Odin, Thor, and Loki are Babylonian deities!!

[Darth K'Trava]

Not sure if that was in response to what I said at all, but I wasn't suggesting that mankind sprang into being in one place - I was suggesting that perhaps the gods that created (or divided into, or just guided?) mankind, in many different places, all come from a common place (or more to the point, are components of the same greater entity, as we are, albeit smaller ones) themselves.

If that were the case, it would make since for certain themes to recur throughout all of the diverse cultures, to greater or lesser extents. Then again, the shared experience of simply being human may be enough to ensure that, regardless.

I think people did start in one area. And then spread out over the years/millenia. And they took their customs with them and over over many more years, the customs got altered/changed due to the distance from the original source. Or adapted to the land they lived in. The human race is one that adapts fairly quickly to their surroundings.

But don't mind me. I have been known to be 37 different suburbs of Crazytown.

What else is new? Considering what you've been thru. Most *would* be nutso after that. :\

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Exactly - makes a nice safe place to stick a belief.

Most beliefs can't be correlated by science. It's a "nice" shady grey area. And not all people would want their beliefs analyzed by science.

If you believe (as many religious people do) in the divinity of Christ, we do - but our thought paths to get us to that conclusion are probably vastly different. And since the devil is in the details, and I'd like not to be devil's advocate, I'll leave it at that.

Ain't that the truth! :\ His is the *most* convoluted path I've *ever* seen! I've been raised going to church for most of my life.

And considering the "source" of the devil "calling the kettle black" in at least one instance.... But that's all *I* will say to that.

Not really, if you read it in the original languages involved - translation is a strange thing, sometimes. I'd recommend looking specifically at the different words that are translated into English as "G-d". If you'd like more detail about what I mean by that, email me: torm1975@bellsouth.net.

There was no doubt, one language at one time until the incident at the Tower of Babel. Then we now have the multitude of languages that we have now, with some changes/deletions/additions/modifications/mutations over the millenia since that event. And there are quite a few similarities with at least some of the languages. Even from one side of the world to the other.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Not at all - and that goes for anyone else, too. Come one come all. If you want polite discussion, excellent. If you want to be abusive, that can be fun, too - I like having people who give me an excuse to be mean in new and inventive ways.

And Torm joins the circus.....

[shameless plug]Actually, if anyone wants to have conversations that border on breaking the rules for religion or politics here on a forum, you can always go over to www.minioninc.com, get an acc't, and start a thread. Please use your ENWorld screenname for clarity, though. I'm "Baron_von_Brueger" there - don't ask. I'll pick up another acc't labelled Torm if any of these conversations pop up. It is sparsely populated, presently. But be warned - Eric's grandmother would have a coronary. There are almost NO rules there. And don't mind "Meca-Jesus" - he's like that with everyone.[/shameless plug]

Or, if you just want to email, cool. Either way.

I'd rather not go to a place where there's no doubt a bunch of flame wars over religious "debates". I've seen enough of that at times on a "Star Trek Off-Topic" board here on AOhell. Usually between an Islamic and a "Rabid" Christian (she loves to bash anyone and anything that goes against her beliefs, rather than professing tolerance as one should do. One should love one another, not try to bite their heads off.

 

[Torm]

I'd rather not go to a place where there's no doubt a bunch of flame wars over religious "debates".

Actually, it isn't that bad, except in the Warzone. It's a board run by my sort-of sister (complicated - what ISN'T? ) and her husband for some of our "family" (not much of our actual blood, but our adopted families) and friends. I figure that includes anyone who would be paying attention to my posts here.

 

[The_Universe]

If you believe (as many religious people do) in the divinity of Christ, we do - but our thought paths to get us to that conclusion are probably vastly different. And since the devil is in the details, and I'd like not to be devil's advocate, I'll leave it at that.

Interesting. I had you pegged at least partially incorrectly. Now I *am* interested. But best not to get into it here...

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Interesting. I had you pegged at least partially incorrectly. Now I *am* interested. But best not to get into it here...

True. It's one helluva dissertation, I'll tell ya that.....

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Actually, it isn't that bad, except in the Warzone. It's a board run by my sort-of sister (complicated - what ISN'T? ) and her husband for some of our "family" (not much of our actual blood, but our adopted families) and friends. I figure that includes anyone who would be paying attention to my posts here.

"Sort-of sister"?

Sorta like a new family after where you told the real ones to go? Heck. I'd love to tell my "father" that. The non-existant SOB.

Especially those who you're imitating Pepe Le Pew with.....

 

[Darth K'Trava]

And as for "Meca-Jesus" ,or anyone else for that matter, if he got out of hand, I have a "little" gift for him:

 

[Thotas]

Josh, you're right, I should have said "Semites" to be techniclly accurate. You're also right that it's nitpicky.

Torm, my post was not in response to your post specificly, it was a general comment.

Since I've been asked, I will lay out the bottom line of the book I mentioned. I figure if I am a little over the quidelines, my defense is that a couple of people openly asked and I tried to be good. What it comes down to is that the Flood waters never did recede; Noah's flood is pretty much the Black Sea. It seems that the Bosphorus had a natural dam in (geologicly) recent times. That dam finally burst, and filled up the valley below to create the Black Sea. Unfortunately for humanity, that's where we decided to begin the process of civilization. The protocivilization had to flee in all directions, carrying with them some common cultural ideas and a story about a disastrous flood that ended the world (as they knew it, anyway). They discus some interesting evidence (but admittedly not yet proof) in geology, archaeology and mythography to back it up. If anyone decides to persue it further, I hope you'll find it interesting, whether you think it's credible or not.

 

[Desdichado]

Josh, you're right, I should have said "Semites" to be techniclly accurate. You're also right that it's nitpicky.

Yes, it is. And to add to the flame, Semites is too broad. It would include the Arabs, the Babylonians, the Assyrians and the Phoenicians, among others, which isn't what you had in mind, I don't think. The Hebrews or the Israelites would work, though.