Wait! Were The Pharisees Right About Jesus All Along?

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Happy Sunday, everyone. Thanks for joining me today!

[@carlasmith9093]

HappySunday!

[@harveywabbit9541]

The year is divided into the Pharisees (separated, or winter days), and Sadducees (holy-ones or summer days). Jesus, as the winter sun of five signs/months, is a Pharisee (see Rev. 9.5 where winter is described as the five winter months of Scorpio thru Pisces). Christ, as the summer sun is a Sadducee, and is the savior who comes as the number seven (Egyptian Imhotep). The signs are Aries thru Libra and this is the seven months that the sun god (Solomon) builds the temple of God. This is the temple that was not actually destroyed in A.D. 70. The "destruction" of the temple at Jerusalem, is nothing more than the end of one season (summer) and entry into the winter season of five signs as shown in Rev. 9.5. The cursed scorpion (Scorpio constellation) leads Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. These five signs are also the five wounds of the winter sun, who "dies" at the passover from winter (Egypt) to the Promised Land (summer). The crucifixion at Calvary is purely astronomical. The evil winter sun "dies" and is born again as the good summer sun (Krishna/Christ).

[@TonyLambregts]

I'm happy to be here. I enjoy all of your videos, including the short ones. Thank you.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

@@TonyLambregtsthanks, Tony! Always a great support, my man

[@tomsenior7405]

Thank you for this honest appraisal. I completely agree with you. Isn't it fortunate that Christ allegedly repealed the "Death for Adultery" commandment. If not, I wonder how many Right Wing North American Christians would have been given the Death Sentence, instead of being revered as pillars of the community. Imagine how different would be the United States without sinful Pastors, Statesmen, Senators, Judges and Presidents. A pity for them that the Jesus and the Adulteress story was a much later addition and probably never happened. Thanks again for your truthful and honest commentary. It is like a breath of fresh air in a nauseatingly religious world.

[@archaichobo6969]

Much better information in thirty minutes from your channel than thirty years sitting in a kingdom hall. Thank you Brandon.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Wow, thanks! Always happy to help

[@billguthrie2218]

...or sitting in ANY church. Truth , facts and reason vs religious nonsense.

[@Mikewee777]

Let's go Brandon ( I meant that in a friendly way )

[@archbishoprichardforceginn9338]

Yes, May The Pickle Jarz of Indoctrination be Broken

[@archbishoprichardforceginn9338]

​@@Mikewee777Anem brethren 👋

[@18471902]

Even when I was a devout christian, the snide, dismissive comments Jesus and the gospel writers made about the Pharisees were unnerving to me. If Jesus and god were all about love and saving peoples' souls, then, at worst, the Pharisees were misguided. Why didn't Jesus and the gospel writers, in accordance with their teachings, approach them in a spirit of love and understanding?

[@Chuck-se5hh]

I LOVE your insight and reasoning here!!!!!!! I agree completely!!!!!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Right?!

[@ranjodh6]

You cannot change thr souls of demons and should be treated as such

[@kenshiloh]

The most bold and foolish question is, perhaps, "Why didn't God..." Using your limited, biased, and fallible perspective could you arrive at anything but limited, biased, and fallible results? One day you will stand before God. If you are a good person, no problem! Yet, if you have ever lied and stolen, then know that God does not allow lying thieves into heaven. He is good; we are not. His judgements are right and true; our judgments are shaded by our moral failings. Have you lied and stolen? If so, then of what value are the moral pontifications of a thief? Or of what weight is a sermon on compassion by a liar? Christ will judge the world in righteousness. He does not need your advice. Whether you 'think so' or not, you will stand before God and answer for every lie and treason. Yet, Christ died on a Cross so that you may know the goodness of God. Jesus Christ is the light of the world.

[@joharyrana779]

Ramblings of a distorted mind, which has been severely damaged by religious indoctrination. I pity you, Sir. 😢

[@ThinkitThrough-kd4fn]

Sometimes Jesus talks like a Pharisee, sometimes like an Essene, sometimes like a Samaritan, sometime like a Greek; I wonder why? At the time the gospels were written the church was composed of former members of all these groups. It seems they all remember Jesus agreeing with themselves.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Well put!

[@EarnestApostate]

And man said, let us make God in our image.

[@elliottpaine9259]

Well put, I would also add the mimise idea in that; many prophets before Jesus turned water to wine, walked on water and rose from the dead also. I feel that the gospels are entirely a mimicked message from Dionysus 400 years before Jesus. Read the old Greek play: Bacchae

[@rogersacco4624]

Robert M Price The Gospels Behind The Gospels

[@gerritvalkering1068]

"It seems they all remember Jesus agreeing with themselves" - well, some things never change it seems

[@joefekete3122]

I am just starting to wake up to the amount of damage my twisted scrupulous religious beliefs have caused me. It's infuriating

[@Chuck-se5hh]

Me too.

[@EmmaHopman]

It's insane how I spent so many years in the church and was always told these criticisms were foolish. I never even understood how critically flawed the Bible is until I started watching Brandon's secular studies here.

[@Cuffsmaster]

What is worse is the influence it has on the world

[@Chuck-se5hh]

@@EmmaHopman My experience exactly.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

It is indeed. You realize you were just truly duped

[@curiousnerdkitteh]

Pharisees and Sadducees were often in my church circles called "too legalistic" which was a thought stopper for whenever I asked about double standards like why I had to adhere to X strict standards about what I was never allowed to do as one raised in the faith and not in danger or leaving but those the church was still trying to encourage into their ranks were taught all about the grace and love and "we should forgive them". Now I realise it was just that they treat new recruits who aren't enmeshed with the church and could still leave differently because they're still trying to entrap them. They're still offering the carrot because they haven't gotten them to sever ties with external supports so the church can then start talking about the dangers of the outside world and the sacrifices to be made as a Christian. They're not safely trauma bonded, indoctrinated and secured yet. 🤮

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Really good and sad points

[@RandomGuy-lu1en]

weird christians: *making strict rules also weird christians: "following strict rules is bad!"

[@Herschel1738]

It just struck me recently that the Baptists I hang out with are the modern version of the Pharisees (whom they criticize because the Pharisees were enemies of Jesus).

[@sledderal1016]

Brandon- your channel has quickly become one of my favorites for counter apologetics content. I abandoned any kind of faith almost 20 years ago (in my early 20's) but still have to live with a fervently evangelical wife and in-laws. I love my wife but struggle watching her assimilate into the "borg" of the church. Her and I manage to productively coexist in order to raise our kids but I have been almost completely stone-walled out of any meaningful relationship with her (honestly, mostly due to my lack of tactfulness in our religious disagreements). In an odd way, your politely blunt delivery and calm rational analysis of biblical content and themes provides a cathartic outlet for me and my personal situation. You explain your thoughts on the seemingly infinite biblical problems in a manner that helps me re-humanize the people in my life that believe and live by this garbage. I greatly appreciate the work you're doing and wish you continued growth and success.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Oh man, thats lovely to hear. Its such a hard situation! I am thrilled to be of any help to make better those relationships!

[@CharlesPayet]

@@MindShift-Brandonaren’t you in a somewhat similar situation? You haven’t talked about that in a long time; I’m sure others are as curious about it as I am. Your privacy obviously comes first though.

[@theresemalmberg955]

Boy, can I ever relate! My father was Lutheran; my mother Catholic. At the time they married (1950's) the priest told my father that if he wanted to marry my mother he would have to sign a paper stating that he would not interfere with her raising their children as Catholics. Many years later he confided in me that he regretted doing so. My mother, for most of her life, was a staunch Catholic (I think she was softening towards the end because she started attending Lutheran services with my father). My father kept his word. He did not interfere. He even stopped attending his church because it was raising too many awkward questions of why doesn't Dad go to our church and why can't we go to his? Whatever he felt about Roman Catholicism he pretty much kept to himself. We learned absolutely nothing about Lutheranism or Protestantism in general other than they were wrong. Why do I bring this up? Because my father spent much of his life being walled off from his family. Now that he is gone there are so many things I want to ask him about but I cannot. When you say that you and your wife "productively coexist to raise the kids" but you have been "almost completely stonewalled out of any meaningful relationship" with her, it really hit home. Because that is exactly what I witnessed and lived as a child! Do not think that this will not affect your children down the road: it will. Coexistence comes with a price. So why did my father marry my mother knowing the conditions up front? Why did my mother marry someone outside the faith. I have heard "well, they were so in love." Well, maybe they were in the beginning, and I saw glimmers of that at the end but in between: there were absolutely no physical displays of affection between them, no kisses, no hugs, no "I love you's". I grew up learning that touching and cuddling are for babies and once you get beyond that stage--especially when there is a new little one in the house--you should put that all away as one of the childish things Paul says we need to do. No, it was never spelled out in those terms, but it was there. I don't remember being held or comforted or cuddled, though I know I must have been, and I have photographs that show me in my mother's arms as an infant, but I have no memories of that. What I do have--and have in abundance--are memories of being spanked. When my parents passed away it did not bring me peace; it only left confusion as to what did I just live for the last 60 years? What is the truth? Please, do not leave your children that kind of legacy!

[@KenSketcher]

Another sad story from Therese, of how religion stuffes up marriages and people's lives. Catholics priest really put the fear into little kids it stays with them for life. The fear of eternal suffering. How disgusting. Dump all religion in the waste basket. Let's just be decent to each other.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

I am indeed. 14 years of marriage. 4 as a deconvert. Two little kids = hard!

[@DannyS177]

When I was a Christian, I didn't understand why every Jewish person didn't/don't become a Christian. "Isn't it obvious that Jesus is 'The Son Of God's?" But when I was in the middle of my deconstruction, I started to understand why, and the Pharisees made sense. The Pharisees' modern Christian equivalent is the Christian Fundamentals.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Same here my friend!

[@SeekingTruth2023]

Same here, too. Only in my deconstruction process, I was openminded enough to do research on this topic. I often asked all the pastors of the churches I visited or was a member of, why Jesus condemned the Pharisees so harshly, although they followed the law so closely, as God commanded, and Jesus sometimes openly went against the law, and therefore the Pharisees - being consistent, said he was wrong. I could understand the Pharisees in way! All of the pastors I spoke to condemned the Pharisees, but didn't answer my question. So I am very happy, that Brandon pointed out this issue. I am sure most Christians are not aware of this problem. I think it is important for Christians to consider this issue! I am so grateful Brandon brought it up! 👍👍

[@Chuck-se5hh]

​@@SeekingTruth2023 Yes, I continue to conclude that Jesus is one severely mixed-up extremist dude, highly erratic and irregular and whimsical and arbitrary and badly unpredictable, not a pleasant or successful social role model to imitate, highly conflicted within himself.

[@Cuffsmaster]

@@SeekingTruth2023 I admit that I didn't spend a lot of time analyzing the Pharisees when I abandon the Christian faith. However, now that the faith is in the rear view mirror for me I find it interesting additional prove that my leaving the faith was the correct decision. I am a simple guy and the fact that none of the supernatural events claimed in the bible can be proved to me in satisfactory way was what caused my retreat from the faith. All the rest just justifies my decision.

[@melaniewritesstuff5369]

Yes same!

[@chapeljohn9462]

When God lays down rules: 'Obey it to the letter!!' When God gives a prophecy: 'It's the spirit that counts, not the letter!!' Not kidding when I say that the Bible literally says that God communicates in riddles...

[@exaucemayunga22]

My sundays went from listening to my pastor to listening to MindShift 😁😁

[@CCP-Dissident]

Jesus died for your weekends

[@thegametroll6264]

I can't thank you enough for the amount of study you do brandon.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Glad to pass what i can along!

[@kathrynyoung3362]

I second this! Thank you!

[@omnikevlar2338]

Oh my goodness! Such a great point about the spirit of the law and the 1 Samuel 15 reference!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you! I thought it was very fitting!

[@Viky.A.V.]

"two religions crushing together.." - exactly! I don't get it why on Earth would they keep the old testament as the "basis" for the new religion (except for they needed that firm ground). It's such a mess.

[@istvansipos9940]

"I don't get it why on Earth would they keep the old testament as the "basis" for the new religion " when the creation of Homo Sapiens is already "explained", you cannot simply toss it into the garbage. You can interpret, re-interpret, deny, etc all the stuff all the people said, but the very basics? Imagine a flat Earth club, where you don't simply present a slightly more beautiful map, but also make the claim that unicorns farted all our mountians into existence. That would have been the scale of the too dramatic change, if crissschunz had invented something completely new about the very basics.

[@beanpie2912]

Another MindShift video? Hallelujah!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Ha! Thanks!

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

Or Hallalubah! (We have 🐑🐑)

[@Hexsmasher2099]

My Sunday sermons Thanks for the content! Keep going Brandon

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Appreciate that!

[@jon.skeptischism]

I’ll say right now, if you skip the mini-Mindshifts because you’ve already seen the longer version, you are not a TRUE die hard fan 😈 Thanks Brandon!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Lol! Thanks, Jon

[@michaelhenry1763]

Woe to those who do not watch the mini-videos 😂

[@NoExcuses98]

@@michaelhenry1763 calamity may come if you skip the mini mind shifts 😈

[@BeccaYoley]

I do love the analogy of deconversion (the ultimate mind shift) being the result of an accumulation of many miniature mind shifts.

[@ReasonQuest]

Agreed. Even though I've heard it before from Brandon, I wanna hear it again! It's like listening to a really, really good song. Once is never enough!

[@scottthiemann2420]

I never stop being amazed by your clarity in the way you continue to approach such biblically sticky issues as these. I have also shared and forwarded on so many of your teachings to others. I wish I could say 'thank god' for all you do, but that would kinda defeat the purpose...by the way, your first NT secular Bible study on Matthew was extensive, thoughtful, and brilliant!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Oh man. What a wonderfully encouraging comment. I am really happy to hear that and thanks for taking the time to let me know.

[@stanleyhyde8529]

My biggest takeaway from all of this is that goal post shifting isn't a new tool in the apologetic tool box. It's one of the oldest tactics for dodging their way through difficult conversations.

[@DayleFi]

Wish this was preceded by 2-3 songs, offertory and some quick announcements: SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE with my favorite pastor Brandon 🙌🏼 🙌🏼

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Lol! Next time i have some channel announcements i’ll have to do them in that style.

[@jshud3]

Being a relatively new agnostic/atheist, I've often wondered what a secular church/gathering would look like...

[@DavidRichardson153]

Now I want to know what kind of songs would be used, because I feel like AC/DC would be used a lot, particularly one song that a lot of Christians also like to listen to as they genuinely believe it says what everyone else is on. And yes, a Sunday morning service with those songs sounds like one I would not only get up for but wear my Sunday Best to (though my Sunday best is rather different from what a Christian would have in mind).

[@jshud3]

@@DavidRichardson153 I'm down for that service! as a welcome meet greet song, a little Thunderstruck playing! lol!! lets go to church!

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

​@@jshud3Losing my Religion by R.E.M. has got to be played!! 🎶 🎶

[@thebiblemademeatheist5]

Sabbath murder of the 1st breaker.. At one point while I was a Christian I started studying about the Sabbath day. This took me deep into the Torah and after much study for about a year and a lot of prayer, I started resting on the 7th day(Saturday) this put me at odds with all my Christian friends and churches. Many even telling me I had lost my salvation because I was voiding my grace. They called me a legalist(a Pharisee) Anyway, after reading about the 1st Sabbath breaker I never could let it go. I felt the punishment did not fit the crime. However, I had to find another reason because that would make God the bad guy. After all in the story Moses went to God to ask what to do with the Sabbath Breaker and God said to take him outside the camp and stone him. So then I had a new question. Why was it considered work to pick up sticks on the Sabbath day but picking up stones to murder a man was ok? Secondly, after the mans murder on the Sabbath day a new rule was added. The wearing of Tzi Tzi on the corners of their garments to remind them of the law. This was problematic for me as well. Why does everyone need an Amendment or reminder when they were keeping the Sabbath already. I mean isn't bludgeoning a man to death enough reminder to keep the Sabbath? So long story short this was the start of my deconstruction even though i had no idea what deconstruction was at the time lol. 😊

[@MindShift-Brandon]

So interesting to see what drives people over the edge. Thanks for sharing

[@thebiblemademeatheist5]

​Plenty of disgusting behaviors to be found in the Torah​ to chase a person into Atheism. 😊@@MindShift-Brandon

[@jenna2431]

Yeah try doing the daily with the feckin' tzitziot on your clothes. I was Messianic and had those things. They came off, got dirty, got lost, in the way, caught in stuff constantly. I do not see how anyone much less farmers and fisherman managed with the stupid things. They only served to remind me that the "law" to wear them sucked.

[@thebiblemademeatheist5]

@jenna2431 I got into Hebrew Roots toward the end of my faith. Maybe 3-4 years. I actually unknowingly started deconstructing my Christianity way back then. I just wasn't 100% willing to give up Jesus since thats what got me started in religion. I wore Tzi Tzi for a couple years. Gave up pork for 3 years(even marshmallows etc) kept Passover, FOUL and as much as I could. Just the more I read the more I disliked the YHWH character. Anyway, I will never be rid of religion. Seen too much and too damaged to just forget now. 😊

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

​@@thebiblemademeatheist5wow, our journey was similar! Over forty years a believer and then got into Torah obedience for a few years whilst simultaneously studying harder only to discover the claims in the bible were just that...claims! Been deconstructing for around 3 or more years now. Life only gets better!! 🎉🎉 This is a great community (minus a few trolls) for us!

[@survive323]

Wake up Sunday morning burn breakfast, listen to Dio HolyDiver album and some Judas Priest waiting to get a word of knowledge from Brandon. The Sun God shines bright today!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Lol, love that!

[@Moment-14]

Screaming..... screaming for vengeance....... The world is a maniacal place....

[@survive323]

@@Moment-14 That is the exact album I listen to this morning.

[@iaminevitable_]

Same except I was listening to System of a Down Toxicity album😌 classic ✊🏽💃🏽

[@jameskpolk9137]

@@iaminevitable_Toxicity is, in fact , a classic

[@Nkosi766]

Jesus also said the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses, listen to whatever they say. No one listens to Jesus.

[@winterunterseher8937]

Matthew 23 right? I remember some else mentioning that too lately. Unfortunately I can't remember who (been diving into a lot of counter-apologist content).

[@NDHFilms]

Whenever apologists bring up eyewitness testimony, I think it's fair to bring up that the one group of eyewitnesses we can know for sure were there, the Jewish elders, didn't think Jesus was the genuine article.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Great point!

[@harveywabbit9541]

The Jewish elders never were.

[@istvansipos9940]

""I am Jabadiah ibn Matthew, aged 26, a baker at Yusuf's bakery, and damn! I totally saw a legit dead dude on X day, in Y month, Z year, at W location. Then a skinny dude came and touched the dead dude and b000oM: the dead dude was alive again. It must have been the white glow from those skinny hands, I swear." This (for example) would be eye witness testimony. Whenever apologists bring up eyewitness testimony, I ask them where to find one in the g0d b00k. Then nothing. But this is only some entertaining side quest anyway. For the g0d isn't even properly defined yet. Eyewitness testimony about the g0d would be like eyewitness testimony about the hiik'taa'tuktii or about Artemis.

[@jons4678]

Brandon, this is one of your best, possibly best yet. Really knocked out of the park. Listing the verses evidence on screen came together well here. It's the video to show anyone who asks me "Why don't you believe the bible?", although they would never watch it. And not a single microphone bump, thank you from a headphone user. Your setting of the background is also starting to look real good.

[@robertjimenez5984]

For 55 years I will go to church and hear the pastor lecture of the day and then go home meditating on what I just learned. As many Christians, I was not interested in the details. All that matters was the Jesus was god, came to save my life and I was going to live in heaven. This was how I lived my life week after week. It was not until I had a discussion with my girlfriend in those days that made me look into the details and read carefully what this book really says. It was extremely painful to discover how uninformed I was about this book. All you have said in this video was not known for me for 55 years. The more I learned, the more I saw how irrational the stories were. I believe that a big section of believers are focusing in the big picture, the reward that is so wonderful. Why worry about the details that will destroy your false wonderful expectations? For many it’s not about truth, it’s about this wonderful false expectation. Now I know it’s only that, a wonderful false expectation.

[@rizdekd3912]

This is why pastors preach on a tiny fraction of the scriptures...picking the uplifting and fulfilling passages rather than the thorny passages that confuse and trouble the congregation. Once I read through the Bible as a teen, I began a one way trip 'out.' It took years to complete the journey, but at no point did I feel like trying to turn around. That was over 40 years ago and I am more sure today that Christianity can't be true on the whole than ever. But I found one can embrace a wonderful expectation without the trappings of religion or even God belief. Life is fulfilling.

[@dawnalawrence6584]

Very interesting video. This is the FIRST time I've ever heard this particular subject described from a different perspective.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

I dont always succeed, but i do try to cover things in a new light or that rarely get attention, so happy to hear.

[@williamtotherow3367]

I have listened and read many books written by PHD Biblical Scholars, but none can top Brandon with his Bible knowledge, insight and rational thinking. Pastors will never teach the real meanings in the Bible or bring up the contradictory issues that exist. This lesson just opened the flood gates of thinking. Thanks again Brandon.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Too kind! I may cover what pastors wont, but i am no scholar and many know much more than i do. My hope is just to be a good middle line of communication.

[@williamtotherow3367]

@@MindShift-Brandon A person does not have to have a degree to be a scholar, to me and too many you are a Scholar. Massive knowledge and critical thinking is scholarship.

[@Cuffsmaster]

@@williamtotherow3367 "critical thinking" Yes fully agree. I have never seen or heard a PHD from a bible college give anything but a song and dance in support of their faith. Oh they try to make it sound very learned but b/s is still b/s even if given by a PHD (which is the case of those educated at a bible college means Piled Higher and Deeper (PHD).

[@chrisgreener3654]

Another one hit out of the park! Have thought it interesting how Pharisees got a bad rap for being too legalistic when they were trying to help people understand exactly what was and was not okay. Were they not motivated out of wanting to obey god the best they could? Loved the prophecy stuff. My former pastor would hit on this a lot. He would claim 330 or more messianic prophecies Jesus fulfilled. I have heard double meaning used to explain why the ones that are obviously about something else also apply to Jesus. Robert J Miller has a great book on this, Helping Jesus Fulfill Prophecy. Also, if we had Jesus’s kind of attitude against the established church today like he did then would preachers tell us we need to be more like Jesus? Thanks for all you do!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you! Gonna check that book out adap

[@pansepot1490]

Reminds me that I heard a biblical scholar say that Jesus, the historical Jesus I mean, not the character portrayed in the gospels, was probably a pharisee, or at least came from that viewpoint. Can’t remember the details of the argument though but it was based on data and rather convincing. Then once Jesus followers formed their own sect they saw the Pharisees as competition and dissed on them. Akin to how protestants diss on Catholics forgetting that they splintered off from the Catholic Church 5 centuries ago.

[@DCox87]

Among the plethora of (passionate) intellectuals, you are a shining star.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thats really kind of you thanks!

[@That_Tuning_Guy]

Thanks Brandon! Well done again. I also wanted to let you know that I like the 5 Minute Shorts. They’re nice little reminders of what you’ve already talked about.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Good to hear. Thank you!

[@Shattered3582]

amazing episode as usual. it is really shocking what i have believed for so long without even questioning if it is right. pharisees were basically cartoon villains to make jesus look cool and badass, but the more you look into it the pharisees were actually trying to keep everyone safe from god's wrath (obviously god's wrath doesn't exist, but i am looking at it from their perspective).

[@harveywabbit9541]

Pharisees and Sadducees are literary inventions. They are simply symbols of the winter and summer seasons. Pharisees, being winter months/constellations are the ones hated.

[@Charleneslife-23]

I love this. This is a video that I’ll rewatch again and again. As an exjw, this is well needed. Thanks a lot.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

So glad to hear it. Thanks!

[@glennthomas7027]

Please continue what you’re doing is absolutely fantastic. I want you to go through all of the New Testament. Thank you so much for your great work.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Will do. Thanks so much!

[@cosplaykatt]

Aye, I'm here early! I love your videos, I feel like you finally lay out in clear, hard to dispute ways, everything I've been thinking about christainity since I deconverted. Keep up the good work! You've been super helpful in my deconversion❤

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Really glad to hear that!

[@Roc-Righteous]

Yeah, you deconverted, but was you even saved?

[@cosplaykatt]

@Roc-Righteous yes, I was a devoted Christian for 20 years. I believed God was real from the depths of my heart. But the more I learned and studied the bible the more I realized it could be true. It has thousands of contradictions

[@tylertucker2608]

@@Roc-Righteous you could get more conversation/debate time if you would turn on the comment section of your own channel. Trolling other channels while your channel is turned off to trolling, tells a lot about your perceived faith.

[@Cat_Woods]

The story of the woman caught in adultery is a worthwhile story (which, IMO, is a rarity in the Bible). But it wasn't in the original version of the gospel. It was a later add-on.

[@dmsdad6866]

Strange too that Jesus never wrote anything. He was so intelligent and learned in scripture. Could he have memorized the stories but otherwise been illiterate? Not likely

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Wouldnt that be something if Jesus had just clearly written a manifesto of sorts.

[@dmsdad6866]

@@MindShift-Brandon 💯

[@sos1691]

Is it not the Greek Jesus [alpha & omega] purportedly talking and issuing all kinds of threats to the seven churches in the Revelation? [all seven churches located in western Turkey]

[@pansepot1490]

Consider Trump. Whatever your opinion of him you can’t deny he has tremendous charisma and has gathered millions of faithful followers while being barely literate. The intelligent and well read Jesus described in the gospels is a literary creation of the gospels authors. We don’t know what the historical Jesus was like. Considering the extreme low rate of literacy in antiquity and the fact that he was a peasant from a remote rural area imo the chances that he could write or even just dictate decent prose to a scribe are vanishingly small.

[@larrytruelove8659]

Dmsdad One of the gospels, Matthew I think, records Jesus reading aloud in the synagogue. He was literate.

[@jeddkeech259]

i left home when i was 16 to escape apostolic pentacostalism. im 28 now. i have always had many of your same arguments in my head but couldnt quite piece it all together like you can. bravo mate

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Glad to help vocalize!

[@BorisTheRed]

Great content, as so many have come to expect, and rightly so. And I love those short versions, those condensed sermons that are your new thing, for people with short attention span, like myself, yet thirsty for information nevertheless, also like myself. Proud to be a Patreon supporter, and want to encourage others to do the same.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Boris, thank you! Thats very kind and generous feedback.

[@mikeglefke1970]

My hope is that some fundamentalists find your channel. You do an excellent job of explaining and making comparisons in scripture

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you! Appreciate that

[@Cuffsmaster]

Brandon you are a breath of fresh air as I live in a community of fundamentalist Baptist. It is very easy to reject their belief but it is nice to hear you and a few more on youtube. Keep it up as you are doing good. I hope your message reaches 1000's and 1000's with the truth.

[@jshud3]

Brandon, I hope you're not having to do all the editing yourself? Please pace yourself... I (all with many others, I believe) love all the days filled with new videos from you, but I want to make sure that you don't overdue it. I know how I get when I do something I really enjoy. I only state that as a reminder... I come out of an audio/video background and I know the amount of work and time it takes to make quality content, like yours is! Keep up the great work... but don't burn yourself out. I'd rather have 1 video a month from you than five days worth each week, if it keeps you from getting drained. Anyway, thanks again for what you're doing!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Appreciate that! I am indeed doing it all myself. I wish i could get help, but it seems it would require someone else to have the same level of biblical understanding and same perspective as me. It does seem like it would just require more work lol but that could be my own. One year down and no burnout though. I do try to be careful though.

[@jshud3]

@@MindShift-Brandon Ok, thanks for being careful... it's a marathon, not a sprint. There's lots of folks that would like to see you be able to do this for a long time... oh yeah also, I'm ready for some merch! "Keep thinking" hats, shirts, beanies, hoodies, etc... lol!! Look at me, sprinting again, sorry!

[@peterhughes8699]

Great informative video Brandon. You explained a lot and filled in many blanks - thanks :)

[@deb6252]

Cool! Wanted this deep dive... thanks Brandon, for all this extra work and this Sunday subject.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Glad to provide it!

[@BeccaYoley]

I've often felt it's pretty much a toss up whether Bible-God/Jesus will be super pissed or happy about any given attempt to follow his word.

[@Chuck-se5hh]

Very well said! You are correct!

[@ritawing1064]

When I did this stuff at Uni, we were told that the Pharisees were kind of trade unionists: they stood over against the Sadducees, class warfare against the latters' privilege-preserving truckling to the Romans.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thats an interesting way of putting it.

[@Iamjamessmith1]

One of the most insightful and instructive videos that I have seen in the last 5 years on any KZbin channel or other channel.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Whoa! What a compliment. Thank you!

[@marcgenevey]

your videos are pure gold. Thanks so much !❤

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you! My pleasure.

[@hillcrestvideoprod1]

Your set is amazing…such a great look for you. Good lighting and sound…the technical look is now as sharp as the content you present. Your prolific output is leaving me in the dust! So many shows to experience, and so little time! Thanks for your great work!

[@duanethompson8770]

Fascinating video. I was always taught by my Sunday school teachers and preachers that the Pharisees and Sadducees were the bad guys that were trying to destroy Jesus. Since I became an atheist and mild scholar of the Bible that their relationship to Jesus was really complicated.

[@coachbrendan]

I had never thought of the "goal shifting" idea relating to those "messianic" prophecies. Definitely makes total sense.

[@ReasonQuest]

Prophecy: "Swing... and a miss." I love it! 😄

[@myownplanetarium1151]

Oh my gosh, Brandon. This video is so insightful! Thank you. I spent so much time being honestly confused as a teenager and college student as I read through the Old Testament and came across these references and stories while comparing them with Jesus's view in the New Testament. I just assumed I couldn't reconcile them because I wasn't understanding things correctly and that I'd learn more as I got older and wiser. Turns out, it wasn't my reading comprehension that was lacking. I wish I could share this with my family, but I'll have to be satisfied with the little bit of vindication I feel right now.

[@mr.goldenproductions_0143]

Yessss super interesting subject!! Thank you so much! Been waiting on this one for a long time!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks, man! Crazy how its right there in front of us.

[@SophiaTheSophist]

this crossed my mind recently! i didn't look into it however. thanks for making this video.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

My pleasure. Thanks!

[@josh.kaptur]

I can't overstate how much your lessons crystalize things for me on my deconstruction/exvangelical journey. They are basically my new "sunday school" which I attended and/or taught as an adult for multiple decades where we went deep from our own presuppositional camps on the same issues. I'm currently in the stage where I have sufficient conviction these aren't just doubts that I'm telling those closest to me I no longer identify as a Christian (and certainly not as a reformed Christian). I'm of course being told that I am and just don't see it, or that I never was (believe me, I was)... because as you know genuine faith can't be lost!!! Thank you for the work you do to make such a clear, coherent argument saturated with scripture itself as the evidence against... it's the one thing that can't be dismissed by those on the inside. Looking through my former evangelical lens, there was a big emphasis on the 3 types of law -- moral, civil, and ceremonial. Apologists teach that Jesus' life/death/resurrection "fulfilled the law" and ushered in a "new covenant" -- thus the civil laws pertaining to Israel as a nation, and the ceremonial law pertaining to ritual cleanliness, are no longer valid. Only the moral law remains. I find your what the text actually says explanation far more straightforward. PS -- imminent means happing soon... eminent refers to prestige. Probably just a slip of the tongue but as a former high school english teacher I had to check in case you're using the words incorrectly.

[@EmmaHopman]

Wow. This was a powerful video today, really showing how little Jesus and old testament God agreed with each other.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you much!

[@myrawest]

My dad solved this issue by kind of creating his own version of christianity where we still lived and learned according to things said in the old testiment as well as the new. He would always find ways to show that the god of the old testiment was the same as jesus & his teachings (ex Emphesising jesus overthrowing the tables). Looking back I relised we were taught very similarly to Judaism.

[@harveywabbit9541]

t is not known who wrote the book of Isaiah. The name Isaiah, compounded of isha and jah/yah, means the Sun will save. Jahveh or the Sun is the same with the Jupiter of the Romans, the Zeus of the Greeks, and the Indra of the Hindus. Isaiah was a prophet, as were nearly all the prominent Bible characters; as, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc. His vision extended over the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; four names meaning nearly the same thing - the Sun in the summer hemisphere. The suffix iah in Isaiah is taken from the IU in IU Piter (Jupiter) with the I representing the male and the ah (female) becomes the U. The word Mes/Mess in Messiah means son of, thus the Messiah becomes "son of Jupiter." The Savior Sun always makes his appearance at the spring equinox as the SPRING SUN, who delivers us from evil (the winter season of extreme hardship). This great event also marks the beginning of the building of the temple of god (the seven months of summer) which is your own body. The temple of god has never meant anything more than your own body. The "destruction" of the Temple built by Solomon, the SUN, is simply the changing of the summer season to winter. There are a number of divisions of the year and they are all astronomical.

[@pittbullking87]

I remember being told that God was the same yesterday, now and forever which always confused me. Traditionally, the first five books of the Bible were written by Moses. Thousands of years later Jesus comes along and says things that contradict it, so who is right Moses or Jesus? People try to rationalize this by talking about the harsh God of the Old Testament vs. the loving God of the New Testament which proves the point. Did God forget what he told Moses or did he change his mind?

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Yup. Issues everywhere!

[@unknown-ot7xy]

😂

[@SharedPhilosophy]

It's so funny how so much of the Christian belief can be condricted by their own holy text. If only they just read their bible.

[@davidfillary]

I think this is your best video to date - very comprehensive and every reference addressed the key topic perfectly.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thats so nice to hear. Thank you!

[@luizr.5599]

Great take as usual. Thanks!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks man!

[@ShyyGaladriel]

Good points. Thanks for addressing this.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

My pleasure!

[@levistromblad2454]

On point as usual 🔥

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you!

[@dmsdad6866]

Love the Mini-Mindshifts! They'll draw more eyes to the content. How's your growth month-to-month? Steady? Your knowledge, lesson planning, editing, and ambiance are impeccable. Only criticism: More BEARD!!! LOL

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Lol thank you! Actually. Its been slowly dwindling since sep/october despite more subs. KZbin is a fickle thing

[@Octoberfurst]

You made some really excellent points! The one thing I never understood when I was a Christian was that the God of the Old Testament always came across as a tyrannical jerk, but Jesus was much more rational and compassionate. But yet they are supposed to be one! How do you reconcile that? And there are times in the Bible where Jesus says "Only the father knows." But yet, if they are one being, how is that possible? Questions like that, among many others, lend me on my road to atheism.

[@mattirealm]

Brandon, excellent study again. You asked the question " where was Jesus when these stupid laws were being given?" You stated correctly that he was in the same place. However, this scripture also says that he says God and him are one. That is a major indictment and shows that whatever play Christian beliefs about Jesus is fully incorrect. I'm not going to get into the idea of the Trinity because I think that's into the weeds, but we cannot divorce the idea that this Jesus is apparently the same as the god of the old testament. It's pretty sickening, and I really enjoy learning more in my deconversion process.

[@kettei7743]

Never heard this point before, gonna watch full even when im very aprehensive to it

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Curious to hear your thoughts then

[@Nkosi766]

@@MindShift-Brandonbe careful what you ask for

[@ronwright6870]

Brandon, this is wonderful. Thank you so much. You are brilliant.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Too kind, but my pleasure!

[@DrakeTimbershaft]

During your description of the four "major" sects of Judaism in the first century CE, I thought of Nikos Kazantzakis' book (and Martin Scorsese's film) "The Last Temptation of Christ." In the book and movie, a tormented Jesus vacillates and tries to find a middle ground between the Essenes and their detachment from material needs and the Zealots who desired the overthrow of the Roman occupation. The Zealot ideology was represented by Judas Iscariot. Jesus and Judas argued over what was the best way to usher in God's Kingdom. Jesus maintained that it came from the godhead down to man, while Judas argued it came from the root of the Israelite people. "From the bottom, up!" Jesus finally chooses the path of the cross to conform to the expectations of the pious Kazantzakis and Scorsese's Catholic upbringing. For me, the characters of Jesus and Judas gave me a clearer view of the Essene and Zealot philosophies that rocked the boat of Israel, along with the Pharisees and Sadducees. NOTE: Judas' surname "Iscariot" is believed to come from the Aramaic "Sicarii," which was the word for "Zealot" during that time. Hence, "Judas the Zealot."

[@deb6252]

Great information! Thank you.

[@pansepot1490]

Movies are not documentaries. Even with the best intentions of historical accuracy there’s always a lot of narrative license going on.

[@dmsdad6866]

Happy Sunday

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks for being here!

[@Warrior-re5fn]

Again your on point brother. Please whatever you do never get discouraged for speaking the truth and exposing how crazy religion is. Your definitely planting seeds and making people think. Warrior on brother 👍🏼😎

[@MindShift-Brandon]

always grateful, man. Thanks!

[@floristfindspeace]

wanted to say thank you for always delivering such accurate rebuttals with respect and empathy. it’s very inspiring, and could be a reminder for others to keep in mind the person you’re disagreeing with is human just as you are; flesh and bone, flaws and naivety, all that. i am of the opinion that people are rarely INTENTIONALLY blind, and when they are, i try not to even go down that rabbit hole because it’s just irrational and counterproductive at that point. it’s frustrating. thank you for your time, personal stories, and knowledge!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Super thoughtful comment! Thank you very much

[@BeccaYoley]

To paraphrase Jesus, "God (me) made some really stupid laws. You should have known better than to take them seriously!"

[@istvansipos9940]

"oh for my sake! Why did I make these me-damn laws?"

[@BeccaYoley]

@@istvansipos9940 😂 🤣 stoning your own women and children? Wtf was I thinking back then? Why would you people take me seriously!

[@mr.c2485]

Love the mini mindshift!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

So glad to hear it. I dont want to bombard but i have enough long form content bow i can pretty easily put 5 min out on most non posting days

[@benleonheart]

7:51 The Law (Jesus' Version) lol Great video Brandon!! die hard here! keep bringing on the content! you rock!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much, man!

[@khakicampbell6640]

Amazing! Never thought about it this way, but it's a very compelling argument! 👍 I like how you clarify at 10:36 , "I don't believe ANY of this is true." lol 😅

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Many thanks!

[@hadaku]

Brandon, your content and assessment of Scripture is awesome! Thank you for bravely taking on such a controversial subject.

[@bradgoldman5053]

Brandon you break it down so we'll, great job👍

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks, Brad!

[@myrawest]

Glad you're enjoying the lovely people in the comments so much. It is far and away the worst part of being a youtuber. You're always going to be outnumbered and no matter how you word things people will always find a way to misinterpret or assume. You're incredibly brave to be going up against this audience.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thats very kind encouragement and thankfully i still get far more people like you willing to reach out with kindness!

[@user-by3ks9bp5d]

Incredibly brave…for responding to comments on the internet

[@kawaida21]

18:15 hilariously this is a later addition, if this story would have happened I'm not sure Jesus would have acted the same, he of the 'I'm not here to abolish any of the old laws' fame

[@beeem1326]

My name is Brandon too -- I've been listening to your videos for the past couple weeks and you're well-articulated! While listening, I think a lot about Final Fantasy 10 😂 and maybe it was actually just an epic story to depict falling out of religion & establishing peace despite the dogma of yevon (religion). I like how your ideas & thoughts connect with one another, I have a hard time making videos ever because I just can't put my thoughts together cohesively like I see with your videos. You probably don't do every video the first go around and perfectly, but you do pretty well not having a BUNCH of clipping like I'd have to. Keep up the great content!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Super kind feedback. Thanks so much!

[@ZayGreen-zj2ki]

Thanks so much for this presentation. I guess I am somewhat of an outlier here and it is difficult to explain--from a child I was not drawn to Jesus--indeed I was very critical of him--I thought he was very harsh but the biggest problem and maybe it was my mis-perception--this is what I gathered from my Episopalian church (remember I was a child) we no longer had to obey rules. By the time I was thirteen, It seems to me that Jesus' often lack of clear and sometimes contradictory directives were inadequate and indeed were reaons regarding the daily problems we had to face. Jesus had no wifie, children, in-laws, extended family--he was dead at 33--he did not have to deal with old family members or friends. I have been an atheist for many decades but to hear you address a lot of the issues I wrestled with and for which I was told I would go to hell is truly remarkable. As an atheist, I certainly would not turn to Judaism or any other religion but I do believe that we do as human beings need rules--not from some supernatural being--to survive. It is seldom raised but I think one reason why human beings invented religion is the desire for rules and that is why it is absolutely lacking in critical thought when Christians or other religious people state that one cannot be moral without God. Thank you for what you do, and I hope you will press on--you are helping a lot of people.

[@AK907Paul]

Well done Sir. Thank you.

[@thebiblemademeatheist5]

Plucking grain on the Sabbath.. This was another ah ha moment for me also. I found that plucking grain on the Sabbath was considered "harvesting" which falls under working on the Sabbath day. This was a orthodox Talmudic tradition. Even disturbing the dirt on Sabbath could be called cultivation. I never could find anything in the written Torah about it so this all got chucked under "Rabbinical Talmudic Laws" at the time and showed me there was more going on than just what's in the Bible.

[@debwoods5834]

There are a lot of totally disgusting things in the Talmud.

[@thebiblemademeatheist5]

@@debwoods5834 agreed. Ever looked into early ritual circumcision? 🤮

[@debwoods5834]

@@thebiblemademeatheist5 yes and the under the age of 3 yrs and 1 day thing 🤢 if you know what mean without typing it

[@KerryFreemanMelbourne]

It couldn't be more clear...thanks.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Glad to hear it!

[@ChinonsoNnadozie-t6d]

Thank you Brandon

[@MindShift-Brandon]

My pleasure!

[@chmeditations]

Thank you! As brother Jesus says, the truth you gave will set us free.

[@Nkosi766]

Jesus said unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisee, you won’t enter the kingdom. Or something like that

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Great point. Yes Matthew 5:20. Which is it, Jesus?

[@Nkosi766]

@@MindShift-Brandon Paul counteract Jesus in all his teachings.

[@christianchaidez]

​@@Nkosi766Paul's Epistles existed a few decades before the 4 Gospels were even written. Kinda wild of you to say that

[@Nkosi766]

@@christianchaidez Paul contradicts Jesus or Jesus contradicts Paul, what’s the difference? They contradict

[@christianchaidez]

@@Nkosi766 well we can't really know, the first person to ever write about Jesus was the Apostle Paul. No writings on Jesus existed before that and the problem I see is that Jesus' words could have been manipulated by Pharisees or scribes who got there hands on the scriptures. Paul never mentions a virgin birth and a whole bunch of things mentioned jn the Gospels so it's hard to know if they are even reliable. But without Paul we'd have no New Testament and wouldn't know what Jesus accomplished on the cross. I recommend you study the Historical, Cultural and Literary context of the Bible... Without it we really have an incomplete message.

[@NoExcuses98]

Mindshift always has the best video uploads 👀

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Hey thanks!

[@NoExcuses98]

@MindShift-Brandon You Inspired me to create content on YT. I should thank you!!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

More voices, the better my man

[@NoExcuses98]

@MindShift-Brandon Yes, sir, I agree 100% do you have any advice for a newbie such as myself?

[@MindShift-Brandon]

@NoExcuses98 just gotta get rolling. Youve got a great voice and smart thoughts. Just create!

[@rebeccazegstroo6786]

The story of Mary and Martha could be used to raise the status of women. The prohibition of women speaking is arguably a later insertion. The traditional Greek separation of men and women prevailed in Christianity.

[@harveywabbit9541]

Mary was a temple prostitute and Martha was a homemaker. The prostitute was favored as she filled the temple treasury.

[@istvansipos9940]

- Mary, I am the g0d. And I wanna magic a baby into you. - Sure. Or somebody slipped something into my drink. Seems way more likely than magic. I say "No!" to that baby making, and I go look for my Joe now. Just to be a bit more safe from this... mental episode / epic trick. such a story about Mary could have been used to raise the status of women. Unlike the bible, it could have shown that women can think and be smart.

[@ok.541]

So i found your channel around 5-6 months ago and im lucky to have been saved from the indoctrinated homophobia and terror that came with christianity. I was one of the lucky few that deconverted at 15yrs rather than in my late 40s so thanks for the mindshift lol Also great video as always, if last year me heared i would be emphisising with the pharisees then his head would be blown

[@MindShift-Brandon]

So glad to have been a helpful part of your deconversion and yes! I think that way all the time. If you told the Brandon from 4 years ago i would have a channel like this, id have bet my life against it

[@hazok4351]

You are every day more and more on point. Keep up the good work, my man. God bless you... Just kidding

[@GaryHudsonsMusic]

Great video! I enjoy them all.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you!

[@Hitoshura844]

One of the major things that led me out of the faith was gaining an awareness of the theology of ancient Judaism and seeing how badly it matches up with Christian theology. If Christianity was truly an extension of Judaism then the two should match on all the important points. Ancient Judaism wasn't even properly monotheistic, it was henotheistic. They would have said that other gods did indeed exist, but those gods aren't their god and they won't worship them.

[@YNWA-1]

Can’t wait to watch this one. It’s going to be interesting 👍🏼

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you! And btw, i did finally see the patreon message. Ill get back to you soon. Cheers!

[@YNWA-1]

@@MindShift-Brandon 🫡

[@sendiesel23]

On behalf of my beliefs, thank you for sharing this perspective!!

[@26beegee]

Well…the Septuagint couldn’t think of everything that could come up in life when they wrote the Hebrew Bible in Alexandra in 270 BCE. I was always told the reason most of the Jews didn’t accept Jesus as the Messiah was because he didn’t fulfill the requirements to be a messiah; the same impression I had after reading the OT. In light of that the Pharisees were in the right. Of course it is all a fairy tale anyway. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@harveywabbit9541]

t is not known who wrote the book of Isaiah. The name Isaiah, compounded of isha and jah/yah, means the Sun will save. Jahveh or the Sun is the same with the Jupiter of the Romans, the Zeus of the Greeks, and the Indra of the Hindus. Isaiah was a prophet, as were nearly all the prominent Bible characters; as, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc. His vision extended over the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; four names meaning nearly the same thing - the Sun in the summer hemisphere. The suffix iah in Isaiah is taken from the IU in IU Piter (Jupiter) with the I representing the male and the ah (female) becomes the U. The word Mes/Mess in Messiah means son of, thus the Messiah becomes "son of Jupiter." The Savior Sun always makes his appearance at the spring equinox as the SPRING SUN, who delivers us from evil (the winter season of extreme hardship). This great event also marks the beginning of the building of the temple of god (the seven months of summer) which is your own body. The temple of god has never meant anything more than your own body. The "destruction" of the Temple built by Solomon, the SUN, is simply the changing of the summer season to winter. There are a number of divisions of the year and they are all astronomical.

[@26beegee]

@@harveywabbit9541 Sounds like you are studying a lot, as I am these days. A very important fact I have learned is that the majority of Old Testament characters never actually existed. Just like other mythologies they are made up characters utilized to push the narrative. They are more allegorical than anything else. Russell Gmirkin has done an exhaustive investigation into when the Bible was written, by whom and for what purpose. I have read a few articles and listened to hours of video on the influence of Plato on the writing of the Hebrew Bible. It seems obvious it is Hellenistic in style. Of course for some time now I have known of the influences of many ancient mythologies including; The Epic of Gilgamesh The Atrahasis, The Enuma Elish the story of Sargon. The NT gospels are Homeric, at times word for word copies of the Odyssey. The similarity between Jesus and Dionysus are striking as well. All religions being manmade and mimesis being common in the ancient world none of this is surprising. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@harveywabbit9541]

@@26beegee "Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens; and he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was quiet." (Gen. 46.14.) "Issachar," says Gesenius, "may be read, he brings reward." (Heb. Lex., p. 430.) True, since by June the spring harvest is secured. Issachar may also be read, "He kicked the Devil down stairs " literally, however, Issachar means "he brings strong drink and this reading identifies him with the Dionysus or Bacchus of the Greeks. Jacob, Issachar's father, had his thigh (genitals) dislocated in a wrestling bout with Jahveh, while striving for the blessing - wine. Besides, the two syllables issa and nysa common to both names point to a common origin, " Issachar is Asaker or Zagreus (Bacchus), and the name is punned upon by assimilating it to the Hebrew sekari = hire." (Dunlap, Spirit Hist, of Man, p. 267.) The punning was doubtless done by means of the Hebrew vowel-points, which "did not exist until near a thousand years after the Hebrew ceased to be spoken." Issachar’s ass is found in the Cancer constellation. Jesus rode the two asses (stars in Cancer) into Jerusalem aka the summer solstice. Cancer (June) is the keystone in the Royal Arch/Arc of the seven constellations of Aries thru Libra (the sacred seven signs of the covenant with god).” Opposite Cancer we find Zebulun and his ship in Capricorn. Mt. Zion (ship-sun) is the winter solstice in Capricorn and Mt. Sinai is the summer solstice in Cancer. The Pieta, by Michangelo, depicts Venus and Adonis as lovers (the hand signs). It was said that Adonis, the summer sun, was slain by the Black Boar aka Winter aka Mars aka the Egyptian Set aka the Greek Typhon.

[@harveywabbit9541]

@@26beegee FYI In the Pagan mythology, Dionysus or Bacchus was the son of Jupiter by Semele. The father of the Gods, at the request of Semele, having approached her with his thunder and lightning, set the palace on fire, when Semele perished in the flames. Being at her seventh month, Jupiter transferred the infant Bacchus into his thigh (genitals/Scorpio) to be brought forth at the proper time. This story, which is related in almost every book on mythology, Thomas Franklin, D.D... The translator of Lucian, styles a "ridiculous fable." But crack the nut, and the rich meat will appear. Jupiter is the year, being represented by the Man in the frontispiece of every almanac. Semele is the summer of seven months, and denoted by the Man's body. Summer extended from the 25th of March, or Annunciation day, to the 25th of October, the last of the ancient summer months. Thence to the 25th of December would be two months. These added to the seven summer months would make nine months, the time required. The second birth would then take place at the winter solstice, denoted by the Man's knees, to which Capricorn points. (See old farmer’s almanac.) Between the 25th of October - 25th of March, we get the five months of winter led by the scorpion in Rev 9.5. The five signs are Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. This symbols the period that Solomon’s temple (seven signs aka summer) is “destroyed.” It will be rebuilt from the top (head) down with the rebuilding beginning at the spring equinox, beginning on March 25, every year. There are variations as the writers often mixed the Ages of the Bull and Ram.

[@26beegee]

@@harveywabbit9541 Yes, I know the story well. Learning to read and write entailed studying the works of the Stoics and rewriting them with small changes making them your own version. It wasn’t considered plagerism. That is how most of the Bible was written around 270 BCE for the first 5 books of the OT and later for the rest and from about 7C 0CE to 110 or 120 for the NT. Not nearly as old as we were taught in church.

[@Fabboxmusic]

Sharp and clever as always

[@melbied6215]

3:47 I graduated high school in ‘94 and attended a Conservative Baptist Church growing up. Just the words “purity culture” makes me shudder. 🤣

[@DavidRichardson153]

I won't deny, I'm guilty of calling Christians "Pharisees" as an insult, especially back when I was a Christian. Since leaving the faith, my usage of it has gone down, to the point that I rarely, if ever, use it. I had developed the feeling that my usage of it did not seem as correct as I thought it was, but I was not able to put my finger on it. Now I am able to, and I doubt my usage of it will ever go back up, so thanks for that (genuinely - no sarcasm here).