Changes

In his opening remarks at the first Seminar meeting, Funk openly stated that "we are having increasing difficulty these days in accepting the biblical account of the creation and of the apocalyptic conclusion in anything like a literal sense" and further that said difficulty "is connected with a second feature: we now know that narrative accounts of ourselves, our nation, the Western tradition, and the history of the world, are fictions".  Funk would go on further to state that "that the Bible, along with all our histories, is a fiction" and that the "fiction of Revelation keeps many common folk in bondage to ignorance and fear". <ref>https://www.westarinstitute.org/projects/jesus-seminar-opening-remarks/</ref>

In his opening remarks at the first Seminar meeting, Funk openly stated that "we are having increasing difficulty these days in accepting the biblical account of the creation and of the apocalyptic conclusion in anything like a literal sense" and further that said difficulty "is connected with a second feature: we now know that narrative accounts of ourselves, our nation, the Western tradition, and the history of the world, are fictions".  Funk would go on further to state that "that the Bible, along with all our histories, is a fiction" and that the "fiction of Revelation keeps many common folk in bondage to ignorance and fear". <ref>https://www.westarinstitute.org/projects/jesus-seminar-opening-remarks/</ref>

In 1998 Funk published a short paper, "The Coming Radical Reformation" (no longer available on the website), a series of short theses in which he stated his views on Christianity, God, and the Bible, all of which offered a rehash of liberal and atheistic sayings.

In 1998 Funk published a short paper, "The Coming Radical Reformation" <ref>https://www.westarinstitute.org/resources/the-fourth-r/the-coming-radical-reformation-2/</ref>, a series of 21 short theses in which he stated his views on Christianity, God, and the Bible, all of which offered a rehash of liberal and atheistic sayings.

*In the first thesis, Funk reduced God to a non-existant being and replaced Him with a humanistic philosophy:

*In the first thesis, Funk reduced God to a non-existant being and replaced Him with a humanistic philosophy:

:''"The God of the metaphysical age is dead. There is not a personal god out there external to human beings and the material world. We must reckon with a deep crisis in god talk and replace it with talk about whether the universe has meaning and whether human life has purpose."''

:''"The God of the metaphysical age is dead. There is not a personal god out there external to human beings and the material world. We must reckon with a deep crisis in god talk and replace it with talk about whether the universe has meaning and whether human life has purpose."''

*In his third thesis, he declares that "sin" is a mere dogma, with death just the natural part of things.

*In his third thesis, he declares that "sin" is a mere dogma, with death just the natural part of things.

:''"The deliteralization of the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis brought an end to the dogma of original sin as something inherited from the first human being. Death is not punishment for sin, but is entirely natural. And sin is not transmitted from generation to generation by means of male sperm, as suggested by Augustine."''

:''"The deliteralization of the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis brought an end to the dogma of original sin as something inherited from the first human being. Death is not punishment for sin, but is entirely natural. And sin is not transmitted from generation to generation by means of male sperm, as suggested by Augustine."''

*As to Jesus Christ, Funk stated that

*As to Jesus Christ (Thesis Seven), Funk stated that

:''"The plot early Christians invented for a divine redeemer figure is as archaic as the mythology in which it is framed. A Jesus who drops down out of heaven, performs some magical act that frees human beings from the power of sin, rises from the dead, and returns to heaven is simply no longer credible. The notion that he will return at the end of time and sit in cosmic judgment is equally incredible. We must find a new plot for a more credible Jesus."''

:''"The plot early Christians invented for a divine redeemer figure is as archaic as the mythology in which it is framed. A Jesus who drops down out of heaven, performs some magical act that frees human beings from the power of sin, rises from the dead, and returns to heaven is simply no longer credible. The notion that he will return at the end of time and sit in cosmic judgment is equally incredible. We must find a new plot for a more credible Jesus."''

*Funk's new plot for Jesus clearly led to the Jesus Seminar and ''The Five Gospels''.  This led to the removal of the primary mission of Jesus, that of bringing salvation to mankind; Funk reduced it to an equivalent of pagan sacrifice:

*Funk's new plot for Jesus clearly led to the Jesus Seminar and ''The Five Gospels''.  This led to the removal of the primary mission of Jesus, that of bringing salvation to mankind; Funk reduced it to an equivalent of pagan sacrifice (Thesis Nine):

:''"The doctrine of the atonement—the claim that God killed his own son in order to satisfy his thirst for satisfaction—is subrational and subethical. This monstrous doctrine is the stepchild of a primitive sacrificial system in which the gods had to be appeased by offering them some special gift, such as a child or an animal."''

:''"The doctrine of the atonement—the claim that God killed his own son in order to satisfy his thirst for satisfaction—is subrational and subethical. This monstrous doctrine is the stepchild of a primitive sacrificial system in which the gods had to be appeased by offering them some special gift, such as a child or an animal."''