The Israelites were YAHWEH’s special people, so when they are oppressed it’s bad, but they are obligated to genocide anyone that stands in their way. Even babies and animals.
This should sound familiar even you have never read a line of a Bible or Torah.
You’re describing Revelations Jesus. And by the time he finally shows up, all the killing’s been done by the Fake Jesus that’s tricked legions of people into damnation.
This is also the only Gnostic text that made it into the canonical texts. If you get into the actual Gnostic beliefs about Jesus, you’re on a rollercoast ride of spiritualist philosophy bordering on the Sci-Fi. Alternate dimensions, shared souls, astral projection, just all sorts of weird goofy shit that the Council of Nicea cut from the program.
Revelations is, at its heart, a story of how Rome and its pagans will all eventually get what’s coming to them. That the Christians-Who-Are-Doing-It-Wrong will get what’s coming to them. That the Jews will get what’s coming to them. It is a story wildly out of line with the prior books, but one that resonated strongly with the post-Constantine neo-Christian order.
I mean, that’s not wild on it’s face. You can explain shifting morality with respect to changing material conditions and social relationships.
I might argue that the Old Testament God was intended to offer leverage to the intelligencia (priest class) over the military/aristocracy (kings and their courtiers).
Meanwhile, the New Testament was fundamentally describing a God of Slaves, preaching equinimity and grace in the next life for the hardships of the modern day.
And then, when the slave class overthrew and supplanted the Pagan aristocracy, suddenly the Old Testament was back in fashion again.
I think my Bible might be faulty
The Israelites were YAHWEH’s special people, so when they are oppressed it’s bad, but they are obligated to genocide anyone that stands in their way. Even babies and animals.
This should sound familiar even you have never read a line of a Bible or Torah.
No no no. That was the Old Testament which doesn’t count anymore.
The New Testament is the one that we care about (except we’ve we don’t)
New Testament Jesus comes back from the dead and murders everybody on earth who won’t bow to Him.
You’re describing Revelations Jesus. And by the time he finally shows up, all the killing’s been done by the Fake Jesus that’s tricked legions of people into damnation.
This is also the only Gnostic text that made it into the canonical texts. If you get into the actual Gnostic beliefs about Jesus, you’re on a rollercoast ride of spiritualist philosophy bordering on the Sci-Fi. Alternate dimensions, shared souls, astral projection, just all sorts of weird goofy shit that the Council of Nicea cut from the program.
Revelations is, at its heart, a story of how Rome and its pagans will all eventually get what’s coming to them. That the Christians-Who-Are-Doing-It-Wrong will get what’s coming to them. That the Jews will get what’s coming to them. It is a story wildly out of line with the prior books, but one that resonated strongly with the post-Constantine neo-Christian order.
Because God’s absolute morality somehow changes over time while still being absolute, because something or other that makes no sense.
I mean, that’s not wild on it’s face. You can explain shifting morality with respect to changing material conditions and social relationships.
I might argue that the Old Testament God was intended to offer leverage to the intelligencia (priest class) over the military/aristocracy (kings and their courtiers).
Meanwhile, the New Testament was fundamentally describing a God of Slaves, preaching equinimity and grace in the next life for the hardships of the modern day.
And then, when the slave class overthrew and supplanted the Pagan aristocracy, suddenly the Old Testament was back in fashion again.
It makes sense historically