Help with book about Old/New Testament differences
Does anyone know of a book written about this from a secular viewpoint? I can find a number of links to discussions on this (EDIT: from Christians) but was hoping to find a recommended (EDIT: secular) book that has covered this. Books can go into great detail to illustrate a key point.
It seems the Old Testament is "God's Word" and the New Testament is "Jesus's Word." My take on it. Importantly, the Old T is full of anger, vengeance, violence, even genocide, and other 'weird' stuff. The New T is more kind-hearted.
I am not interested in returning to the flock, just would like to read a book on this. I was brought up in the Southern Baptist Church (USA) and abandoned it once I was on my own. Just didn't/doesn't make sense but the god of the OT being so mean and spiteful was a key part in my deprogramming.
I can find any number of rationalizations to these OT/NT differences from Christians. Not interested in that. I've read far too many of them. I don't buy it.
I would even be interested in a book about a broader subject that covers this. TIA!
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Bart Ehrman, Richard Price, Richard Carrier, Hector Avilas stidy these authors, they are allmprofessors that write books from a secular view point. They are all athest. For other authot that are Bible critics DM me and I will give you another list of very respected yet Christian Doctorites that are worth reading as they are more concerned about history, from a literary, archeological, liguinistic, history from out outside sources etc.
DavidLaDeau
Level 8
Mar 4, 2020
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FearlessFly
Level 9
Mar 3, 2020
0
Why waste your time reading bullshit, old or new, still bullshit.
Matthew 10:3434 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."
Instead read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
Mofo1953
Level 9
Mar 3, 2020
3
The verse you have spoken of that was put on the lips of Jesus is important to understand. He was quoting a king in a parable, it actually says he was useing a parable. So the it is not proper to qoute Jesus who was quoting a fictional charactor out of context.
Dawkins does not deal with Bible Criticism. His books are a very good read!
@DavidLaDeau parable or not there are many other jesus sayings that are violent and the end result is always a waste of fucking time. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26; or "And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.” Matthew 18:8-9. Don't you waste my time either dude.
The gist is that the Olivet gives a set of positives to underpin your life in contrast to the Negatives in OT.
Basically ‘do’s’ rather than ‘don’ts’.
If you look through it bear in mind that Matthew is an apocalyptic writer and very dramatic. Great writing but a bit over the top with his scenarios!
Geoffrey51
Level 8
Mar 3, 2020
1
As they exist now they are meaningless as they have been mistranslated over the years and they were manipulatively edited by a bunch of guys at the council of nicea rendering them useless to understand their original content and meaning apart from a few chapters.
RichardTaylor
Level 5
Mar 3, 2020
3
The council of nicea did not task themselves with editing any books that were being considered to be Canonized. It is a misunderstanding that the Bible was Canonized at the 2nd Council of Nicea. It was later that Emperor Constitine order that the same scrolls or "books" be put into one accepted Canon. He also ordered that their be one set of general beliefs that were to be agreed upon. This did happen at the second Council and established the Orthodox church or "whole" church now Called the Catholic church.
i don't dispute the continued editing but it was the council at nicea that started the rot.
The Old T seems full of vengeance, laws, and anger and Jesus believed in the Old T according to scripture. Jesus was Jewish and so were those in the Old T.
The New T is in some ways more kind hearted but not the words of Jesus at all. There are some legends there and then the rest of it seems to have been written mostly by Saul of Tarsus. BTW, Saul never met Jesus and neither did Josephus. Neither of them were contemporaries of Jesus.
DenoPenno
Level 9
Mar 3, 2020
2
Jebus was the one who introduced humanity to HELL. Can't get much kinder and gentler than that.
@jlynn37 Where abouts in NT is that? Can you give the reference please?
How could Paul or Josepus not know Jesus? Next your gonna tell me Mark didn't write Mark, Matthew didn't write Matthew, Luke didn't write Luke, and John didn't write John!
@DavidLaDeau Try as I may, I've spent a lot of time searching for people in the Middle East with those gospel names.
Many sects do their own interpretation,many of them totally off the wall crazy interpretations . I was raised Catholic baptised etc, interesting that evangelical Christians think I have to be born again by baptism in their church, insane shit like that so I stay away from and crazy teachings
bobwjr
Level 10
Mar 3, 2020
0
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