From: HOLFELTZ@LSTC2VM.stortek.com
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Father-Mother God reference
Date: 11 Apr 92 06:46:56 GMT
Organization: StorageTek SW Engineering


 
[from Continued (1)]
 
Did early Hebrew religion conceive of God in a physical
human form?  Did they believe in a literal Father and Mother is Heaven?
Was monotheism really the original religion that was revealed to
Adam and the Patriarchs--or was it something that snuck in through
the back door on some dark night thousands of years later?
 
The Bible teaches that originally, all cultures had a common origin in
Adam; that same culture was passed down through the Patriarchs to the
time of the tower of Babel when the Lord confounded the language of the
people and divided them up into different nations.  Hence they might
know God by different name, but their concepts of Him would be basically
the same.
 
The gods of the pagans went by different names, but for the most part,
the roles they played seemed to follow a basic pattern (Hebrew Goddess 20,26)
What is significant, is that there was a anthropomorphic polytheism along
with the belief in a FATHER and MOTHER in Heaven.  This belief prevailed
from the time of Adam to Christ, both in Pagan and Hebrew religion.  This
is in sharp contrast to the religion of abstract monotheism, which
scholars have discovered, did not come into existence until the Greek
philosophers invented it (Interpreters Bible 1:107).  In fact, abstract
monotheism (pure) of any kind is foreign to the Bible (Ibid. 1:361-2).
Even the Bible state in certain terms that the religion of the Patriarchs
before the flood was polytheistic (Joshua 24:15); and this is in
accordance with the judgements of present day Jewish and Christian
scholars.  These scholars are coming from both Jewish and Christian camps
and identify the religion of Abraham as ONE and SAME with that of his
pagan neighbors (Early History of Israel p.274; A History of Israel p.100;
The Interpreter Bible 1:296-7).
 
There were differences to be sure, but the likeness between them is so
close that archaeologists and scholars of ancient Israel, the differences
have been hard to recognize (Hebrew GOddess p.17; Early History of Israel
p.283-7).  Both practiced the same cultic rituals, sacrifices and holy
feasts.
 
Hebrew and Canaanite religion conceive of God as an exalted man, and
they both used the same phraseology and metaphors to describe Him
(Psalms 104:3; Bible as History p.268; Interpreters Bible 1:359;
The Ancient History of Israel p.23;Encyclopedia Judaica 4:10;
Mythologus of the Ancient World p.193,199).
 
When Abraham emigrated to Canaan, he discovered a religion which was so
similar to his own that ultimately, he identified himself with it
(Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible 4:177-8).
 
The Bible along with archaeological record shows overwhelmingly
that the religion of the Patriarchs was a form of Antropomorphic
or Theomorphic Polytheism; that it contained elements of ancestral
worship; and included a belief in a FATHER and MOTHER in Heaven, both
of which possessed physical bodies as tangible as ours.  All of the
gods possessed physical bodies just like us.  In fact,
in Hebrew thought, the body was (is) a part of the whole man and
was necessary to complete his being.  Image meant more than just
appearance--it meant inclusion of spiritual powers, of thought,
of communication and self-transcendence (Interpreters Bible
1:357-9, 1:484-5, appendix A p.43; Interpreters Dictionary of
the Bible 2:415,673; Early History of Israel p.269,271-2).
 
The difference was the gods were immortal, but they could die
through some diabical plot or unseen event.  The gods could
be killed, just like JESUS WAS, but they did not grow old and
die as we do--in other words, deity was equated with immortality;
and when mortals obtain immortality, they become Gods (Early History
of Israel p.147.  With the coming of philospical monotheism,
the lessor gods were demoted to the rank of angel, while deity
was reserved for the head God.
 
To the Patriarchs, the gods were may, but their loyalities
centered on the supreme God whose name was El. He was conceived of
"as an old man with a white beard".  He was wise and benevolent and
merciful. He was also married and His wife's nam was Asherah
(Early History of Israel p.147; Interpreters Dictionary of Bible
1"251,2:675-6; Encyclopedia Judaica 3:704).
 
[to be continued(2)]
 
A poor Wayfaring Stranger in a strange land,
 
 +-----------------------------------------------------+
 | Roger Holfeltz   -  The truth can be made up,       |
 |                     if you know how                 |
 |                                                     |
 |  My mind IS a terrible, terrible thing              |
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