Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on March 3, 2013 at 9:29am

Tom,

If I thought the history was unbiased and described events / history / psychology / archeology / sociobiology with genuine thoughtfulness, yes.  Exit the "awe" and "mystery" and "wonder", the history of the bible should be fascinating.  How did this collection of writings, legends, fables, politics, laws, demagoguery, and sometimes actual history come to be viewed as actual "history", and "the word of a god"?  Why this collection, dominating the west and some of the east, for 2 millenia?  Why this tribe in a Mediterranian backwater?  And not the Roman pantheon, or Egyptian, or Persian, or.... ?  Where is the historical evidence, the archeology, for the kingdom of David, Solomon, their massive power and harems?  The evidence for the migration of Hebrews from Egypt?  Their enslavement in Egypt?  In Babylon?  The evidence for the Jesus of the Bible?  The evidence for and against key aspects of the Jesus myth - the census (no evidence), the existence of Nazareth, the supposed dates of key events,  the evidence for miracles of the bible?

As it is, I've seen enough of "documentaries" on the bible.  The ones I've seen always seem to accept, at the outset, the validity of biblical writings, and seek / overinterpret, have a sense of awe and wonder about the "truths", without scratching below the surface.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Reeves on March 3, 2013 at 10:16am

Well sure, if you want to look at it logically. But what about the updated CGI effects shown in the previews of a magic man with a magic staff parting the Red Sea? Surely that will make a believer out of you! And who knows, maybe Universal Studios will develop Bibleland alongside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Exhibits and rides might include: Naughty Apple Munching Nudists of Eden, The Amazing Ark - infinitely bigger on the inside than the outside!, Global Flood Ride – ends with a big splash through a giant rainbow, Massacre Your First Born Island, etc. And that’s all just in Old Testmantland! Oh, I would so be a believer then!

 

Okay seriously S.B., I do agree with you. I know the History channel is a commercial enterprise, but doesn’t this kind of dramatic sensationalism belong elsewhere? Like on Cartoon Network perhaps?

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on March 3, 2013 at 2:30pm

I have a serious personality flaw.  Logic.  Dammit.

Tom, some churches have something like you describe for halloween.  I forget what they call it.  It describes the punishments for living a sinful life and for specific sins.  Not exactly what you describe, but not far from it.

There are also some christian theme parks that have some of that stuff.  No nudists tho, I'm sure.

I'm OK with science fiction, legends and myths.  In fact, I love reading that stuff.  Also the Aztec pantheon, the Mayan gods, the stories of Chinese dieties and Indian gods.   I grew up reading about UFOs and, while I didn't believe it, I ate it up.  Like X-files.  Maybe if they changed the name to "history channel" in quotes?

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Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on March 16, 2013 at 2:45pm

The Halloween event you describe is called Hell House.  They should divide the two History channels - one with real history the other renamed the Mythic and Religion channel which would include bible BS, Ancient Aliens, Nostradamus and they could throw in Swamp People, Ice Road Truckers, Ax men and their ilk for fillers.   

Personally I have no desire to watch bible stories on the tube.  My brother, however, did watch the first part of the first offering and thought it to be the worst rehash of a story that has plagued humanity for centuries.  All the computer generated magic didn't make the BS smell any different.. 

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Permalink Reply by EJN on March 3, 2013 at 10:22am

For sure, I am planning on watching it eventually. Lol I saw a youtube video advertising it and in the comments some people were like, "History???? Channel." Lol Idk, I think they officially abandoned the history boat back during Ancient Aliens. Possibly sooner. Idk. 

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Permalink Reply by Pat on March 3, 2013 at 11:32am

Yeah, I'd love to see it. Unfortunately, something really important came up that I have to attend to. Washing my socks.

Now, if they did a program on Silberman and Finklestein's The Bible Unearthed, I'd watch that. But, as Ethan correctly pointed out, this should fit into the category of accurate history about as much as Ancient Aliens, Sasquatch Researchers, and UFOs Revealed. Just another money making scheme to dupe the rubes!

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Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on March 3, 2013 at 11:51am

Check me on this, but isn't this the same channel that does trips on Nostradamus and ancient aliens?  Sorry, but their credibility from where I sit lacks a little something.

Personally, I'll stick with the Discovery Channels, particularly the Science Channel.

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on March 3, 2013 at 2:24pm

Yup.

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Permalink Reply by SteveInCO on March 3, 2013 at 9:29pm

History channel is also responsible for "The Universe" which is tolerable.  The narrator spouts a few bloopers (like "radiocarbon dating" for rocks, and temperatures of -500F (below absolute zero)) and the graphics are oftentimes egregiously not to scale.  Also it seems like it's "All cataclysms, all the time" when you watch the nth episode talking about disasters that did/will happen to earth.

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Permalink Reply by A. FitzGerald on March 3, 2013 at 3:35pm

I'm surprised they don't air Big Trouble in Little China on the History Channel. It's about as historically accurate as the rest of the documentaries they produce. Plus it has Jack Burton.

But seriously, The Learning Channel and The History Channel have to be two of of the top 5 worst tv networks, and what makes them even worst is they're somehow considered educational broadcasting.  

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Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on March 3, 2013 at 7:02pm

pfffft.. bible? try tv itself:


well.. not sure if embed code from liveleak's been fixed so..

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=edc_1355551817

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Permalink Reply by TNT666 on March 4, 2013 at 1:17pm

Bleh, that's all the H channel is ever about!

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