like an aberration and more like just another innovating, syncretistic Jewish cult.
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From: On the Historicity of Jesus by Richard Carrier.
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"Only two generations after Mark [written c. 66–74 CE] and Matthew [written c. 70-110 CE], Roman converts adapted the gospel vocabulary to face a new enemy. As earlier generations of Christians had claimed to see Satan among their fellow Jews, now converts claimed to see Satan and his demonic allies at work among other Romans."
— Elaine Pagels (The Origin of Satan)
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— Elaine Pagels (The Origin of Satan)
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Destroying Temples & Torturing Resisters
The first recorded attempts at spreading Christianity in Norway were made by King Haakon the Good in the tenth century, who was raised in England. His efforts were unpopular and were met with little success. In 995 Olaf Tryggvason became King Olaf I of Norway. Olaf I then made it his priority to convert the country to Christianity. By destroying temples and torturing and killing pagan resisters he succeeded in making every part of Norway at least nominally Christian.
Expanding his efforts to the Norse settlements in the west the kings' sagas credit him with Christianizing the Faroes, Orkney, Shetland, Iceland, and Greenland. After Olaf's defeat at the Battle of Svolder in 1000 there was a partial relapse to paganism in Norway under the rule of the Jarls of Lade. In the following reign of Saint Olaf, pagan remnants were stamped out and Christianity entrenched.
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Full article here.
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The first recorded attempts at spreading Christianity in Norway were made by King Haakon the Good in the tenth century, who was raised in England. His efforts were unpopular and were met with little success. In 995 Olaf Tryggvason became King Olaf I of Norway. Olaf I then made it his priority to convert the country to Christianity. By destroying temples and torturing and killing pagan resisters he succeeded in making every part of Norway at least nominally Christian.
Expanding his efforts to the Norse settlements in the west the kings' sagas credit him with Christianizing the Faroes, Orkney, Shetland, Iceland, and Greenland. After Olaf's defeat at the Battle of Svolder in 1000 there was a partial relapse to paganism in Norway under the rule of the Jarls of Lade. In the following reign of Saint Olaf, pagan remnants were stamped out and Christianity entrenched.
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Full article here.
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All four Gospels contain numerous references to the Old Testament, something that would only be expected of elite and educated Jews. Matthew has the most references—something like 43 direct citations. Mark and Luke have about 20 each, John around 15. But if we include indirect references, parallel wording, and other allusions, the numbers double or triple. Even if the Gospels underwent later modification by Gentiles, this does not change their essentially Jewish nature.
The remainder of the New Testament also seems very likely to have had Jewish authors. The lengthy Hebrews—which is claimed by some to have been written by Paul—is addressed to Jews and contains at least 36 direct references to the OT. James is addressed to "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion", and so is 1 Peter. It’s clear that Gentiles would not be lecturing to Jews about God. The other short letters are ambiguous but contain nothing to indicate Gentile authorship.
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From: The Jesus Hoax by Dr. David Skrbina.
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The remainder of the New Testament also seems very likely to have had Jewish authors. The lengthy Hebrews—which is claimed by some to have been written by Paul—is addressed to Jews and contains at least 36 direct references to the OT. James is addressed to "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion", and so is 1 Peter. It’s clear that Gentiles would not be lecturing to Jews about God. The other short letters are ambiguous but contain nothing to indicate Gentile authorship.
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From: The Jesus Hoax by Dr. David Skrbina.
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The Spiritual Resurrection
"Neo-paganism is part of the search for roots and may be interpreted as a religious root therapy. Thus, not only is nature being re-evaluated in modern Western society's thinking; with the return to prominence of the forests and the lakes, the spirits which lived in them have also been resurrected."
"Many of these sects rightly see the worlds of both Jewish and Christian thought as their enemies. The adherents of the single God, Creator of the world, have a long record of destroying pagan idols and desecrating their holy places."
"So what does the return of paganism mean for Judaism? It forces us to focus on the importance of Jewish law and tradition, which proclaims that nature is not the dominant force in the world, nor is it sacred. Nothing good for the Jews—nor for society at large—can come out of a worldwide strengthening of paganism. The same goes for a distorted emphasis on the importance of nature."
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Full article here.
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"Neo-paganism is part of the search for roots and may be interpreted as a religious root therapy. Thus, not only is nature being re-evaluated in modern Western society's thinking; with the return to prominence of the forests and the lakes, the spirits which lived in them have also been resurrected."
"Many of these sects rightly see the worlds of both Jewish and Christian thought as their enemies. The adherents of the single God, Creator of the world, have a long record of destroying pagan idols and desecrating their holy places."
"So what does the return of paganism mean for Judaism? It forces us to focus on the importance of Jewish law and tradition, which proclaims that nature is not the dominant force in the world, nor is it sacred. Nothing good for the Jews—nor for society at large—can come out of a worldwide strengthening of paganism. The same goes for a distorted emphasis on the importance of nature."
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Full article here.
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Theodor Herzl, the founder of the World Zionist Organization, on the gullibility of "the pious Christians of England" only a few decades before World War I broke out, which resulted in the Balfour Declaration—a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 announcing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine—addressed to Lord Rothschild, whose family name appears in Herzl's diaries over 400 times.
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Forwarded from ✡️ Christianity Exposed ✡️
Ethnikos & Katholikos
The word pagan is derived from the Latin pāgānus, meaning "rural" or "rustic". Initially, the word ethnikos was used in the Bible to refer to pagans, meaning those of the ethnic faith, and the word gentile derives from the Latin gentilis, meaning "clan" or "tribe". Catholic, however, derives from the Greek katholikos, meaning "universal", for we "are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28).
The purpose of Abrahamism is and always has been the universal worship of "the God of Israel" (Isa 45:3) and therefore the Jews—his "treasured possession" who were "chosen out of all the peoples" (Deut 7:6)—by proxy. Those who "will rule over many nations but none will rule over [them]" (Deut 15:6), who will be "the head, not the tail" (Deut 28:13), and who promote universalism—through Christianity and Islam—for everyone but themselves, for they are "a people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations". (Num 23:9)
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The word pagan is derived from the Latin pāgānus, meaning "rural" or "rustic". Initially, the word ethnikos was used in the Bible to refer to pagans, meaning those of the ethnic faith, and the word gentile derives from the Latin gentilis, meaning "clan" or "tribe". Catholic, however, derives from the Greek katholikos, meaning "universal", for we "are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28).
The purpose of Abrahamism is and always has been the universal worship of "the God of Israel" (Isa 45:3) and therefore the Jews—his "treasured possession" who were "chosen out of all the peoples" (Deut 7:6)—by proxy. Those who "will rule over many nations but none will rule over [them]" (Deut 15:6), who will be "the head, not the tail" (Deut 28:13), and who promote universalism—through Christianity and Islam—for everyone but themselves, for they are "a people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations". (Num 23:9)
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The Eternal Divider
"At the start of the Christian movement, they were very few in number, and unified in purpose. Since that time, they have spread all around and now number in the thousands."
"It is not surprising, therefore, that there are divisions among them—factions of all sorts, each wanting to have its own territory. Nor is it surprising that as these divisions have become so numerous, the various parties have taken to condemning each other, so that today they have only one thing—if that—in common: the name 'Christian.'"
"But despite their clinging proudly to their name, in most other respects they are at odds. I suppose, however, that it is more amazing that there are any points of agreement at all, given the fact their belief rests on no solid foundation."
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From: On the True Doctrine by Greek philosopher Celsus (ca. 178 CE).
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"At the start of the Christian movement, they were very few in number, and unified in purpose. Since that time, they have spread all around and now number in the thousands."
"It is not surprising, therefore, that there are divisions among them—factions of all sorts, each wanting to have its own territory. Nor is it surprising that as these divisions have become so numerous, the various parties have taken to condemning each other, so that today they have only one thing—if that—in common: the name 'Christian.'"
"But despite their clinging proudly to their name, in most other respects they are at odds. I suppose, however, that it is more amazing that there are any points of agreement at all, given the fact their belief rests on no solid foundation."
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From: On the True Doctrine by Greek philosopher Celsus (ca. 178 CE).
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"Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth."
— Thomas Jefferson (Notes on the State of Virginia)
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— Thomas Jefferson (Notes on the State of Virginia)
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The Holy Foreskin
The Holy Foreskin first made an appearance in medieval Europe around 800 CE, when King Charlemagne presented it as a gift to Pope Leo III. Charlemagne said it had been given to him by an angel.
However, rival foreskins soon began to pop up all over Europe. All told, twenty-one different churches claimed to have the Holy Foreskin, often at the same time. Various miraculous powers were attributed to these foreskins. In particular, they were supposed to be able to protect women during childbirth.
The Catholic Church eventually sought to extract itself from the Holy Foreskin controversy, deciding that it was rather unseemly for so much attention to be paid to Christ's private parts. It adopted the view that all the rival foreskins were frauds, and in 1900 made it a crime punishable by excommunication to write or speak about the Holy Foreskin.
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Full article here.
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The Holy Foreskin first made an appearance in medieval Europe around 800 CE, when King Charlemagne presented it as a gift to Pope Leo III. Charlemagne said it had been given to him by an angel.
However, rival foreskins soon began to pop up all over Europe. All told, twenty-one different churches claimed to have the Holy Foreskin, often at the same time. Various miraculous powers were attributed to these foreskins. In particular, they were supposed to be able to protect women during childbirth.
The Catholic Church eventually sought to extract itself from the Holy Foreskin controversy, deciding that it was rather unseemly for so much attention to be paid to Christ's private parts. It adopted the view that all the rival foreskins were frauds, and in 1900 made it a crime punishable by excommunication to write or speak about the Holy Foreskin.
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Full article here.
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Against Common Sense & Better Judgment
For nearly 2,000 years hundreds of millions of people have been taught that a historical "son of God" called Jesus Christ lived, did miracles, suffered and died as a blood-atonement especially established once and for all by God Himself, the Creator of the entire cosmos.
In reality, the gospel story of Jesus is not a factual portrayal of a historical "master" who walked the earth 2,000 years ago, but a myth built upon other myths and godmen, who in turn were personifications of the ubiquitous solar mythos and ritual found in countless cultures around the world thousands of years before the Christian era.
Nevertheless, countless believers have insisted that the gospel tale happened, not because of any evidence, but merely because they have been told it was so and blindly accepted it, against common sense and better judgment.
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From: The Christ Conspiracy by D.M. Murdock.
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For nearly 2,000 years hundreds of millions of people have been taught that a historical "son of God" called Jesus Christ lived, did miracles, suffered and died as a blood-atonement especially established once and for all by God Himself, the Creator of the entire cosmos.
In reality, the gospel story of Jesus is not a factual portrayal of a historical "master" who walked the earth 2,000 years ago, but a myth built upon other myths and godmen, who in turn were personifications of the ubiquitous solar mythos and ritual found in countless cultures around the world thousands of years before the Christian era.
Nevertheless, countless believers have insisted that the gospel tale happened, not because of any evidence, but merely because they have been told it was so and blindly accepted it, against common sense and better judgment.
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From: The Christ Conspiracy by D.M. Murdock.
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"Rather than serving as that of a historical Hebrew prophet, the legend of the divine lawgiver is found in germ around Europe and Africa, as well as the Near, Middle and Far East, as are other biblical tales. In this archetype, the main character possesses different names, races and ethnicities, depending on the locale: 'Menu' is the Indian legislator; 'Mises' appears in Syria and Egypt, where also the first king, 'Menes the lawgiver', takes the stage; 'Minos' is the Cretan reformer; and 'Mannus' the Teutonic lawgiver."
— D.M. Murdock (Did Moses Exist?)
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— D.M. Murdock (Did Moses Exist?)
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The Anonymous Authors
All gospel authors are anonymous, writing at least a generation or more after the fact. None claim to be eyewitnesses; on the contrary, "Luke" explicitly tells us he is investigating the story inherited by his generation of believers, and the gospel we attribute to "John" purports to be handed down from an unnamed "beloved disciple."
However, this clearly fictitious "beloved disciple" character doesn't exist in any of the earlier gospels—and has been gratuitously inserted into their rebooted plotlines. For example, in Luke, Peter runs to go see the empty tomb (24:12). In John, both Peter and the beloved disciple run to the tomb—and the beloved disciple conspicuously outruns Peter there (20:3-4).
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From Varieties of Jesus Mythicism by John W. Loftus.
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All gospel authors are anonymous, writing at least a generation or more after the fact. None claim to be eyewitnesses; on the contrary, "Luke" explicitly tells us he is investigating the story inherited by his generation of believers, and the gospel we attribute to "John" purports to be handed down from an unnamed "beloved disciple."
However, this clearly fictitious "beloved disciple" character doesn't exist in any of the earlier gospels—and has been gratuitously inserted into their rebooted plotlines. For example, in Luke, Peter runs to go see the empty tomb (24:12). In John, both Peter and the beloved disciple run to the tomb—and the beloved disciple conspicuously outruns Peter there (20:3-4).
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From Varieties of Jesus Mythicism by John W. Loftus.
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"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
— Galatians 3:28
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— Galatians 3:28
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"The earliest evidence you have for Christianity are the letters of a man who never met the historical Jesus."
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The Very Vilest Of Mankind
Around the year 75 BC, prominent speaker and teacher Apollonius Molon wrote the first book to explicitly confront the Hebrew tribe, "Against the Jews." From his early years in Caria and Rhodes he would likely have had direct contact with them, and thus was able to write from personal experience. Molon referred to Moses as a "charlatan" and "imposter," viewing the Jews as "the very vilest of mankind."
Josephus adds the following: "[Molon] has scattered [his accusations] here and there all over his work, reviling us in one place as atheists [in the sense that they rejected the Roman gods] and misanthropes, in another reproaching us as cowards, whereas elsewhere, on the contrary, he accuses us of temerity and reckless madness. He adds that we are the most witless of all barbarians, and are consequently the only people who have contributed no useful invention to civilization."
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From: The Jesus Hoax by David Skrbina.
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Around the year 75 BC, prominent speaker and teacher Apollonius Molon wrote the first book to explicitly confront the Hebrew tribe, "Against the Jews." From his early years in Caria and Rhodes he would likely have had direct contact with them, and thus was able to write from personal experience. Molon referred to Moses as a "charlatan" and "imposter," viewing the Jews as "the very vilest of mankind."
Josephus adds the following: "[Molon] has scattered [his accusations] here and there all over his work, reviling us in one place as atheists [in the sense that they rejected the Roman gods] and misanthropes, in another reproaching us as cowards, whereas elsewhere, on the contrary, he accuses us of temerity and reckless madness. He adds that we are the most witless of all barbarians, and are consequently the only people who have contributed no useful invention to civilization."
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From: The Jesus Hoax by David Skrbina.
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French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher Voltaire in a letter to Frederick the Great.
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