Metaphysics and Myth

A nearly six hour stream in which Dr Kevin McCairn discusses a paper which shows Beta Amyloid identified In Young Covid patients and also information that vaccines don’t stop long hauler syndrome.  From 2:29 onward Dr Kevin McCairn hosts a conversation in which I join him to discuss metaphysics.  The conversation is partly a response to the ideas brought forward by Christopher Jon Bjerknes (CJB) in his book Satanic Secrets of Jesus Christ  wherein he portrays Christianity as part of a Jewish plot to subject the world.   I already pointed out that this argument is logically flawed and inconsistent as the Jews attempted to subvert Christianity and adsorb it back into Judaism from its very inception in the first century.  Moreover Christianity has always stood as a bulwark against Bolshevism which attempted to destroy Christianity.  Internationalism (globalism) and/or communism has always understood Christianity as the enemy.  Three previous videos dealing with these matters are the following:

The Caodemon (discussing issues raised by CJB’s book) and Are you listening to a Pied Piper? (debunking claims about the scapegoat and the LXX) and the video that deals with matters raised by Eric from Hot Topikz called Blood sport or debate?

Christopher Jon Bjerknes’ theories are derived from the Christ Myth Theory which has been rejected as a fringe theory by virtually all scholars.  CJB adds an extra twist to this theory by arguing that Jewish Scripture was originally written in Alexandria as a recasting of Greek myth into a Hebrew worldview in which Gentiles would be convinced to reject their old (better gods) for a mythical (Satanic) Christ by adopting Christianity, a religion designed to deceive them and weaken them  and prepare them for Jewish subjection.

History

The enlightenment brought the age of reason and “science” and the fall of totalitarianism in the twentieth century saw the truth as an artifact that could be subverted by ideologues and therefore absolute truth was neutralized by post-modernism and post-truth.  In this view all truth is relative but where does that leave historical truth?  Can anything concrete be know about the past?  Historical revisionism can be legitimate pursuit if driven by new evidence or it can be negationism (distortion or denial of history for nefarious purposes). History is, after all written by the victors and therefore seldom unbiased. The post -enlightenment era saw the rise of deconstructionism and biblical-criticism which are useful tools when employed holistically.[1]

The question of the existence of Christ as a real historical person is not doubted by most scholars (biblical and historical). It is strange that the historical reality of Christ should be asked to meet higher criteria of proof than other historical personages.  If we do not have epistemological clarity then we can never have ontological certainty and the world and our place in it can never be know or understood. Methodological approaches are therefore fundamental to determining meaning and therefore I suggest understanding the text as literature and how it interacts intertextually both with itself (inner biblical exegesis) and externally (with myth).  No single text exists in a vacuum the meaning is formed by other texts and in doing so the text transcends its boundaries.  The biblical text is great literature but it is more than that it is theology and history as well and herein lies the difficulty as it does not fall into easily defined categories.  Underneath the live stream video I place links to videos looking at different approaches that need to be integrated in order to achieve a holistic understanding of the text.

Myth

All cultures have myths about the “gods” and they all reflect a certain cosmogny related to cyclical patterns of destruction and rebirth.  The story of Noah is found in Sumerian myths and in many other cultures [2] and seems to be related to a Heinrich event with the melting of ice sheets and sudden climate change. Interestingly, the biblical ark came to rest on Mt Ararat which is close to the most ancient continuously cultivated vineyards for 8,000 years [3] complimenting the biblical account of Noah planting a vineyard. Traumatic catastrophes are preserved across cultures  and they are related to repeating cosmic events which the ancients knew how to calculate. The cosmogony of Israel and its Zodiacal arrangement shows an awareness of wider ancient myth and deconstruction and demythologizing (reinterpretation) whereby the twelve tribes become the zodiac and the Sanhedrin become the 70 gods or rulers (Elohim) who will eventually judge the 70 nations (Gen 10). [4]   In this theology heaven has come down to earth and Yahweh is enthroned among his people.  This suggest that the knowledge of cosmic patterns transited the Younger Dryas boundary. [5]   The ubiquity of the myths across cultures suggests that the ancients were aware of the cyclical nature of destruction but that over time that knowledge was lost.  The question is whether the Jews preserved the knowledge through a group evolutionary strategy or whether it was the product of revelation.

The Jewish Question

"As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes" (Rom 11:28).

Any look at the Jewish question must be nuanced and balanced. Not all Jews are supremacists neither did all Jews support Bolshevism.  The Jewish people themselves have been subject to abuse by a privileged class who think nothing of sacrificing  them on the altar of their ambition. It was the same in the first century when a priestly aristocracy and ruling class exploited the poor.   It is not antisemitic to note that all the levers of power are now in the hands of the Jews, neither is it antisemitic to note that the early church was persecuted and subverted by the Jews.  The apostle Paul makes it perfectly clear that they are contrary or hostile (NKJ), or oppose (NIV) all men. Paul believes that they are hateful towards other races.

"For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:  Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men" (1 Thess 2:14-15).

Jesus says their Father (talking about the rulers) was a liar and a murder from the beginning (an obvious reference to the serpent):

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).

This is very strong condemnatory language that reflects the persecutions that the church was facing, nevertheless it must be balanced against the wider purpose of divine mercy towards the Jews  and their repentance and in-gathering.

"For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?"  (Rom 11:15).

What about other religions? Are only Christians saved?

This is a challenge that is often heard. There are nearly 8 billion people on earth are only Christians going to be saved?  In fact, many would answer that only their sub-set of Christianity is worthy and everyone else will burn in hell (lolz).  Another remark is that the Abrahamic religions are contentious in comparison to the more harmonious eastern philosophies.  This may be due to other factors beside religion including national temperament and whether or not they are a regional minority or majority. First let us look at the distribution of world religions.

We see that the Abrahamic religions make up about 56% of total religions and when we add unaffiliated (mostly atheist or humanist) we account for 72% of the world population leaving 28% non-Abrahamic religions.  Note that Judaism is not even on this chart because it represents only 0.2% of the global population.  The two biggest non-Abrahamic religions are Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s) nor any binding holy book; Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, panentheistic, pandeistic, henotheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist.  Hinduism has a belief in rebirth and cycles. Buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana.

Christianity is a universal religion in that opportunity is extended to all men regardless of class or race (John 12:32) but just because someone is Christian does not automatically mean that they will be saved for the path to destruction is broad but the way to salvation is narrow and constrained “…and few there be that find it” (Matt 7:14). Moreover, humanity can take no credit for discovering salvation,  “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). It is the divine prerogative to both select and to forgive whomsoever he wants: “….and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy” (Ex. 33:19 ). Not only that but the apostle makes it clear that the creator (artist) does not have to answer to his creation, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” (Rom 9:20-21). So, God does not owe us an explanation and ultimately it is not our place to judge another man’s servant.

Textual Approaches

The Art of Biblical Narrative by Alter was a groundbreaking approach to understanding the Bible as literature which is a prerequisite to obtaining any theological meaning. The following video is the first of four videos (recommended) reviewing the book [6]

First episode, Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Literature (14 min)

This video on Hermenutics and Intertextuality is a good introduction and I start it part way where it is talking about Palimpsests (Gerard Genette 1982):

What is intertextuality?

This video demonstrates that intertextuality is inimical to understanding any piece of writing, or movie or even music (lyrics).   Nothing happens in a vacuum.

Intertext/intertextuality| Context of Text Development| Reading and Writing-Senior High School (12 min)

Resources

A number of texts were discussed and also referred to in the chat.  Matthew 2 which records The Flight into Egypt was brought up as an example of the grey area between historical event and pesher/midrash.    The embarrassment around Jesus’ birth and the woman caught in adultery is indirect corroboration (at the very least) of the mystery surrounding his birth and his legitimacy in John 8.  The Book of Job was mentioned as an example of a parabolic way of examining philosophical questions surrounding suffering and disinterested service based on the real-life experiences of Hezekiah.  The miracle of the healing of Legion was placed in the intertextual context of exorcising the unclean spirit out of the nation of Israel by sending them away.  It was a parody of the scapegoat ritual with the unclean animal (pig) drowning in the “Abyss” from which the “beast” emerges in Revelation 11 to kill the two witnesses who had tormented them (like Jesus did).   This teaching miracle must be put in the wider context of demonology found in the testaments.  Moreover, the Apocalyptic twist given to the healing of Legion demonstrates that the Beast power is at its heart Jewish.

This is discussed in depth in my commentary PRITA on the Apocalypse.

Finally someone commented on the fact that Sarah was a half-sister to Abraham misunderstanding the cultural norms and the complex theology behind the sister-wife narratives.  Consanguinity was not unusual in the ancient near east one only has to look at the ancient Egyptian Kings and Queens etc. 

Notes

[1] I. Howard Marshall once famously compared the scholarly deconstruction of Christ and the gospels with the scene in John 20:15 where Mary is weeping and when the “Gardner” asks why she is crying she responds that they have taken away the Lord’s body and she does not know what they have done with it.

[2] A Flood of Myths and Stories

[3] World’s oldest wine found by scientists in Georgia

[4] See the article on The Great Year The rabbis dispute whether there are 70 nations (MT) or 72 nations (LXX) in Genesis 10 but the wilderness Sanhedrin together with Moses and Aaron suggest 72 is correct.

[5] See the article on the Younger Dryas

[6] Select the watch on YouTube button to find the other three parts. This is an excellent channel.  See also the Review that I wrote some years back (the links may have degraded) Review of The Art of Biblical Narrative.