Man created religion. So its no suprise that man changes religion to meet his needs. This goes along way to explain changes from ancient Judaism to Christianity, specifically a "Warrior God" who asks his followers to bash the babies of their enemies against rocks and to kill every man, woman, and child in cities they conquer, to a caring, loving God that is considered benevolent.
To further my point, I'll post Bible verses that are contradictory to what many Christians believe their religion represents. In doing so, I will show that Judaism, and by relation Christianity, was not originally monotheistic and that Jesus was not initially the loving savior of mankind.
My goal is not to humiliate a group of believers, as you could make the same argument against any religion, my goal is to show hardened believers that religion is a creation of human society and that you should not use your religion to think lesser of those of other religions. In the least, we should look at religion in a positive light in that its progression from malevolent, human-like gods to benevolent, perfect gods is a sign of humanities social progress through the ages.
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Deuteronomy 13: One of many instances of evil in the Old Testament.
Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
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Mathew 15: Jesus calls a woman a dog and initally ignores a women's plea for help because she is of a different ethnicity.
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
But he answered and said, It is not fair to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
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Judges 11: Polytheism in the Bible. God is recognized for the being the god of the Israel, but not the universal god of other nations. Just as Yahweh gave land to the Hebrews, so do other gods provide land for their people.
Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.
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Exodus 12: God will judge the gods of Egypt and shame them by killing children in their nation. Even though God is more powerful than the gods of Egypt, the gods of Egypt still exist.
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
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Psalm 82: God consults with other gods, and eventually kills them so that he can inherit their nations. Judaism becomes monotheistic as we think of the term today not because God is the only god, but because God killed the other gods.
God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
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And if that isn't enough, one should also bring to light:
- There are also instances of the other gods in Israel's pantheon still being mentioned in the Bible, even though its followers attempted to omit such instances when they changed from polytheistic to monothiestic. Examples of this include the goddess of Wisom being mentioned and being created before the Earth, and God beign angry at the River and Sea (God isnt actually upset with the a river, these were gods of ancient Israel who were mistranslated was mistranslated).
- Many books of the New Testament having conflicting stories (such as Jesus's birth) and being written decades after Jesus lived, providing ample time for changes to be made to the original message.
- Pagan's influence on modern Christiniaty, from Hades to Christmas Trees and the Easter Bunny.
- Apollonius of Tyana, who lived a hundred years before Christinianity (edited), was a son of god, born to a virgin, preformed miracles, and ascended to Heaven. Jesus shares similar characteristic to many other figures, some who predate him by thousands of years, such as Horus, Mithra, Attis, Dionysus, etc.
- Ebionite Christianity, an earlier form of Christianity than the Pauline (Paul's version of Christianity) form we follow today, that held onto Judaism's rules and regarded Jesus as a messiah and not an actual diety.
- Marcion Christianity, another early form of Christianity that solved the problem of evil not with Satan (Hades), but by considering the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament as different beings, one evil and one good.
- Baal, an ancient god, changing from a diety into the demom Beelzebub (from Baal Zebub).
