"Christian Archeology" Keeps Claiming it has "Found" Something

 


The newest fragments claim to be remnants of a battle mentioned in the Bible. In this case, and most all others I know about, some pieces of pottery, etc., have been found that are linked to the ethnic group involved in the Bible story. The objects found are not linked to the battle itself and could have been left by others living or passing through the area.

Humorous examples of "finds" that attempted to verify Old Testament stories included the "Walls of Jericho." Remints of stone walls were found and celebrated. Then they were dated and could not have been the "Walls of Jericho." Then there was for costly search for evidence that Moses lived in the desert for 40 years. This search was paid for by the government of Israel. Nothing found there either. The stories live on, but they did not happen.

So often I see highway billboards advertising a church. The billboard declares, "We are a Bible Believing Church." If there are things in the Bible that no rational person can believe, why do churches make this claim? Wouldn't it be safer to claim, "We are a Bible-reading church"? Of course, no church reads the parts of the Bible that borders on porn. So, an even safer claim would be, "We read selected parts of the Bible."

It seems to me a career that is safe from unemployment is to be a "Christain Archologist." As long as you continue digging in areas where stuff is found from about 5,000 years BCE to the first 100 years you can get funding from Christian organizations by claiming what you found "could confirm the account...(fill in a Bible story." Christian Archeology looks like a growth industry.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Time to Forget the Christian Nation Thing

Image
While women are forbidden from being priests/preachers in some branches of Christianity thank goodness they are not forbidden from writing and lecturing about Christianity. A great article about the "Christian nation" notion shows us the U.S. is not a Christian nation and hopefully never will be. It is written by a woman with nerve and was published on a very Christian site, Christian Post.  Among the pilgrims were a few that wanted to establish a utopian Christian society. Some of their brethren stayed behind in Europe hoping the push aside worldly forces there and bring sinners to God. Today, whether it is the anti abortion, anti gay/trans, anti immigration or the put prayer back in schools branch there are those who want a version of what some pilgrims wanted, a utopian Christian society. The pilgrims were disappointed. Today's Christian utopians will be also. Here is why. The children of pilgrims did not believe the same things as their parents. Parents were roundly d...
Read more

Ancient God, Bel (Baal), the Main Character in an Ancient Play

Image
In a British museum is a preserved stone tablet from Babylon. It dates to about 2,000 BCE. Someone labored patiently to inscribe an entire passion play featuring the god Bel. I reiterate this is a stone tablet, not a recopied papyrus. The play begins with the god Bel arrested by soldiers and taken off the stage. He reappears at a trial in the Hall of Judgement. Bel is innocent but is sentenced to death. In the next scene Bel is accosted by a mob. He is despised and rejected. The actor playing Bel is then taken by guard to a hilltop in a sacred grove. Two criminals are taken with him. One of these is released. The the audience then leaves the theater and follows the actor Bel and his guards to the top of a hill where the death scene is enacted by hanging from a tree. The audience returns to the theater for the dramatic final scenes. The dead Bel is stripped and prepared for burial. On a theatrical hill to the side of the stage is a tomb where the body is placed. A stone is rolle...
Read more

Who Suffers from a "Hardened Heart"

Image
Some years ago on this blog there was a discussion about what the Bible calls "The hardened heart." The "hardened heart" was the explanation given for why people like me cannot accept the tenets of Christianity. We are unable to believe there are floating spirits and gods or imaginary places people go when the die. Now, a prominent Christian preacher and author has given us a way to diagnose the "hardened heart." It contained some surprises.  Rev. John Piper, who spoke about the hardened heart, said we can see this in a person who lacks "ordinary tenderness and compassion." He went on to describe the characteristics of a person without the affliction of the hardened heart. A healthy person displays empathy and sympathy. Those with the hardened heart are like stone. Jesus wanted compassion for the poor. The hardened heart discussion referred to atheists only if they are sinners and then it was indirectly. Sin, Piper said, hardens one's heart a...
Read more