Originally posted by Bluedog
I personally think the beginning of that movie has a lot going for it, the explanation of how the same story/ideal has been in circulation for a lot longer than 'Christianity' as we think of it has been around, with just the names changed to suit the audience, I find very interesting.
I have long felt that the Bible was less of a factual account of events, and more of a set of morals and ideals, 'packaged' in stories surrounding people and places that it's original intended audience could relate to.
Just a note on presuppositions and how they influence our view of the "Facts"
For example. There are allot of Flood Legends, nearly every culture has one.
That is a "Fact". Now, on to the issue of how we "interpret that fact" and how that interpretation is influenced by our presupposition.
If you start with the view that the Bible is NOT accurate, but a collection of stories. The you might view these "Flood Legends" as support of you position. The Flood in the Bible has it's roots in the Babylonian flood legend of Gilgamesh.
However, if I start with from the position that the Bible is accurate. What would I expect to find? Well I would expect to find, flood legends in every culture. (Because according to the Bible, everyone alive today, is a descendant of Noah and his three sons) I would expect to find some of these legends to be very similar to the Bible account of the flood. (Some of the oral stories would be better preserved than others.) I would expect to find the Biblical account, to be among the "The Most" believable. Well guess, what we find, Exactly what I just described. (This does not "Prove" the Bible is true, just as claiming the Biblical flood is just a story, based on Babylonian legend, doesn't "Prove" it's false.)
The same is true of religious ideas and concepts. There are many that are very similar, but if they all "originated" with Noah, this is exactly what we would expect to find. Furthermore, since the nation of Israel was not founded for some time after the flood. I would expect to find flood legends, and religious ideas and concepts, very similar to the "True" accounts which are recorded in the Bible; and I would expect to find some of those recorded, prior to the recording of the accurate account (the one found in the Bible)
The point being, whether we like to admit it or not our presuppositions greatly effect how we view the "Facts". We all have the same "Facts" many times the difference in our conclusions is in how we "View" those facts.
Best regards,
--Tachus
