Magical and Supernatural Elements

SallyF · Post by **SallyF** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 10:12 pm

Fantasy is a genre of literature that features magical and supernatural elements that do not exist in the real world. Although some writers juxtapose a real-world setting with fantastical elements, many create entirely imaginary universes with their own physical laws and logic and populations of imaginary races and creatures. Speculative in nature, fantasy is not tied to reality or scientific fact. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/wh ... literature

Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, often inspired by real world myth and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became literature and drama. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre in literature that includes magical and/or supernatural elements as part of the plot, setting, or theme. Mythology and folklore often play a strong part in fantasy literature. There must be an internal consistency to the magical elements in a work of fantasy and a logic that, if not completely explicable, is understood to be reality by the characters. http://www.literarydevices.com/fantasy/

Do biblical writings fit definitions of fantasy fiction ...?

SallyF · Post by **SallyF** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 1:23 pm

Fans of fantasy fiction usually understand that their superheroes are imaginary magnifications of reality from which they derive vicarious, heroic adventure and moral allegory.

When existing through the mundane drudgery of everyday life, it's a psychological comfort and diversion to imagine oneself alongside Spiderman, or Jesus, or the Hulk, and overcoming the evil of the wicked sinners, and proudly planting one's bold standard on the high moral ground â€¦

In my experience.

SallyF · Post by **SallyF** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 4:11 am

We don't have any "scriptures" that I know of concerning this Minion Snake Goddess.

But we may expect that there WERE scriptures, and that the faithful had every bit as much faith as Christians do concerning THEIR holy writings.

But Christs are know to decry this "fantasy fiction" from other cultures â€¦

Even though their own "scriptures" have tales of magic and the supernatural concerning snakes â€¦

I suggest that Moses and his magic, snake-eating wand are make-believe.

Fantasy fiction, pure and simple.

SallyF · Post by **SallyF** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 2:35 pm

Fantasy is a genre in literature that includes magical and/or supernatural elements as part of the plot, setting, or theme. Mythology and folklore often play a strong part in fantasy literature. There must be an internal consistency to the magical elements in a work of fantasy and a logic that, if not completely explicable, is understood to be reality by the characters. http://www.literarydevices.com/fantasy/

Folklore explaining just HOW the Dead Sea became so salty looks to have found its way into the fantasy fiction of biblical "scripture".

SallyF · Post by **SallyF** » Fri Jan 31, 2020 3:01 pm

Fantasy is a genre of literature that features magical and supernatural elements that do not exist in the real world.

But in the real world, we usually recognise make-believe â€¦

And sometimes illusion can lead to delusion â€¦

Biblical "scripture" is full of fantasy.

SallyF · Post by **SallyF** » Sat Feb 01, 2020 4:57 pm

Scriptural heroes in fantasy tales are often wont to go about quite naked and kill large beasts with their bare hands â€¦

This is the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh (like Jesus, part god, part human) killing the Bull of Heaven:

This is the Canaanite hero Samson (Israelites were actually Canaanites) killing a lion:

(It's Christian art. It's not in the LEAST homoerotic â€¦ for the celibate male priests. Quite an appropriate perspective.)

I don't know if Gilgamesh had a magic beard to help him, but Samson certainly had magic hair.

SallyF · Post by **SallyF** » Wed Feb 05, 2020 4:02 pm

We may understand that Christians take biblical fantasy fiction â€¦

And fictionalise it even more â€¦

And "scripture" becomes indistinguishable from any other product of the human imagination â€¦

SallyF · Post by **SallyF** » Thu Feb 06, 2020 2:28 pm

Whether it's magically turning water into wine â€¦

Or magically turning prince into a frog â€¦

"Scripture" has a lot in common with other fantasy fiction.

Clownboat · Post by **Clownboat** » Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:32 pm

SallyF wrote: Whether it's magically turning water into wine â€¦

Or magically turning prince into a frog â€¦

"Scripture" has a lot in common with other fantasy fiction.

I think Sally has done more than her fair share of showing that the Bible fits with the definition of fantasy fiction.

Any evidence to the contrary?

JW's attempted explanation works for most religions and would lead us to having to accept that all the (main) competing god ideas are true. Since they are contradictory, this cannot be possible. Therefore JW's explanation fails.

Not to mention the idea that we should believe things that cannot be proven to be untrue is nonsensical and not a way anyone should live their life IMO.

JehovahsWitness wrote:Since nothing in the bible, including its supernatural elements, can be proven to be untrue and the writers clearly present the information in the context of as historical realities, then I cannot see how objectively the bible can be classified as "fantasy".