Post by Teddy Bear on Mar 8, 2011 19:09:04 GMT
Whether one is religious or not, there is little argument that the stories and moral imperatives contained in the bible have shaped our society over the last thousands of years. It is certainly the basis of Jewish, Christian and even Muslim religions to varying degrees.
The main problem that would appear the BBC has with religion is that people will believe reality is different that the one they would prefer to shape. Since they don't have enough guts to go against Islam for fear of comebacks, theirs is given 'reverence', regardless of context.
The others are 'fair game' though, and the BBC do their best to undermine the power that these religions have by a variety of ploys as we have already documented in this category.
In this latest 'respect' given to the Judeo/Christian belief, the BBC are producing a new series called 'The Bible’s Buried Secrets', and who else to present the programme than a self-proclaimed atheist who claims that God had a wife and Eve has been treated unfairly by sexist academics.
The presenter, who has a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford, argues that Eve was not the first woman in the Bible, as the story of the Garden of Eden does not belong in the first Book of the Old Testament.
She said: ‘Eve has been unfairly maligned as the troublesome wife who brought about the fall.
‘Don’t forget that the biblical writers were male and it’s a very male-dominated world. Women were second-class citizens.’
But she makes sure she repeats several times in the article that ‘I’m an atheist with a huge respect for religion
Huge??? So that makes it true then doesn't it.
So it's not enough that the BBC construct modern day reality to suit their agenda, they want to change the past to suit it too.
Don't expect any programme to talk about Mohammed being a paedophile though, or how little respect women in modern day Islamic regimes get, that too close to the truth.
The main problem that would appear the BBC has with religion is that people will believe reality is different that the one they would prefer to shape. Since they don't have enough guts to go against Islam for fear of comebacks, theirs is given 'reverence', regardless of context.
The others are 'fair game' though, and the BBC do their best to undermine the power that these religions have by a variety of ploys as we have already documented in this category.
In this latest 'respect' given to the Judeo/Christian belief, the BBC are producing a new series called 'The Bible’s Buried Secrets', and who else to present the programme than a self-proclaimed atheist who claims that God had a wife and Eve has been treated unfairly by sexist academics.
The presenter, who has a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford, argues that Eve was not the first woman in the Bible, as the story of the Garden of Eden does not belong in the first Book of the Old Testament.
She said: ‘Eve has been unfairly maligned as the troublesome wife who brought about the fall.
‘Don’t forget that the biblical writers were male and it’s a very male-dominated world. Women were second-class citizens.’
But she makes sure she repeats several times in the article that ‘I’m an atheist with a huge respect for religion
Huge??? So that makes it true then doesn't it.
So it's not enough that the BBC construct modern day reality to suit their agenda, they want to change the past to suit it too.
Don't expect any programme to talk about Mohammed being a paedophile though, or how little respect women in modern day Islamic regimes get, that too close to the truth.
BBC's face of religion is a self-proclaimed atheist who claims God had a wife and Eve suffered from sexism
By Hannah Roberts
Last updated at 4:48 PM on 8th March 2011
The BBC’s new face of religion is a self-proclaimed atheist who claims that God had a wife and Eve has been treated unfairly by sexist academics.
Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou makes a number of staggering statements in forthcoming BBC2 series The Bible’s Buried Secrets.
The presenter, who has a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford, argues that Eve was not the first woman in the Bible, as the story of the Garden of Eden does not belong in the first Book of the Old Testament.
She said: ‘Eve has been unfairly maligned as the troublesome wife who brought about the fall.
‘Don’t forget that the biblical writers were male and it’s a very male-dominated world. Women were second-class citizens.’
And Dr Stavrakopoulou, a senior lecturer in the department of theology and religion at Exeter University, does not believe in God.
She said: ‘I’m an atheist with a huge respect for religion.
'I see what I do as a branch of history like any other.’
Dr Stavrakopoulou's claims that God had a wife appeared to be backed up by her own research into the subject
In a recent article she wrote: 'Archaeological evidence including inscriptions, figurines and ancient texts as well as details in the Bible, indicate not just that he was one of several worshipped in ancient Israel, but that he was also coupled with a goddess. She was worshipped alongside him in his temple in Jerusalem.
'I spent several years specialising in the cultural and social contexts of the Bible and I discovered that Yahweh, the God we have come to know, had to see off a number of competitors to achieve his position as the one and only god of the ancient Israelites.'
'The biblical texts name many of them: El, Baal, Molek, Asherah. Despite Yahweh's assertion in the Ten Commandments that "You shall have no other gods before me", it appears these gods were worshipped alongside Him, and the Bible acknowledges this.'
'Far more significant is the Bible's admission that the goddess Asherah was worshipped in Yahweh's temple in Jerusalem. In the Book Of Kings, we're told that a statue of Asherah was housed in the temple and that female temple personnel wove ritual textiles for her.
'In fact, although the Bible condemns all of these practices, the biblical texts suggest that goddess worship was a thriving feature of high-status religion in Jerusalem. What, then, was her relationship to Yahweh?
'Ancient texts, amulets and figurines unearthed here reveal that she was a powerful fertility goddess.
''But perhaps most significant of all, Asherah was also the wife of El, the high god at Ugarit - a god who shares much in common with Yahweh. Given the evidence within the Bible that she was worshipped in the temple in Jerusalem, might she have played the role of a divine wife in ancient Israel too?'
By Hannah Roberts
Last updated at 4:48 PM on 8th March 2011
The BBC’s new face of religion is a self-proclaimed atheist who claims that God had a wife and Eve has been treated unfairly by sexist academics.
Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou makes a number of staggering statements in forthcoming BBC2 series The Bible’s Buried Secrets.
The presenter, who has a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford, argues that Eve was not the first woman in the Bible, as the story of the Garden of Eden does not belong in the first Book of the Old Testament.
She said: ‘Eve has been unfairly maligned as the troublesome wife who brought about the fall.
‘Don’t forget that the biblical writers were male and it’s a very male-dominated world. Women were second-class citizens.’
And Dr Stavrakopoulou, a senior lecturer in the department of theology and religion at Exeter University, does not believe in God.
She said: ‘I’m an atheist with a huge respect for religion.
'I see what I do as a branch of history like any other.’
Dr Stavrakopoulou's claims that God had a wife appeared to be backed up by her own research into the subject
In a recent article she wrote: 'Archaeological evidence including inscriptions, figurines and ancient texts as well as details in the Bible, indicate not just that he was one of several worshipped in ancient Israel, but that he was also coupled with a goddess. She was worshipped alongside him in his temple in Jerusalem.
'I spent several years specialising in the cultural and social contexts of the Bible and I discovered that Yahweh, the God we have come to know, had to see off a number of competitors to achieve his position as the one and only god of the ancient Israelites.'
'The biblical texts name many of them: El, Baal, Molek, Asherah. Despite Yahweh's assertion in the Ten Commandments that "You shall have no other gods before me", it appears these gods were worshipped alongside Him, and the Bible acknowledges this.'
'Far more significant is the Bible's admission that the goddess Asherah was worshipped in Yahweh's temple in Jerusalem. In the Book Of Kings, we're told that a statue of Asherah was housed in the temple and that female temple personnel wove ritual textiles for her.
'In fact, although the Bible condemns all of these practices, the biblical texts suggest that goddess worship was a thriving feature of high-status religion in Jerusalem. What, then, was her relationship to Yahweh?
'Ancient texts, amulets and figurines unearthed here reveal that she was a powerful fertility goddess.
''But perhaps most significant of all, Asherah was also the wife of El, the high god at Ugarit - a god who shares much in common with Yahweh. Given the evidence within the Bible that she was worshipped in the temple in Jerusalem, might she have played the role of a divine wife in ancient Israel too?'
