Mythological Argument
The Mythological Argument, or Argument of Folklore, or the Comics Manifestation refers to a type of reasoning that suggests that if the Bible has elements of mythology, legend, folklores, or traditional stories, can we consider this book as the work of God or just a fictional tale made by humans?
In the history of literature, we know that books with mystical elements or mythical creatures like tikbalang (centaur), dwarves, monsters, witches, kapre (tree demon), talking animals, mermaids, unicorns, dragons, fairies, ghosts, and gods and goddesses, are typically classified as fictional books.
The argument is presented as follows:
1. If a book contains mystical elements or mythical creatures such as tikbalang(centaur), dwarves, monsters, witches, kapre (tree demon), talking animals, mermaids, unicorns, dragons, fairies, ghosts, and gods.
2. In the history of literature, we know that such a book belongs to the fictional genre.
3. Therefore, this evidence proves that the Bible is a work of fiction.
Similar to the context of comics, the protagonists in comics usually possess superpowers, can change forms, have magical abilities, and exhibit unbelievable characteristics. Often, Protagonists in comics usually save oppressed people from villains, often fulfilling prophecies of being a savior with extraordinary powers. And if there's a protagonist, there is also an antagonist. The antagonist is the enemy of the protagonist. At the end of the story, through the efforts of the protagonist, goodness triumphs.
This type of story, with a protagonist having superpowers, magical traits, mystical animals or humans, and enemies, is typically found in fictional books.
The Bible is also a fictional book. It is filled with ordinary characters and wonders. The protagonists here are Jesus and God. They are the ones to save the world. They also have superpowers, change forms, have magical abilities, and unbelievable traits. They live in a distant place called heaven, which has thousands of legions of white angels with swords and war garments (Ephesians 6), and they ride on flying white horses (Revelation 19). The antagonist here is Satan, who also has his group of black angels. In this story, we also see various mystical beings with their own mysteries, like the talking serpent.
Now, if the Bible is a fictional book, it means its contents are not real. But most believers in God claim that the stories in the Bible are merely metaphors, symbols, allegories, or parables. If these mystical elements are just allegories, it means the talking serpent that spoke to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is also a metaphor. If so, it means that the serpent, Eve, Adam, and Eden are not real. Now, if these are metaphors, it means the original sin is also not real. If the original sin is not real, then what is the purpose of Christ's crucifixion and death on the cross? If the talking serpent is not real, humans have no original sin. If the talking serpent is real, it's unlikely because it doesn't have vocal cords.
In the Gospel of Thomas, when Jesus was a child, he made a toy bird from clay, and put life on it. In the same gospel, Jesus killed a playmate because the child accidentally bumped into him, and made the child's body elongated through magic. Thirdly, he turned his playmates into pigs and blinded their mothers. BTW, the story of the bird is also found in the Quran of Islam.
Now, if this is just a metaphor, it means it's not real and it's okay to kill a playmate. Because a metaphor provides a moral lesson, killing is a moral act in this instance. If it's not a metaphor, and it's real, it means that Christ, who is believed to be God, is an evil being not worthy of being revered as God.
Now, aside from the mystical beings we mentioned, there are also unbelievable things in the Bible copied from other mythologies from other cultures like: (1) the seven days of creation in Genesis are copied from ancient mythologies such as Enuma Elish. (2) The story of Noah's Ark has counterparts like the Epic of Gilgamesh. (3) The birth of the Messiah,' which includes divine intervention and miraculous acts, has similarities to ancient mythologies of Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Canaanites.
The Philippines also has its own mythology, legends, and traditional stories, like the story of the origin of the stars and the moon. According to our legend, the moon and stars came from a comb and pearls placed above when the clouds were still low while the first people were pounding their harvested rice. The story of the hare and the turtle, and Juan Tamad and the crabs, are all traditional stories that depict symbolism, personification, and moral lessons. Darna, Captain Barbel, and Dyesebel are stories that show that the human mind can create beings that are all-powerful, have superpowers, and saviors of the world.
The Philippines also has its own group of gods and creation stories. According to the legend, the world was created by gods Bathala and Amihan. Bathala, the supreme god, created the universe and everything in it. Amihan, the god of peace in the form of a bird (not a serpent), pecked a bamboo where Malakas (the first man) and Maganda (the first woman) emerged. Bathala has a wife and children: Mayari (moon) and Tala (star). He is also accompanied by other gods like Apolaki (sun), Lihangin (wind), and Magbabaya (nature).
Here we showed that our ancestors also had creation stories and a pantheon of gods. We can also see that the names of our gods are appropriate to our culture and language. Like in other countries, they also have their gods suitable to their culture and language. Like Buddha in China, Brahma in India, Kami in Japan, Yahweh in Israel, and Bathala in the Philippines. Here we show that the idea of God is a process of thought that can be created according to the culture, race, and country of origin.
By the way, the Bible is 43% story (parables), 33% poetry (psalms), and 24% writing (laws). These are different literatures with different stories of different ancient people, almost 99% of whom had never been to school or had formal education. So, almost all their knowledge came from the passing on of stories they heard or knew. This is called Oral Tradition. Of all the people in the Bible connected to Jesus, only Matthew had formal education.
If you want fifty more examples of comic-like stories in the Bible, just visit our website:
1. Jonah and the Big Fish - Jonah 1:17
- Jonah survived three days and nights in the belly of a giant fish.
2. The Talking Donkey - Numbers 22:28-30
- A donkey spoke to Balaam after seeing an angel.
3. Elisha and the Bears - 2 Kings 2:23-24
- Two bears attacked 42 children mocking the prophet Elisha.
4. Jacob's Spotted Sheep - Genesis 30:37-39
- Jacob influenced the sheep's fur by placing striped wooden rods in their drinking water.
5. Gideon's Fleece - Judges 6:37-40
- Gideon asked for signs from God using a fleece to confirm his call to leadership.
6. Coin in the Fish's Mouth - Matthew 17:24-27
- Peter found a coin in a fish's mouth to pay the temple tax.
7. Ezekiel's Bread - Ezekiel 4:12-15
- God instructed Ezekiel to bake bread using human excrement as fuel (later allowing cow dung).
8. Stopping the Sun - Joshua 10:12-14
- Joshua asked God to stop the sun to give more time to defeat his enemies.
9. The Floating Axe Head - 2 Kings 6:5-7
- Elisha made an iron axe head float on water.
10. Lot's Wife Turned into a Pillar of Salt - Genesis 19:26
- Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt for looking back at Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction.
11. The Talking Serpent - Genesis 3:1-5
- A serpent spoke to Eve and tempted her to eat the forbidden fruit.
12. Samson's Riddle - Judges 14:12-14
- Samson posed a riddle to the Philistines about a lion and honey.
13. The Nephilim - Genesis 6:1-4
- The Bible mentions giants known as Nephilim who lived before the flood.
14. The Sun's Shadow Moves Backwards - 2 Kings 20:9-11
- God moved the sun's shadow backward as a sign for Hezekiah.
15. The Man with a Withered Hand - Mark 3:1-5
- Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, causing controversy.
16. Og's Iron Bed - Deuteronomy 3:11
- Og, king of Bashan, is described as having an iron bed about 13 feet long.
17. The Plague of Locusts - Joel 1:4-7
- A vivid depiction of a locust plague devastating the land.
18. The Disembodied Hand Writing - Daniel 5:5-6
- During Belshazzar's feast, a mysterious hand wrote a message on the wall.
19. Eutychus Falling from the Window - Acts 20:9-12
- Eutychus fell from a third-story window while sleeping during Paul's long sermon but was brought back to life.
20. Ahijah's Prophecy - 1 Kings 14:4-6
- Ahijah, who was blind, received a divine revelation about Jeroboam's wife before she arrived.
21. Ezekiel's Vision of Dry Bones - Ezekiel 37:1-10
- Ezekiel saw a valley of dry bones come to life.
22. The Floating Hand at Belshazzar's Feast - Daniel 5:1-31
- A disembodied hand wrote a mysterious message on the wall during a king's feast.
23. Elijah's Ascension to Heaven - 2 Kings 2:11
- Elijah ascended to heaven in a whirlwind with a chariot of fire.
24. Isaiah's Naked Prophecy - Isaiah 20:2-3
- God instructed Isaiah to walk naked and barefoot for three years as a sign against Egypt and Cush.
25. The Plagues of Egypt - Exodus 7:14-12:30
- A series of ten devastating plagues were inflicted upon Egypt.
26. The Tower of Babel - Genesis 11:1-9
- Humanity attempted to build a tower reaching heaven, causing God to confuse their language and scatter them worldwide.
27. Daniel in the Lions' Den - Daniel 6:16-23
- Daniel was thrown into a lions' den but remained unharmed due to his faith.
28. Jesus Walks on Water - Matthew 14:22-33
- Jesus walked on the Sea of Galilee to reach his disciples.
29. Daniel's Vision of Four Beasts - Daniel 7:1-8
- Daniel had a vision of four great beasts rising from the sea, each representing different kingdoms.
30. The Miracle of Five Loaves and Two Fish - Matthew 14:13-21
- Jesus fed a large crowd with only five loaves of bread and two fish.
31. Moses' Radiant Face - Exodus 34:29-35
- After speaking with God, Moses' face shone so brightly that he had to wear a veil.
32. The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah - Genesis 19:24-26
- God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone.
33. Cannibalism during a Famine - 2 Kings 6:24-29
- A severe famine led to extreme measures, including cannibalism.
34. Daniel's Vision of the Ram and Goat - Daniel 8:1-14
- Daniel had a vision of a ram and a goat symbolizing future empires.
35. The Wedding at Cana - John 2:1-11
- Jesus performed his first miracle by turning water into wine.
36. The Transfiguration of Jesus - Matthew 17:1-9
- Jesus transfigured, and his face shone like the sun.
37. The Story of Samson and Delilah - Judges 16:4-22
- Delilah betrayed Samson, leading to his capture.
38. Healing the Man Born Blind - John 9:1-12
- Jesus healed a man born blind.
39. The Resurrection of Lazarus - John 11:1-44
- Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb.
40. Saul's Conversion - Acts 9:1-19
- Saul, a persecutor of Christians, was converted to Paul after a vision of Jesus.
41. The Witch of Endor - 1 Samuel 28:7-20
- King Saul consulted a witch to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel.
42. The Plague of Frogs - Exodus 8:1-15
- One of the ten plagues of Egypt, where frogs invaded the land.
43. Writing on the Wall - Daniel 5:1-31
- A disembodied hand wrote a mysterious message during King Belshazzar's feast.
44. The Angel of Death Passes Over - Exodus 12:23-29
- The final plague of Egypt, where the firstborn were killed, but the Israelites were spared.
45. The Bronze Serpent - Numbers 21:8-9
- Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole to heal those bitten by snakes.
46. Jesus Calms the Storm - Mark 4:35-41
- Jesus calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee with his command.
47. The Resurrection of the Saints - Matthew 27:51-53
- After Jesus' resurrection, many saints who had died were raised and appeared to many in Jerusalem.
48. The Tree with Different Fruits - Revelation 22:1-2
- A depiction of the tree of life in the New Jerusalem, bearing twelve types of fruit.
49. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Revelation 6:1-8
- Four horsemen on white, red, black, and pale horses, each symbolizing different types of calamities.
50. The Woman and the Dragon - Revelation 12:1-6
- A vision of a woman clothed with the sun and a dragon waiting to devour her child.
Because people back then lacked vocabulary, their thoughts or thinking were expressed through symbolism, metaphor, or figure of speech. Because of the lack of knowledge, they were the ancient people who believed that the world was flat and not round. Now, if the Bible was made by God to give only the right teachings, why should he use metaphors? Why should he create the Bible? Because if he is all-powerful, why doesn't he just create a mind where everything he wants humans to do is already engraved in our minds, and because of free will, humans have the ability to choose whether to believe in God or not?
In this episode, we proved that the mythical creatures and extraordinary stories in the Bible cannot be merely metaphors or symbols because the Bible's story would become unbelievable. If these are not metaphors, the mystical elements of the Bible are hard to believe that they all exist.
In the next episode, we will discuss the argument whether Christ was really crucified, whether Christ really died on the cross, or if Christ just fainted on the cross (Swoon Hypothesis).
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