Overall rating and opinion of "Misreading Judas" by Robert Wahler

Use this forum to discuss the May 2019 Book of the month, "Misreading Judas" by Robert Wahler
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Sahansdal
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Re: Overall rating and opinion of "Misreading Judas" by Robert Wahler

Post by Sahansdal »

Choine wrote: 02 May 2019, 15:00 This comment will probably receive some unwanted retorts but I will give my honest opinion about this book. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I opened the book. I would like to think that I approached it with an open mind because I was not entirely certain of the contents. As I read, I became more and more confused and--quite frankly--frustrated. The author's reasoning behind each explanation baffled me and I had to read almost every page several times before understanding. His attempt to dismantle the core of Christianity and interpret the Bible using Buddhist symbolism is frustrating and confusing. I don't know how he came to these conclusions, especially when he tried to interpret the parting of the Red Sea. Honestly, I feel that this was just a feeble attempt to unravel the foundation of Christianity and replace it with something else for the sake of argument.
Choine,
Well, that is a good way to put it! I was trying to "unravel the foundation of Christianity" but not just for sake of arguing. It is true! The Gnostics are provably the SOURCE of the narrative in the Gospels when it comes to Judas. Didn't I make that clear? That was the whole idea of the book! How did I fail? I listed line-after-line in parallel analysis to show that it couldn't POSSIBLY be coincidence that they are so similar, and that the essence is REVERSED. This is just what Dr. Robert Eisenman found when he analyzed the Dead Sea Scrolls Pesherim (the commentary scrolls, not the biblical ones). The blood salvation doctrine of Paul is REVERSED or INVERTED from the blood purity observances of the Essenes at Qumran. You need to study outside of the Bible to understand the Bible. It is like reading a guide to a treasure. You won't see it in plain language. This is a puzzle. The Jesus Puzzle is in fact the title of a good book on the Christian ruse. Earl Doherty.
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Post by Sahansdal »

Shilpa Paul wrote: 03 May 2019, 05:22 I am not a Christian. But have read and heard stories about Christ. I belong to a religion where we worship many God's. Over the years the meaning and interpretations of the holy text, beliefs, culture and traditions have drastically changed. This is inevitable. I love reading books that challenge age old beliefs. Although controversial such facts should definitely be considered with an open mind. I loved reading Dan brown and hope to enjoy this book as well. Good luck to Robert Wahler for his book.
Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code is fiction! This is facts.
tanner87cbs wrote: 08 May 2019, 16:21
srividyag1 wrote: 01 May 2019, 21:14 I was born into a religion with a multitude of gods. I’ve always been curious about Christianity and its history; the role it played in shaping the world’s history. I gather that what the author deals with in this book is a very controversial topic. When I read the sample, it consisted of mostly reviews from other publications. Yet, the introduction itself reads like a research paper. I am curious about how mysticism and Christian beliefs are linked. I am interested in reading this book because I like having a healthy debate about many deep-rooted systems. I believe that any new knowledge that comes to light should be treated with the dispassionate eye of science and research and used for the betterment of humanity.
In my observations, there is no more of a link in mysticism to Christianity as there is to Islam and Christianity. If you look at Judaism, Christianity, and Islam they are all monotheistic religions. Though there is a cross over of historical figures like Moses, the doctrine is far from similar.
The underlying theology is exactly the same. Only THE NEW TESTAMENT is an outlier. It is FALSE INFORMATION. The Tanak, the Qur'an, the teachings of the Mystics of India all teach the same mystic meditation. Surah 73:1-5, for example, is about early morning meditation. Only a few snippets of meditation remain in the Gospels, like Matt. 26:40-41. Or John 3:8.
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Post by tanner87cbs »

I agree that the New Testimate is an outlier in comparison. Although the theme of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible/Tanak) in my opinion is not focused on meditation. But focused on our history, the major and minor prophets, that segue into our need for a savior that is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. For the blood of animals and rituals could not atone for our sins. Only through Christ can the relationship be restored, because of his love for us. Only the holy spirit of the Trinity can gain access to your heart, all my words are but head knowledge without his intervention. Thank you for your reply, I enjoy having venues to share each other's believes and have a good discussion.
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Post by janinewesterweel »

Sahansdal wrote: 08 May 2019, 16:14
janinewesterweel wrote: 08 May 2019, 03:41
Sahansdal wrote: 07 May 2019, 16:25

And that would be a lot! For those interested in how much was changed by orthodox scribes, try The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, by Bart Ehrman.
Aah...thank you for that suggestion. Now that would be an interesting read!
I tried repeatedly to tell Dr. Ehrman about the mistake he and other scholars have made, but he didn't want to hear from a macadamia nut farmer, I guess. What would nut farming have to do with preparation to take on a Ph.D. in Religious Studies? Well. He is still wrong...
I'm confused now. You're the author? Of this book? :shock2:
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Post by Sahansdal »

jimthorne2 wrote: 03 May 2019, 09:32 Well, Abacus, sincerity is not equivalent to truth. A discussion doesn't necessarily lead to truth. There are many sincere writers. That doesn't mean that they write truth. Just because it is written doesn't mean it is true.
Please, that applies to the Bible as well.
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Post by Sahansdal »

Choine wrote: 02 May 2019, 15:00 This comment will probably receive some unwanted retorts but I will give my honest opinion about this book. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I opened the book. I would like to think that I approached it with an open mind because I was not entirely certain of the contents. As I read, I became more and more confused and--quite frankly--frustrated. The author's reasoning behind each explanation baffled me and I had to read almost every page several times before understanding. His attempt to dismantle the core of Christianity and interpret the Bible using Buddhist symbolism is frustrating and confusing. I don't know how he came to these conclusions, especially when he tried to interpret the parting of the Red Sea. Honestly, I feel that this was just a feeble attempt to unravel the foundation of Christianity and replace it with something else for the sake of argument.
Choine,
I got the mystic interpretation of the parting of the Red Sea from Dr. Randolph Stone, a disciple of a widely-respected Master in India, in the first part of the last century, Maharaj Sawan Singh. He wrote Mystic Bible (on Amazon, but rare and expensive, since out of print), which I highly recommend for those wanting to truly understand the Bible. The parting of the Red Sea, just like Noah's Ark, is a metaphor for the human body, with "passions and instinct for power which must be crossed." - page 270.
All the stories in the Tanak (Old Testament), without exception, are metaphors for the human experience. It is a fascinating realization, that I can assure you.
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Post by Jsovermyer »

I found the book difficult to understand. You need to be a Biblical scholar to understand some of the author's points.
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I am tempted to read the book because some readers have commented that the author has insufficient basis for his claims. However, it is an interesting read because it is unique.
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Post by Artizi »

Though It is well researched I feel it is a bit biased. Surely people interested in religious themes might find it an interesting read indeed, though it might prove controversial to the more traditionally Christian public.
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Post by flaming_quills »

This may be irrelevant but I think titling the book 'How scholars missed the biggest story of all time' is a little ambitious. A wise person once said to me "you can understand a person's actions without necessarily condoning them' and I think that was the problem back then. Judas' betrayal wasn't hard to understand, it was simply clouded over by what some would call the 'bigger picture'.
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Post by Sahansdal »

flaming_quills wrote: 10 May 2019, 14:36 This may be irrelevant but I think titling the book 'How scholars missed the biggest story of all time' is a little ambitious. A wise person once said to me "you can understand a person's actions without necessarily condoning them' and I think that was the problem back then. Judas' betrayal wasn't hard to understand, it was simply clouded over by what some would call the 'bigger picture'.

The idea of writing the book was to prove it could not have happened. Maybe I failed. Personally, I don't think so. It simply is too much parallel language, gnostic to canon -- always inverted in sense and goal -- to be coincidental. I show which is the original, and why. Did you read it?
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Post by Sahansdal »

janinewesterweel wrote: 09 May 2019, 06:50
Sahansdal wrote: 08 May 2019, 16:14
janinewesterweel wrote: 08 May 2019, 03:41

Aah...thank you for that suggestion. Now that would be an interesting read!
I tried repeatedly to tell Dr. Ehrman about the mistake he and other scholars have made, but he didn't want to hear from a macadamia nut farmer, I guess. What would nut farming have to do with preparation to take on a Ph.D. in Religious Studies? Well. He is still wrong...
I'm confused now. You're the author? Of this book? :shock2:
Yes. I wrote two books on saviors in the Bible. This is the second one.
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Post by Verna Coy »

I read this book very carefully, and although my review has not been approved or published yet, I give it 2 out of 4 stars. It bases its conclusions on an area of Gnostic literature which has not been validated by physical evidence or scientific proof. It expects the reader to blindly accept the wild theories posed by the author, theories that become wilder as the book progresses.For instance, he casts doubt on whether Christ was himself or James. His asserts that James is also Judas, while at the same time, he also thinks that Jesus was Judas. These statements are more than confusing for the reader since, by now, the author has turned Jesus into James, and Judas into James, and then into Judas. It also claims that James was the source of the concept of the virgin birth. I was grateful for my extensive background of research and study in this particular subject. I needed every bit of it.
There is a reason that Gnostic writings weren't approved or included in the Bible, they don't cross-reference correctly with other proven biblical works and evidence. Although I won't be recommending this book to anyone, it is good that it sparks debate and interest.
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Post by Sahansdal »

VernaVi wrote: 10 May 2019, 17:02 I read this book very carefully, and although my review has not been approved or published yet, I give it 2 out of 4 stars. It bases its conclusions on an area of Gnostic literature which has not been validated by physical evidence or scientific proof. It expects the reader to blindly accept the wild theories posed by the author, theories that become wilder as the book progresses.For instance, he casts doubt on whether Christ was himself or James. His asserts that James is also Judas, while at the same time, he also thinks that Jesus was Judas. These statements are more than confusing for the reader since, by now, the author has turned Jesus into James, and Judas into James, and then into Judas. It also claims that James was the source of the concept of the virgin birth. I was grateful for my extensive background of research and study in this particular subject. I needed every bit of it.
There is a reason that Gnostic writings weren't approved or included in the Bible, they don't cross-reference correctly with other proven biblical works and evidence. Although I won't be recommending this book to anyone, it is good that it sparks debate and interest.
Sometimes details of as many as 14 New Testament biblical characters cover James. After all, the reason the New Testament was composed and collated was to hide his coming. Read Dr. Robert Eisenman's masterful exposition of James covered, in his James the Brother of Jesus, and The New Testament Code. 'Stephen' stoned in Acts 7 is the episode of Paul's role in the death OF JAMES. The details are compelling, but too much to go into here. It took EIsenman 1000 pages to cover James. The reason the gnostics were excluded from the Bible is not because they were unworthy, but because they were a threat!
Eisenman is the one who points out that James was a Nazirite, the oblique source of Jesus being from the town of "Nazareth." Nazirites practiced celibacy. That's the source of 'virgin birth.' 'Virgin birth' is also how we know the gnostic story is the first one, copied and inverted by the orthodoxy. The First Apocalypse of James,' "Hail, Brother!" became, "Hail, MASTER!" in the canonical Betrayal. I thought I did a good job of inverse pairing the Apocalypse of James and Peter details to the canon, and how they could not possibly be canon first. EISENMAN FOUND THE SAME IN THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS. I am not the first to say Judas was James. He was a threat to the Church and the Pauline idea of sacrificial salvation. Jesus isn't history! JAMES is! Paul KILLED James. Read the history, not the Church propaganda.
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Post by Dragonsend »

I just finished reading and submitting my review. I only gave the book 1out of 4 stars. I found the book the be hard to read, formatting and the way the author actually presented the material. Not to plagerize myself, but he skipped back and forth between different manuscripts to make a point, then when the argument wouldn't add up he said he would get back to that later. In laymen's terms I had to say what the actual text says it backs up original writings this proving the Bible correct instead of mystisysm and Gnostic beliefs. The key word being not belief of the Bibles or the texts words but put up against a sort of theory. This seems to be the core problem with the book it isn't the writings but the reach you have to make so it will fit this theory.
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