Hi Is Mise,

Many people believe so strongly that they can't imagine that the stories that they have been raised on are perhaps not quite fully true.

I worked with an Aboriginal student who later went on to do a Ph. D. in what is called 'Indigenous Research', i.e. confirmatory 'research' ignoring anything non-confirmatory - what researchers would usually consider the first, initial, chapter of a research project asserting a thesis - the rest of the project is supposed to at least attempt to refute their thesis, or at least address some of any major objection to it. But that's all so non-Indigenous research :( Not so with 'Indigenous research'.

Anyway, the topic that this particular student chose was to confirm that all Dreaming stories were literally true. The last I heard was that the student had put about five years into it. By the way, the student was not remotely 'traditional', having been raised in a large rural city.

So yes, you might be right.

Joe

"But that's all so non-Indigenous research"

Merely following a (modern) tradition, 'But that's all so non-Feminist research'. :(

Sloppy research, grants and the gravy train. The Dean smiles just as generously and sweetly at them as the Award is presented and the photo proves it.

A bit removed, but being there for the first of one's alma maters (misty eyes) to award a Doctor of Laws honoris causa to Premier Anna Bligh 'in recognition of her distinguished career and service to Queensland' evoked some strange feelings too. Still, at least she hasn't to my knowledge waved it about later.

I’m not sure about the others, but archaeologists, historians, and most Biblical scholars agree that Moses never existed. Not only is there a lack of evidence for Moses and the stories surrounding him, but there is also evidence that contradicts those stories.

So many people trekking through the desert for 38 years, for example, should have left an abundance of evidence behind.

A trek, by the way, that should have only taken a week or two:

http://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/30.7227375,31.8103007/31.8014749,35.4522694/@30.6760554,32.2622791,7z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e2

Ain’t technology grand!

On our recent visit to New Zealand, we made a special trip to the Waipoua Forests, to be with Tane Mahuta the Lord of the Forest, in fact according to my partner, Tane Mahuta is a god, who takes the forum of a giant kauri tree, maybe 2500 years old. When in the presence of this living god, who's spirit dwells within the tree, a true believer will experience a feeling of serenity and receive wisdom from Tane Mahuta to deal with problems that might be troubling one.
I said to "T", Tane Mahuta is just as plausible as any other god, "T"agrees, she excepts all god's including the Christian God, who she also believes in. She cannot understand why so many Christians are hostile towards the notion that other gods exist just the same as their god.

Dear Paul1405,

You may be interested in Kirsch’s “God against the gods”. It tells about the struggle between polytheism and monotheism in early Christianity.

Monotheism didn’t have a complete victory since Christians split God up into three parts, and the saints are in effect, minor Gods, that one can pray to instead of praying to big daddy or his main sidekick, Jesus.

Paul1405,

I think the two main sources for Christian hostility towards other gods is the first commandment, and John 14:6:

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

It’s interesting, though, that the Bible never seems to deny the existence of any other gods. In fact, it speaks of them as though they did indeed exist.