Essay talk:Big Questions and Possible Answers

Is there really anything in the Bible that suggests the Eden snake is, in fact, Satan? I know there's tradition along those lines, but a lot of that junk seems to have been dreamed up in the Middle Ages. --Kels 12:40, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

The story of the serpent was in the Yawhist or "J" source (which I believe was written by a female courtier in the court of the son of Solomon, and Adam was standing in for King David). In that work, Yahwah rolled up his sleeves and got his hands dirty in the world, actually walking in the garden, wrestling with Jacob, visiting Abraham, etc. There are no angels in J. When the work was merged with the Elohist document, they started talking about "The angel of the LORD" which is a kind of avatar, such as the burning bush. Then by the time the post-exile Priests put the Torah together they further isolated God by making even his avatar into a separate created being called an "angel". The serpent was supposed to be some kind of lizard that originally walked on legs. Once you had a theology of fallen angels, they retrojected it back onto the serpent and Satan was born. Mega 12:55, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

That's interesting stuff. I really should look more into the development of the series of myths and stories that eventually became the Bible, when I've got more time on my hands. --Kels 13:09, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

You can already see the retroactive explanation by the time Revelations was written in a drug-addled haze: Rev 20:2 "He captured the dragon, that ancient serpent, also known as the devil and Satan, and tied him up for a thousand years." 13:10, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

And there's nothing you can do when talking to Fundies, because Revelation is canon, therefore it comes straight from God's mouth to John's pen. But some scholars think Revelation was scrapped together from some earlier unpublished apocalyptic literature aimed at Jews. There's a light Christian overlay, and the early objections to its canonicity were based partly on questionable soteriology, the emphasis on "good works" rather than grace. Events in Revelation select Christians who keep the Commandments, something that would give Paul conniptions. Mega 16:27, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

FYI, the "female writer" (or rather, editor) idea really has no academic support. It's a theory written by a feminist and is as loosely supported as many of RW's articles. hehe. :-) as for Satan, the concept of Satan as a distinct entity does not really appear in Jewish theology until the Babylonian exile. And even then, Satan means (ironically) "the devils advocate". Satan was seen as someone to challenge god, but not "evil" nor a fallen angle. It's really great stuff on how myth develops. :-) (Posted by User:WaitingforGodot)

That's also why I'm interested in the CoJCoLDS. Their history as a start-up religion complete with followers willing to overlook the most bald-faced slight-of-hand gives insight into how Christianity got off the ground and running. Mega 21:59, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

Why do Xtians insist that the only morality is though the bible

... when god is a sadistic bully and his rules are hardly consistent? How is it moral in any sense to prescribe stoning someone to death for eating pork, yet to condone and bless offering your virgin daughter to be gang raped so that 2 angels don't have to speak up for themselves whether they want some hot man on man action? What kind of psychopath thinks it's ok to beat your son and tie him to an altar, ready to sacrifice him, only to stop what would be a murder in the name of a jealous and vengeful god with an angel saying "just kidding." Thee Nuttish ^Talk 13:15, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

I don't know how to answer that, I'm in an interesting place, this material is from a couple years ago, while I am in a sort of transformation toward agnosticism now. Mega 16:27, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

This is funny as hell

"47. If God's design is so great, why do men have nipples? All fetuses begin as female due to a design economy. When the Y chromosome is expressed the vag closes up and the clit grows to become a penis. Nipples remain undeveloped."--Tom Moore^{fiat justitia ruat coelum} 20:01, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

Sometimes truth is funnier than fiction. Mega 20:39, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

I saw that before in fundies say the darndest things - a sexist bitch was trying to claim that men were 'unnatural'. Same person? ^{— Unsigned, by: 118.210.165.61 / talk / contribs}

Hate, stupidity, etc.

"The Jews have been cursed since the day they rejected their Messiah and said "his blood be upon us and our children". Until they convert to Christianity they will continue to suffer the wrath of God."

Fantastic. MOAR anti-Semitism.

"Some animals such as good doggies are promoted."

Bull. The amount of organisms has increased over the years. --<choose> <option>^Input The Resistor^Output</option> <option>Coyote^{Over 450 pages watched NOT including talk pages}</option> <option>The Trickster</option> <option>Acionyx</option> 21:17, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

The doggie one was for the lulz. The "anti-Semitic" one is the only way I can reconcile the existence of God with Auschwitz. Of course, now I no longer attempt to reconcile the existence of God with anything. Mega 21:34, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

62. Christians say that since we and our universe are an intelligent design, that we must have been created by God. But then God is an intelligent design also, so who created him?

God is that that necessary being which explains the existence of all contingent beings.

^ Doesn't she know that universal sets are impossible by definition?

Stupid bitch. ^{— Unsigned, by: 118.210.165.61 / talk / contribs}

I looked for "big questions"

But all I found was a bunch of achristianity. Not that that is a big deal, of course. But I found no "big questions". ħuman 00:44, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

Thanks for reading. Mega 07:30, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

Wow, that was a load of crap

I love how virtually no answer actually answered the question. Also, several of the answers (especially about Satan) contradict themselves. These old essays can be a riot.--GodotTue pour toujours, et tu veux vivre aussi. 18:44, 22 October 2011 (UTC)