ANTICHRISTIAN CHANNEL

Or Anti-Absurdity

CONTENTS

ANTICHRISTIAN CHANNEL

BALAAM & HIS TALKING DONKEY

OTHER RIDICULOUS OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

ABSURD NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

COMMENT TO MINDSHIFT

ANTICHRISTIAN CHANNEL

Youtube showed me a video from the Mindshift channel. It's sort of anti-Christian. I listened to him quote a ridiculous story from the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament. He used it as a way to discredit Christianity. I don't have a problem with anyone discrediting nonsense, whether it's believed in by Christians or non-Christians. But I don't view Christianity the way most people seem to. I'll get to that below.

The author's name is apparently Brandon. He has 61.6K subscribers. Playlists of his videos are at https://www.youtube.com/@MindShift-Brandon/playlists.

The titles are: Following Truth Wherever It Leads!; Burdened by Belief; Giving Beyond Belief; Beyond The Bible; Pauline Problems; Mindshift Podcast; Top 30 Cases Against Christianity; Mini-Mindshifts; Let The Bible Refute Itself; When Christians Respond; Logical Fallacies; Arguments Against God; Arguments For God; Dissecting The Divine; My Favorite Episodes; MindShift On Other Channels; Atheism Shouldn't Be Confusing; Christianity Is Confusing; Responses To Mike Winger; Secular Bible Study; Sunday Videos!; Saturday Shorts; Tuesday Takedowns; All MindShift Videos; Deconversion Help.

BALAAM & HIS TALKING DONKEY

This is the story that was discussed in one of Brandon’s videos. Perplexity.AI describes the story as follows.

The story of Balaam and his talking donkey, found in Numbers 22, presents a peculiar and somewhat contradictory narrative within the biblical text. Critics argue that this tale appears to be a later insertion, inconsistent with the surrounding narrative and serving as a polemical burlesque 5. The account raises several logical inconsistencies, such as God's sudden anger at Balaam's journey despite previously granting permission, and Balaam's surprisingly nonchalant reaction to his donkey speaking 5. Furthermore, the story seems to mock Balaam's character, portraying him as spiritually blind and unable to control even his own animal 5. While some interpret this as a divine lesson in humility, others view it as a literary device to discredit Balaam's prophetic abilities. The talking donkey episode, with its elements of the supernatural and its seemingly disjointed placement in the larger narrative, continues to spark debate among scholars regarding its historical authenticity, literary purpose, and theological implications 1,5.

OTHER RIDICULOUS OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

The Old Testament contains several stories that are often considered unusual or even ridiculous by modern readers. Here are some of the most notable examples:

Unusual Prophetic Actions. Elijah and the Prophets of Baal: In this story, Elijah challenges 450 prophets of Baal to a contest to prove whose god is real. He mocks them sarcastically, suggesting their god might be busy, sleeping, or even using the bathroom 1. This leads to a dramatic showdown involving sacrifices and divine fire. Jonah and the Plant: After reluctantly prophesying to Nineveh, Jonah becomes angry when the people repent. He sits under a plant, which God causes to grow and then die, leading to Jonah's extreme mood swings and desire for death over the loss of shade 1.

Strange Divine Punishments. Uzzah and the Ark: When the Ark of the Covenant is being transported, Uzzah reaches out to steady it as the oxen stumble. God immediately strikes him dead for touching the Ark, despite his seemingly good intentions 4. King Uzziah's Leprosy: When King Uzziah attempts to burn incense in the temple, a task reserved for priests, he is suddenly struck with leprosy on his forehead. The priests hurriedly usher him out of the temple 2.

Bizarre Violence. Ehud and King Eglon: In this assassination story, Ehud kills the extremely obese King Eglon by stabbing him so deeply that the sword handle disappears into the king's fat 2. The Levite's Concubine: This disturbing tale involves a Levite who allows his concubine to be abused by a mob. He then dismembers her body and sends the pieces to the twelve tribes of Israel as a call to arms 3,4.

Supernatural Events. Balaam's Talking Donkey: Similar to the story you mentioned earlier, this tale involves a prophet whose donkey suddenly gains the ability to speak and rebuke him. The Sun Standing Still: In the book of Joshua, God makes the sun and moon stand still to allow the Israelites more time to defeat their enemies in battle. These stories, among others, often challenge modern sensibilities and interpretations, showcasing the complex and sometimes perplexing nature of Old Testament narratives.

The story of Samson carrying off the gates of Gaza, found in Judges 16, is indeed one of the more extraordinary and seemingly ridiculous narratives in the Old Testament. In this account, after spending the night with a prostitute in Gaza, Samson rises at midnight and uproots the city gates, including their posts, and carries them to a hill overlooking Hebron. This act not only demonstrates his immense physical strength—lifting what is estimated to be a gate weighing around 700 pounds—but also serves as a symbolic humiliation of the Philistines, showcasing his defiance against their authority and security measures 1,2,5. The absurdity lies in the sheer impossibility of such a feat and the dramatic flair with which it is presented, emphasizing themes of divine empowerment and rebellion against oppression. Samson's actions highlight both his heroic capabilities and the chaotic nature of his character, making this story memorable within the broader context of biblical narratives.

The story of Samson is likely actually a myth similar to myths about Hercules and other strong men from cultures around the world. These myths appear to be based on the appearance of planets or moons that were close to Earth in prehistoric times, which resembled giants performing miraculous feats.

ABSURD NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

The New Testament is much more plausible, but not totally. Perplexity.AI says…

The New Testament contains several stories that are often considered absurd or unusual by modern readers. Here are some of the most notable examples:

Jesus and the Demon Pigs. In this story, Jesus encounters two demon-possessed men near a herd of pigs. The demons beg Jesus to send them into the pigs if he casts them out. Jesus agrees, and the possessed pigs then rush into the sea and drown 1.

The Withering Fig Tree. Jesus, feeling hungry, approaches a fig tree. Finding no fruit on it, he curses the tree, causing it to wither immediately. This action surprises his disciples, to whom Jesus explains that with faith, they could command a mountain to throw itself into the sea 1.

Judas' Gruesome Death. The book of Acts describes Judas' death in a particularly graphic manner, stating that he fell headlong and his body burst open, spilling out his intestines 4.

Supernatural Events at Jesus' Death. Matthew's Gospel records several extraordinary occurrences at the moment of Jesus' death, including an earthquake, rocks splitting, and the resurrection of many holy people who had died 5.

Apocalyptic Visions. The Book of Revelation, written by John, is filled with bizarre and surreal visions, including multi-headed beasts, angels pouring out bowls of God's wrath, and a woman clothed with the sun 3.

These stories, among others, often challenge modern sensibilities and interpretations, showcasing the complex and sometimes perplexing nature of New Testament narratives.

Jesus told stories, called parables, which were sometimes disguised prophecies. The Book of Revelation seems to be along those lines, where one thing or person or place symbolizes something or someone else.

COMMENT TO MINDSHIFT

Here’s the comment I left under the most recent Mindshift video at youtube.com/watch?v=CNvVpEgdzI8&lc=UgxnmzPWpxSm9yYw7G54AaABAg.

I'm Christian in the sense that I follow Jesus' example of love for all. The shroud of Turin is rather persuasive that Jesus existed and resurrected, but not totally persuasive. It's always possible that things like that can be deceptive. Even reality beyond one's own consciousness could be VR. The New Testament seems to be a correction and explanation of the real intent of the Old Testament. Jesus apparently came to teach religion correctly. And the main point of religion is to follow Jesus' example of love for all. I don't consider any part of the Bible to be infallible or God's word. Most of the Bible seems to be the word of angels of God, much of which was corrupted by mortal interpreters, if not by the angels themselves. Jesus' parable of the lost sheep seems to be sufficient proof that he promised that all will be saved and I take it that salvation means following Jesus' example of love for all. Acts 15 explained how the apostles made important group decisions together and I believe Sociocracy is the best way to follow the apostles' example and they were following Jesus' example. I have a Substack on this at Acts15Church dot Substack dot com. I think Sociocracy (sort of like unanimous rule) is our best hope for ending major corruption worldwide and bringing humane self-governance to all people.