Did I ever mention that my undergrad degree is in Theology? Here are some interesting facts to show that Church Traditions that are said to be "from the Bible" are really just inaccurate. The Bible is not the problem. It the creative minds of men that mess things up. 1. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that three wise men came to see the Baby Jesus. It does say in the Bible that they brought three types of gifts (gold, frankencese and myrrh) but these were the only gifts acceptable for a King. There were probably dozens of "wise men", due to the fact that it was not really safe for a small group to travel long distances in those days. These men were not Jews. They were eastern magicians living in Babylon. They knew of the sign of the Star in the sky because Daniel had taught them during his time of Captivity. 2. No wise men ever came to the "manger" at Jesus's birth. The magi came nearly two full years later, and found the young Jesus living in a house in Jerusalem, not Bethlehem. The manger scene is a fantasy. The only people there were a few shepherds. 3. The "Star in the East" was in the Western sky, and it appeared on two separate occasions two years apart. It probably was a an alignment of three planets, at is a historical fact that is easily reproduceable with "Night Sky" computer software. The magi, who were in the East, Said "we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." They, the magi, were in the East, not the Star. 4. Jesus was born in the Month of September, probably in the year 3 BC, during RoshHashana. december 25th is the Winter Equninox, and has numerous pagan festivals associated with it. The Catholic Church named the day as the Birthday of the Christ in an attempt to counter the pagan influence. (Happy Pagan Holiday!) On another Note - would it suprise you that these words and phrases are found nowhere in the Bible? \ 1. Rapture -found nowhere in the KJV Bible. 2. "God helps those who help themselves" - Not in there 3. "Set Free" as a matter of fact, the word "set" appears nowhere in the King James Bible. 4. Demon - the word never appears in the Bible. Just a little trivia. I have lots more if anyone wants to see it. A lot of the "Doctrine" people blame on the Bbile is really just inventions of men. The Book reads very differently, actually. Murry Christmas! Barry
Religion gets on my nerves. I am obviously a believer, but religion and the traditions of men are obstacles to simple spiritual faith. A few more interesting things - 1. Most of the "Heroes" in the Bible were very "unholy" people. I think the Bible gains some credibility because it does not glorify or deify the leaders. For example - King David, who was a key player all through the Bible, is recorded as being a murderer, adulterer, liar, thief and generally barbaric. His personal struggles with depression and diseases are well recorded. Moses, the deliverer of the Ten Commandments, was a liar, murderer, and had a severe speech impediment. Solomon - allegedly the wisest and rich man in his world, died as a idol worshiper. He failed in the end. Paul, who wrote the majority of the New Testament, had a severe temper problem. He killed numerous people prior to his conversion. He shunned women, and was penniless most of his life. Samson was into Sado/Masochism. Deliah tied him up and sexually abused him. He seemed to have a really liking for that. Noah's got passed out drunk after the flood, and his own son had sex with him. (This upset Noah pretty bad when he woke up.) The point of the Bbile is that people really are messed up, and can't change that on their own. Gods help is required for real change. More in the next post. Barry
Man made Bible traditions Use BibleGateway.com if you want to look this up. Use the King James Version. I do not know if the other versions say exactly the same thing. 1. Noah did not take two of each animal on the boat. The Bible says that he took seven pair of each animal, and they went on the boat "two by two." (Genesis 7:2-3) 2. God called the first humans "ADAM". He did not use the name "EVE." That was the man's name for his wife. God considered the two people the same person. "two shall be as one flesh" Genesis 3:20, 5:20 3. The "Mark of the Beast" is not 666. The Mark is a name, not a number. (Probably a computer chip). The letters of that name, when converted to their numerical value, add up to 666. (Revelation 13:16-17) 4. There are no "Pearly Gates" or "Streets of Gold" in heaven. The only time gates of pearl or streets that appear to shine like gold appear it is in reference to the rebuilt city of Jerusalem, here on earth. (Rev 21). 5. The earth will always be here, and people will live on it. The idea of the "end of the world" is not in the Bible. The earth may experience an catastophic renewal (as has happened before) but it will be here. (Rev 21) And my favorite - 6. God is a divorcee. He gave Israel a bill of divorce for their adultery, and he intends to marry again. The "church" will be his second wife. (Jeremiah 3:8) Read the story of the visit of the wise men here - Matthew chapter 2. Barry
Also, the word "ADAM" means mankind. So who's to say there was only one man in the gardern of eden? I think the bible is very symbloic. A lot of people take it far to literally. Although I am atheist and extremely against religion, I like this book because it's the oldest publication in the world. And that's got to mean something.
Reiv, I personally believe that you are right. There were many more people than just one man and woman. It makes no sense to believe that only two people were here. The man and woman known as "Adam" (my opionion) were the first leaders or "president" of the human race. I agree with the "symbolic" idea too. I can't image a talking snake being literal. Your idea about the Bible being the oldest, etc. That is kind of my point about this thread. The Bible is interesting, whether it is literally true or not. I just get irritated when people say that the Bible says things that it really doesn't. People say stupid things. The Bible doesn't really support most of the stupid religious ideas that people have. It is very interesting when read in context. Barry
