Ancient Discoveries.....0_o

[Masada]

I mean, I can understand how Zoroastrianism might have had an influence but the Three Wise Men being Zoroastrians isn't all that important: we don't have a recurring motif of an eternal flame or anything. I think the usual response to what influenced early Christianity is, we don't really know. But I think its safe to say that its majority (if not absolute majority) influence was very definitely Jewish. Yet, I don't see why people have to assume that some of the more unusual trends in Christianity that people seem to find so very objectionable (for reasons I don't understand) couldn't be just be an organic growth and not a deliberate attempt to imitate or subvert or whatever.

 

[LightSpectra]

I'm a catholic and I believe this...

Being a Catholic doesn't mean you're educated about Catholicism, apparently.

 

[Plotinus]

I mean, I can understand how Zoroastrianism might have had an influence but the Three Wise Men being Zoroastrians isn't all that important: we don't have a recurring motif of an eternal flame or anything. I think the usual response to what influenced early Christianity is, we don't really know. But I think its safe to say that its majority (if not absolute majority) influence was very definitely Jewish. Yet, I don't see why people have to assume that some of the more unusual trends in Christianity that people seem to find so very objectionable (for reasons I don't understand) couldn't be just be an organic growth and not a deliberate attempt to imitate or subvert or whatever.

As I've said before, it's because popular perception lags behind scholarship. In fact I think in most disciplines, the popular perception seems to follow what the scholars were saying between fifty and a hundred years ago. An example from my own field is that whenever I meet anyone who knows anything about Leibniz, what they "know" is invariably a simple version of Bertrand Russell's interpretation of him, which has been thoroughly debunked. In the case of religion, a hundred years ago scholars did think that most of the important bits of Christianity were taken from pagan religion. They don't think that now, but it'll be another fifty or a hundred years before the popular perception catches up, by which time no doubt it'll be wildly out of date again.

 

[Lord Baal]

They won a space victory in the BCs?

The Egyptians clearly enabled Cheat Mode.

 

[Birdjaguar]

As I've said before, it's because popular perception lags behind scholarship. In fact I think in most disciplines, the popular perception seems to follow what the scholars were saying between fifty and a hundred years ago. An example from my own field is that whenever I meet anyone who knows anything about Leibniz, what they "know" is invariably a simple version of Bertrand Russell's interpretation of him, which has been thoroughly debunked. In the case of religion, a hundred years ago scholars did think that most of the important bits of Christianity were taken from pagan religion. They don't think that now, but it'll be another fifty or a hundred years before the popular perception catches up, by which time no doubt it'll be wildly out of date again.

In theory, the internet and easier access to more current information should improve that lag substantially.

 

[Ajidica]

Yeah, but it also increases the number of idiots posting their crap. It sort of balences out in the end leaving us exactly where we were before.

 

[innonimatu]

In theory, the internet and easier access to more current information should improve that lag substantially.

Not having much of the scholarly papers available on the Internet locked behind pay-walls would help, I guess.

Copyright laws are so incredibly wasteful that I can't believe how the old excuse about "incentive to research/invention/publishing/whatever still works!

 

[ParkCungHee]

As I've said before, it's because popular perception lags behind scholarship. In fact I think in most disciplines, the popular perception seems to follow what the scholars were saying between fifty and a hundred years ago. An example from my own field is that whenever I meet anyone who knows anything about Leibniz, what they "know" is invariably a simple version of Bertrand Russell's interpretation of him, which has been thoroughly debunked. In the case of religion, a hundred years ago scholars did think that most of the important bits of Christianity were taken from pagan religion. They don't think that now, but it'll be another fifty or a hundred years before the popular perception catches up, by which time no doubt it'll be wildly out of date again.

Sometimes theres oddities.
For example, studies of the holocaust are so radically moved forward (though still out of date) that talking about ideas that were popular fifty years ago, even by scholars that are still very respected, gets you odd looks.

 

[Plotinus]

In theory, the internet and easier access to more current information should improve that lag substantially.

Only if the current information is put on the internet, which it generally isn't. What appears on the internet is mainly what is popularly "known". That's certainly the case with this topic. So in this case the internet spreads disinformation more than anything really helpful, in which case you'd expect to see the lag widening, not narrowing.

 

[Masada]

Not having much of the scholarly papers available on the Internet locked behind pay-walls would help, I guess.

People don't generally read scholarly papers innoimatu. The prevalence of answers derived from Wikipedia in assignments is evidence enough.

Copyright laws are so incredibly wasteful that I can't believe how the old excuse about "incentive to research/invention/publishing/whatever still works!

Eh. You would need to replace the current research model. I don't care all that when I publish I'm just doing it for the CV but most academics aren't.

Only if the current information is put on the internet, which it generally isn't. What appears on the internet is mainly what is popularly "known". That's certainly the case with this topic. So in this case the internet spreads disinformation more than anything really helpful, in which case you'd expect to see the lag widening, not narrowing.

Yeah, it becomes harder to actually find quality information. Most of it is mediocrity taken from mediocrity and multiplied by a thousand.

 

[Luckymoose]

Being a Catholic doesn't mean you're educated about Catholicism, apparently.

It means I have a better understanding of the practices than someone who is not Catholic. I see very large amounts of borrowing from pagan beliefs. Paganism is often used as an overall word for every inferior religion to their modern equivalents. Atleast by tv.

 

[civ_king]

It means I have a better understanding of the practices than someone who is not Catholic. I see very large amounts of borrowing from pagan beliefs. Paganism is often used as an overall word for every inferior religion to their modern equivalents. Atleast by tv.

Make a list for LightSpectra

 

[LightSpectra]

I'm still crafting my reply to Plotinus (and by the way, you might as well just forget about that causality debate if you haven't yet, because it doesn't look like I'm ever going to get to that), and I've also dragged myself into that dastardly Bismarck debate because I hate myself. Can't you handle this?

 

[ParkCungHee]

I'm still crafting my reply to Plotinus (and by the way, you might as well just forget about that causality debate if you haven't yet, because it doesn't look like I'm ever going to get to that), and I've also dragged myself into that dastardly Bismarck debate because I hate myself. Can't you handle this?

Since you're having a rough time anyway, theres a thread on Jesus's last words in OT that I'd really like to see your take on.

 

[LightSpectra]

Since you're having a rough time anyway, theres a thread on Jesus's last words in OT that I'd really like to see your take on.

I just read the first ten posts of that thread, and died a little on the inside. Just PM me what you want me to answer.

 

[Lord Baal]

I just read the first ten posts of that thread, and died a little on the inside. Just PM me what you want me to answer.

How about you just answer all your posts with "Lord Baal is correct" from now on. It'll save you a lot of time and hard work, and what's more, you'll be 100% accurate.

 

[Plotinus]

See, that's why I avoid OT...

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Can we agree that "pagan" is not necessarily a useful word? I mean, what do Greco-Roman beliefs, German or Nordic beliefs, and traditional sub-Saharan African beliefs have in common?

 

[LightSpectra]

Can we agree that "pagan" is not necessarily a useful word? I mean, what do Greco-Roman beliefs, German or Nordic beliefs, and traditional sub-Saharan African beliefs have in common?

It's a useful word insofar that it encompasses "all religions that do not worship the God of Abraham" in five letters.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

But they have little in common besides a single negative trait.