BBC Programme “The Bible’s Buried Secrets”

Pray for those who are unaware that there is nothing new in this programme and may find it a discouragement in their faith. There are adequate answers to all that is raised (see below).
Pray that as people turn to the Bible and examine it with an open mind and open heart they will discover both the truth and the one who is the way the truth and the life.
Pray for the Presenter Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou who is an Atheistic Biblical Scholar.
Pray that people will find articles like those below helpful as these issues come up in discussion.
Best to read the whole articles – some extracts below
1. http://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/more-buried-secrets/
“The imbalance of power is evident in the programme’s presentation. She contrasts her academic views primarily with the faith of a rabbi, not an academic. When she does bring on a Christian academic, she gives no right of reply, and we have no idea whether he might be able to offer a response to her theories—because he is not invited to. So we here FS’s great sweeping conclusions, and never find out whether those she disagrees with actually have a good reasons for their commitments. I wonder why?”
2. http://biblefilms.blogspot.com/2011/03/bibles-buried-secrets-did-god-have-wife.html
I found this section interesting
Commenting on the claim “A close reading of the Bible shows that people found it hard to stick with monotheism.”
The response is
- Hmmm. I think I learned that in Sunday school; perhaps I was just well taught! The programme repeatedly juxtaposes evidence from a plain reading of the Bible, with a highly sceptical reading which distrusts the text altogether. The most striking example comes at around half-way through the programme. FS comments:
“If you examine the Biblical texts, you find evidence that many Gods were worshipped here in Jerusalem.”
She then goes on to cite Ps 82.1 and Ex 15.11 and concludes
“In other words, the religions of the Israelites was polytheistic, just like the Canaanites.”
Of course, the only problem with this conclusion is that there is no actual mention of worship of the other ‘gods’ in the assembly here.
And in relation to the Wife of God - “The odd archaeological find showing "God's wife" only proves that some of the Israelites worshipped a female deity. It hardly proves that this was the belief of the entire nation, nor even a significant percentage.”
3. http://willcookson.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/review-bibles-buried-secrets-did-god-have-a-wife/
Will Cookson argues that contrary to the presented view that
“Monotheism brought a terrible consequence …. Monotheism disempowered women. The evidence that I have presented rocks the foundations of monotheism and for some that may have a severe impact but the loss of God’s wife had an even greater impact on history of loss and that’s the painful truth of this story”
I am afraid that this is simply not true. Monotheism does not see God as male. Monotheism says that words cannot describe God – “I am that I am” and all that. Monotheism says that God is beyond our anthropomorphic view. It is also historical rubbish. Women were not valued and cherished in the pagan polytheistic societies.  Women in Ancient Greece and Rome or Babylon were not especially well treated – certainly the polytheistic view didn’t give them rights that Dr Stavrakopoulou thinks that the bible took away from them.