A high percentage of our storytelling culture is biblically inspired

[Sanity Check]

 

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Cthulhu's awakening is often depicted as a catastrophic event, where his return brings chaos and destruction, leading to the demise of a significant portion of humanity. In various interpretations, it is suggested that his rise could incite fear and madness, resulting in a violent reckoning for those who encounter him.

 

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In "The Chronicles of Narnia," Father Time is depicted as a giant who once ruled a kingdom in the upper world but has fallen into a deep sleep in Underland. He is awakened at the end of the world, where he fulfills his role by extinguishing the sun, marking the end of Narnia

 

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13Then the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God 14saying to the sixth angel with the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

 

15So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

 

-Revelation 9:13-15

 

 

 

Has anyone ever noticed the high degree to which our storytelling culture is inspired by christianity?

 

 

 

[Nungali]

Yes ,  a lot, of course  since what you probably consider 'our' story culture   is some Christian based western society .

 

Even so there are many proofs of influence in this narrow field , but your two above are rather  silly  and dont show the  Biblical influence at all .   Even struggling to find it .... what ?    the link between  Chthulu causing the demise of  'a significant portion of humanity  and  the four angels killing 1/3 of mankind ..... that is your link  and proof of influence  ? 

 

Let's look at  the real 'our'  , without ignoring  the other  84 - 90 %  of the worlds population and  ignoring the last 198,000 years of our collective past to focus on the last 2000 years of 10 - 16% of the population  ?  .... our  stories ....

 

NO . 

 

The Epic of Gilgamesh , The Shanameh  The  classic ancient Chinese stories ,  all the traditional  indigenous stories I know  and all the Mesopotamian stories that pre dated the Bible .... that the Bible copied and then claimed as its own ! 

 

So no , your idea is totally culturally biased and  socially self significant and even within that framework , you made a mess of it . 

 

.

Edited Wednesday at 02:51 AM by Nungali

[Sanity Check]

You don't realize it but a significant portion of our storytelling is biblically inspired.

 

As it is biblical morality which became established as our fundamental framework for modern day society.

 

 

 

[Nungali]

 

 

 

17 hours ago, Sanity Check said:

You don't realize it but a significant portion of our storytelling is biblically inspired.

 

Its not a matter of you telling me  I dont realize something . iI you can comprehend it , I said in my response you were right  ( in your narrow little world ) you just didnt put up the evidence that exists  to support it and put up a silly cthulu comparison instead  . 

 

 

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As it is biblical morality which became established as our fundamental framework for modern day society.

 

 

'Biblical reality' eh ?   Like ; God says its okay to go and invade another's country, kill the people and take their land  because God is on your  side .  That type of Biblical 'morality '  ?   

 

Aside from that maybe you meant the new testament  ?    But even then its still wrong as religious  scripture is but one source that supplied the development of modern social 'morality ' . 

 

There is the biological evolution influence  ( due to us being  'co-operative ' primates living in extended family groups  ....> community .... >  society .   That started waaaaay before any Bible .

 

Cultural and religious roots that include ( for modern western society )  Sumerian, Egyptian and Judeo - Christian  sources . 

 

Philosophical -  ethics shifting from supposed   divine command to philosophical reasoning ; Greeks onwards through modern philosophers . 

 

and regarding the religious Judeo Christian  sources ,  seeings as the Bible lifted stories ideas and morals from elsewhere , any copying of it is copying a copy . 

 

What are the main things Christianity is supposed to have contributed  ? 

 

Unconditional love for enemies , widows' strangers , other social groups (ie the outcast or marginalized ) , the 'golden rule ' do unto others ' , moral standards applying to all  ( radical departure for the Roman state ) .  and that the leader should be the servant of all  for the better cause but not just by asserting authority over them .

 

They are the ones most cited and most 'original'   but on examination they fall down as many were adopted from the Persians who were known to have a different approach to rule and Empire than others did .

 

Love thy neighbor ?   Do unto others ....  ''  ?  

 

• Confucius (China, c. 500 BCE): "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others".
• Hinduism: The Mahabharata (c. 4th century BCE) states: "One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self".
• Greek Philosophy: Plato wrote in Crito that one should not mistreat anyone because they have mistreated you, emphasizing a refusal of vengeance

The good leader principle was well established in Zoroastrianism / Persian Empire 

 

I will not bother listing further facts and details as I know accurate facts are not in your interests  . What seems to be in your interest is making false ( or ignorant ) claims to bolster your own religious beliefs  based on a narrow modern view fueled by social media , what is fashionable , gaming comics and cartoons . 

 

Good luck with that . 

Edited Wednesday at 08:52 PM by Nungali

[Nungali]

... are you claiming that modern day society is moral ? 

[wstein]

A high percentage of biblical writings are inspired (or edited versions) of previous culture's stories.

[Nungali]

Thats right . Of course, our  Homer  here ,  will not be back to address or reasonably answer any of this .

 

But dont worry. he is sure to pop up again soon with another wack-a-doodle  unsupported  claim about Christianity and modern culture 

 

 

[Sanity Check]

18 hours ago, wstein said:

A high percentage of biblical writings are inspired (or edited versions) of previous culture's stories.

 

 

I remember a time 20 years ago.

 

When many claimed Jesus was inspired by the story of Mithras.

 

I looked into it, found no evidence of this at all.

 

But people still continued to say it as if it were true.

[Sanity Check]

1 hour ago, Nungali said:

Thats right . Of course, our  Homer  here ,  will not be back to address or reasonably answer any of this .

 

But dont worry. he is sure to pop up again soon with another wack-a-doodle  unsupported  claim about Christianity and modern culture 

 

 

 

 

I suspect most who read your replies will not find them very compelling.

 

And so there usually is no reason to respond.

 

When making claims such as "the bible is inspired by previous cultures" you need specific evidence to back your claims.

 

As of yet I have not seen a single attempt @ this.

[stirling]

On 1/27/2026 at 7:19 PM, Sanity Check said:

You don't realize it but a significant portion of our storytelling is biblically inspired.

 

As it is biblical morality which became established as our fundamental framework for modern day society.

 

It comes from WAY before that. Read Joseph Campbell, "The Power of Myth", and "The Hero with a Thousand Faces".

 

You can watch some of his discourses here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/@JosephCampbellFoundation

 

This might be pertinent:

 

 

 

[Nungali]

5 hours ago, Sanity Check said:

 

 

I remember a time 20 years ago.

 

When many claimed Jesus was inspired by the story of Mithras.

 

I looked into it, found no evidence of this at all.

 

But people still continued to say it as if it were true.

 

Was that supposed to have cancelled out the academic  research done on this .... cancelled out  Sumeria , Babylon , China     due to a dodgy Mithras Jesus comparison . 

 

   

 

another fail . 

[steve]

On 1/27/2026 at 10:19 PM, Sanity Check said:

As it is biblical morality which became established as our fundamental framework for modern day society.

 

I like listening to Christopher Hitchens' take on biblical morality.

Basically, most advances in modern morality have been through emancipation from biblical (im)morality.

Genocide, slavery, patricide, filicide, infanticide, rape, pedophilia, incest, torture, mutilation... all described, instructed, demanded, sometimes celebrated in the bible. The idea that modern day society derives from biblical standards of morality is laughable to me. 

Just my personal slant.

 

[Nungali]

6 hours ago, Sanity Check said:

 

 

I suspect most who read your replies will not find them very compelling.

 

 

Yes but we already know what YOU are suspect of and what you think is valid .... and it is a joke . 

 

 

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And so there usually is no reason to respond.

 

Because you way outa the kiddies end of the pool mate ! 

 

 

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When making claims such as "the bible is inspired by previous cultures" you need specific evidence to back your claims.

 

 

 

I do, constantly, but you refuse to engage in intellectual responses . 

 

Here you go ,  27 videos in the series ,  they are all very good . 

 

 

 

 

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As of yet I have not seen a single attempt @ this.

 

Because you close your eyes when your mistaken belief system is threatened ? 

 

 

This is about the 4th time I have posted this at you ; 

 

 

Here are specific examples of passages and stories with roots in earlier sources:

 

1. The Flood Narrative (Genesis 6–9)

The story of Noah and the Ark shares numerous details with much older Mesopotamian flood myths, specifically from the Epic of Gilgamesh (Tablet XI) and the Atrahasis Epic. 

• Parallels: Both involve a divine decision to destroy mankind, a chosen hero, the building of a massive boat, the saving of animals, the release of birds to find land, and a sacrifice after the flood.
• Source: The Epic of Gilgamesh was written roughly 1,000 years before the Genesis account. 

 

2. Creation Accounts (Genesis 1–2)

The first creation story (Genesis 1:1–2:4a) shares similarities with the Babylonian creation epic, the Enuma Elish. 

• Themes: Both describe a watery chaos, the creation of a firmament to separate waters, and the creation of humanity.
• Details: The formation of Adam from dust and God breathing life into his nostrils (Genesis 2:7) is similar to descriptions in older Mesopotamian mythology. 

 

3. The Ten Commandments and Wisdom Literature (Proverbs/Ecclesiastes)

Sections of the Book of Proverbs are remarkably similar to the Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope, a text that predates it. 

• Example: Proverbs 22:17–23:11 shares parallel advice with sections of the Instruction of Amenemope, which advises against cheating on land boundaries and interacting with fools. 

 

4. Moses's Birth Narrative (Exodus 2)

The story of Moses being placed in a basket in the river and saved by royalty resembles the birth legend of Sargon of Akkad, a Mesopotamian king who reigned centuries before the estimated time of Moses. 

 

5. Psalm 29 (Baal Hymn)

Psalm 29 is believed by scholars to have originally been a hymn to the Canaanite storm god Baal. 

• Details: The psalm describes the voice of Yahweh in a manner similar to how Canaanite texts describe the voice of Baal, particularly the imagery of thunder and lightning. 

 

6. The Leviathan (Job, Psalms, Isaiah) 

The references to the multi-headed chaos monster Leviathan in Psalms 74:13-14, Job 41, and Isaiah 27 are based on earlier West Semitic and Canaanite myths, such as the Baal Cycle from Ugarit, which features a battle against a seven-headed serpent. 

 

7. Other Cultural Influences

• Long-lived Descendants: The long lifespans of the descendants of Adam in Genesis are likely influenced by the Sumerian King List, which also describes incredibly long-lived, mythical kings.
• "Outstretched Arm": God's "mighty hand and an outstretched arm" in Exodus 6:6 and Deuteronomy 4:34 is a phrase borrowed from Egyptian royal rhetoric, often used to depict Pharaoh's power, which the biblical writers repurposed to show Yahweh's superiority.
• The Tower of Babel: This story is considered to be partly based on the Mesopotamian narrative of Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta. 

Edited yesterday at 03:33 AM by Nungali

[Nungali]

7 minutes ago, steve said:

 

I like listening to Christopher Hitchens' take on biblical morality.

Basically, most advances in modern morality have been through emancipation from biblical (im)morality.

Genocide, slavery, patricide, filicide, infanticide, rape, pedophilia, incest, torture, mutilation... all described, instructed, demanded, sometimes celebrated in the bible. The idea that modern day society derives from biblical standards of morality is laughable to me. 

Just my personal slant.

 

 

Dont forget racism ,  elitism and  this great idea ; 

 

if you want someones land , go invade it and kill them and then take their land .... and claim it is God ordained 

 

Funny how Christian countries still do that, I wonder where they got that idea from ?  .... with that inherited Bible  morality and everything 

 

   

[Nungali]

I'll give him one thing though ... he is doing a great job at being Homer Simpson ! 

[steve]

25 minutes ago, Nungali said:

 

Dont forget racism ,  elitism and  this great idea ; 

 

if you want someones land , go invade it and kill them and then take their land .... and claim it is God ordained 

 

Funny how Christian countries still do that, I wonder where they got that idea from ?  .... with that inherited Bible  morality and everything 

 

   

 

I think it's pretty evident that the best and worst aspects of religion are simply expressions of the human heart and mind.

Not the other way 'round. 

Again, just my blasphemous opinion fwiw.

 

 

[Nungali]

 

Evident to those who are able to look at that .  Others  ?