But Genesis is not a science textbook’ - Page 5

The problem is that a metaphor is a figurative way of speaking of the literal the true or the known. The ancient Hebrews did not know how humans or the Earth came into existence so they could not speak of these scientific facts figuratively since they did not know what the literal truth was. What they did know was good and evil and their own moral code so they could write allegorically about those subjects. According to Vico, the ancients used metaphors in everyday speech and not just for poetry. The example I gave was referring to the legs of a chair as legs. That wasn't an attempt at poetry. That's just how they naturally viewed the world. They tended to name things and classify things in terms they were familiar with but, those things were known.

Also, the Torah was supposedly written by Moses, who was told what to write by God. That would make God the poet in question for the first books of the Bible. It also means that if it is all poetry that taking a literal reading of the Bible is wrong. This is the problem for those who say the Bible must be read literally; you can't say it's literal and then say it's poetry when something turns out to be nonsensical when read literally.

5 Near-Identical Jesus Christ Myths That Predate Jesus

Look these up Shtal and see that long before Christ there were other religions that had Jesus like myths.

1. Horus (3100 B.C.)

Horus was one of the many Egyptian Gods.

• He had 12 disciples.
• One was born of a virgin in a cave.
• Like Jesus, his birth was announced via a star.
• And three wise men showed up!
• He was baptized when he was 30 by Anup the Baptizer.
• He rose a guy from the dead and walked on water.
• Lastly, he was crucified, buried like Jesus in a tomb, and resurrected.

 

2. Buddha (563 B.C.)

• Healed the sick
• Walked on water.
• Fed 500 men from one basket of cakes.
• Taught a lot of the same things Jesus taught, including equality for all.
• He spent three days in jail.
• Was resurrected when he died.

3. Mithra (2000 B.C.)

An ancient Zoroastrian deity with similarities to Jesus.

• Virginal birth on December 25th.
• Swaddled and laid in a manger.
• Tended by shepherds in the manger.
• He had 12 companions (or disciples).
• Performed miracles.
• Gave his own life to save the world.
• Dead for three days, then resurrected.
• Called “the Way, the Truth and the Light.”
• Has his own version of a Eucharistic-style “Lord’s supper.”

4. Krishna (around 3000 B.C.)

• A Hindu God.
• Born after his mom was impregnated by a God.
• Angels, wise men, and shepherds were at his birth.
• Guess what gifts they gave him? Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• A jealous bad guy ordered the slaughter of all newborns, just as happened with Jesus.
• Baptized in a river.
• Performed miracles, including raising the dead and healing the deaf and blind.
• Rose from the dead to ascend to heaven.
• Is expected to return to earth someday to fight the “Prince of Evil.”

5. Osiris (around 2500 B.C.)

Son of an Egyptian God.

• Killed and the resurrected after three days in hell. WTF? A common theme here!
• Performed miracles
• Had 12 disciples.
• Taught rebirth through water baptism.

 

Wow, lots of virgin births, seems to be a theme. Anyways Christianity came along and copied these other religions.

I just read about the birth of Kirshna and it isn't anything like what you posted. Likewise with Osiris. Not going to bother checking the rest, they will have been stretched to fit a certain goal, no doubt.

http://hinduism.about.com/od/lordkrishna/p/krishna_birth.htm

I didn't write it, just posting the info here. It may not be 100% accurate but I believe the jest of it stands on its own. There are religions that came before Christianity that have like myths. And in some cases are copies of the things Christianity teaches.

I have heard that claim before, and it is also true that Christianity absorbed pagan traditions in making their own. Not reason enough to discard faith in a God, however, for those blessed by His grace.

Folks here will keep trying, though! ✌🏼️

I don't like any religion, it isn't just Christianity. But Christianity is what is talked about here so it makes me out to be a Christian hater and that isn't true. My wife is Christian, my parents, my siblings, grandparents and many many aunts, cousins and uncles. I don't hate them I simply believe different than they do and they are good with that and I am glad they have something to keep their faith and spirits up.

During the Renaissance there was a growing belief in a syncretic approach to religion. Unfortunately one of the main influences on that belief was Hermeticism, named after a figure known as Hermes Trismegistus (a combination of the Greek god Hermes and Egyptian god Thoth). Renaissance thinkers considered him an Egyptian prophet who lived around the same time as Moses and who predicted the birth of Christ. Writings which were attributed to him, and which would have been a few thousand years old by the time of the Renaissance, were later proven to be fake and written 200 years or more after the birth of Christ.