I love your secular Bible study series. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the craziness that is Revelation. Make that video as long as necessary to say all you want to say. We will listen. :)
Thank you for pointing out the dangers in a progressive, watered-down version of Christianity. I had a conversation with a young pastor recently and many of his views on Christianity were just not biblical. This watered-down version of Christianity gives cover to the religion by representing Christianity as something that it is not.
And, speaking from experience, it still has the same poison-candy center, because the stories about having to follow x rules or be horribly punished has been made mild and in many cases secular (the first Western European education came from the church, and has been in-formed by that). But they are still the horrible voice in your head telling you you'll never be enough, that you should hate yourself for this or that, that you deserve to be punished for being an imperfect human being.
Brandon. When you went over the verse about how the children are supposed to be believers in order for them to be qualified, I started cracking up! I was so focused on the other requirements my mother was clearly violating when I was a believer, that I overlooked that particular requirement. With my father being an elder and her being a pastor, they’re both patently violating the standards that they’re supposed to believe in. By the book they shouldn’t be in leadership and that makes this entire culture of Christianity that much more comical to me
Isnt that funny. I had been thinking of it from the church pov but you are right. These parents should step down once they find their child not to believe. I wonder if any ever have
I love the way you go through these texts and point out issues that we tended to skip over or ignore when we were 'in the faith'. Just being able to step back and objectively look at the text and it's implications is so eye-opening.
One major issue with the whole "all you need to do is believe" is I know several mentally disabled people who CAN'T believe. So where do they go? Most Christians will say heaven which is a contradiction and breaks the one and only rule they cite. The rest will just be cruel and say "Oh well, they're condemned. It was God's plan "
Right! Under the Christian worldview, there's no explanation for mental disabilities or mental illnesses. It's occurrence really goes against the core ideas of God creating us with free will to see if we will choose him. The evolutionary perspective offers a far better explanation.
People with Mental Disabilities are like children. They can't be held accountable. The issues I have with people with both Mental and Physical Disabilities is Pastors always say they're born that way because of Sin. But than they say they're fearfully and wonderfully made and God made them that way to teach able bodied believers and non-believers compassion and love IT'S ALL FUCKING GODDAMN NONSENSE While I agree that people with Physical and Mental Disabilities need a place in society and shouldn't be shunned It's just cruel to smite them with disabilities and it puts an unfair burden on their families to take care of them.
People with mental disabilities are like children. They can't be held accountable for their actions. The issues I have with people with disabilities is pastors always say that they're born with disabilities because of Sin. But than they flip the script and say God made them fearfully and wonderfully made and he made them with disabilities to teach able bodied believers and non-believers compassion and love. I'm sorry you can't have it both ways. If God can't stop Sin from randomly creating people born with horrific disabilities than he's not Omnipotent!!!!!!! If he can stop Sin from randomly creating people born with horrific disabilities but he chooses not to because he wants to teach able bodied believers and non-believers compassion, love and tolerance and on the flip side let's not forget that God allows previously able bodied believers and non-believers to become disabled thru disease or horrific accidents or their a victim of a violent crime so God can teach them Empathy which is compassion thru shared suffering He is CLEARLY NOT A GOOD LOVING GOD!!!!!!!
Always a good day when you post a new video! You've really helped me look at the Bible in ways I never thought before. I can't wait for this series to be completed. It'll be a great resource to point people to!
Thank you for your SBS on every book in the Bible. This 66-book series is very important as an overview study tool to tackle the Bible as a whole. It is very important to analyze the Bible critically and to not accept it carte-blanche as an inerrant infallible document when you and others have honestly and accurately clearly demonstrated serious contradictions and problematic passages in it.
The highlight of every Thursday for me. After Titus, the rest of the New Testament is going to be very fresh ground to cover for me and I am here for it.
atheists are frequently asked why they care what religious people believe, what business it is of theirs. We see the effects of ideologies stretching beyond religious context, affecting human rights, individual behaviour, prejudices...all without any thought or introspection. One day at work I was on break with a group of female co-workers who were discussing their husbands. One said: "my husband is really good. He lets me work." She was trying to say how he respects equality in sexes but her word choice exposed to listening ears how her defense of him actually said the opposite about both of them.
In effect, Christians walk up to you on the street, poke your chest, and when you react negatively, they say, “What, I’m not even allowed to be in the same COUNTRY as you?” Like what? It’s obviously not your presence that’s the issue here, it’s what you’re doing to me and probably to others. They let thousands year old incoherent mythology dictate how they think we should live our lives, how they interact with others and how they vote. Naturally, of course. They can’t not be linked. And, increasingly, they want this mythology canonized as actual history in schools. These are the reasons people object. It’s not just “The *culture* is so hostile to people who all they wanna do is love Jesus”.
@@AdamKlownzinger Explain to me why so many atheists vote republican? There are very popular ones on youtube and all over the internet. Could it be people do and feel what they want despite religion or lack of it?
@@mightiestalone9851" so many is a very vague qualifier, according to Pew research fully 85% of self-identified atheists do not vote Republican. So if you mean why any significant fraction of atheist for republican, the question itself is false because no significant fraction of atheists vote Republican. That said, the Republican party isn't the theists party, though most theists do belong to it, it's the party of the rich, and there are many Rich atheists , we would expect at least some of them to vote for their financial preference. To suggest that your religious views, or lack thereof, don't inform your voting decisions seems to me quite naive. Being an atheist doesn't stop people voting for republicans because atheism has nothing to do with whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, it's not even a position on any ethical moral or political topic. So we shouldn't expect to see atheist vote a particular way. Now it turns out that a large group of atheists are secular humanists, and that philosophy does inform their voting, and causes them to choose candidates who will do things to help the less well off, but being atheist alone it's not enough to push a person to vote either direction. This is not true for theists, a group who's nearly every decision is influenced by their belief, or at least ostensibly is. The Democrats represent a group looking to destigmatize all manner of things in society which have been wrongly made forbidden, the religious wish to resist that so they vote Republican . That is why so many theists vote Republican and why so many atheists who are also secular humanists vote Democrat.
Dude, this right here "Starbuck's Christianity" just made my day! Not only is it ALSO a major problem that keeps people stuck in the "faith" it is a backdoor into all these ugly verses that allow people to treat others like shit based on their "faith." I agree with you 100% IT SHOULD END! TY for these videos!
I wonder if you have ever thought of starting a formal school for people are on the fence about their faith. I think Religious Fundamentalism is the biggest threat to the advancing Human Civilization, and people with your knowledge are indispensable in getting us past that huge roadblock. Your organizational skills are off the charts, and you speak in a gentle yet urgent tone about all of the problems of following religion. No one would feel they are being preached to or made to feel stupid. Something to think about. And as always this was an outstanding overview. Thanks again!
Interesting that there is instruction for slaves to not steal. Ironic that property rights are prioritized at the same time that humans are considered property. And I thought the 10 commandments had theft covered already.
Well, it's basically the same as with the commandment on killing/murder: the more devout one is, the more that commandment is _negotiable._ It is all about who is doing the killing/stealing and who is being killed/stolen/stolen from.
There was so much meat to chew in this short little book…as always your biblical breakdowns are fantastic. Thank you for motivating me to finally read the Bible in its entirety. Almost there!
I'm a late subscriber so I'm also going through the old testament secular bible studies. I can totally see how the cretins could transpose the capricious qualities of Zeus onto the god of the bible, Jesus included...goes to show how similar the divine conceptions were in the middle east and mediterranean.
It was instructive to me to read actual prayers and hymns to Zeus. Those do not describe a capricious entity. In fact, it looked like the Zeus prayers were simply copypasted into Jehovah prayers with a few edits. Anyone who tells you the folk stories and plays are the totality of worship are missing a big chunk of the story. To Greek intellectuals, the true Zeus was beyond human understanding, without a true gender even, and this part was one and the same as that behind the Egyptian god Osiris, but had a local avatar of human shaping, the part that slept with maidens and threw thunderbolts. This malleability is thought to be part of how the stiffnecked Jewish god become a trinity, and a human dying and becoming god.
Back when I was religious, I only paid attention to Titus (though looking back, that attention was not even cursory) because I was - and still am - a huge fan of Christopher Titus. And now, with you saying "Starbucks Christianity," I cannot help but use one of his jokes from his _Love is Evol_ special: "Hi, I'd like a new [God], uh, this time no jealousy and only half-bipolar. I just want [him] polar, if that's okay."
In regards to the parents being responsible for their children, the old testament has parents stone their kids if they fall away, so, they seem to have not thought the parents are responsible
A priest's daughter who committed adultery was not merely stoned, but burned to death. I haven't bothered to look to see why the Hebrews thought that was appropriate behavior.
There are examples in history of conquerors finding success in allowing conquered people to have a good deal of autonomy and allowing them to keep their customs - less resentment tends to be generated Paul in particular and Christianity in general, sought and seeks to dominate, to enforce a particular weltanschauung, or worldview upon others. Everyone, every culture must bend the knee to a particular vision of Christianity that can brook no other influences Christians lament over ‘secularism’, ‘atheism’, ‘feminism’, ‘diversity’ , LGBTQIX rights, etc, because only ONE vision, ONE way of life is the RIGHT one: a Christianity taken right out of Paul’s playbook Even when Paul seemingly acceded to cultural norms, when he attempted to reach different people, as in his discussions with the Athenians, it was with the overall purpose of making EVERYONE his vision of what a Christian should be I’ve wondered if the Cretans of Titus were really as bad as they were described - or was their culture at variance with what the author of the book thought it should be?
I think it was just propaganda, like with Canaan. Leaders trying to excuse bad things being done to other people will always exaggerate any bad things they did. Or just take the hypocritical approach and say "when I do it, I do it the right way but THEY do the exact same thing but in the wrong way. "
"Even when Paul seemingly acceded to cultural norms, when he attempted to reach different people, as in his discussions with the Athenians, it was with the overall purpose of making EVERYONE his vision of what a Christian should be" I guess thats the operation rule behind the Christian Nationalists. They believe in hiding their true beliefs until they gain power enough to force them on others.
So it was important to god to include merely "historical" examples of life back then, but he couldn't take the extra words in the *entire bible* to simply say "don't own other human beings, ever." 😩 #alllovinggod
10:40 Ah yes, God's gentle approach to improving society step by step. Like when he asked people to kindly reduce the number of graven images if it's not too much of an inconvenience. And had a stern talk to those children who made fun of someone for having no hair, so they understand how body shaming can be very hurtful, and that maybe one day they too might become bald.
Or that time he had Joshua go around the Promised Land and politely ask the Canaanites whether there might be an open spot or two for his people to settle down in. Or when he had Lot, the only righteous man in Sodom and Gomorrha, deliver some PSAs about how their behaviour is immoral and untennable, and they would be much better off if they kept the SA to a minimum.
I'm curious Brandon has anyone asked you to cover the non-canonical books like The book of Enoch(I know it's cannon in the Ethiopian Church) will be interesting to a review of them.
I am in the world and of the world. I am the world. I am reality. No amount of reading the written thoughts of Hebrews living in a Bronze Age cult will change that.
I love that you're being told you can't critique parts of the bible if they're supposedly private letters. I guess it goes along with the idea that we can't critique catholic priests about what they do with alter boys behind closed doors. I think many Christians today would like to re-edit the bible for: 1) things in the bible they'd like to not be in there. 2) things missing that they'd like to add. 3) things they're kind of OK with but want re-interpreting. Like replacing the word slaves with servants. I'd call this the a Modern Republican Bible, and the cover would have a big orange face on it with the words "Believe only me".
Mate i`m a 62 yr old atheist but i was a christian for years when i was younger. Atheism is just realistic. Can`t believe in magic at my age. Keep it up
Hey it's a good thing neither Paul, nor Timothy, existed cos Timothy wouldn't have survived a horrific adult circumcism :) Then there's the Slaves, Collective Responsibility and Women immorality parts. No doubt about the insane imaginary Paul. He's a real shocker. Great work again Brandon - thanks
Excellent video ! I think the core issue with the Pauline contradictions is genuine Paul speaks out of both sides of his mouth depending on his audience. To the Romans, the law sucks; you are only saved through faith. To the Corinthians, “ what the f*ck are you doing? You are new creations, act like it. Your faith is bullsh*t!”
The 3 monotheisms are obnoxious belief systems. If there exists a "higher " intelligence or power, those three religions are not at all related to that supposed power.
And that's the fun part. If people lived out the bible they read, they'd definitely think twice. Abusive types and their apologists are going to defend it no matter what for obvious reason but for regular degular folk who just believe? Let a dude come to their door with a bag of coins *and a wedding ring...
Titus 1:2 @21min - 'God, who never lies,...........' 1Ki 22:22,23 clearly and emphatically states that God DOES intentionally lie! Not only does the Bible clearly state that God lies, but the Bible also lies in saying that God does not lie. Sheeeesh!!!!! 2 Thess 2:11,12 also says that God tricks people and coerces them into believing a lie. Sheeeesh!!!! 1Jn. 2:21 goes even further by saying "that no lie is of the truth." - this confirms that the Bible speaks in circles if it is convenient and expedient for it to do so. Who does God Almighty think he is to be doing such a thing?!!!??!? And in Num. 23:19 it says "God is not man, that he should lie, neither a son of man, that he should repent." - but the above verses have shown clearly that God DOES lie. And if God lies how is he any different from Satan lying to Eve in the Garden of Eden, especially when God put Satan there IN ORDER TO lie to her? And if God lies will he throw himself into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 21:8) to be tormented forever and ever for being a liar? Why is God allowed to throw liars into the Lake of Fire and at the same time exempt himself from being thrown into that lake when he is guilty of the same sin of lying?!!!?! The Bible says in Jas. 2:10 that he who fails in one point of the law is guilty of all of it.
The instructions to slaves sounds exactly like instructions to husbands in the current church and wider culture. lay down your life for her, just as Christ gave himself up for the church. Women hear this and fight back whenever they are told to submit to their husbands in all things. What a mess.
It just occurred to me that marrying faith alone and works may make sense from a fundamentalist worldview, but to a Catholic, how do you fit faith alone into that? It kind of doesn't work.
If Christians followed the teachings of Paul, Christianity would have long since died out. Imagine if the early believers stopped getting married and having children, who would they have passed their beliefs on to?
My guess is that the elders are judged on their children's fidelity to the faith because if a father cannot lead his household religiously, how can he hope to lead a church?
Except you can lead in all the ways they should go, both with teaching and action, and kids often stop believing. My sister is one such case and example, with two agnostic sons.
@@judethree4405Sounds like quite the Richard Relocation in play: you are doing everything you are supposed to, and in the end, when you are on your deathbed, you are told, "Hey, guess what - you're not getting in! Kiss my @$$!"
@@DavidRichardson153 And that is actually another issue in the Bible. It says in Hebrews that those who go on sinning (which is every Christian) is trampling underfoot the blood of Christ and there remains no more sacrifice for their sin. And then in another book it says many will say in that day Lord Lord, we were following you doing all these things, and yet he tells them to piss off basically and casts them into hell. So, the Christian can’t really have assurance.
@@judethree4405The key to reading the Bible is to keep it in the historical context in which it was written. 1st century Roman occupied Palestine was not the 21st century West. Fathers ruled their households with iron fists, and religious dissent was not tolerated within families. If a father during this time practised 21st century levels of tolerance, he would be seen as weak and a poor caretaker of his family and would be denied leadership roles in the community.
I always assumed that Timothy's circumcision in Acts was just because Acts is fiction and the author Luke didn't know or didn't care about Paul's opinion about circumcision. Does anyone have more plausible stories about this discrepancy?
You’re didn’t consider 1 Cor 7:26 in the discussion on marriage. “I think that in view of the PRESENT DISTRESS it is good for a person to remain as he is.”
Titus 1:2 @21min - 'God, who never lies,...........' 1Ki 22:22,23 clearly and emphatically states that God DOES intentionally lie! Not only does the Bible clearly state that God lies, but the Bible also lies in saying that God does not lie. Sheeeesh!!!!! 2 Thess 2:11,12 also says that God tricks people and coerces them into believing a lie. Sheeeesh!!!! 1Jn. 2:21 goes even further by saying "that no lie is of the truth." - this confirms that the Bible speaks in circles if it is convenient and expedient for it to do so. Who does God Almighty think he is to be doing such a thing?!!!??!?
the issue i have is how you are saved make no sense, Just believe in Jesus, whatever that means, then believe he died and came back to life then the next believe all that plus repent whatever that mean or is even possible oh come on God make its clear to us please
Someone said Jesus only died for his own Church and I wanted to disagree, but yeah, its like someone telling you you won a free drink, then informing you you have to listen to a lecture first, then you have to fill out a form first, etc, etc.
Titus is the guy who made his army "Fishers of men"... those men were Jews plucked out of the Sea of Galilee like fish. Compare the military campaign of Titus with the ministry of Jesus and be horrified.
Theres so many things scholars look at. I have covered it better in past videos but some of it is writing style, word choice, advanced theological concepts or even the grammar itself. Events listed that were not yet known at that time and other historical information and much much more.
Wether it’s on a Sunday thoughts or Tuesday takedown, I would love to hear your critique on progressive Christianity. Because I have issues I come to notice (or more accurately admit), for starters they are just as selective with the Bible as the fundamentalist (albeit sometimes unconsciously regardless of camp). One example of is that they are correct that when fundamentalist are hyper focus on spiritual warfare they largely focus on the warmongering verses and gloss over the basic friendship feel good verses etc from Jesus. However they ignore conveniently and even deny verses from Jesus that substantiate and even lead to the extremist Christian such as the Matthew 10: 34-36 the infamous great divider quote. Which in my opinion is representative of a sect that hated the pacifist version even then.
A corrupt Supreme Court gave immunity for official acts to the President. There is NO precedent for that. They removed human rights from one protected citizen class, applying punishing health restrictions to certain citizens, which is unequal enforcement. Corrupt states are blocking citizen referendums from getting on ballots, because citizens are overwhelmingly voting to restore those human rights. You are underestimating how corruption allows fascists to simply ignore rules.
Your point about moderate, whitewashed Christianity given licence for fundamentalism in certain cases is rather pertinent - there's a rather annoying tendency these days for apologists and cultural Christians to pull what I've seen described as a Christian reverse-takfir on us: 'Akshully, your beloved human rights are all entirely a Christian invention! So, surely it's not a problem if we have more Christians in power, because we're all Christian really anyway!' We're conditioned to treat Christianity either as benign, or at least better than whatever alternative they come up with, which can often be as unimaginative as mindless nihilism. But as this letter shows, clearly the Pauline/proto-Orthodox churches were concerned with appearing relatively 'normal' and 'acceptable' within Roman society, and thus Christianity is itself shaped by what came before, rather than a unique standalone bastion of decency. What's more, according to Mary Rose D'Angelo, Jesus' famous equivalence of divorce and remarriage with adultery was very similar to certain Augustan laws looking to strengthen the institute of marriage, as well as to Philo's discussion on the matter in his exegesis on Deuteronomy. Whether the Gospel authors or Jesus himself were directly familiar with these precedents is hard to say, but clearly they existed, and wouldn't have been absent from the zeitgeist. As for slavery - it wasn't as though, in the Roman world, manumission was unheard of, and Christians could have gained a positive reputation among the lower classes for automatically freeing every slave they bought, standing out as progressive and radical whilst staying on the right side of the law. And perhaps Pauline churches could have taken hints in behaviour from their rivals - the Carpocratians were an early group of gnostic Christians who had a reputation as libertine, when, to be more accurate, they believed that, following salvation by knowledge, every other moral judgement was subjective, with biblical laws essentially being a form of material imprisonment there to be subverted. They certainly upset the status quo by rejecting all private property - which, in their judgement, included marriage and presumably slavery - but they were more in line with Roman sensibilities in one rather important matter. In a Carpocratian temple found in Ionia, statues and icons of Christ and the apostles have been found, seemingly making the Carpocratians the first Christians to ever depict the man - they also revered statues of Plato, Pythagoras, and Aristotle. To other Christians, idolatry, but to the Romans, normal religious pluralism. The Romans didn't care if you worshipped a Jewish carpenter, they just wanted you not to persuade your fellow Romans to abandon all other gods as well. The antinomian view of the Carpocratians suggests that they were unlikely to do this. But whereas modern apologists would have us believe that God and early Christians had to stick with slavery and misogyny so as not to upset the status quo, rejecting the harmless practice of honouring other gods was the hill they were prepared to die on. If you're going to upset the powers that be anyway, why not go the whole hog? I guess for free men, it was easy to just assume that women and slaves could hold on some 2,000 years before emancipation. These skewed priorities are not ones we should be revering.
I had to look up 'antinomian'. The definition suggested faith alone brought salvation, without any necessity to repent, ask for forgiveness, atone, or follow Church rules. I can see why the early Church decided to destroy them.
The problem is, Brandon, like me and most other non-believers you are just too rational. You must be able to live in a fantasy world. Nicolle Wallace calls that Earth 2 or as in The Matrix - take the red pill. Somewhere along the way I must have taken the blue pill inadvertently - I am stuck in reality with my fellow rationalists now!
I definitely disagree with you about progressive religion. There are 2 main paths from progressive religion: 1. out of the religion; 2. into sane religion with myths and metaphors appropriately treated as myths and metaphors. Neither of these paths gives a lot of space to fundamentalism. Fundamentalists HATE progressive versions of their faiths. The only people responsible for the atrocities of fundamentalists are fundamentalists. And there are precious few people with liberal values who give them cover. (Granted there are some, but it is simply unfair to claim that all progressive religious people do that or that all those who give fundamentalists cover are progressive religious people. I recall Robert Price giving a whole lot of cover to the Moonies, and that wasn't because he's a progressive Moonie. It's because they repeatedly hired him.) I'm really tired of the Sam Harris accusation of progressive religious people. I don't even consider myself one of them, though at times I could be characterized as such. It's just the accusation is so unfair and untrue, and I'm sick of people who claim to value truth repeating it.
People who become radicalized are first introduced to sanitized, friendly versions. The best way to defend against the pernicious influences is by recognizing and refusing to accept its underlying assumption.
27:06 This caught me off guard but there are many problems with your statement here, because Christian nationalism (one of the driving forces for the project 2025) is argued by scholars like Andrew L. Whitehead to be a political betrayal of the religion, yet alone all the research that suggest politics influences this new movement of self identified Christians more than religiosity. "Progressives" in most cases I've seen have entirely different interpretive frameworks from their fundamentalist counterparts, which allows to disagree with what biblical authors thought was true. Stating that "you are good despite your religion" is misguided not only because of what we know about intrinsic religiosity, but because how do you know that is even true? why aren't their interpretative frameworks suddenly irrelevant when discussing if it makes them better people or not?
Take just these three small chapters from today let aline the whole bible. Here we see a condoning of slavery and women being told to be submissive and work from home. Those are literal not metaphorical. No interpretation needed. Groups that take that to its serious and logical end are dangerous but thats what is actually stated by this scripture. Progressives who have chosen to ignore or excuse these things are indeed being more moral than their bible so yes i think they are doing good despite their bible not because of it
@@MindShift-Brandon ...That is the point when I mention interpretative frameworks thou (?), as those same frameworks of what progressives have about bible allow them to comfortably disagree with things on the bible. Not to mention who fundamentalism is not some sort of default Christianity, as if it was it wouldn't be so recent. I would also gladly agree with many of our moral concepts have surpassed the bible, but just because they don't adhere to literalism (which is impossible) doesn't mean that their way of engaging with their text, their religion, is suddenly irrelevant for for their morals.
@@kettei7743 Could it be because Progressive Christianity is still lugging around the corruption of the political greed displayed in the Bible? All the baggage of oppression, racism, hate, blind obedience, are stealth bombs in anything associated with the Bible. Until the Bible has its power taken away, and is viewed as the mixed collection it is, it has diabolical influence on vulnerable people.
Only 10 left now! Thanks for being here
Looking forward to it!
@@shelhawke7206thanks!
Destroyer of yr world in the house. Taste my power u mindless sheep 😂
Excellent as usual.
I love your secular Bible study series. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the craziness that is Revelation. Make that video as long as necessary to say all you want to say. We will listen. :)
Major Christian doctrine on how kindly to treat others depends on how grumpy Paul was when he wrote a letter.
Lol!
Haha so true!
-Did you get a good night sleep Paul?
-No!
-Oh geez!
-How much is that thorn in your side bothering you today, Paul?
-It really hurts Charlie!
-Oh boy!
An excellent, and depressing, observation.
Anyone following Paul has problems.
@@2aSunnyPlace Hey! Language!
That explains a joke from Monsters Inc: “first of all, it’s Cretin. If you’re gonna threaten me, do it properly”
Thank you for pointing out the dangers in a progressive, watered-down version of Christianity. I had a conversation with a young pastor recently and many of his views on Christianity were just not biblical. This watered-down version of Christianity gives cover to the religion by representing Christianity as something that it is not.
Gives cover is the perfect term.
And, speaking from experience, it still has the same poison-candy center, because the stories about having to follow x rules or be horribly punished has been made mild and in many cases secular (the first Western European education came from the church, and has been in-formed by that). But they are still the horrible voice in your head telling you you'll never be enough, that you should hate yourself for this or that, that you deserve to be punished for being an imperfect human being.
Brandon. When you went over the verse about how the children are supposed to be believers in order for them to be qualified, I started cracking up! I was so focused on the other requirements my mother was clearly violating when I was a believer, that I overlooked that particular requirement.
With my father being an elder and her being a pastor, they’re both patently violating the standards that they’re supposed to believe in. By the book they shouldn’t be in leadership and that makes this entire culture of Christianity that much more comical to me
Isnt that funny. I had been thinking of it from the church pov but you are right. These parents should step down once they find their child not to believe. I wonder if any ever have
"Too much word salad at play", I absolutely love that, you summed it up perfectly. Revival meeting tonight at the First Church of the Holy Salad Bar.
Thanks for being here!
Thanks for your continuous comments about the books of the Bible. I am learning so much.
So glad to hear it, Duane!
Stuff like Titus gives "Look at the trees" a whole new meaning.
I love the way you go through these texts and point out issues that we tended to skip over or ignore when we were 'in the faith'.
Just being able to step back and objectively look at the text and it's implications is so eye-opening.
Thanks so much!
Short and shameless? That was my nickname in high school!
Another awesome video! I always LOL when you say "Gross" or "Yuck". Your visceral reactions are hilarious. 😂
Lol sometimes i truly cannot help it. It happens more than you think, i just cut most of them. And thanks!
One major issue with the whole "all you need to do is believe" is I know several mentally disabled people who CAN'T believe. So where do they go? Most Christians will say heaven which is a contradiction and breaks the one and only rule they cite. The rest will just be cruel and say "Oh well, they're condemned. It was God's plan "
Yes one if many many salvation issues
Right! Under the Christian worldview, there's no explanation for mental disabilities or mental illnesses. It's occurrence really goes against the core ideas of God creating us with free will to see if we will choose him. The evolutionary perspective offers a far better explanation.
People with Mental Disabilities are like children. They can't be held accountable. The issues I have with people with both Mental and Physical Disabilities is Pastors always say they're born that way because of Sin. But than they say they're fearfully and wonderfully made and God made them that way to teach able bodied believers and non-believers compassion and love IT'S ALL FUCKING GODDAMN NONSENSE While I agree that people with Physical and Mental Disabilities need a place in society and shouldn't be shunned It's just cruel to smite them with disabilities and it puts an unfair burden on their families to take care of them.
People with mental disabilities are like children. They can't be held accountable for their actions. The issues I have with people with disabilities is pastors always say that they're born with disabilities because of Sin. But than they flip the script and say God made them fearfully and wonderfully made and he made them with disabilities to teach able bodied believers and non-believers compassion and love. I'm sorry you can't have it both ways. If God can't stop Sin from randomly creating people born with horrific disabilities than he's not Omnipotent!!!!!!! If he can stop Sin from randomly creating people born with horrific disabilities but he chooses not to because he wants to teach able bodied believers and non-believers compassion, love and tolerance and on the flip side let's not forget that God allows previously able bodied believers and non-believers to become disabled thru disease or horrific accidents or their a victim of a violent crime so God can teach them Empathy which is compassion thru shared suffering He is CLEARLY NOT A GOOD LOVING GOD!!!!!!!
As I've commented before, if it's Canon it's fair game. Blast away!
100%! Thanks
Seeing these as they come out has been such a ride. I wish I could get my relatives to watch this channel.
I'm getting a lot out of your videos on the books of the Bible. You're very articulate and to the point.
Thanks so much!
Always a good day when you post a new video! You've really helped me look at the Bible in ways I never thought before. I can't wait for this series to be completed. It'll be a great resource to point people to!
Appreciate that so much! Thank you
I see you’re now at over 50K subscribers. Congrats Brandon! Proud for you. I can remember when you were at just over 3-4K about a year ago. Awesome.
Thanks for being here since the beginning! It has been quite the ride for sure
Thank you for your SBS on every book in the Bible. This 66-book series is very important as an overview study tool to tackle the Bible as a whole. It is very important to analyze the Bible critically and to not accept it carte-blanche as an inerrant infallible document when you and others have honestly and accurately clearly demonstrated serious contradictions and problematic passages in it.
You are SOLID GOLD, Mr. B., SOLID GOLD.
Always appreciate the kindness!
The highlight of every Thursday for me. After Titus, the rest of the New Testament is going to be very fresh ground to cover for me and I am here for it.
Thanks so much for this!
For the algo, another good video, Brandon.
atheists are frequently asked why they care what religious people believe, what business it is of theirs. We see the effects of ideologies stretching beyond religious context, affecting human rights, individual behaviour, prejudices...all without any thought or introspection. One day at work I was on break with a group of female co-workers who were discussing their husbands. One said: "my husband is really good. He lets me work." She was trying to say how he respects equality in sexes but her word choice exposed to listening ears how her defense of him actually said the opposite about both of them.
In effect, Christians walk up to you on the street, poke your chest, and when you react negatively, they say, “What, I’m not even allowed to be in the same COUNTRY as you?” Like what? It’s obviously not your presence that’s the issue here, it’s what you’re doing to me and probably to others.
They let thousands year old incoherent mythology dictate how they think we should live our lives, how they interact with others and how they vote. Naturally, of course. They can’t not be linked. And, increasingly, they want this mythology canonized as actual history in schools. These are the reasons people object. It’s not just “The *culture* is so hostile to people who all they wanna do is love Jesus”.
Yes I’m quite tired of hearing that its all so innocent and they are just minding their own business
@@AdamKlownzinger Explain to me why so many atheists vote republican? There are very popular ones on youtube and all over the internet. Could it be people do and feel what they want despite religion or lack of it?
@@mightiestalone9851" so many is a very vague qualifier, according to Pew research fully 85% of self-identified atheists do not vote Republican. So if you mean why any significant fraction of atheist for republican, the question itself is false because no significant fraction of atheists vote Republican. That said, the Republican party isn't the theists party, though most theists do belong to it, it's the party of the rich, and there are many Rich atheists , we would expect at least some of them to vote for their financial preference. To suggest that your religious views, or lack thereof, don't inform your voting decisions seems to me quite naive. Being an atheist doesn't stop people voting for republicans because atheism has nothing to do with whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, it's not even a position on any ethical moral or political topic. So we shouldn't expect to see atheist vote a particular way. Now it turns out that a large group of atheists are secular humanists, and that philosophy does inform their voting, and causes them to choose candidates who will do things to help the less well off, but being atheist alone it's not enough to push a person to vote either direction. This is not true for theists, a group who's nearly every decision is influenced by their belief, or at least ostensibly is. The Democrats represent a group looking to destigmatize all manner of things in society which have been wrongly made forbidden, the religious wish to resist that so they vote Republican . That is why so many theists vote Republican and why so many atheists who are also secular humanists vote Democrat.
@@mightiestalone9851I like the economic principles but not the religious fundamentalism or culture war nonsense.
Dude, this right here "Starbuck's Christianity" just made my day! Not only is it ALSO a major problem that keeps people stuck in the "faith" it is a backdoor into all these ugly verses that allow people to treat others like shit based on their "faith." I agree with you 100% IT SHOULD END! TY for these videos!
Appreciate that! Glad to help vocalize
This was confusing to me, because Starbuck will always be either a pilot for Battlestar Galactica or the voice of reason in Moby Dick.
I wonder if you have ever thought of starting a formal school for people are on the fence about their faith. I think Religious Fundamentalism is the biggest threat to the advancing Human Civilization, and people with your knowledge are indispensable in getting us past that huge roadblock. Your organizational skills are off the charts, and you speak in a gentle yet urgent tone about all of the problems of following religion. No one would feel they are being preached to or made to feel stupid. Something to think about. And as always this was an outstanding overview. Thanks again!
Great job as always
Many thanks!
your thursday segments make my day and keep me informed with more to learn so thank you!
So happy to hear that. thank you!
More indoctrination from a ginger bearded obese guy. Keep thanking him😂
He's an atheist. You really wanna listen to him? 🤏🧠 lmfao
Love it when a new video drops! Thanks for doing this Brandon!
+1
My pleasure! Thanks
Interesting that there is instruction for slaves to not steal.
Ironic that property rights are prioritized at the same time that humans are considered property.
And I thought the 10 commandments had theft covered already.
Nice point
Well, it's basically the same as with the commandment on killing/murder: the more devout one is, the more that commandment is _negotiable._ It is all about who is doing the killing/stealing and who is being killed/stolen/stolen from.
@@DavidRichardson153 "Rules for thee and not for me", as they say.
The various quips give me some good laughs. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed!
There was so much meat to chew in this short little book…as always your biblical breakdowns are fantastic. Thank you for motivating me to finally read the Bible in its entirety. Almost there!
Love to hear it! thanks
A PERFECT BIBLE WOULDN'T NEED TO BE UPDATED OR CHANGED JUST REPRINTED
People against the Bible keep saying it should be changed all the time.
WE LOVE mindshift, we meaning me
Much appreciated!
I'm a late subscriber so I'm also going through the old testament secular bible studies. I can totally see how the cretins could transpose the capricious qualities of Zeus onto the god of the bible, Jesus included...goes to show how similar the divine conceptions were in the middle east and mediterranean.
Glad to have you and thanks!
It was instructive to me to read actual prayers and hymns to Zeus. Those do not describe a capricious entity. In fact, it looked like the Zeus prayers were simply copypasted into Jehovah prayers with a few edits. Anyone who tells you the folk stories and plays are the totality of worship are missing a big chunk of the story. To Greek intellectuals, the true Zeus was beyond human understanding, without a true gender even, and this part was one and the same as that behind the Egyptian god Osiris, but had a local avatar of human shaping, the part that slept with maidens and threw thunderbolts.
This malleability is thought to be part of how the stiffnecked Jewish god become a trinity, and a human dying and becoming god.
Thanks for all of your fantastic videos!❤
Thanks for watching them!
Another good one, Brandon
Thank you!
Boom! Here we go!
Always happy to see this comment! :)
@@SeekingTruth2023 Hi Seeking...good to see you
Crete sounds like a place I would have liked. 😀
My god you’re good. 🤩
I can't believe we're already on 56.
Going fast!
(Mindshift drops a new SBS video)
Paul: Why do I hear boss music?
Second
Why do I smell coffee? ☕😃
Lol!
@@TonyLambregtsNice dude.
@@BluStarGalaxy Truly something worthy of worship! 😉
Great one 👍
Thanks, man!
Thanks!
Thanks, Ken!
Sisyphous and Bouldey are back!
Yes! They have always been here but on the other wall. Just makes me so happy
@@MindShift-Brandon I must imagine
Back when I was religious, I only paid attention to Titus (though looking back, that attention was not even cursory) because I was - and still am - a huge fan of Christopher Titus.
And now, with you saying "Starbucks Christianity," I cannot help but use one of his jokes from his _Love is Evol_ special:
"Hi, I'd like a new [God], uh, this time no jealousy and only half-bipolar. I just want [him] polar, if that's okay."
Happy SBS day🎉🎉🎉
🎉
Thanks for the video.
Happy SBS day everybody! & Boy I'm early!
Glad to have ya!
So good! 💯
Thanks, Becca!
In regards to the parents being responsible for their children, the old testament has parents stone their kids if they fall away, so, they seem to have not thought the parents are responsible
A priest's daughter who committed adultery was not merely stoned, but burned to death. I haven't bothered to look to see why the Hebrews thought that was appropriate behavior.
Yes the invisible sky wizard does love that Lying Game and is quite the sadist.
John Macarthur has a son who pled guilty to fraud charges. Somehow I cant imagine he ever contemplated stepping down.
I'm literally so excited for Revelation. If you want a bad time, try some psychedelics before reading.
There are examples in history of conquerors finding success in allowing conquered people to have a good deal of autonomy and allowing them to keep their customs - less resentment tends to be generated
Paul in particular and Christianity in general, sought and seeks to dominate, to enforce a particular weltanschauung, or worldview upon others. Everyone, every culture must bend the knee to a particular vision of Christianity that can brook no other influences
Christians lament over ‘secularism’, ‘atheism’, ‘feminism’, ‘diversity’ , LGBTQIX rights, etc, because only ONE vision, ONE way of life is the RIGHT one: a Christianity taken right out of Paul’s playbook
Even when Paul seemingly acceded to cultural norms, when he attempted to reach different people, as in his discussions with the Athenians, it was with the overall purpose of making EVERYONE his vision of what a Christian should be
I’ve wondered if the Cretans of Titus were really as bad as they were described - or was their culture at variance with what the author of the book thought it should be?
Great point!
I think it was just propaganda, like with Canaan. Leaders trying to excuse bad things being done to other people will always exaggerate any bad things they did. Or just take the hypocritical approach and say "when I do it, I do it the right way but THEY do the exact same thing but in the wrong way. "
@@suicune2001 Tell The Truth!!!!!!! 👍🏿
"Even when Paul seemingly acceded to cultural norms, when he attempted to reach different people, as in his discussions with the Athenians, it was with the overall purpose of making EVERYONE his vision of what a Christian should be"
I guess thats the operation rule behind the Christian Nationalists. They believe in hiding their true beliefs until they gain power enough to force them on others.
So it was important to god to include merely "historical" examples of life back then, but he couldn't take the extra words in the *entire bible* to simply say "don't own other human beings, ever." 😩 #alllovinggod
always a major issue!
Crete is the birth place of Venus. It was also basically an ancient age resort island. Vacation/tourist destination. Beautiful place!!!
10:40 Ah yes, God's gentle approach to improving society step by step. Like when he asked people to kindly reduce the number of graven images if it's not too much of an inconvenience. And had a stern talk to those children who made fun of someone for having no hair, so they understand how body shaming can be very hurtful, and that maybe one day they too might become bald.
Lol! Yup
Exactly. Lol
And asked nicely if isrealites would cut the tip of thier slaves penises...you know, if the slaves wanted to.
Or that time he had Joshua go around the Promised Land and politely ask the Canaanites whether there might be an open spot or two for his people to settle down in.
Or when he had Lot, the only righteous man in Sodom and Gomorrha, deliver some PSAs about how their behaviour is immoral and untennable, and they would be much better off if they kept the SA to a minimum.
I'm curious Brandon has anyone asked you to cover the non-canonical books like The book of Enoch(I know it's cannon in the Ethiopian Church) will be interesting to a review of them.
many have, and i will indeed. Thanks!
Thanks, Brandon. Real soul food, if I had a soul.😂
Lol thanks!
I am in the world and of the world.
I am the world. I am reality.
No amount of reading the written thoughts of Hebrews living in a Bronze Age cult will change that.
12:09 i like how the Jewish population was spoken of like they have x ray circumscope eyes which allows them to see ic someone was cut
"Progressivism allows fundamentalism" BOOM
Comment for holy algorithm
Always appreciated!
Praise the all mighty youtube algorithm 🙏🙏
I love that you're being told you can't critique parts of the bible if they're supposedly private letters. I guess it goes along with the idea that we can't critique catholic priests about what they do with alter boys behind closed doors.
I think many Christians today would like to re-edit the bible for:
1) things in the bible they'd like to not be in there.
2) things missing that they'd like to add.
3) things they're kind of OK with but want re-interpreting. Like replacing the word slaves with servants.
I'd call this the a Modern Republican Bible, and the cover would have a big orange face on it with the words "Believe only me".
I'm guessing that the inner contents of that Bible would be upside-down, backward, in Chinese braille, and with at least half of the pages missing.
When you re-edit history too much, you may not be able to tell what history is anymore.
@@theboombody Sometimes its best to let the Ship of Theseus sink, and get a new ship.
Happy sbs day
Thanks!
Mate i`m a 62 yr old atheist but i was a christian for years when i was younger. Atheism is just realistic. Can`t believe in magic at my age. Keep it up
Hey it's a good thing neither Paul, nor Timothy, existed cos Timothy wouldn't have survived a horrific adult circumcism :) Then there's the Slaves, Collective Responsibility and Women immorality parts. No doubt about the insane imaginary Paul. He's a real shocker. Great work again Brandon - thanks
Thanks so much!
Starbucks Christianity XD. Spot on!
I used to call it evangellyfish or crispy crème Christianity. 😆
Excellent video !
I think the core issue with the Pauline contradictions is genuine Paul speaks out of both sides of his mouth depending on his audience. To the Romans, the law sucks; you are only saved through faith. To the Corinthians, “ what the f*ck are you doing? You are new creations, act like it. Your faith is bullsh*t!”
lol indeed!
The 3 monotheisms are obnoxious belief systems. If there exists a "higher " intelligence or power, those three religions are not at all related to that supposed power.
And that's the fun part. If people lived out the bible they read, they'd definitely think twice. Abusive types and their apologists are going to defend it no matter what for obvious reason but for regular degular folk who just believe? Let a dude come to their door with a bag of coins *and a wedding ring...
Titus 1:2 @21min - 'God, who never lies,...........' 1Ki 22:22,23 clearly and emphatically states that God DOES intentionally lie! Not only does the Bible clearly state that God lies, but the Bible also lies in saying that God does not lie. Sheeeesh!!!!! 2 Thess 2:11,12 also says that God tricks people and coerces them into believing a lie. Sheeeesh!!!! 1Jn. 2:21 goes even further by saying "that no lie is of the truth." - this confirms that the Bible speaks in circles if it is convenient and expedient for it to do so. Who does God Almighty think he is to be doing such a thing?!!!??!? And in Num. 23:19 it says "God is not man, that he should lie, neither a son of man, that he should repent." - but the above verses have shown clearly that God DOES lie. And if God lies how is he any different from Satan lying to Eve in the Garden of Eden, especially when God put Satan there IN ORDER TO lie to her? And if God lies will he throw himself into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 21:8) to be tormented forever and ever for being a liar? Why is God allowed to throw liars into the Lake of Fire and at the same time exempt himself from being thrown into that lake when he is guilty of the same sin of lying?!!!?! The Bible says in Jas. 2:10 that he who fails in one point of the law is guilty of all of it.
Late, but here😂🎉
We forgive you! Don’t let it happen again though…..😄
@@BluStarGalaxy😂
I'm working early today... Gonna have to watch again later.🎉
@@CatDaddyGuitarHope it goes well. 🤘
@@BluStarGalaxybtw, I'll be gone next week camping so cya later 😅
sins of the father, the exodus and the tower of babel - the trinity requiring disbelief in total
The instructions to slaves sounds exactly like instructions to husbands in the current church and wider culture. lay down your life for her, just as Christ gave himself up for the church. Women hear this and fight back whenever they are told to submit to their husbands in all things. What a mess.
It just occurred to me that marrying faith alone and works may make sense from a fundamentalist worldview, but to a Catholic, how do you fit faith alone into that? It kind of doesn't work.
If Christians followed the teachings of Paul, Christianity would have long since died out. Imagine if the early believers stopped getting married and having children, who would they have passed their beliefs on to?
1000%!
My guess is that the elders are judged on their children's fidelity to the faith because if a father cannot lead his household religiously, how can he hope to lead a church?
Except you can lead in all the ways they should go, both with teaching and action, and kids often stop believing. My sister is one such case and example, with two agnostic sons.
@@judethree4405Sounds like quite the Richard Relocation in play: you are doing everything you are supposed to, and in the end, when you are on your deathbed, you are told, "Hey, guess what - you're not getting in! Kiss my @$$!"
@@DavidRichardson153 And that is actually another issue in the Bible. It says in Hebrews that those who go on sinning (which is every Christian) is trampling underfoot the blood of Christ and there remains no more sacrifice for their sin. And then in another book it says many will say in that day Lord Lord, we were following you doing all these things, and yet he tells them to piss off basically and casts them into hell. So, the Christian can’t really have assurance.
@@judethree4405The key to reading the Bible is to keep it in the historical context in which it was written. 1st century Roman occupied Palestine was not the 21st century West. Fathers ruled their households with iron fists, and religious dissent was not tolerated within families. If a father during this time practised 21st century levels of tolerance, he would be seen as weak and a poor caretaker of his family and would be denied leadership roles in the community.
@@Charlotte_Martel Interesting point👍
I always assumed that Timothy's circumcision in Acts was just because Acts is fiction and the author Luke didn't know or didn't care about Paul's opinion about circumcision. Does anyone have more plausible stories about this discrepancy?
You’re didn’t consider 1 Cor 7:26 in the discussion on marriage. “I think that in view of the PRESENT DISTRESS it is good for a person to remain as he is.”
SBS DAY!!
Thanks for being here!
Titus 1:2 @21min - 'God, who never lies,...........' 1Ki 22:22,23 clearly and emphatically states that God DOES intentionally lie! Not only does the Bible clearly state that God lies, but the Bible also lies in saying that God does not lie. Sheeeesh!!!!! 2 Thess 2:11,12 also says that God tricks people and coerces them into believing a lie. Sheeeesh!!!! 1Jn. 2:21 goes even further by saying "that no lie is of the truth." - this confirms that the Bible speaks in circles if it is convenient and expedient for it to do so. Who does God Almighty think he is to be doing such a thing?!!!??!?
Great callout!
5:08 but doesn’t make the ethical tensions and contradictions worse if it is private communication. Does it not make the author a hypocrite?
the issue i have is how you are saved make no sense, Just believe in Jesus, whatever that means, then believe he died and came back to life then the next believe all that plus repent whatever that mean or is even possible
oh come on God make its clear to us please
Someone said Jesus only died for his own Church and I wanted to disagree, but yeah, its like someone telling you you won a free drink, then informing you you have to listen to a lecture first, then you have to fill out a form first, etc, etc.
A seven word comment for the algorithm
Titus is the guy who made his army "Fishers of men"... those men were Jews plucked out of the Sea of Galilee like fish. Compare the military campaign of Titus with the ministry of Jesus and be horrified.
Hi Brandon how do I prove that they are forgeries what evidence have you got ime confused
Theres so many things scholars look at. I have covered it better in past videos but some of it is writing style, word choice, advanced theological concepts or even the grammar itself. Events listed that were not yet known at that time and other historical information and much much more.
You're probably not going to be able to prove something is a forgery to anyone who doesn't accept biblical scholars.
" For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified." ?-Sounds like James, doesn't it?
It's Paul. Rom.2:13
Crete still exists. It’s in Alabama 😳
You need both works and faith but you can’t lean on works lest you boast.
Hey Brandon, I am very curious as to what you think about Islam. Do you find the god in it better? I would love to see a video about it.
Brandon's first podcast was with an ex-Muslim.
Wether it’s on a Sunday thoughts or Tuesday takedown, I would love to hear your critique on progressive Christianity. Because I have issues I come to notice (or more accurately admit), for starters they are just as selective with the Bible as the fundamentalist (albeit sometimes unconsciously regardless of camp). One example of is that they are correct that when fundamentalist are hyper focus on spiritual warfare they largely focus on the warmongering verses and gloss over the basic friendship feel good verses etc from Jesus. However they ignore conveniently and even deny verses from Jesus that substantiate and even lead to the extremist Christian such as the Matthew 10: 34-36 the infamous great divider quote. Which in my opinion is representative of a sect that hated the pacifist version even then.
Starbucks-christianity 🤣
It is impossible for Project 2025 to overturn the 1st Amendment. Only a 2/3 vote by both Houses of Congress can accomplish that.
A corrupt Supreme Court gave immunity for official acts to the President. There is NO precedent for that. They removed human rights from one protected citizen class, applying punishing health restrictions to certain citizens, which is unequal enforcement. Corrupt states are blocking citizen referendums from getting on ballots, because citizens are overwhelmingly voting to restore those human rights.
You are underestimating how corruption allows fascists to simply ignore rules.
Your point about moderate, whitewashed Christianity given licence for fundamentalism in certain cases is rather pertinent - there's a rather annoying tendency these days for apologists and cultural Christians to pull what I've seen described as a Christian reverse-takfir on us: 'Akshully, your beloved human rights are all entirely a Christian invention! So, surely it's not a problem if we have more Christians in power, because we're all Christian really anyway!' We're conditioned to treat Christianity either as benign, or at least better than whatever alternative they come up with, which can often be as unimaginative as mindless nihilism.
But as this letter shows, clearly the Pauline/proto-Orthodox churches were concerned with appearing relatively 'normal' and 'acceptable' within Roman society, and thus Christianity is itself shaped by what came before, rather than a unique standalone bastion of decency. What's more, according to Mary Rose D'Angelo, Jesus' famous equivalence of divorce and remarriage with adultery was very similar to certain Augustan laws looking to strengthen the institute of marriage, as well as to Philo's discussion on the matter in his exegesis on Deuteronomy. Whether the Gospel authors or Jesus himself were directly familiar with these precedents is hard to say, but clearly they existed, and wouldn't have been absent from the zeitgeist.
As for slavery - it wasn't as though, in the Roman world, manumission was unheard of, and Christians could have gained a positive reputation among the lower classes for automatically freeing every slave they bought, standing out as progressive and radical whilst staying on the right side of the law. And perhaps Pauline churches could have taken hints in behaviour from their rivals - the Carpocratians were an early group of gnostic Christians who had a reputation as libertine, when, to be more accurate, they believed that, following salvation by knowledge, every other moral judgement was subjective, with biblical laws essentially being a form of material imprisonment there to be subverted. They certainly upset the status quo by rejecting all private property - which, in their judgement, included marriage and presumably slavery - but they were more in line with Roman sensibilities in one rather important matter.
In a Carpocratian temple found in Ionia, statues and icons of Christ and the apostles have been found, seemingly making the Carpocratians the first Christians to ever depict the man - they also revered statues of Plato, Pythagoras, and Aristotle. To other Christians, idolatry, but to the Romans, normal religious pluralism. The Romans didn't care if you worshipped a Jewish carpenter, they just wanted you not to persuade your fellow Romans to abandon all other gods as well. The antinomian view of the Carpocratians suggests that they were unlikely to do this. But whereas modern apologists would have us believe that God and early Christians had to stick with slavery and misogyny so as not to upset the status quo, rejecting the harmless practice of honouring other gods was the hill they were prepared to die on. If you're going to upset the powers that be anyway, why not go the whole hog? I guess for free men, it was easy to just assume that women and slaves could hold on some 2,000 years before emancipation. These skewed priorities are not ones we should be revering.
Declaration of Independence says inalienable rights come from our creator.
@@theboombody What does that have to do with the Bible.
I had to look up 'antinomian'. The definition suggested faith alone brought salvation, without any necessity to repent, ask for forgiveness, atone, or follow Church rules. I can see why the early Church decided to destroy them.
@@Badficwriter Not much. Other than that the Bible and the Declaration of Independence claim to be inspired by the same entity.
Second? ;)
The problem is, Brandon, like me and most other non-believers you are just too rational. You must be able to live in a fantasy world. Nicolle Wallace calls that Earth 2 or as in The Matrix - take the red pill. Somewhere along the way I must have taken the blue pill inadvertently - I am stuck in reality with my fellow rationalists now!
stuck in reality. i love that.
I definitely disagree with you about progressive religion. There are 2 main paths from progressive religion: 1. out of the religion; 2. into sane religion with myths and metaphors appropriately treated as myths and metaphors. Neither of these paths gives a lot of space to fundamentalism. Fundamentalists HATE progressive versions of their faiths.
The only people responsible for the atrocities of fundamentalists are fundamentalists. And there are precious few people with liberal values who give them cover. (Granted there are some, but it is simply unfair to claim that all progressive religious people do that or that all those who give fundamentalists cover are progressive religious people. I recall Robert Price giving a whole lot of cover to the Moonies, and that wasn't because he's a progressive Moonie. It's because they repeatedly hired him.)
I'm really tired of the Sam Harris accusation of progressive religious people. I don't even consider myself one of them, though at times I could be characterized as such. It's just the accusation is so unfair and untrue, and I'm sick of people who claim to value truth repeating it.
People who become radicalized are first introduced to sanitized, friendly versions. The best way to defend against the pernicious influences is by recognizing and refusing to accept its underlying assumption.
27:06 This caught me off guard but there are many problems with your statement here, because Christian nationalism (one of the driving forces for the project 2025) is argued by scholars like Andrew L. Whitehead to be a political betrayal of the religion, yet alone all the research that suggest politics influences this new movement of self identified Christians more than religiosity.
"Progressives" in most cases I've seen have entirely different interpretive frameworks from their fundamentalist counterparts, which allows to disagree with what biblical authors thought was true. Stating that "you are good despite your religion" is misguided not only because of what we know about intrinsic religiosity, but because how do you know that is even true? why aren't their interpretative frameworks suddenly irrelevant when discussing if it makes them better people or not?
Take just these three small chapters from today let aline the whole bible. Here we see a condoning of slavery and women being told to be submissive and work from home. Those are literal not metaphorical. No interpretation needed. Groups that take that to its serious and logical end are dangerous but thats what is actually stated by this scripture. Progressives who have chosen to ignore or excuse these things are indeed being more moral than their bible so yes i think they are doing good despite their bible not because of it
@@MindShift-Brandon ...That is the point when I mention interpretative frameworks thou (?), as those same frameworks of what progressives have about bible allow them to comfortably disagree with things on the bible. Not to mention who fundamentalism is not some sort of default Christianity, as if it was it wouldn't be so recent.
I would also gladly agree with many of our moral concepts have surpassed the bible, but just because they don't adhere to literalism (which is impossible) doesn't mean that their way of engaging with their text, their religion, is suddenly irrelevant for for their morals.
@@kettei7743 Could it be because Progressive Christianity is still lugging around the corruption of the political greed displayed in the Bible? All the baggage of oppression, racism, hate, blind obedience, are stealth bombs in anything associated with the Bible. Until the Bible has its power taken away, and is viewed as the mixed collection it is, it has diabolical influence on vulnerable people.
6:10
Youre a biblical HACK on par with an Edgar Cayce.
With this kind of shallow analysis, sure you’re not justifying your desires to sin? 😜
You know me. Anything to just get to my delicious sin.
@@MindShift-Brandon Well, looky there! Another pin-head thinking that we disbelieve just so we can sin. Oy. What a nincowpoop.