Why did Jesus piddle around for 40 days in the wilderness? (page 3)

punkofnice

When you're a made up fable, anything is possible.

EverApostate

This Jesus story is a Myth, most probably based on a few real normal incidents. Nothing to take seriously.

The writer is always King. When you write, facts can fly out of the window. The story teller can create any meaning he wants. The foolish thing is with the reader or listener who might take it literally. It's the plot line which counts and how it engages with the mind's eye.

Which is the more engaging?

Living creatures evolved from microscopic life in the primordial sludge,

or:

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful garden in Eden..............."

Since the earliest tales were transmitted orally it became a convention to punctuate them with comforting reprises and symbolic shortcuts of meaning both helping as mnemonics for the story teller and familiar echoes of readily appreciated points of significant meaning for the listeners. Think of the repetition in Homer of the "wine dark sea". Numbers would have symbolic meaning so that the audience would understand it was heavenly or earthly, a good or a bad omen for what was to follow.

Homer's character Ulysses went down to the underworld for three days and nights, the meaning was clear; Ulysses is a God-man hero, only the most powerful could stand this experience-- in just the same manner that Jesus was attributed a heroic status when he went to hell for three days and three nights. The readers or more particularly the listeners would have registered the hidden meaning.

The Bible is full of these obscure nudges that only the 'initiated' would have understood. The whole of the Gnostic movement majored in this approach, the skeleton of their beliefs remain but they were rejected as a religion by the Roman Church and hence did not become mainstream Christianity-- and they are still not fully understood today. However the symbolic numbers which they and others used, are still embedded in Bible texts among obscure and apparently off the wall scriptures. Part of being a Christian in the early centuries was about enjoying the status of "being in the know", a hangover of pagan temple cult experience.

redvip2000

He had to prepare himself. If he was going to not give in to Satan’s attacks for 40 days, the chances are he would be able to remain loyal to the very end of his existence

Imagine that. Jesus, a perfect man who supposedly created Satan, had to prepare for 40 days to resist the temptations of the Devil.

Now meanwhile, Adam and Eve, a naked and naive couple, were blindsided by an attack from Satan without any preparation or warning. Being that he was in heaven watching all of this, why didn't Jesus prepare and warn Adam and Even of this attack? Perhaps if Jesus was actually smart and discerning, he would have realized how doing that would save a great deal of grief to mankind.

The goat herders who actually came up with these stories really didn't do such a good job at thinking these things through.

blondie

redvip2000,

My husband always says how can anyone believe that 2 so-called perfect persons be so quickly turned by a talking snake? He says that we are imperfect and the first thing we would ask, is why is that snake talking, it never talked before, none of the other animals talk? We would run the other way, not stay and listen.

Half banana

Forty meant: 1/ a long period and 2/ a probationary period.

redvip2000

My husband always says how can anyone believe that 2 so-called perfect persons be so quickly turned by a talking snake?

Yup. And further, the fairy tale book mentions that they were naive. So why would Jehoober allow a shrewd and wise Satan to tempt two people who had never been exposed to lies and evil?

This is how you know the god of the bible is not exactly a moral genius.

EverApostate

Since the topic veered off to the famous talking snake....

Loving Jehovah never warns Adam and eve about a roaring lion on the prowl. Its like a father not warning his children about a child predator in the neighborhood, who would anytime pounce on his children.

And Eve is not surprised about a talking snake and has normal conversations with it. If it sounds like a fairy tale, for sure it is.

Doctor Who

Since the topic veered off to the famous talking snake....
Loving Jehovah never warns Adam and eve about a roaring lion on the prowl. Its like a father not warning his children about a child predator in the neighborhood, who would anytime pounce on his children.
And Eve is not surprised about a talking snake and has normal conversations with it. If it sounds like a fairy tale, for sure it is.

Maybe that's why JW's don't warn members in the congregations of pedophiles in their ranks? Just following the example of their loving god.

Doug Mason

smiddy3,

Going by the Synoptics, his ministry could have lasted 12 months or shorter. John's Gospel alone has Jesus going to Jerusalem on three annual occasions. I do not have any details at hand. I read this a short while ago and when I come across it again, I will share it with you.

Doug

Why did Jesus piddle around for 40 days in the wilderness?

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