tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36226628957640642642024-03-14T01:18:41.279-07:00The God Principle: Author's thoughtsM.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-50454046943154060912015-02-07T12:27:00.003-08:002015-02-07T12:27:55.484-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dw6PO_0NnhI/VNZ1NB34GnI/AAAAAAAAAQM/8GV_IBHIr1c/s1600/National%2BPrayer%2BBreakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dw6PO_0NnhI/VNZ1NB34GnI/AAAAAAAAAQM/8GV_IBHIr1c/s1600/National%2BPrayer%2BBreakfast.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Religion and Barack Obama<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is it he really believes and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">All contents copyright
© 2015 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the
related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means
(electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sometime in January 2015, the group
known as ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) murdered a Jordanian pilot
whose F-16 Fighter Jet had been shot down during a bombing run on December 24<sup>th</sup>,
2014. First Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh was a 27 year old pilot in the Jordanian Air
Force fighting back against the burgeoning Islamic State which has already
taken over large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. His fate was unknown to
his country and his family until a video of his gruesome execution was uploaded
to the Internet on February 3<sup>rd</sup>, 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The video quickly went viral—as was the
intention of the Islamic terrorists who had recorded the pilot’s death in
Hollywood quality detail. It was clear that in this stylized presentation of First
Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh’s execution, a new dimension had been added to the mix.
Gone were the grainy, shaky smartphone videos of the executions which are now
commonplace within those areas controlled by Muslims. Instead they have been
replaced with High Definition, highspeed cameras and recording equipment to
cause the maximum impact in the West as is possible. The slick presentation and
the attendant propaganda would have made Joseph Goebbels proud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jordan's King Abdullah II was properly outraged
at the spectacle and made his thoughts on the subject known swiftly by
executing two members of al Qaeda which had been held since a foiled suicide
plot in 2005. There had been moves on the part of Jordan to exchange First Lt.
Moaz al-Kasasbeh for the captured al Qaeda terrorists, but evidently ISIS
believed they could get far more mileage out of the burning death of al-Kasasbeh than exchanging him for two people
who should have already been dead anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The video execution has found a home on
the Internet and every news outlet worldwide. There is no doubt it has set the
bar for filmed executions for years to come. Outrage over the death hasn’t been
unanimous, however. Obviously those pro-ISIS groups have applauded and cheered
al-Kasasbeh’s death, but it is the pockets of extremists Muslims and Islamic
sympathizers within the United States and Europe which is most troublesome. One
such individual appears to be the United States President, Barack Hussein
Obama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obama’s own personal religious history
is already well known at this point even if he isn’t eager to speak on the
subject. His father, Barack Obama Sr. was a Muslim from Kenya as was his stepfather,
Lolo Soetoro. A young Barack Obama was raised primarily in a Muslim household
in Jakarta, Indonesia—a Muslim country by his mother and step-father. It wasn’t
until he was a ten years of age when he returned to live with his maternal grandparents
in Hawaii. His mother and step-father remained behind in Indonesia, both pursuing
their careers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obama’s religious exposure during his time
with his maternal grandparents was through the Unitarian Church. The Dunhams
were described by Barack Obama in his book, <i>“Dreams
from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance”</i> as willing to sample
religions as one would sample cuisines. He reiterates this religious sampling
in his subsequent book, <i>“The Audacity of
Hope”</i> where he states that his mother, Ann Dunham, would be just as likely to
take him to a traditional Christian Church or a Buddhist Temple for Easter or
Christmas celebrations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While there is nothing necessarily
wrong with learning about other faiths (I have done much study of other faiths
myself), there was no formative grounding in the teachings of Christ for young
Barry Soetoro. One can look at Obama’s own words in his two autobiographical
books to see very clearly that outside of Islam, he experienced no formal
Christian teaching. Does this formative teaching mean he couldn’t have had a later
conversion and embraced Christianity as he claims? Of course not; most people continue
to grow and mature throughout their lives. I point out this spiritual journey
of Obama’s only to expand his claims to the contrary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If it is clear that up through the
beginning of his college years Barack Obama’s religious experiences could be
described as eclectic at best, then it should be agreed that Christianity was
but one small sampling amidst many different religions—with the study of Islam
being the primary force. So what changed when he reached collage?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is little doubt that Obama’s
grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, had an impact on his life. In a very real sense,
she was the only mother he had ever known. Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham was busy
with her own life and career and was with her son only sporadically from 1971
onward. However his mother left her mark on Obama’s consciousness as well. As
he explained in his book, “The Audacity of Hope,” his mother was the most
spiritually awakened person he has ever known: <i>“… she possessed an abiding sense of wonder, a reverence for life and
its precious, transitory nature that could properly be described as devotional.”</i>
While his mother didn’t adhere to any particular organized religious beliefs,
she seemed to have a direction and a commitment to those ends, those being a
sense of Social Justice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">None of this translated into any great
spiritual awakening for Obama once he reached college, however. He studied
philosophy in an attempt to make sense out of life and his place in it. At the
end of the day, he was still a boy who had been rejected by his birth father,
abandoned repeatedly by his birth mother and separated from his step-father. By
the time he was in college, Obama had come to understand that most people—despite
what they said to his face, were actually out for themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The people of faith he encountered in
Chicago seemed to lack the zeal he found in his mother. His own religious journey
of sampling different religions had come back to put him in a role more as an
observer, than as a participant. Again in his book, <i>“The Audacity of Hope”</i> he explains that without a vessel, an
unequivocal commitment to a particular community of faith, he would be <i>“… consigned at some level to always remain
apart, free in the way that my mother was free, but also alone in the same ways
she was ultimately alone.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Part of Obama’s self-discovery
eventually led him to Trinity United Church of Christ. On some level which had eluded him through
most of his life, the philosophy of the church as expressed through its very
charismatic leader, Jeremiah Wright, touched him in a way none of the earlier
religious samplings had. Obama described the church and Wright as “…like family”
to him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jeremiah Wright had taken over as the
lead pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in 1972. At that time, the
church had a membership of approximately 250, though only about ninety people
were regular attendees. Wright’s scholarly pedigree is impressive with a Bachelor’s
degree and a Master’s degree in English from Howard University. An additional
Master’s degree was attained from the University of Chicago Divinity School and
a Doctor of Ministry degree from the United Theological Seminary. He has
subsequently taught at Chicago Theological Seminary, Garrett-Evangelical
Theological Seminary and City Colleges of Chicago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite this background in what would be
regarded as Christian-based theological training, Trinity United Church of
Christ’s mission statement is based upon the teachings of Black Liberation
Theology. Thus what a young and still evidently impressionable Barack Obama
entered into when he decided to make Jeremiah Wright his mentor and Trinity United
Church of Christ his “family” was less a Christian environment as outlined by
the New Testament Gospels, and more of a Social Justice concept with a singular
goal of liberating Blacks from the constraints placed upon them by Whites and
the ugly history of slavery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Black Liberation Theology can be traced
back to a group of 51 concerned clergy who called themselves The National
Committee of Negro Churchmen. This group bought a full page ad in the July 31st
1966 edition of the New York Times to publish their “Black Power Statement,”
which proposed a more aggressive approach to combating racism using the Bible
for inspiration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyone even vaguely familiar with the
Civil Rights Movement in the United States understands that the 1960’s were a
tumultuous time for Blacks. Too many anti-Christian ideas had been adopted by
narrow-minded bigots to support inequality between the various ethnicities (I
do not use the term race as we are all but one race: Human. Ethnicity is a
better term). While such people used the Bible to support their views that
Blacks and other ethnicities were essentially “sub-human,” it is of note that
all such people had to go to the pages of the Old Testament to do so. Such
teachings are not evident within the Gospels or the Epistles of the New Testament.
Why does that matter? If it’s in the Bible, it’s in the Bible. Well yes and no.
Let me explain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without belaboring the construction of
the canonical scriptures here in this commentary (much of that was covered in
my earlier commentary which can be found here: <a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/02/is-bible-inerrant-all-contents.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/02/is-bible-inerrant-all-contents.html</a>
), it must be understood that Jesus Christ came and fulfilled the Law. As the
Apostle Paul points out in his letter to the Church of Colossi: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“God made you alive with Christ. He
forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its
regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away,
nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the Powers and Authorities, He
made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Colossians 2:13-15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The teachings of the Old Covenant are
no longer binding to us as Christians. I realize that this is radical thinking
to many good people of God, but it is never the less the truth. Paul explained
quite clearly that:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“All who rely on observing the Law are
under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to
do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ Clearly no one is justified before God by the
Law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’ The Law is not based on
faith; quite the contrary. ‘The man who does these things will live by them.’
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us …”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Galatians
3:10-13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Paul also goes onto explain that
because we are no longer operating under the constraints and limitations of the
Old Covenant and its Laws, we are viewed en masse by Jesus Christ far differently
than was humanity viewed by the Old Testament God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You are all sons of God through faith
in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves
with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave no free, male nor female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> -
Galatians 3:26-28<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When we feel we have been wronged, we
want to correct the error. If such correction is ignored, we then have a tendency
to want to lash out; to enforce our view of what is good and true on those we
see as abusing the truth. This is human nature and in and of itself is
perfectly normal. Black Liberation Theology saw a situation in which mere
prayer wasn’t yielding the results desired and decided to try a different
tactic. One can agree or disagree with such tactics, but is such at its heart a
Christian philosophy? Is using the scriptures and Christ’s teachings in a
manner to marginalize others while promoting self any different than those who
have wrongly applied outdated and obsolete scriptures to justify all manner of
horror upon their fellow man?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I recently read the autobiography of
Harriet Ann Jacobs titled, <i>“Incidents in
the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself” </i>One of the most heartbreaking
passages in this book when she had finally decided to escape her master and
fled. The plan didn’t work out as well as she would have liked and she wound up
having to eventually hide herself in the attic space of her grandmother’s house.
She remained in this small space for seven years while she had to watch her son
grow up, catching only fleeting glimpses of him over the years through cracks
in the siding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jacob’s master at this point in her
life was a man named Dr. James Norcom. Despite being widely admired, Norcom had
a dark side to him which was evidently overlooked by his compatriots. A member
of the Episcopal Church, Norcom seemed to express none of the Christian
teachings he’d received (if any) through the church to his slaves. Instead he
looked upon Jacobs—and other female slaves—as little more than sexual
playthings. He had many out of wedlock children which the church completely
ignored. In light of Christ’s teachings as highlighted by the Apostle Paul, how
can this behavior be reconciled and regarded as Christian? As a point of fact,
it cannot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While there was widespread “racism” and
bigotry in the history of the United States, it is unfair to say that all “Whites”
held such a view. Many, many white people fought and died to rid the nation of
the scourge of slavery. A personal anecdote from my family tree: The Wilson
family owned several slaves, including a mother and son, in the mid-1850s. By
all accounts, these slaves were regarded as family and treated as such. When
the old Wilson patriarch died, he left these slaves to his sons. However he had
more sons than he did slaves so those who did not receive slaves were given the
cash value of a slave instead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My great, great, great Uncle was busy
putting together a militia in the anticipated chance that the Union would
fracture. He had no time to care for slaves and was not in agreement with the
entire notion of slavery in any respect. He paid for the slave’s freedom out of
his own pocket—a sum which was $1300.00 for the mother and son. One of the
other slaves, a man in his early twenty’s, was also freed and joined his
militia to help the fight against the Southern States should they break away
from the Union. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is but one story I know of
personally because it is a part of my family lineage. I am well aware of the
fact that views were different towards different people back then than it is
today. However there are many countries all over the world in which slavery is
still very much alive. Most of those countries are Islamic, not Christian.
Despite the fact that it was perfectly acceptable in Kentucky in 1858 to own
slaves and not one person would have batted an eye had my ancestor decided to
keep the slaves he inherited, he and his brothers eventually opted to give them
their freedom. They were the radicals of their day and expressed the truth of
Christianity. I point this out only to say that to paint an entire ethnicity
with so broad a brush is not of Christ whether one is Black or White.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The brand of Black Liberation Theology
which Barack Obama was taught by Jeremiah Wright at Trinity United Church of
Christ was anything but Christian. One could easily look at such teaching as on
par with the stunted, bunkered, homophobic and erroneous teaching which was
spewed out of the mouth of “Pastor” Fred Phelps of the Westborough Baptist
Church of Kansas from 1954 until his death in 2014. How can anyone honestly say
that either Pastor is really teaching Christ when one vilifies homosexuals,
stating that God hates them all and desires to kill them and the other man vilifies
all white people because they are all racist slaveholders who do not see Blacks
as people? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How would people see Barack Obama had
he studied under Fred Phelps and attended the Westborough Baptist Church rather
than Jeremiah Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ? Would he have even been
taken seriously as a candidate? It is highly unlikely. Since the late 1990s
when the growth of the Internet gave Phelps a higher profile than he had ever
enjoyed previously, Westborough Baptist Church has been labeled the church of
intolerance and hate. Again how is their philosophy any different than that of
Trinity United Church of Christ? I would submit that when one looks objectively
at both bodies and the tenets of their particular beliefs, hate and intolerance
predominates in both. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Out of this cauldron of hatred has
emerged the Barack Obama who can look into the camera and make a comparison
between Christianity and Islamic Terrorists—not Islam, mind you, but only these
particular terrorists. Obama, for as much “sampling” of other religions as he
has done, has clearly found some sympathy with Islam. This is not surprising as
once again, this was his formative religious teaching; Islam for him is like
going home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Black Liberation Theology is not a
Christ-centered teaching and as it is more a Social Justice philosophy, Obama
is perfectly content to declare himself a “Christian” while being blinded to
the horrors which are the tenets of Islam. Ignored by Obama are the passages
which condone slavery, subjugation of females, pedophilia, misogyny, and a host
of execution methods which are all a part of the Qur’an and the Hadiths; the
essential tenets of the Islamic faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obama failed to explain why ISIS
executed this Jordanian pilot in the manner in which they did. I’m certain he
must know, but he didn’t even broach the subject. We have seen ISIS execute one
hapless man after another through beheading. Suddenly we’re exposed to the spectacle
of a man led to a cage, doused with an accelerant and set ablaze. After he has
died, he and the cage are crushed by rubble and buried in the desert. Why the
theatrics? What changed?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The answer lies in the tenets of Islam
which were ignored by Obama in his pathetic speech. The term which is best
described as “an eye for an eye” in Islam is called <b><i>Qasas.</i></b> (</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">قصاص</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">) as mentioned in Qur'an, 2:178: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“O you who have believed, prescribed
for you is legal retribution (Qasas) for those murdered – the free for the
free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever
overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up
and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and
a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful
punishment." <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a part of Sharia Law, First Lt. Moaz
al-Kasasbeh was to be executed in the same manner in which he brought death. As
a bomber pilot, al-Kasasbeh’s ordinance exploded buildings, started fires,
burned people to death and caused others to die under the rubble of those collapsed
buildings only to then be buried. This was indeed an <i>“Eye for an Eye”</i> execution, the symbology of which was lost on most
of the West. I seriously doubt that it escaped Obama’s notice, however;
pointing out such would not have helped his Social Justice narrative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Barack Obama has grown very comfortable
criticizing Christianity even though he claims to be a Christian. Nothing he
has done as an Illinois State legislator, Senator or President has shown he has
a grasp of any teachings of Christ. He has sought only to divide and impart
punishment unto those he deems unsuitable to his cause. In this, Barack Obama
shares much of the same temperament as does the God of the Old Testament, of
Allah in the Qur’an, but nothing of Jesus Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The argument he raised, conflating the
Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition with the acts of barbarism displayed
liberally by Islamic followers is a strawman argument. I reiterate that the
essential tenets of Islam are being followed by these terrorists. I have cited
(and can cite even more) scripture from the Qur’an and the Hadiths to support the
fact that the essential tenets of Islam are to eradicate all who do not believe
as they do. (For a more in-depth look at Islam, my earlier commentary can be
found here: <a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/09/islam-who-are-real-radicals-all.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/09/islam-who-are-real-radicals-all.html</a>
)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obama’s argument citing comparisons can
only be genuine if he also compares the tenets of each teaching. This he
refused to do. When one scours the New Testament looking for teaching whereupon
Christ instructs his followers to kill others, one is going to come up
empty-handed; there are no such teachings anywhere period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At this point, more than six years into
his presidency, Obama’s Progressive Liberal leanings are well known. His
knowledge of the tactics of Saul Alinsky has been put to good use, helping to
get him reelected. In large measure, ISIS has been allowed to blossom as a
direct result of a move Obama made in order to ensure his reelection: Pulling
troops out of Iraq prematurely. Against the advice of his senior military
officers, Barack Obama pulled out our troops and allowed the gains to secure a
stable country in a very unstable region to completely evaporate overnight.
Obviously he didn’t see it quite that way, but the fruits of his actions are
evident in the numerous gruesome deaths which have followed in ISIS’s rise to dominance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a week which saw Obama show only
utter disrespect and contempt for a longstanding ally in the Middle East, that
of Israel and their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ISIS pounced and
released the snuff film now seen around the world. Whereas Jordan’s King Abdullah
II as well as Netanyahu voiced their absolute disgust at ISIS and vowed the
craven terrorists would not go unpunished, Barack Obama measured his words
carefully and levied no real blame on them at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The final veil of doubt as to where
Obama’s sympathies lie fell away from his face at the annual National Prayer
Breakfast. While he had harsh words for those particular “militants” who had committed
the crime, he refused to acknowledge what everyone else in the room seemed to understand
quite well: ISIS is a revolutionary Islamic movement not populated with
crazies, but rather with fundamentalist ideologues who have shown quite clearly
that they mean serious business. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Has Barack Obama abrogated his
responsibility to be the president to all citizens of the United States? Given his
actions—especially those he has taken since his re-election, it certainly seems
so. Further his insincerity with respect to Christianity AND Islam show a man
who has no problem lying to the public in order to create a specific image of
himself and his ideology. While we have come to expect such lying behavior of
our public servants, it does not make it right. An honorable person wouldn’t
even consider such behavior, but then we have seen nothing but subterfuge with
this particular man. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since Mr. Obama is so fond of
conflating the Old Testament God with that of the terrorist’s actions, I
thought it only fitting to point out these scripture verses:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Truthful lips endure forever, but a
lying tongue lasts only a moment”
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
Proverbs 12:19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The Lord detests lying lips, but he
delights in men who are truthful.” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Proverbs 12:22<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"And they (the disbelievers) schemed,
and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Qur’an 3:54<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"He who makes peace between the
people by inventing good information or saying good things, is not a
liar."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - Bukhari 49:857<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a Christian, Mr. Obama should be
crystal clear in his intents. Lying should not be a part of his routine. While
I am not so naïve as to believe that he is to disclose all to everyone (he is
also the Commander-in-Chief and discretion is a part of the job), I do not subscribe
to the notion that he must lie to prop up his ideological beliefs. If such
beliefs have merit, then they should stand on truth. If they do not, lying only
delays the inevitable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I close with these pieces of scripture
from the Apostle Paul. If Barack Obama is truly interested in justice, he would
do well to really study Christianity as the relationship it is meant to be to us
all, rather than as a weapon to destroy his enemies. Christianity <b>is not</b> Islam and never can be; the two
ideologies stand in complete and total opposition to one another. Only those
who have not studied the two faiths do not know this. Those who have yet
continue to assert they are alike, are lying to themselves and to everyone else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I speak the truth in Christ—I am not
lying, my conscious confirms it in the Holy Spirit…”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> -
Roman 9:1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control. Against such things, there is no law.” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
Galatians 5:22-23<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-61341875354647673242015-01-13T08:36:00.003-08:002015-01-13T08:36:51.088-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g-fp67nDDBM/VLVJXYFQ0CI/AAAAAAAAAP0/AauW2ZD-ZbA/s1600/003B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g-fp67nDDBM/VLVJXYFQ0CI/AAAAAAAAAP0/AauW2ZD-ZbA/s1600/003B.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Great Commission:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">did
Jesus Christ’s command to us get so screwed up?</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">All contents copyright
© 2015 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the
related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means
(electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Several months ago I wrote a commentary
titled, “Modern Christianity” which outlined much of my observations respecting
the abysmal state of the modern Christian faith movement today. While there are
many who will take exception with my use of the term, <i>abysmal,</i> I stand by it; the modern church is more an elite country
club than a place of true Christian fellowship and worship. It is because of
this inability to discern one’s true purpose as a Christian (not to mention a
Christian leader) we find the church in the chaotic state existing today. This
degradation of the church did not happen overnight, but its coming was foretold
in scripture and unfortunately ignored for generations …if not longer. Regretfully
we find ourselves not only waging a traditional battle against external forces
overtly opposed to Christ, but now also from within the supposed protection of
the Church as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many of the issues I had raised in that
earlier commentary are going to be briefly revisited here. The need to do so is
quite unfortunate because I had hoped the first commentary would have resonated
enough so as to negate the need for any further explanation. Sadly based upon
events which have transpired since that first commentary was written, this has
turned out not to be the case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As Christians, we find ourselves in a
very perilous time in history. At present, the West is still free enough to
where one can practice their faith with minimal resistance. As history has
shown, this period of tranquility will not last. Even as I write this
commentary, there are groups all about the world working to tamp down, or
remove free speech, couching such in terms of <i>“offering reasonable protection”</i> and <i>“being non-offensive to all.”</i> When free speech is removed, so is
the freedom to worship and practice one’s faith. Overnight, worshipping Christ
could become a felony resulting in a lengthy prison sentence. Anyone reading
this who scoffs does not know their history. It has happened in empires as
great in their time (if not greater) than the United States. The West is not
immune to the madness which has plagued other empires which have existed; we
will fall if we do not heed the failures of the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is where the Church is vitally
important. A Christian represents the Light of God to the world. This
designation does not mean we can fix everything around us, but it does mean
that our goals are to reflect God’s will rather than our own. A servant does
what he is told to do, not what he desires to do. This is the place where the
Church is failing miserably. A church leadership which places a higher premium
on the further acquisition of wealth and power will not be terribly effective
in battling against the malevolent forces of the enemy. Ironically what such a
church leadership fails to see is that their quest for wealth and power is in
fact a tactic used <i>by</i> the enemy to
disempower them from their primary task: that of being the Light of Christ to
all mankind. We will not have this
window of opportunity amongst us much longer and far too many who have been
charged with leading their congregation into the Light of truth are instead
burying them in the lies of the flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The world is at present roiling over
the obscenity which is Fundamentalist Islam. The attack in France against a
satirical magazine because they had the temerity to publish unflattering
cartoons about Islam, Muhammad and Allah was a very clear indicator of just
what evil looks like when left unchecked. Unfortunately we have a United States
President who is either too apathetic, or finds himself to ideologically
aligned with this Islamic enemy to take any substantive measures to stem their
encroachment into the West. While taking steps to do so is not the great
panacea many believe it would be, it is no less his responsibility as outlined
Constitutionally. This is an important concept to understand because Barack
Obama’s example of feckless leadership is reflected by the leadership in our
churches as they encounter their evil today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In time, Islam will succeed in their
conquest as long as our leaders – both secular and religious – continue to lie
to the people in their care about this danger. We are sometimes led to expect
that politicians are (to a degree) going to play games with their allegiances
on the international stage. They are, after all, just politicians. A politician’s
primary allegiance is to themselves. Period.
However to see the same behavior from our church leadership, it is most
troublesome. We do not expect our pastors and Bible teachers to put themselves
first, yet that is exactly what we find repeatedly when we brush aside their
rhetoric and look at their actions. What do I mean by this? Let me explain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I reside in a community which I suppose
is not unlike many other small communities all over the United States, if not
the Western world. This community where I reside has many churches, but sadly
few church leaders who are reflecting the Light of Christ to their congregation.
To be fair, there are some who do and I do not wish to demean or minimize their
efforts and hard, selfless work in this commentary. In fact if one is secure in
the knowledge that they are doing exactly what Christ has called them to do,
then this commentary is not meant for them. The rest would do well to put the
pride and ego aside and continue reading. It just may be that God has directed
your eyes to this commentary for that very reason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The
calling to be a church leader is not a call to be taken lightly. It is a huge
responsibility to shepherd others into a correct and right relationship with
their Creator. The work will typically yield very little in the way of
tangible, earthly rewards as the goal is one of a spiritual nature. As this
type of church leader, one will find themselves in the enemy’s crosshairs; one
will become their primary target under such circumstances. However, the enemy
is also nothing if not a pragmatist. If a church leader presents no real threat
to them and their agenda, they will not attack the church leader. A church
leader who is focused on building their own career and acquiring wealth and
power will usually have to do so by crushing others under foot. The enemy likes
to encourage this type of behavior in church leaders because the ramifications
of such selfish actions resonate outward in ever increasing waves, destroying
more and more in its unyielding path. The enemy is well aware that a little
investment at the beginning will often yield huge results for them down the
road. At that point, the pastor or church leaders can easily be dispatched by
the enemy merely by stepping aside and allowing the light of truth to shine on
their now utterly corrupt lives. Few people recover from this type of attack
and soon realize the utter vanity of their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I
suppose it is fair to ask of any reading this, <i>“What is it to be a Christian?” </i>The reason I pose that question is
because it seems that throughout the many centuries which have passed since Jesus
Christ ascended to Heaven, those of us remaining here on this earth have no
clear idea of the answer. Oh we think we do, but does thinking we know the
reason make it so? In order to be honest with a response one would need to
explore exactly what it is which Jesus Christ commanded of His followers … and
why. The answer one comes up with has a tremendous bearing on how one will
proceed with their belief and what they regard as God’s intent for their life.
That answer is the same whether one regards themselves as having been called to
the pastorate or not; we are all to be Lights to our fellow man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I will start with the exact passage of
scripture which Christ imparted to His small band of Apostles just prior to his
ascension:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then the eleven disciples went to
Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him,
they worshipped Him; but some doubted. The Jesus came to them and said, ‘All
authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age.’ -</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Matthew 28:16-20 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I would like to just take a quick
moment to expand on the definition of certain words in this passage of
scripture so there is no misunderstanding. Those familiar with my commentaries
are well aware that I hold that there is but one Creator God Almighty; I do not
subscribe to the orthodox Trinitarian Godhead view as it allows for three
separate creators to exist, all with decidedly different means by which they will
deal with humanity. Christ was very clear when He declared, <i>“If you really know me, you will know my
Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” </i>(John
14:7), and <i>“I and the Father are one.” </i>(John
10:30) The “one” used in John 10:30 is rendered as just that in the Greek: <i>Heis</i> - One, singular. This concept needs
to be completely understood, or most the rest of this commentary will not make
much sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I have explained in my commentary on
the Holy Trinity (which can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/03/theholy-trinity-when-did-we-split-god.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/03/theholy-trinity-when-did-we-split-god.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ), that Creator God Almighty chose a
discernible visage by which to communicate to us face to face was not only
reasonable given His essential construct which Paul describes as, <i>“…who alone is immortal and who lives in <b>unapproachable light, whom no one has seen
or can see</b>.” </i>(1<sup>st</sup> Timothy 6:16), but necessary. If we in our
limited, corporeal human state cannot understand Creator God Almighty in His
natural state of being, then it is necessary for Him to choose a state by which
we can see and comprehend Him. This He did in the form of the Christ. Doing so does not make Jesus Christ out to be
something other than exactly what He is: the human presentation of Creator God
Almighty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Similarly, the Holy Spirit – the <i>pneuma </i>in the Greek, is another
presentation of Creator God Almighty to us in our limited state. I have called
the Spirit <b><i>“relational causality”</i></b> because to me, that is exactly what it
is: The power of Creator God Almighty manifest through our relationship with
Him. Absent a relationship, there is no power thus, no attendant causality as a
result of that relationship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Such thoughts and concepts about the
three presentations of Creator God Almighty towards His human creation tend to
make Christians raised on orthodox teaching very uneasy; fear of stepping out
into something unfamiliar takes immediate hold and binds them from seeking the
truth. Part of that truth is that most Christians raised on orthodox teaching
have never explored the scriptures or the nature of God for themselves. Too
many of them rely on pastors and teachers of scripture to tell them what to
think, never questioning the veracity of the many varied (and often wild)
versions of the <i>“truth”</i> which are
given to them as fact. This dearth of personal knowledge and understanding
creates a vacuum in the individual which must be filled with something. Either
truth will enter in, or error. Ultimately it is for the individual to decide
which is which, but I present my arguments in such a manner as to aid in that
decision. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now that I have given a brief overview
of just who I believe Christ commanded his followers go forth and baptize
others and in whose name, we can proceed. In the first chapter of Acts, Christ
is about to ascend into Heaven and He gives his Apostles some last minute
information which is also meant for us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He said to them: ‘It is not for you to
know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit (</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">again,
<i>Pneuma</i> in Greek) <i>comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’</i> –
Acts 1:7-8</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the absence of the Christ in body,
He has given us a Himself through His Pneuma – His <i>Spirit </i>which through the strength of the relationship we as His
children have with Him, also gives us His power. This is a very important
concept which we as Christian need to understand. This power – this relational
causality – is extraordinarily powerful within the confines of this
relationship with Creator God Almighty. If it was not regarded as a necessary
component, Christ would not have explained it was coming, nor would he have
explained the power contained therein. But Christ did explain that it was
coming and that it was incredibly powerful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So Christ has given us His marching
orders and He leaves, promising to replace his bodily presence with this vague
Pneuma, relational Causality, or Holy Spirit – whichever you prefer. On its
face, of what good is something so intangible and misunderstood that the early
church fathers did not even make it part of the Nicene Creed until 486 AD? Stop
and allow that information to sink in for a moment. Christ is thought to have
been crucified approximately 33 AD. (the exact year is a little vague because
of the manner in which the event was recorded so we’ll accept this approximate
date as adequate) Accepting what we would regard as the year 33 AD as the year
in which Christ gave this Great Commission and when He ascended into Heaven,
another four hundred and fifty-three years would pass before the Spirit was
finally accepted by the early church as legitimate. In this year of 2015, 453 years ago it was the
year 1562. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here is what was going on in the world
453 years ago. There was no King James Bible as Queen Elizabeth was the
sovereign of the British Empire; the future King James was not yet born. 1562
saw the Council of Trent near its conclusion as a Catholic response to the
Protestant Reformation. It would be another 58 years before the first colony
would be established at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. We look at these events
as ancient history, yet this is the exact same span of time the early church
fathers had to deal with respecting Christ’s ascension to Heaven – and they did
not have Google. Why did they struggle so with identifying exactly what the
Holy Spirit was if it had been made so clear from the outset? Moreover, given
the vacillation they struggled with over identification, why do we rely so much
on their conclusions over 1500 years after the fact? Are we so certain that the
2<sup>nd</sup> Nicene Council was correct? If so, then why was there the need
for a Reformation at all? If one holds to the notion that it was the Catholic
Church itself which had become corrupt, why not just return to the purity of
the 1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> Councils? If one is so steadfast in the
identification of the Holy Spirit as outlined by this council, then why is there
any need to split along the Protestant and Catholic lines? Would one not be
regarded as “parsing” scripture to fit a presupposition by choosing one side
over another, yet allowing major aspects of doctrine to remain untouched?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course the Protestant Reformation
had much more to do with individual national sovereignty than it had to do with
Biblical doctrine or dogma and I am aware of that fact. Regardless too many
present-day pastors and teachers on the Bible know so very little of their
subject matter that in any other profession, they would be shown the door
post-haste. Would one trust a financier with their life savings if he couldn’t
explain basic economic theory? Doubtful, yet isn’t that what we as Christians
do every single Sunday? Many of the issues I have raised in this commentary as
well as the history is completely unknown to the majority of seminary graduated
pastors; such information is irrelevant to their personal goals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why is it that we Christians care so
little for the truth? I realize how that question sounds, <i>“What does he mean I don’t care about the truth! What gall!”</i> I understand the irritation with the
statement I’ve made, but given the type of people we place in positions of
authority over our Spiritual relationship with Creator God Almighty, the naked
fact of the matter is we do not care too much for the truth. It seems we first care
mostly about feeling good about ourselves, and as a close second, what we can
get out of this relationship with God. Everything else – EVERYTHING – is subordinate
to these first two. If we can latch onto a pastor or church leader who can give
us those two thing (even if they must lie to us to do so), then our search is
over; no more truth need be given to screw up our perfect image. This isn’t a
new tactic by any means. Christianity, since the time of the formation of
orthodoxy under Constantine the Great, has been sold to people as a <i>“Me first”</i> religion. I like to refer to
Christianity as imparted to us through the lie of orthodoxy as the religion of <b><i>Meism</i></b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because the Protestant Reformation did
not adequately address these errors laid down by the Ecumenical councils begun
with Constantine the Great in 325 AD, but rather merely focused on separating
the Catholic Church as the spiritual head over the various countries within its
Empire, too much erroneous doctrine was allowed to continue on without
impediment. Latter church leaders wrestled with the incongruities obvious
throughout this warped version of the “truth” as laid out by these early councils
and then validated by the impotence of the Protestant Reformers. Conclusions as
to the true nature of God and the nature of man were reached by an ever growing
list of these thinkers. From their rationalizations came Puritanism, the
Deists, Dispensationalism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Adventism, et al. How
many lives were destroyed as we attempted to bend people to an unnatural
spiritual will, crushing them under these ever increasing complexities of
religious faith? Far too many, and often in grotesque and horrific ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However like their Catholic brethren,
these <i>“new”</i> religions took only small
nibbles from the edges of the monstrous doctrine of <i>Meism</i> and never really did much to assess the doctrine as a whole.
Thus though they believed they were creating an entirely new understanding of
who God is, they were really just playing a shell game with the same old parts
established under Constantine. Left intact in their <i>“new religious understanding”</i> was much of the old Catholic understanding;
the stern and wrathful Old Testament God, the enigmatic, ethereal Holy Spirit
and then the impotent, wraithlike figurehead of Christ: This comprised the unknowable
Holy Trinity. Also left untouched were the flaws in the belief that the
universe was only six to ten thousand years old, the concept of an eternal
Hell, and the inerrancy of scripture, and so on. Were any of these teachings
really present in what had been recorded by the Gospel accounts or the
Apostle’s epistles? No, but when we are led by erroneous presupposition, it
isn’t difficult to see why we have been taken so far off course.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today, as in the centuries gone by,
religion is big business. It doesn’t matter if it is Christianity, Islam or some
other religion, the leadership has all figured out a way to sell humanity their
version of God to acquire wealth and power. The people who are commanded to
fill the pews in church with regularity lest they risk eternal damnation are now
merely marks, not people in need of a Christ-centered relationship. Yes, church
today is a business and those who run those businesses do not put up with much
foolishness such as truly reaching out the neediest within their sphere (regardless
whether or not they are church members) in order to help them. Too many church
leaders see such actions – unless specifically earmarked through a pre-arranged
benevolence fund – as a useless waste of precious resources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The leaders of these businesses which
peddle God for cash like to point out how much schooling they have, like to
place themselves on a par with leaders in <i>“secular”</i>
businesses up to and including touting
the fiscal <i>“bottom line”</i> in annual
sales and like to compare the size of their congregations as a measure of their
success. The bigger the church and congregation, the more successful, the more
powerful and the more <i>“godly”</i> is the
church leader. How can one argue with that? One easily can if one is lead by
the Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadly and regretfully, the acquisition
of wealth, power and position is all these type of leaders are focused on. God
is merely the product they sell in order to achieve their goals. Because of
their ignorance of just who Jesus Christ is; because of their ignorance of just
who we as human beings are before God, they sell out their fellow man for 30
pieces of silver and do so over and over again. Too cynical an assessment you
say? Based upon the exceptionally sorry state of our churches today, I would
say that my assessment might be too lenient. We are beset with too many church
leaders who know nothing of their God, let alone the reason they are here on
this earth … and it shows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus Christ was very clear in His
admonition to those who chose to follow Him, <i>“You will be hated by everyone because of Me…” </i>(Matthew 10:22)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Large crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father
and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own
life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my
disciple.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.
Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money
to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it,
everyone who sees it will ridicule you,
saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Or suppose a king is about to go to
war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is
able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty
thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still
a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you
who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Salt is good, but if it loses its
saltiness, how can it be made salty again?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Luke 14:25-34<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The church today does not regard <i>“counting the cost of being a disciple”</i>
as a worthwhile endeavor because it places their lives and beliefs under the
harsh light of truth. Now exactly what is this truth which burns them under its
glare? This truth is that far too many of them answer to their flesh and not to
their spirit; too many within the church are indiscernible from those who do
not believe in Christ to the eyes of the world. These Christians fight and claw
at one another to gain a small scrap of real estate on this earth, ignoring the
fact that even if Christ does not return in their lifetimes, their lives are immeasurably
short regardless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Do you not know that the saints will
judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to
judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more
the things of this life!” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
1<sup>st</sup> Corinthians 6:3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would one pay $10,000.00 for a concert
ticket to see their favorite band, front row center, but then yammer and talk
throughout the entire performance, missing the show? Of course not. $10,000.00
is a lot of money even for someone with wealth. One wouldn’t be so caviler
about wasting it. Yet everyday most of us do exactly that with a gift which
Christ tell us is priceless. We waste the small piece of time we have here on
this planet on selfish and worthless pursuits. In so doing, we usually cause
great harm to those to whom we are supposed to be reflecting the very Light of
God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pride
goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Proverbs 16:18<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pride and ego wreak much destruction on
humanity. It is interesting how many people would literally rather die than
admit they were wrong. Why is that? Why is admitting one was wrong such a
grievous act that one would rather die than face the truth? The answer is
really quite simple. When one is ruled by fear, one is never certain just who
they are. There is confusion and uncertainty. Absent a right spiritual
relationship with our Creator, the flesh takes over. Nature abhors a vacuum,
thus the void must be filled with something. But is the flesh an adequate
substitute for this spiritual void? Of course not. The flesh knows the flesh
and the spirit knows the spirit. One cannot possibly replace the other, but we
continually attempt to do just that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So Pride and ego - components which are
natural to the flesh - take over and control the individual suffering this
spiritual void. Paul pointed out this danger in his letter to the Church at
Rome, <i>“They exchanged the truth of God
for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator.”</i> (Roman 1:25) Thus one proceeds upon this
false premise that through the flesh, this void is adequately filled. However
it is not and can never be. The flesh is not transcendent as is our spirit. We
make a very poor trade indeed when we allow the flesh to replace the spirit. When
we finally leave the body, what can we take with us if we’ve never nurtured the
spirit within?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why is it that the church from the time
of Constantine has behaved in this manner? One could argue that prior to
Christ, all religions were false and following after the wrong god. Christ
points this out repeatedly throughout the Gospels when He speaks about entering
into a world in darkness. How could Christ come into a world of darkness if
Creator God Almighty was already present? However even if one holds to this
view, then where does that leave us as Christian in this present day? Are we to
continue to behave as though we exist in darkness?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No one lights a lamp and puts it in a
place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its
stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of
your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But
when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that
the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of
light, and no part is dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the lamp
shines on you. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– Luke 11:33-36<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out
of the darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<i>-2<sup>nd</sup>
Corinthians 4:6<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Being a Christian is no small endeavor.
Christ said that we would be hated, stalked, hunted down and even killed. Our
life here has one primary function as a Christian: To be a Light to our fellow
man. There is no other reason for us as Christians to be here. We are Christ’s
servants and this is what He has asked of us when we agreed to follow Him. Our
walk in this world is not about getting saved; that function could be performed
by only one being, and that being did His duty. What God desires of us in the
waning days of this present realm is to be His face to one another. Is that really so hard? Is such a request so
difficult that we simply refuse to do it? Evidently with this modern version of
Christianity, the answer is a resounding <i>Yes</i>.
When we discard our fellow man due to his appearance, class, ethnicity, sex,
even belief, we are staring straight into the face of Jesus Christ and telling
him to, “Screw off!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God is love and the Apostle Paul stated
very eloquently, <i>“If I speak in the
tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong
or a clanging cymbal.” </i>– 1<sup>st</sup> Corinthians 13:1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Too often I allow my passions to get
away with me while I write these commentaries. I sometimes come across more
harshly than what I am feeling, but the feelings are no less real to me; I feel
very strongly about the subjects I write on. When I see good ministries
destroyed by small, petty people who have succumbed to pride and ego, I become
passionate. Such people rarely see themselves as the adversary they’ve become
because their entire teaching from the church has been to focus on <i>Meism.</i> How could one possibly recognize
the damage they’re doing to the Kingdom when their very pastors have been doing
nothing but teach them to destroy by example – by word and deed? Frankly, one
could not possibly see such error unless their heart is touched is some form or
fashion by the Spirit of God. Such pricking of the Spirit can come from some of
the most unlikely of places, hence this commentary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I truly do believe that if one is
called to the pastorate, that Jesus Christ MUST be first in the called one’s
life. Gone are the individual pride and ego issues. Such are incompatible with
the job of leading others into the light. Sadly such an admonition is given
very little import in today’s seminaries. The result has been a corruption of
the church which will allow the enemy to gain the necessary foothold for the
coming change in the cosmological order; it will allow the Anti-Christ to
reign.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If our church leaders are so easily led
astray by their pride and ego, where does that leave the rest of the body? How
many times can we as individuals<i> “church
hop,”</i> in a vain attempt to find someone who possesses God’s heart before we
give up in discouragement altogether? This <i>church
hopping</i> is a growing trend in the church today. Part of it is apathy on the
part of people, part of it is the growing influence of the Internet, but a
large part of it is due to a lack of vision within the body and exceptionally poor
leadership.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve written an earlier commentary on
what I believe we as Christians should do with our present day fixed
structures. (That commentary can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/01/is-church-building-or-peoplewithin-why.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/01/is-church-building-or-peoplewithin-why.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ) However that is only a part of the
solution. The remaining part is that we must understand we are no longer our
own when we accept Christ. Again this isn’t about saving our soft little
behinds from the fires of Hell, but rather about giving ourselves to Christ in
servitude; to be His face to one another. We must stop practicing a religion of
<i>Meism</i> and start obeying Christ’s
admonition to make disciples (read <i>Learned
Ones</i>) of our fellow man. What makes anyone believe that are more deserving
of God’s love than someone else? To be a servant as Christ defined it is to
regard everyone else as better than themselves. Pride and ego simply cannot
flourish in such a garden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you are a pastor and are reading
this, you need to put your pride and ego aside and ruminate upon what I have
written. I am not a formally schooled theologian, but I have the same pedigree
as did Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter, John and James. However even the
teachers and writers you may have studied in seminary had to have been taught
by someone who had no such formal schooling. No doubt you are familiar with the
writings of Marcion, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Origen. None would qualify for
leadership in your denominations today due to their lack of approved schooling,
yet you’ve (hopefully) studied them. For God’s sake, why given their lack of
formal training?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Instead, most of you have latched
firmly onto a theory which has no Biblical basis in fact whatsoever called
Dispensationalism and the Rapture. You teach these doctrines as though they were
spoken by the mouth of Christ Himself, yet not a shred can be found to buttress
your claims. What causes you to be so dogmatic and bunkered in your thinking<i>? “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched
you?”</i> Is it fear? Is it ignorance? Could it be mere simple pride which
causes you to refuse to acknowledge that God often times uses the least likely
amongst us to be His font of truth? Ah yes, that is a bitter pill to swallow
indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As pastors, you need to do some deep,
prayerful contemplation as to just who you are before Creator God Almighty. He
does not care a whit about your position before men. He does not care a whit
about your pride or your ego. He does care about you deliberately dimming your
light to your fellow man in order that your pride and ego can shine more
brightly. Such is as filthy rags before him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a Christian, one must make similar
prayerful contemplations about who they are before Creator God Almighty. Our
time here on the earth is very, very short. Soon we will all come to that
moment where we will close our eyes for the last time. When that moment comes,
there is no going back to <i>“fix”</i>
anything; your time in this realm is concluded. What you created on earth will
be what you will take with you to set before the feet of your Creator. At that
moment, will the church golf outing you organized, but which excluded many
hurting men in your congregation who could not afford the fees seem a
worthwhile endeavor? Will excluding women in your congregation from the annual
Ladies Retreat because they do not have the means financially or have help to
watch their children bring anyone of you closer to being the Light of Christ? Will
turning away the poor and bedraggled because they “smelled” be regarded as the
act of a righteous servant of God? Will
channeling more and more of needed funds to yet another church building be
regarded as good stewardship with the tithes given by many in your congregation
who frankly cannot afford to do so, but obeyed God regardless? Will ignoring
the holocaust that is abortion in your community because it is too hot a
political topic be seen as courageous? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Each and every one of the above
scenarios – and countless others I haven’t listed – can be remedied if we as
the church actually bow our knees before Creator God Almighty, become the
servants He desires us to be, and get rid of our useless pride and ego. One simply
cannot read Proverbs 16:18 and think it cannot possibly apply to them; one
would have to be lying to themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Choose this day whom you will serve.
Either it is Creator God Almighty, or it is the flesh. One cannot serve both
God and mammon; one has to choose. Both have a cost, but only one promises an
eternal reward. How foolish is the one who chooses unwisely?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-88422185723428858202014-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:002014-11-15T22:06:25.609-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5jQgMsfybI/VEF3D0O7uHI/AAAAAAAAAPk/bc6q1WIouto/s1600/radio-microphone-on-the-air-MicrophoneOld.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5jQgMsfybI/VEF3D0O7uHI/AAAAAAAAAPk/bc6q1WIouto/s1600/radio-microphone-on-the-air-MicrophoneOld.png" height="307" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 28pt; line-height: 115%;">Podcasting:</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Would
People Rather Listen Than Read?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All
rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">*
* *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Just a short and sweet
little message regarding Podcasting. I have only recently decided to look into
Podcasting as a means of reaching more people. Of course I am not so deluded as
to believe that my Podcasts will rocket to the top of the listening stack any
more than my commentaries have, but the format does lend itself to a more
dynamic presentation of essentially the same material.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">On a semi-regular basis,
four of us men gather together and discuss various issues on almost any subject
you can think of. While this is not unusual – as most friends will converse
while together, we try to frame our conversations around how we as Christians should
deal with such topics AS Christians.
Should we preach to people what we have learned, or is the better tact
to show people who Christ is in our actions and behavior? While the answer to
that question may appear to be obvious to most people, do not be too quick to
answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Our modern churches today
are generally filled with two types of people: The teachers and the listeners.
It is my opinion after many years of being in the church that neither side is
particularly good at their <i>“assigned”</i>
tasks. Lost in the tradition approach to a Christ-centered relationship is any
real teaching of truth and relationship. Let me explain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As I have pointed out in a
recent commentary, our modern church has become more a place of inculcation
rather than a place where we can worship with other believers and work to be a
more effective <i>face</i> of Christ to our
fellow man. We have constructed fiefdoms whereupon those who we deem unworthy
are not welcome or even tolerated. Too harsh a conclusion? Perhaps in the
specific, but I am speaking in general. Obviously there are many, many people
who do great works towards the cause of Christ and it is unfortunate that they
are overshadowed by the Likes of a John Hagee, a Tim LaHaye, a Joel Osteen, et
al. These are people who either scare you to death, or water down the human
experience to such a degree as to have made it irrelevant. The one common thread is that they all make a
ton of money doing it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My commentaries represent
just my opinions and can be rather lengthy. There are long stretches between
these commentaries because I am doing research which is a long and arduous
task; to the best of my ability, I want to disseminate truth rather than a lie.
At any given moment, I will have two or three rough draft commentaries I am
working on (in addition to my novels) which usually will be completed at the same
time. I will then publish these commentaries as I complete them and then there
will be another gulf as I write more. (Presently I am working on a commentary
on the Book of Revelation – not an easy work)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Podcasts which I am
planning will be far more interactive and are designed with the listener in
mind. Rather than just my opinion, you’ll get to hear the others who I bounce
my various ideas off of. It is best that people not bunker themselves in an
insular world and instead hold their views up to the light and correction of
others. If we feel we cannot do that, perhaps the ideas are not as sound as we
might like to believe. The Apostles did just this very thing. It lead to
occasional arguments (Paul and Barnabus comes to mind), but it also lead to the
truth which benefits all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My vision for these
Podcasts is initially as a round-table discussion which will last an hour twice
a month. As we get into a rhythm and become more comfortable with this forum,
that may lead to a weekly Podcast. I
would eventually like to have guests so that we aren’t merely existing in our
own world. Mixing things up is good and it makes the time you spend listening
to us entertaining as well as educational.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As a group, we are seeking
to do something I don’t really see out there at present which is discuss Biblical
matters orthodoxy regards as heretical. We seek to explain why just the
converse it true and show how much of Christian orthodoxy really has resulted
as a coordinated disinformation campaign by the enemy which stretches back thousands of years. (Readers of my novel
series will understand what I am talking about)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I will be spreading the
word once the first Podcast is up and I encourage all to at the very least give
it a listen. Whether you learn something useful, or regard us all as buffoons,
let us know. I’ll be listing an email address for any questions or comments. Good
and informative letters I will read on the air and hold open for discussion and
comment. Thus if there are specific areas of theology you have been confused
about and want an answer to regardless the subject, we’ll do our level best to give
an answer with proper Christ-centered validation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thanks and now on with the
show. Please stand by…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-88868795941515542972014-09-07T11:17:00.000-07:002017-06-04T10:42:03.282-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-izN33VRWgn4/VDoysuZzI7I/AAAAAAAAAMA/qBuiIJLoEcE/s1600/MegaChurch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-izN33VRWgn4/VDoysuZzI7I/AAAAAAAAAMA/qBuiIJLoEcE/s1600/MegaChurch.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 28.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Modern
Christianity:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Are
we really doing what Christ wants?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All
rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">*
* *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What exactly is it to be a
Christian? This is a question which has been asked by many people of faith and
philosophers over the millennia; a question which is thought to have an easy
answer. “A Christian is anyone who believes in Jesus Christ,” is the typical
reply. There are usually some codicils
which follow depending upon one’s favored denomination, but all are agreed that
in order to be a Christian, one must believe in Jesus Christ. Interestingly
enough while that is a definite component, that alone isn’t what defines a
Christian. To understand what defines a Christian, one must understand the
definition of the word <i>“Christian.”</i>
Believing in Christ is only a part of the answer. As James pointed out:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You
believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> - James 2:19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Over the years, I have
read many critical pieces against Christianity by so-called atheists. (I say
so-called not as a sleight, but only because I have never met any atheist who
can possibly know for a certainty whether or not there is a God. At best, they
should regard themselves as agnostic. It may sound a bit tamer, but it is
vastly more accurate a designation.) This is not something to dismiss blithely;
words do means things and when one opts to take such a definitive stance
against that which they have no evidence to support, one is entering into the realm
of …faith. Thus an atheist must rely on faith that what they choose not to
believe is actually true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider that our universe
at present is thought to be infinite. We have dated the universe at
approximately 14 Billion years, but even that isn’t necessarily correct. 14
Billion years is only as far back as we can see with present technology.
Tomorrow there may be a method by which our ability to see light emanations
which are too dim to see presently which will suddenly date the age of our universe
to 20 Billion years, or perhaps even older. The raw fact is that at present,
the true age of the universe is an unknown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When one takes this view
of our universe and then decides with absolute certainty they know all types of
possible life which can exist in such an environment, such as akin to
discussing Calculus with a preschooler. While the position of being an atheist
may appear on the surface to be an intellectual, rational and logical choice,
when one looks more deeply into the arguments from a purely secular perspective,
such a limited position is laughably absurd. Is not one of the primary theories
to explain how life migrated throughout the universe the theory of Panspermia? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This from Wikipedia:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Panspermia</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> (from Greek π</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "cambria math" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ᾶ</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ν
(pan), meaning "all", and σπέρμα (sperma), meaning "seed")
is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed by
meteoroids, asteroids, comets, planetoids, and also by spacecraft, in the form
of unintended contamination by microbes.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My point is simple: to
presume that there can be no other “higher life” in the universe – known or
more importantly, unknown - than that which we are familiar, is an
extraordinarily juvenile point of view. It is a view by which proponents of Atheism
have distilled all higher life to that of humanity. Thus, no life-form greater
than a humanoid construct could exist within this vast universe. If such a
being does exist, it will most definitely be humanoid and suffer from the same humanoid-like
limitations. Why would any person who tends towards reason and logic lock
themselves into such a small box? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The answer to such a
question comes from the experience of the individual who shares such a limited
view. Almost without exception, those who hold atheistic views – especially in
the West – are those who have been “hurt” by their belief in God. Most of the
time this hurt comes in the guise of parents, mentors, people whom they’ve held
up as examples, role-models who have fallen far short of the ideal. This then
leads to confusion as the individual grows older and the natural questions
about self and purpose of life begin to become more important. The answers are
not easy to come by and it seems that too many others are more interested in helping
themselves than helping their fellow man. Thus the initial message of unity and
love is lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Typical of an atheist’s complaints
towards those who regard themselves as Christians is that any who suffer from
personal failings prove only what monumental hypocrites Christians truly are. After
all, it usually is such behavioral failings from those who these atheists
looked towards as role models which led them to reject their formative
teachings respecting the existence of a god or “higher power” in the first
place. But rather than a Christian taking a dim view of how an atheist discerns
the character of an individual, it is far more instructive to explore their
rationale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This point is truly what
this commentary is all about and how we who regard ourselves as Christians
could learn so much from those who have decided that Creator God Almighty does
not exist. What is it that a Christian can learn from an atheist about God you
ask? Plenty as it turns out and the answer is so startlingly simple, some may
marvel at why they hadn’t connected the dots for themselves earlier. What is it
that I am talking about? Let me explain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Parable of the Good Samaritan<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On one occasion an
expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do
to inherit eternal life?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“What is written in
the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He answered, “‘Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength
and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You have answered
correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But he wanted to
justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In reply Jesus
said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by
robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him
half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the
man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the
place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he
traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He
went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the
man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day
he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he
said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may
have.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Which of these
three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of
robbers?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The expert in the
law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jesus told him, “Go
and do likewise.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> -
Luke 10:25-37<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What is interesting to me
about this passage is what Christ <b><i>did not</i></b> say was necessary to inherit
eternal life. Consider that Christ did not tell him to fall to his knees and
say the “sinner’s prayer,” did not insist he be baptized, did not tell him to
give up all manner of behaviors, etc. Christ was very direct: Love God and love
your neighbor as yourself. Character, not doctrine or dogma. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There is an old saying of by
19<sup>th</sup> Century British Author, William J. Toms, <i>“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever
reads.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is natural for people
to judge others by their behavior. This extends to all aspects of our lives. Thus
one who goes about proclaiming they are a Christian are going to be viewed
through a particular critical lens. Those who are not Christians, holding to no
such beliefs in God, are still going to hold the Christian to a specific standard
of behavior. This is a good thing as it is how we as Christians are supposed to
behave; we are to be reflections of Jesus Christ. Evidently even the atheist
looks at the behavior of the individual to discern whether or not they are
truly Christians as claimed, or are mere “posers.” Let that set with you for a
moment while you go on to read this old joke:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man
standing on the edge, about to jump. I ran over and said: "Stop. Don't do
it."</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Well, there's so much to live for!"</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Like what?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Are you religious?"</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">He said, "Yes."</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I said, "Me too. Are you Christian or Buddhist?"</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Christian."</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Me too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Protestant."</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Me too. Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?"</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Baptist."</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Wow. Me too. Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist
Church of the Lord?"<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Baptist Church of God."</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Me too. Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are
you Reformed Baptist Church of God?"</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Reformed Baptist Church of God."</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Me too. Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God,
Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of
1915?"</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">He said: "Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of
1915."</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I said: "Die, heretic scum," and pushed him off.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Perhaps it is just my peculiar sense of humor, but I find this joke
funny. They say that all humor has to have a grain of truth to it to be funny.
This particular joke has more than just a grain to it; it has a whole bagful of
truth to it. Now look at the subtext of the joke and why it is funny. To an
atheist, a Christian is defined by their behavior towards others. Even if they
may not believe as a Christian believes, they will still recognize that there
is something different about a Christian by that behavior. Now that difference
might enrage them, or it might cause them to look at the Christian kindly; the
salient point is that the Christian is displaying behavior they can clearly see
and that matters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Within the church, however, this model breaks down completely. To
certain fellow Christians, there is a different dynamic at work. A fellow
Christian will oftentimes not see their brethren’s behavior first and foremost
as an indicator of their love of Christ; a fellow Christian will first begin to
dissect what it is their brethren believe and whether it adheres to established
doctrinal standards. Too often if their brethren do not believe as they have
been taught, they will label said brother or sister as a “heretic” or
“wayward.” First they will attempt to “instruct the wayward soul on their
error,” but failing that, they will fall back and caution others that said
brethren is really a heretic rife with error and are to be avoided. Soon enough
if that brother or sister continues in their “obstinance”, they will be called
Satan, turned out and shunned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Why is it that a fellow believer will look at what a brother or sister
in Christ believes respecting doctrine or dogma rather than how they behave
towards others, while for the atheist it is the exact opposite? That is an
intriguing question and I don’t know that I have an easy answer. To me, such
need for like-minded belief in doctrine with my fellow Christians stems from
simple fear. It is almost the same fear which the atheist possesses respecting
the unknown. Both camps seem to so fear that which they do not know, that one
camp has killed the source of their fears while the other has caged the source
of their fears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">An atheist has decided that there is no God. While many of them are far
more knowledgeable about the scriptures than are some avowed Christians, the
atheist tends to place no specific import on doctrine. Hence, most of the
so-called atheists I have talked to look less towards specific doctrine than
towards behavior as proof of one’s sincerity of belief.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">For the Christian steeped in orthodoxy laden down with dogma, this is
simply unacceptable. No one can be a Christian unless a long checklist of
prerequisites has been satisfied completely irrespective their behavior towards
their fellow man. At best it will be said of such “wayward” people that, “He
(or she) was a good person, but they never accepted Christ. It is a shame they
will burn forever in hell.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Here is a provocative set of questions which I would urge all my fellow
Christians to consider: Why is it that so many atheists were once believers in
Christ? What is it they saw or discovered within the teachings of the religion
which caused them to reevaluate their belief? Why is it they lean less on
doctrine than on behavior to determine the veracity of one’s Christian walk? Do
not answer these questions too quickly as you’re likely to miss the point of my
asking them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This brings me to another point and that has to do with the change in
our modern churches today. Long gone is the expectation of “putting on our
Sunday Best” to go to church. Today in any typical church, one is just as
likely to see people show up in jeans and a t-shirt as they are to see a three
piece suit or a dress with a pearl necklace. Formal dress is gone from our
churches for the most part. Why is that? To say that it is just “part and
parcel of the times” is a dismissive answer. Behaviors bespeak intent. Do we
show up in cutoffs or a bikini (as I saw on one young woman at a moderately
large church service one Sunday morning recently) because we no longer hold any
reverence for God? I don’t think so. I think the youth are beginning to view
their relationship with God is a different light than some of us older people.
They are beginning to see the point behind the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
This is a problem for many in the church who remain fixedly rooted to tradition
and orthodoxy. Why do I say that? Let me explain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Since the days of Constantine the Great in the early 4th Century AD,
Christian Orthodoxy has been defined by a set of rules established through what
would eventually become seven Ecumenical Councils over the breadth of 450 years
beginning in 325 AD. These Councils set down the rules and regulations which
the Church would teach from the approved books to be placed within the Cannon,
to just who God is. Much of what was chosen by this first council was decidedly
“Old Covenant” in nature. Because of who and what Constantine the Great was –
the Roman Emperor who ended the Tetrarchy and sought to knit the entire empire
back together under just one Emperor, the teachings of Christ could only be
used in the abstract. The Mosaic Law was far better suited to Constantine’s
purposes than was the message of freedom in Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The Catholic Church became a very powerful force on the planet, ruling
with an iron fist. Very little in the way of dissent was tolerated, with
offenders usually rewarded by a gruesome death for their trouble. In truth when
one looks at rule under the Roman Emperors and the rule under the subsequent
Vatican era during the end of the first millennium and the beginning of the
second, one would have a difficult time seeing any real shift in behavior
towards their fellow man; The Church was interchangeable with that of the
previous Roman rule and their worship of the Egyptian Sun God, Amun Ra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Yet with very little questioning, the modern Christian church accepts
all that these councils gave them in the way of liturgy. All conclusions with
respect to the understanding of God, the positioning of Christ and the substance
of the Holy Spirit are accepted wholesale by modern theologians without
question. Doctrinal theses have been written and accepted via peer review on
various points respecting these conclusions. The authors of such writings are
held up as august members of theology, and go forth teaching others. But what
exactly are they teaching?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I have covered this particular ground before in previous commentaries,
so I won’t belabor it here. I will say, however, that what doctorates in
theology fail to recognize is slowly bubbling into the consciousness of today’s
youth. With the inception of social media, communication has never been as
widespread in human history. Whereas once information could be shielded from
certain peoples, today such is nearly impossible. Even bunkered, totalitarian
governments like North Korea struggle to keep out the flow of unwanted
information. Thus when a pastor or doctorate in theology states with absolute
certainty that one not accepting Christ audibly is damned to hell upon death (as
I heard one pastor acquaintance of my state), too many today are fact-checking
such absurdity and realizing the pastor is wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Having an impact on today’s youth is the unyielding nature of other
religions such as Islam. Here they are witnessing people of their same age
demographic chopping off heads of others, raping young children and doing so
all because of their god. Could their own blind allegiance to an uncertain
religion lead them to act in a like manner? In Christian Orthodoxy, one need
not ask such a question in the abstract; history has already answered that
question for them with absolute definition. Besides the Holy Crusades, one can
look at the Spanish Inquisition to the Salem witch trials. To be fair there
were many Christians throughout these tumultuous times who set themselves apart
from the orthodox teachings, but these were people who were few and far
between. Additionally when they were discovered and then caught, they were
dealt with harshly by their “Christian” brethren.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Suffice to say, Christ taught none of this aberrant behavior. Such is on
par with the teachings of Islam or of the Old Testament, but not Christ. I
bristle when I see supposed learned historians conflate the Old Testament with
Christianity as though they are a part of one another. Christ was exceedingly
clear that He came to fulfill the Law, making it null and void. (Colossians
2:13-15) To continue to recognize and teach that The Law is still in full
effect is to deny Christ. Period. It is a tacit admission that His work upon
the cross was of no import whatsoever. Christ, therefore, becomes a mere
figurehead and nothing more. It is this incongruity which is starting to be
realized by the youth today. Sensing this, but not quite able to articulate
their feelings, they are leaving the church in droves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The secular press cheers what they see as the death of God and religion
in today’s youth. I can agree with them on only half of their point: It is
clear that as our youth wake up to the lie of organized religion they are turning
away and are instead opting for the purity of Christ. But have they killed God
by eschewing such regions? Far from it. God seems to be an even greater factor
in many of their lives today than ever before. The problem is that the
traditional Christian religion cannot recognize, much less accept this fact.
These pastors are instead borrowing tactics from Madison Avenue, repackaging
their image so as to appear more palatable; more relevant and “hip” to today’s
disaffected youth. Such a tactic will fail and fail monumentally. One cannot
“paper over” the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him,
"If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you
will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
- John 8:31-32<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">When church leadership denies the truth for fear of losing its power, it
must realize that it has already lost the only power which matters, that of
Jesus Christ. Such leadership, from the pastor and elders/deacon up to the
formal head of that particular denomination, be it a small independent Baptist
church or the Pope in the Vatican, none are teaching Christ. These are people
who are teaching the religion of angels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen,
masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself
masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants
masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions
deserve."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> -2nd
Corinthians 11:13-15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“The word spoken by ANGELS was steadfast, and every
transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
- Hebrews 2:2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Wherefore then serves the Law? It was added because of
transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it
was ordained by ANGELS in the hand of a mediator”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
- Galatians 3:19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and
deceptive philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the
elements [the real Greek meaning, στοιχε</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "cambria math" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ῖ</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ον,
stoicheion, means spiritual entity] of the world, and not after Christ.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
- Colossians 2:8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Sooner or later the truth will be revealed to all. As human beings,
we’ve been given a very short time here in this plane of existence by which we
are able to serve God in the most humble of circumstances. It isn’t easy, it
isn’t always fun. Christ was very clear when he explained that as a Christian,
life was going to be harsh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me
before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own;
but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because
of this the world hates you.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
- John 15:18-19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Our native essence, our spirit, comes from God and is a part of God in
eternity. Our present shells of flesh are firmly attached to this present realm
and identify with this realm in an instinctual way. Orthodox teaching where
Christianity is concerned is geared more towards the flesh than the spirit.
Most Christian teaching deals very little with the spirit as under the present
doctrines and dogma, the spirit is an unknowable mystery. One cannot teach what
one does not know, thus the Old Testament Law and much humanism mixed with
angelology predominates. It is this caustic mix of deceptive and hollow
philosophies which Paul warned us about. It is this uneven philosophy which is
beginning to prick the eternal spirits of our youth and they are beginning to
take action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">No the modern church will not long survive of the multiple errors they
continue to peddle as truth; the modern church will only survive when it
decides the truth is more valuable to them than the lie. When we can look upon
our fellow man and see in them the broken and needy child that God sees, we
will finally understand our own role in this realm. When we can see our fellow
man as a part of ourselves and of God rather than as a target, a tool for our
own personal advancement, we will see them as God desires we see them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like
a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish
things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in
part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">- 1st Corinthians 13:11</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-72739563226002222472014-09-05T14:58:00.000-07:002014-10-12T00:48:15.261-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2UFbMXoZkDo/VDoyL_VyHzI/AAAAAAAAAL4/2b27dVpwyUw/s1600/islam01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2UFbMXoZkDo/VDoyL_VyHzI/AAAAAAAAAL4/2b27dVpwyUw/s1600/islam01.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 115%;">Islam: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;">Who are the real radicals?</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">All contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson.
All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">* * *</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Radical: </span></b><span style="line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">adjective \ˈra-di-kəl\</span></span></div>
<div class="ld_on_collegiate" style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 19px; text-align: start; width: 405px;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">: very new and different from what is <b>traditional</b> or <b>ordinary</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">: very <b>basic</b>
and important<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">: having extreme political or social views that are not
shared by most people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">: of or relating to the origin : <b>fundamental</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">: very <b>different</b> from the <b>usual</b> or <b>traditional</b>
: extreme<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Merriam-Webster Dictionary (emphasis mine)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">* * *</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Dominating the news in the
last several weeks have been reports of a group of Islamic terrorists that
exist in and around Iraq and Syria variously called ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq
and Syria) or ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) who have murdered
thousands of fellow Muslims as well as those they regard as Infidels. Included
in this recent spate of murders are the beheadings of two American freelance
journalists. These beheadings were placed on YouTube for all the world to see.
The executioner in the first video is a 23 year old British “rapper” turned
Jihadist whose father once worked for Osama bin Laden. The West has been on
edge as they have watched this group grow in number, acquiring materials and
arms and issuing threats to create even more chaos and havoc than has already
been manifest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">United States President,
Barack Obama seemed quite taken by surprise when finally faced with the naked
ferocity of ISIS after the videos of men, women and even small children were
slaughtered, and their heads cut off and placed upon pikes for all to see. Despite
National Security briefings offered to him for more than a year as to the
critical nature of ISIS, Obama instead referred to them to the gathered press
in January of 2014 as a “JV team,” (JV standing for Junior Varsity). The
implication was clear: ISIS was not to be taken as a serious threat. As far as
this president was concerned they were mere posers on the terrorist stage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The press has been uneven
with respect to their coverage as well. One looking on might believe that
despite their cruel viciousness, ISIS should indeed be regarded as a minor
player on the Middle Eastern stage. Others in the press seem to agree that they
are a clear and present danger, but regard them as an anomaly; something “out
of step” with Islam and Muslims in general. On its face, one would have to
agree that such barbarism; such murderous behavior should indeed be a fringe belief.
The problem is that it is not. Any minor student of history is well acquainted
with the historical behaviors of previous Islamic Caliphates. Those same minor
historians are also very aware that the behavior displayed by ISIS is
completely in keeping with the teachings of the Qur’an. While the word,
“Caliphate” may be new to some people, it is a well known theocratic system in
Islam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The word comes from the
root, “Caliph” which is Arabic for the word, “successor.” The question then is
asked, “Successor to whom?” The answer, of course, is the Prophet Muhammad,
founder of Islam who died in June of 632 AD. In much the same way that the
Catholic Church has retroactively installed the Apostle Peter as the first
Pope, Islam retroactively installed Muhammad as their first Caliph. The
difference is that while Peter never regarded himself as the head of the Church
– deferring to Jesus Christ on that point, Muhammad had no reservations of
taking on such a title or position. Regardless, the term Caliph was not used
during his lifetime. It was not until the reign of </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʿ</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Umar ibn al-Kha</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ṭṭ</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">āb, the second caliph
after Muhammad’s death that the term “caliph” came into use as a title of the
civil and religious head of the Muslim state. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">While this information
might make for an interesting read for a history class, of what use is it here?
Well the understanding why things are as they are is rooted in their
formations. Muhammad had created a powerful movement in his day. Unlike many
leaders of such a profound movement, Muhammad had the good fortune of enjoying
the fruits of his labors for many years. However when he died, his lack of
foresight regarding a successor eventually led to a split amongst his
followers. It was a split not unlike that of the Catholic Church and the
Eastern Orthodox Church (as opposed to the Catholics and the Protestants), but
far more vicious. The salient point in this chronology is to highlight
something very basic and fundamental respecting Islam which is lost on most in
the West. It is this fundamental understanding which is causing the West –
perhaps even including Barack Obama – to certainly underestimate ISIS in
specific, but even Islam in general. What is it they are missing? Let me
explain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">On September 11<sup>th</sup>,
2001, four 747 jets were hijacked by Islamic terrorists associated with the
group al Qaeda. Subsequently, two of these jets were deliberately flown into
the World Trade Center towers in downtown New York City in the early morning
hours just as people were settling into their work day. A third jet was flown
into the Pentagon complex in Washington D.C. The forth jet, which was thought
intended for either the United States Capitol building, or perhaps the White
House was instead crashed into a field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania
when certain passengers on board fought back against their attackers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">9/11 as it has come to be
known has left a deep scar on the conscious of the world. Not since the
Crusades has Islam made such a bold move against the West. It is a safe bet
that most of the 2,977 souls lost on that day had scant knowledge of the
Crusades much less the motivation which led the leader of this particular
attack, Muhammad Atta, to pilot his hijacked 747 into the North Tower at 8:46
AM. This after a night spent with prostitutes and generous amounts of liquor –
both forbidden under the Qur’an. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Why do I start a
commentary which is supposed to give a balanced view of a particular faith with
an example of one of its most egregious breeches of conduct in modern times? I
do so because I do not believe the actions of al Qaeda on September 11<sup>th</sup>,
2001 are an anomaly within the tenets of Islam, but rather the fundamental
actions of true believers. Such a stance is certain to upset many who regard
the Qur’an as a Holy book and Islam as a truly peaceful religion unfortunately populated
with small groups of fanatics who take matters to the extreme. After all, every
religion has its kooks, fanatics; disaffected members who take certain aspects
of their faith far too seriously and don’t understand that such religions
desire we all live in peaceful co-existence. That may well be true for most
religions, but Islam is decidedly a different religion altogether.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Islam stands apart from
the world’s other two great “religions” to which it is most closely associated
in a very stark way: Islam was not originally conceived as an entirely
different message than that of Christianity; it was not intended to be an
offshoot of Judaism or Christianity. Initially, Islam was intended to be an
extension of Christ’s Gospel message. It is a certainty that few are familiar
with this aspect of Islam just as it is a certainty most in the West who defend
Islam are unaware how a gospel message could change so dramatically into the religion
it has become under Islam. To answer the question of how and why, it is
necessary to delve just a bit into some more history. Please note that there is
much reverence which surrounds Islam and Muhammad’s name which you’ll find
absent in this commentary. In examining various faiths—Christianity included, I
dispense with such localized idolatry as it invites a particular bias. I intend
only to give the facts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Abū al-Qāsim Mu</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ḥ</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">ammad ibn </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʿ</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Abd
Allāh ibn </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʿ</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Abd al-Mu</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ṭṭ</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">alib
ibn Hāshim is the full name of an Arabic man from Mecca born approximately in
570 AD. We know him today simply as Muhammad. At the age of 40, Muhammad
claimed he was visited by the angel Gabriel while he was alone in prayer in the
cave of Hira near his home. This visit by the angel was the first of two
revelations given to Muhammad before he eventually began to preach to the
people about what he had learned. Three years passed from the time of this
revelation and his public ministry. While there is no direct evidence to
counter this claim, the three year span of time from revelation to preaching is
very interesting due to its coincidence with another “preacher” within the
Biblical canonical scriptures. I’ll go more into that later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Muhammad’s time in Mecca
was not good for him. The message the angel Gabriel had given him was a message
of peace, a message of non-violence. He was given a message of compassion which
ran counter to the tribal teachings found in Mecca in the middle 7<sup>th</sup>
Century AD. Muhammad reflected these struggles in his writings. For example in Surah
Al-Muzzammil 73:10, God tells Muhammad to be patient with his opponents <i>"Be patient with what they say, and
part from them courteously."</i> Such would certainly seem to stand
opposed to the position of ISIS or al Qaeda towards those who are regarded as
infidels. How can it be possible that these terrorists could treat their
“opponents” so horrifically and obey the teachings of the Qur’an? How indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">After 13 years of suffering
in Mecca with very little in the way of either earthly or spiritual success,
Muhammad’s uncle and primary protector, Abu Talib, died leaving his nephew
defenseless. This final loss caused the “prophet” to gather his small band of
followers and flee for their lives; driven from Mecca due to threats of harm
from other tribal leaders more than likely wary of his strange ideas and
fearing a loss of their own power and position. Thus, Muhammad found himself
exiled from his place of birth seemingly forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But on that long road
towards Medina (approximately 286 miles distant), Muhammad began to take stock
of his life. What he had preached for years had led to his banishment. The
peaceable message given to him by Gabriel had become a cruel joke. How was
anyone made better by being ridiculed, threatened, physically assaulted with
many attempts made on their very life? Muhammad concluded that he had to have
missed something. It is lost to history what exactly caused the change in
Muhammad, but that there was a change is not in dispute. By the time he arrived
in Medina, it was not long before he had begun to preach these changes,
incorporating them in his writings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">No, Muhammad did not cease
his writings with his change in attitude and in fact, his writings began to
grow in length. The short, direct peaceable surah’s of Mecca gave way to long,
ponderous and increasingly combative surah’s of Medina. Thus Surah Al-Muzzammil
73:10, <i>"Be patient with what they
say, and part from them courteously." </i>Was supplanted with Surah
Al-Baqara 2:193, <i>"</i></span> <i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And fight them until there is no
mischief and be there worship of one Allah, then if they desist, there is no violence
save against oppressors."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The tribal leaders in
Medina looked upon this new message favorably as it mirrored local tribal
customs. By embracing these various tribal customs in his writings, Muhammad gave
their way of life some legitimacy. Based upon this, Muhammad’s fortunes soon
changed in a dramatic way. Poverty and destitution gave way to plenty and
position. Muhammad soon found himself the leader of these people of Medina and
as his fame grew, so did his power. Many centuries later, an English Catholic
historian, politician and writer named Sir John Dalberg-Acton would point out
that, <i>"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." </i>Is
this the same malady which now affected Muhammad?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One of the customs
ubiquitous amongst the tribal people of Arabia in the 7<sup>th</sup> Century
was to take multiple wives. Age was of no issue as the typical lifespan was
approximately 40 years. Even without war, life was brutal and short. These were
people who did not enjoy much in the way of luxury, essentially being nomadic.
Marrying a young girl ensured many years of child bearing to a husband. Just as
in the West, the Middle Eastern people recognized that there was strength in
numbers and the more children the better. Because of the basics of biology,
polygamy was not native to just the Middle East, but was practiced by most
people almost world-wide in antiquity. Thus a man of means would take many
wives to ensure he would have many children and raise his stature amongst the
others in the tribe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Muhammad eventually took
13 women and girls as his wives. Two of these marriages took place while he was
living in Mecca. The remaining eleven women and girls were taken to be his
wives after his arrival in Medina; another of the stark contrasts between the
two eras. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Oftentimes in addition to
the mere number of children, marriages (just as in the West) were arranged to
join two clans and make them stronger. This brings us to the case of Aisha,
Muhammad’s 3<sup>rd</sup> wife. Aisha was 6 years old when she was married to
the 50 year old Muhammad. Aisha was the daughter of the close friend and
another tribal leader named Abu Bakr. This alliance worked well for both men as
in addition to giving Muhammad another wife, it joined two clans which averted
any future potential warring. Upon Muhammad’s death, Abu Bakr became the first
caliph. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is of note that Abu
Bakr wasn’t exactly excited about Muhammad taking his daughter at first:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sahih
Bukhari 7.18<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Narrated 'Ursa:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The prophet asked
abu Bakr for 'Aisha's hand in marriage. Abu Bakr said "but I am your
brother." the prophet said, "you are my brother in Allah's religion
and his book, but she (Aisha) is lawful for me to marry."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Many peoples of today
betroth children to one another at very young ages. The Western mind has a
difficult time grasping the concept of wedding children, much less a small
child to an old man. In the 7<sup>th</sup> Century, however, it was more or
less commonplace. Muhammad’s marriage to a 6 year old girl raised few eyebrows
– if any. Regardless the prevailing customs of the time, the question most in
the West have is to whether Muhammad was sexually attracted to his 6 year old
wife. The best source as for the answer would be Aisha herself who wrote about
her husband:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sahih
Bukhari volume 5, book 58, number 234</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Narrated Aisha: the
prophet engaged (married) me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to
medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and
my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, um ruman, came
to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called
me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me
by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then,
and when my breathing became alright, she took some water and rubbed my face
and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw
some ansari women who said, "best wishes and Allah's blessing and a good
luck." then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the
marriage). Unexpectedly Allah's apostle came to me in the forenoon and my
mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of
age.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sahih
bukhari volume 8, book 73, number 151<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Narrated 'Aisha: I
used to play with the dolls in the presence of the prophet, and my girl friends
also used to play with me. When Allah's apostle used to enter (my dwelling
place) they used to hide themselves, but the prophet would call them to join
and play with me. (the playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden,
but it was allowed for 'Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet
reached the age of puberty.) (Fateh-al-bari page 143, vol.13)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sahih
Bukhari volume 1, book 4, number 231: <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Narrated Sulaiman
bin Aasar:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I asked 'Aisha
about the clothes soiled with semen. She replied, "I used to wash it off
the clothes of Allah's apostle and he would go for the prayer while water spots
were still visible."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Regardless the
whitewashing by his apologists, it is clear that Muhammad was sexually
attracted to Aisha. To Muslims, this was a situation which had to be cleared up
once and for all. In 2000, (1421 AD on the Islamic Calendar), The permanent
committee for the scientific research and fatwahs (religious decrees) reviewed
the question presented to the grand mufti Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Shemary, the
question forwarded to the committee by the grand scholar of the committee with
reference number 1809 issued on 3/8/1421 (Islamic calendar).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">After the committee
studied the issue, they gave the following reply:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As for the prophet, peace and prayer of Allah be upon
him, thighing his fiancée Aisha. She was six years of age and he could not have
intercourse with her due to her small age. That is why [the prophet] peace and
prayer of Allah be upon him placed his [male] member between her thighs and
massaged it softly, as the apostle of Allah had control of his [male] member
not like other believers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sahih
al-Bukhari, volume 7, book 62, number 17</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Narrated jabir bin
'abdullah:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I got married,
Allah's apostle said to me, "what type of lady have you married?" I
replied, "I have married a matron." he said, "why, don't you
have a liking for the virgins and for fondling them?" Jabir also said:
Allah's apostle said, "why didn't you marry a young girl so that you might
play with her and she with you?" <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Of course Islam isn’t all
about sex, but it does go to the character and mentality of the “Father of
Islam.” Several hundred years earlier off the coast of Italy on the Island of
Capri, the Roman Emperor Tiberius was engaging in similar behavior with
children which his countrymen found aberrant even within the decadence of Roman
culture. It is thought by many historians that Tiberius’ mental state at this
point in his life was degraded to such an extent that he was quite possibly
insane. Could the same be said of Muhammad, or was he clear of mind, but just
harboring certain predilections for young girls?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Western mind-set has a
difficult time with Islam and Arabic culture in general. These are a people who
for the most part have lived in their lands for thousands of years. While there
may not necessarily be a documented paper trail as we in the West create, these
are a people who through stories can trace their origins much farther back than
can the typical Westerner. Customs and traditions they have lived with which
stretch back thousands of years are difficult to surmount. It was out of these
cultures, traditions and practical realities that Islam was birthed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In Judaism, God is
referred to by various names. The name of God in Judaism used most often in the
Hebrew Bible is the four-letter name </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">יהוה</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
(YHWH), also known as the Tetragrammaton. YHWH is more commonly known as the
pronoun Yahweh. Is this God’s name? In Exodus 3:14, God simply says that he is
I Am. So where do we get Yahweh? Where does Islam get Allah? Interestingly
enough, both terms are mere transliterations for the term Eloh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Eloh is another of those
words which have led many astray due to a presupposition. Eloh on its face
simply means god. Not a proper pronoun, not a formal name, but rather a title –
a designation; a position. That is it; that is all. It is why in the open verse
of Genesis, the original language says that, “In the beginning <b>gods </b>(the plural use Elohim being used
here)<b> </b>created the heavens and the
earth. It does not say, nor intimate that God Almighty created the heavens and
the earth. Scholars for generations have fought over the meaning of this use of
a plurality. It has generally been distilled down to two solutions based upon a
presupposition only:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The first is primarily
from a Jewish perspective: The use of a plurality to denote god in Genesis 1:1
describes the muti-fold spirit of God Almighty.
Thus it would more accurately read, <i>“In
the beginning, God in all His many forms, created the heavens and the earth.”</i>
While that is certainly plausible from the Jewish perspective, is it accurate?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The second is from the
Christian perspective: Interestingly it is really not too dissimilar than that
of the Jewish perspective when one dissects the actual meaning of both. <i>“In the beginning, God, Jesus Christ and the
Holy Spirit created the heavens and the earth.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One deals with the
multi-fold spirit of God, the other describes the Trinitarian aspect of God.
However, is that what is really meant or are we reading into the scripture –
and the literal words used – something that isn’t actually connoted?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider that in the
Gospel of John, chapter 8, Christ is talking to some Pharisees who believe in
Him as the Messiah. Despite their belief, Christ calls them “children of the
devil.” Why would Christ say such a thing? Was not it already established that
these Pharisees believed in Christ? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To the Jews who had
believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my
disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They answered him,
“We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you
say that we shall be set free?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jesus replied,
“Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no
permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son
sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s
descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room
for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and
you are doing what you have heard from your father.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Abraham is our father,”
they answered.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If you were
Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is,
you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I
heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your
own father.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We are not
illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God
himself.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jesus said to them,
“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I
have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you?
Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the
devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from
the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he
lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me
guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever
belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do
not belong to God.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> - John
8:31-47<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Here Jesus paints a very
stark contrast with respect to those whom the Jews regard as god and who Christ
<i>knows</i> is God. The Jews had followed
the teachings of YHWH or Eloh. Again these are mere titles of positions. A
Western understanding of the term Eloh, Yahweh or even Allah would be President
or CEO. In the United States, we have had 44 presidents to date, but they are
not all the same person. President is a title. Emperor Nero was not the same as
Emperor Diocletian, though both were Emperors of the Roman Empire. We
immediately jump to a conclusion that because we see the term, “God” in
scripture, it is referring to Creator God Almighty. Even a cursory read of the
Old Testament scriptures absent this presupposition will leave one with the
clear understanding that this is not what is being conveyed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In his letter to the
Colossians, the Apostle Paul makes a very stunning declaration respecting the
work of Jesus Christ on the cross and those whom control this present world:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“When
you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumscision of your sinful nature,
God made you alive</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us
and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. And
having disarmed the Powers and Authorities, He made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> - Colossians 2:13-15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is these Powers and
Authorities which Christ really battled – and conquered. These same Powers and
Authorities are also referenced in Ephesians 6:12. But what are these Powers
and Authorities? Are they beings or are they just conditions of say … the human
heart? Where in all this does Satan enter the picture? In Galatians 3:19, Paul
explains that the Mosaic Law – the Law which was thought to have been given to
Moses on Mount Sinai by God Almighty, was actually given to Moses by angels.
(yes, that is a plurality being used) Luke expands on this event in Acts
7:35-38.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In Galatians 4:3, Paul
explains the situation we exist under while here in the flesh. He says that we
are in slavery under the basic Elements or Principles of this world. The word
“Element” in this context is the Greek <i>stoicheion</i>,
which means any first thing or principal. This is more than a mere philosophy;
Paul is describing our rule under spiritual entities. These Entities are
referred to as Celestial beings in 2<sup>nd</sup> Peter 2:4 and Jude 8. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So why is any of this
germane to a commentary on Islam? It is germane for this reason: as I mentioned
earlier, Islam may have been originally conceived as an extension of the Gospel
message. Muhammad may have heard the Call of Christ to go forth and make
disciples of all nations, but unlike the Apostle Paul who heeded that call on
the Damascus road up to his death, Muhammad seems to have had a change of
heart. It is at that pivotal point in his life which Muhammad chose to follow
the basic Elements of this present world. In so doing, his message turned dark.
Rather than share the Light of Christ, Muhammad became a messenger of death
under the rule of these Celestial beings. These Celestial beings are and always
have been what we would regard as Satan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As much as God, Yahweh,
Eloh, Jehova, Allah are not proper pronouns, but rather titles, so is the term
Satan. It is not a name, but an adjective. Satan means accuser, or to accuse.
Any number of beings can be Satan and have been over the breadth of human
history. It is for this reason Christ said what He did to those Pharisees in
John Chapter 8, it is why He wept over Jerusalem, wanting to gather them about
Himself as mother hen would gather her chicks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As Allah is in reality a
Celestial entity, so too is the Jewish god. He is called Lucifer in the book of
Isaiah, but Lucifer is a translation of his real name into Latin. Lucifer’s
Hebrew name is Helel. Given the acrimonious relationship between the Jews and
the Muslims, I have often thought about who Allah is amongst the Celestial
complement. My best guess based upon a passage in the book of Enoch is a
Celestial being named Yekun (or Jeqon which means “Inciter” Enoch 68:4), but
that is mere speculation on my part. Suffice to say, neither “god” is Creator
God Almighty. Just as Christ freed us from the Mosaic Law, so too did He free
us from subsequent laws such as the Muslim Qur’an.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> - Galatians
5:22-23<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So what exactly is it the
West is missing when we are looking at Islam? Is it the fact that Allah is
nothing more than a malevolent spiritual entity? Partly. There is no doubt that
not understanding the construct of the enemy has not helped to combat him. But
what the West is missing in attempting to understand Islam is just how
fundamental the teachings of the Qur’an are to Muslims.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The West, from historian
to diplomats, errantly believe that those Muslims who go about terrorizing
others, blowing people and themselves up, are somehow “radical” Muslims. This
is absolutely in error. <b>The radicals in
Islam are those who defy the teachings of Muhammad</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider this: The Qur’an
contains approximately 109 verses which call Muslims to war with nonbelievers
for the sake of Islamic rule. Not taken into account are those contained in the
Hadith (accounts of the acts of Muhammad by others) or Siras (biographies of
Muhammad by others). These calls for violence are not contained within a
specific time constraint, but rather are open-ended. What was penned 1400 years
ago is still very much in effect today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Surah
Al-Baqara 2:191-193 </span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"And
kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned
you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief] is worse than killing...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">but if they desist,
then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful.
And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshipping
of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression
except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <b>Surah
Al-Baqara 2:244 </b>"Then fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah
Heareth and knoweth all things."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Surah
Al-Baqara 2:216 </span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Fighting
is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a
thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But
Allah knoweth, and ye know not."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Surah
Al-i'Imran 3:56</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> "As
to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world
and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Surah
Al-i'Imran 3:151</span></i></b> <i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Soon
shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined
companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Surah
An-Nisaa 4:74</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
"Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for
the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious,
on him We shall bestow a vast reward."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Surah
An-Nisaa 4:76</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
"Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah…"<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And so on and so on. It
was brought up earlier that the Meccan writings were not at all like the
Medinaian writings in tone or content. That is true; Muhammad went through a
transformation between the two cities. This leaves the West confused.
Apologists of Islam always point to the Meccan writings to prove that Muhammad
is being misunderstood and that he was really a peace-loving guy at heart. What
the West is largely ignorant of is how Islam deals with the incongruent
writings of Muhammad within the Qur’an. Much like with Judeo-Christianity, I
suspect these “theologians” know the truth, but prefer the lie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Within Islam is something
called the Law of Abrogation. (al-Nasikh wal-Mansoukh) Simply put, where
Qur’anic verses contradict one another, the latter writing is the one which is to
be obeyed, abrogating the former; the chronological timing in which a verse was
written determines its authority to establish policies within Islam. This
cannot be underscored enough. When those “Experts on Islam” in the West point
out the peaceable verses within the Qur’an to prove it is not a violent religion,
they are doing so out of ignorance, or deliberate deceit. In either case, it
should nullify their self-appointed title of “Expert.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In all faiths there are
doctrinal “truths” which must be followed if one is an adherent of that faith.
Christians follow specific tenets and doctrine as do Jews and even Muslims. A
Christian cannot be called a Christian by denying Christ for example. A Jew cannot
be called observant if they deny the existence of Moses. Following these basic
doctrines is fundamental to that particular faith. Those who do not are
generally called heretics or sometimes <b>radicals</b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When one takes the Law of
Abrogation into account, the tenets of Islam become startling clear. Thus the
true “Radicals” in Islam are those who seek peaceful co-existence with their
fellow man. The terrorists of today - ISIS, al Qaeda, Hamas, etc. - are <b>Fundamentalists</b>. Words mean things and
Islam loves nothing more than allowing the West to believe that it is a mere fringe
segment of Islam which blows people up. The truth is that were the Caliphate to
actually come to fruition worldwide, the “Religion of Peace” would show its
true face without having to hide behind such as the Law of Abrogation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Another point lost on the
West is their understanding of “The Religion of Peace.” The Western mind
immediately connotes an image of true peace, or at the very least, détente; two
peoples with widely divergent views being able to live peaceably side by side.
This cannot be further from the truth with respect to Islam. Peace as defined
by Islam is the absolute absence of any contrarian thought. Those who do not
conform to the tenets of Islam are removed. Through such culling on
non-believers, peace is attained. Thus the name is appropriate enough, even if
the meaning is lost on most all of Western academia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">President Barack Obama
refuses to refer to the latest group to rear its head, ISIS, by that acronym.
Obama prefers to use the acronym ISIL. As I mentioned earlier, ISIL stands for
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. What exactly is the Levant and why does
Obama prefer ISIL over that of ISIS? Why does it matter? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Levant is a
geographical locale which comprises the Eastern Mediterranean. By referring to
the Levant rather than specifically to Syria, Obama is tacitly rejecting the
sovereignty of Israel as well as giving pass to Syria’s complicity. Understand
that and be aware of his use of ISIL every time he uses it; Obama is essentially
telling Israel they are illegitimate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Surah
Al-i'Imran 3:54</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> "And they (the disbelievers) schemed,
and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers." <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Surah
An-Nahl 16:106</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
"Whoso denies Allah after believing in Him save him who is compelled and
his heart is firm in belief, yes whoso becomes infidel with open heart, upon
them is the wrath of Allah and for them is the great torment.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Barack Obama is lying
about who ISIS is and what role Islam and the teachings of Muhammad have to do
with the current state of affairs in the Middle East. Under Islam, it is fine
to lie in order to attain the objective. This is another absolutely foreign
concept to the West. Too many believe that Islam is just another form of
Judaism or Christianity. Hopefully through the course of reading this
commentary and looking up references, the reader has become aware that Islam is
decidedly different. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Israel today is a secular Parliamentary
Democracy. It was founded by a United Nations Charter which gave them their
ancient land under the Abrahamic covenant as outlined in Genesis 17:8. A relatively
recent poll of Jews in the United States figure as high as 50% of Jews are
essentially atheists. (2001 Center for Jewish Studies) That they do not believe
in God didn’t hamper their ability to observe their traditional customs, however.
Such customs have become a part of their life and have no bearing on their
belief. My point is that despite their belief (or lack thereof), Jews do not
operate in a theocracy. Modern Israel is thus a totally secular state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Contrast that with any
Islamic kingdom on earth today. All are theocracies and rule straight from the
pages of the Qur’an. This is an aspect of incongruity which cannot be lost on
even the dimmest of academicians or the press in the West. Stunningly these “intellectuals”
in the West are people who simply hold virulent anti-Semitic views and as the
old saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” The West has been poorly
served by many of its academicians due to such blatant prejudice. Not only is
the world aflame because of such lies, but today men, women and children are
being slaughtered in huge numbers as a result; sacrificed on a pyre of
Progressive Liberal ideology. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These same anti-Semites
then blame the bloodshed on the Jews. “If only they would leave Israel!” is the
constant refrain. To be clear, the entire Jewish population could set up camp
on Mars and it would not stop the slaughter from Muslims against their fellow
man. Jews may be a convenient scapegoat at present (and I believe there is a
spiritual aspect to this which is unseen at present), but once removed, Islam
would find someone else to target. It has to. Its very nature is parasitic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What should the West do to
counter the rise of the Islamic Caliphate? I am neither a diplomat nor a
politician. There are many strong tendrils which reach deep into the fabric of
the West’s relationship with the Middle East that are not easily severed. Politicians
are creatures who operate solely on power. Without this power, they become
non-entities; non-persons. Such people have no qualms of devastating any and
all in their way on this quest for power. Thus, Faustian bargains have been
made by a great many of them in their climb, never giving thought to the day
the debt is called. Such people are wholly unable to do what is necessary to alleviate
the growing threat because such people have already sold their allegiances for
a “supposed” safe haven in the new order. Judas accepted 30 pieces of silver to
do no less. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is therefore the duty
of the citizens of the West to educate themselves; to stand up to these
traitors in our midst. Such people must be removed from positions of power and
authority so as to preserve our Republic and our way of life. But more than
that, to wrest free those still under bondage in the East under the cruel boot
of Islam. The free West and the United States of America in particular – is still
the last bastion of freedom on the face of the earth. Once we fall, so does the
world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We can pretend that Islam
is a benign religion all we want; that there is no difference between Judaism,
Christianity or Islam, but as has been demonstrated quite clearly in just this
commentary, there is a huge difference. Christ came to free us from the heavy
strictures and burdens of the Law – Mosaic or Islamic. Islam insists on placing that heavy yoke back
upon the shoulders of all and kill those who refuse. Even the most ardent
apologist is going to have a difficult time conflating Christianity with Islam.
When we willingly buy into the lie of “The Religion of Peace,” we become complicit
in the murders committed in its name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-63273007007420751122014-04-14T17:59:00.001-07:002022-05-11T20:29:54.183-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5rb9KMuots/VDozMBLF8YI/AAAAAAAAAMI/D4H3IJje_58/s1600/civil-rights-and-abortion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5rb9KMuots/VDozMBLF8YI/AAAAAAAAAMI/D4H3IJje_58/s1600/civil-rights-and-abortion.jpg" /></a></div>
<h2 style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="line-height: 150%;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 22pt; line-height: 150%;">Abortion:</span></b></h2>
<h3 style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Slavery of this age?</span></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">All contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="376">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Link"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">T</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">here are certain subjects regarded as so untouchable, so
sacrosanct that to address them in any other manner than that which is thought
as “orthodox” is akin to committing the worst of any crime against humanity.
Whether the subject discussed is from a perspective of religious faith or
secular ethic doesn’t seem to matter. The message through the howls of protest
coming from the masses makes their intent clear; do not to attempt to change
the parameters of certain subjects lest one desires to be pilloried. As readers
of my commentaries must be aware by now, such vitriol hurled at me due to my
perspectives doesn’t much intimidate me. When we as a people can no longer
debate topics because we might “offend” someone, you might as well stick a fork
in us because we’re done. Freedom of thought and expression is how we as a
society and a people grow. A mature individual doesn’t shrink back from such
diverse opinions as a mature person is well secure in their beliefs already.
Only a child runs crying to “mommy” to make it stop.<br />
<br />
The title of this commentary is certain to inflame and enrage many. How dare I,
after all, conflate abortion with slavery? Aren’t they two totally separate
issues? Well having studied the impact of both evils, I feel that the
comparison is not only appropriate but extraordinarily accurate. In both cases
a specific class of people are singled out for no other reason than as a
consequence of their birth and are then set apart; set on a lower standard than
those enjoyed by their fellow man with virtually no rights at all. The
perpetrators of slavery—not only in the United States but historically
worldwide—have always dismissed the rights of the individual and relegated them
to the status as mere property. In this diminished position, the owner of the
slave could do whatever they pleased to the individual. The individual’s
feelings were absolutely irrelevant and rights non-existent.<br />
<br />
In 1857, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision regarding the matter
of a slave named Dred Scott. The Court voted 7-2 to deny Scott’s suit in which
he attempted to assert his freedom. Because he was of African Ancestry, the
Court decided that he had no legal standing to bring such a suit, to begin
with, irrespective the fact that he resided in a state where slavery was
illegal. By mere virtue of race, he was stripped of his basic human rights.
This decision resulted in an outcry which no doubt caught the Court by surprise
as Chief Justice Roger B. Taney had intended to use the matter to settle the
question of slavery once and for all. As history has shown, there were far more
people of conscious residing in the United States at that time than the Court
had anticipated. Within five years, President Abraham Lincoln had set aside the
Courts decision by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, thus freeing the
slaves. Once the Civil War had been concluded, these now freed slaves were
given full citizenship. Men, women, and children who by the stroke of a pen in
1857 were regarded as subhuman by our nation’s highest court, were now legal
citizens on par with any other human being within the borders of the United
States.<br />
<br />
Today in the United States, we look back on that time of slavery as something
totally barbaric. There is a stain of shame over the behavior of slavery which
is still visible today. It seems inconceivable that we could think of enslaving
another human being as something “God ordained” as was thought at the time by a
majority of people. And yet here we are in the year 2014 killing children in
utero and calling it something good; babies who for no other reason than as the
result of actions on the part of their parents, are sentenced to death and
summarily executed. We call it many different things, but even a state-ordered
execution is labeled a homicide on the death certificate. The irony in that
situation is that those condemned, regardless the heinous nature of the crime,
are at least accorded the dignity of having once been regarded as a human
being; the slave and the aborted child never enjoyed that luxury.<br />
<br />
Let us get to the nugget of the argument which has been fostered by Feminists
and various Progressive Liberal Women’s groups since long before the Supreme
Court decision in 1973 which attached greater import to a woman’s privacy than
that of a human life. I word the argument in such a way because that is how
Justice Harry Blackmun worded his majority opinion. To allow the murder of a
human being, the rights of the mother had to take precedence, but only insofar
as the decisions made concerning abortion. In every other area, the woman’s
rights were subjugated by those of the state. This is nothing to dismiss
blithely. A woman’s rights to her body are not absolute in any other way. If a
woman decided that she wished to have sex with someone for an exchange of cash,
she is committing a crime. She has no right to sell herself for sexual favors.
Why is that?<br />
<br />
If a woman desires to sell her organs—a kidney, for example, she is prohibited
from doing so. She can give it away, but she cannot sell it. The same holds
true for surrogacy. A woman cannot “rent” out her womb for cash. The workaround
is that any monies the woman receives are for inconveniences and medical
purposes. A woman cannot ingest any drug without obtaining a prescription (read
permission) from a doctor licensed by the state or by simply abridging a law. A
woman cannot commit suicide. Suicide is illegal almost everywhere in the United
States.<br />
<br />
We place these restrictions not just on women, but on the populous at large
because not to do so has been determined to be harmful to society as a whole.
Since we all must live together in something resembling a cohesive, ordered
society, wholesale anarchy is seen (correctly, in my opinion) as a terrible
thing. Thus, we all enjoy certain rights to privacy, but when it is deemed as
harmful to society, we set limits. In the case of abortion, this restraint has
been completely obliterated. The unborn is a burden not deserving of such
rights.<br />
<br />
As I pointed out above, a woman’s rights are seen as more important than the
rights which would be given to the unborn child. Interestingly enough, this
right the woman enjoys does not extend to the father of the child. In tailoring
the argument in the manner he did, Blackmun completely ignored not only the
rights of the unborn child but also the rights of the father. Again, this is
not something to dismiss blithely, yet we always do. But why? Why indeed.<br />
<br />
Here is a dirty little (not so) secret: Women can be incredibly vindictive.
There is a quote from English poet William Congreve which says, “Heaven has no
rage, like love to hatred turned; Nor Hell a fury like a woman scorned.”
Very often a woman will opt to have an abortion despite the wishes of the
father. Many a young man has had to stand by while their child was murdered
simply because the woman didn’t want it. Should a woman’s rights where only
abortion is concerned (I have already illustrated that as a point of law, such are
the extent of a woman’s privacy rights) trump the rights of her partner without
whom there would have been no pregnancy, to begin with? I offer this only as a
point to ponder before I continue.<br />
<br />
Aside from the argument of a woman’s rights over her “reproductive health” (a
euphemism since an abortion has absolutely nothing to do with promoting health,
but everything to do with murder), there is the argument that abortion is a
necessity in cases of rape, incest, or medical reasons where the life of the
mother is in jeopardy. As far as arguments go, this one alone is so exceedingly
weak, it is a shame modern feminists can bring themselves to utilize it as an
argument at all.<br />
<br />
The statistics respecting abortion show that collectively, these three—rape, incest,
and life-threatening medical condition to the mother—comprise less than 1% of
all abortions performed in the United States. This is a chilling statistic
which was first published by a survey conducted by the Alan Guttmacher
Institute in 1989. In the 25 years since these statistics have not moved much
despite billions poured into sex education and awareness. To any rational
thinking person, one has to ask the question of why?<br />
<br />
Here is a rationale which is promoted by feminists and others who support
abortion on demand as a result of cases of rape, incest, or medical jeopardy.
When one combines the real numbers of such incidents and then places them
against something else such as injury or death from auto accidents, one would
quickly see that there are far more incidents of auto accidents than are the
need for abortion for rape, incest, or medical jeopardy. Yet despite those
paltry numbers, abortion advocates insist that we must allow abortion for all,
on demand, without restraint. The rationale used with cars would be something
along the lines of eliminating the use of an automobile to all because there is
one person who died in an auto accident. Of course, I am aware the analogy will
not please those who are pro-abortion, but I do hope it will at least help to put
things into perspective.<br />
<br />
In the age of the Internet, people have greater access to information than ever
before in human history. Based upon the literal flood of information available
to anyone with a smartphone alone, we should be seeing a statistical move away
from abortions performed as a form of birth control. Abortion in the United
States today should be exceedingly rare, but it is not. In fact, it has grown,
and one of the largest segments of our population to suffer under the cruel
lash of abortion are those of African ancestry. Based upon the plethora of
social networking evidence, the argument promulgated by Progressive Liberal
feminists that there is a gap in education for our teens and young adults
respecting how a baby is made is specious at best. What we are witnessing
amongst the youth is a complete disregard for human life which has been taught
to them by their parents and the newly emerging culture of Liberalism.<br />
<br />
The founder of Planned Parenthood is little known to many of the youth who avail
themselves of the services of Planned Parenthood. This is especially true in
the inner cities where young black girls are routinely using the services of
abortion clinics. Again, I ask the question: If after all the Billions spent to
educate our youth about sex education still results in 1.21 million abortions a
year (2009 statistic), 35.4% of which were black babies, then isn’t it time we
concede the fact that the direction of our sex education is counter-productive?<br />
<br />
In New York City in 2012, 37% of all pregnancies ended in abortion. For most,
New York City is regarded as anything but the backwoods; the most eminent
scholars of our age reside within that city, and there is a tremendous emphasis
on education with budgets to match. New York State and City are both
Progressive Liberal enclaves which make for an abortion-friendly atmosphere.
Given the startlingly high number of abortions in light of the education, one
has to conclude that the Progressive Liberal leaders of New York are actually
encouraging abortion. If so, why would that be?<br />
<br />
This brings me back to the founder of Planned Parenthood, a woman named
Margaret Sanger. As I mentioned earlier in this commentary, most of the youth
who avail themselves of the services of Planned Parenthood know little to
nothing about its founder. I won’t delve too deeply into a biography as Sanger
can be found easily with a web search. I will offer some of her thoughts on
race and reproduction, however. I must wonder how many blacks who trumpet the
virtues of Planned Parenthood are aware that its founder thought them little
better than savages who ought to be exterminated?<br />
<br />
<i>“We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with
social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most
successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We
don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population,
and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs
to any of their more rebellious members.”</i><br />
- Woman, Morality, and Birth Control. New York: New York Publishing Company,
1922. Page 12.<br />
<br />
Sanger was an adherent of Malthusian eugenics. This from the Black Genocide
website (http://blackgenocide.org/archived_articles/negro.html)<br />
<br />
Thomas Robert Malthus, a 19th-century cleric, and professor of political
economy believed a population time bomb threatened the existence of the human
race. He viewed social problems such as poverty, deprivation, and hunger as
evidence of this "population crisis." According to writer George
Grant, Malthus condemned charities and other forms of benevolence, because he
believed they only exacerbated the problems. His answer was to restrict
population growth of certain groups of people. His theories of population growth
and economic stability became the basis for national and international social
policy. Grant quotes from Malthus’ magnum opus, An Essay on the Principle of
Population, published in six editions from 1798 to 1826:<br />
<br />
<i>“All children born, beyond what would be required to keep up the population
to the desired level, must necessarily perish unless room is made for them by
the deaths of grown persons. We should facilitate, instead of foolishly and
vainly endeavoring to impede, the operations of nature in producing this
mortality.”</i><br />
<i><br />
</i>Malthus disciples believed if Western civilization were to survive, the
physically unfit, the materially poor, the spiritually diseased, the racially
inferior, and the mentally incompetent had to be suppressed and isolated–or
even, perhaps, eliminated. His disciples felt the subtler and more
"scientific" approaches to education, contraception, sterilization,
and abortion were more "practical and acceptable ways" to ease the
pressures of the alleged overpopulation.<br />
<br />
It is stunning to me that a political party which attempts to present itself as
the Party of the downtrodden and the helpless supports a movement which
exploits for monetary purposes the most helpless amongst us all. When the hard
statistics concerning the overwhelming numbers of black children being
slaughtered is then added to the mix, such duplicity on the part of the leaders
of this Party is hard to see as anything other than evil. Which party am I
referring to? The United States Democratic Party.<br />
<br />
Now I don’t like to necessarily bring politics into a blog which is supposed to
be primarily faith-based in nature, but in this instance, I clearly see one
particular political ideology promoting this culture of death with no
allowances made ever for the life of the unborn child. To me, this is curious.
It is the reason which I first thought to conflate abortion with slavery. From
a political perspective, it was the Liberals of their day who fought hard to
retain slavery. This is a fact that few Progressive Liberals today wish anyone to
recollect, but it is a substantiated fact. Today this same political ideology
is again fighting to prevent basic rights for another segment of humanity. The
arguments behind their reasoning are startlingly similar and begin with, “Well
they aren’t really human.”<br />
<br />
Here are some facts about humanity good, bad, or indifferent: Our bodies are
designed to propagate our species. When a male comes together with a female and
both are mature enough physically for reproduction, very often a child is going
to be the result. This is not an arguable point by any reasonable thinking
person. Becoming a parent is a tremendous responsibility, but it is also a
precious gift. Our present culture is an anomaly in the breadth of human
history with respect tour view of children as a curse. Before the 19th Century,
societies always welcomed children and the family. Today, such is viewed as a
burden and is to be avoided for the most part. We tend to denigrate families
with many children even when the parents remain together and take
responsibility for their families. This is a cultural view which has been
fostered. It is not a good thing.<br />
<br />
With modern medicine, the infant mortality rate in the industrialized world has
dropped tremendously. In my own family lineage, my great-great-grandfather lost
his entire family of seven save for his eldest daughter to Yellow Fever between
1857 and 1864. He married my great-great-grandmother, a young Mohegan Indian
girl who had come to work for him as a housekeeper, and they together had seven
more children. Disease was a common reason for premature death in the age
before modern medicine. A large family bolstered the possibility that a family
line would survive. It also was a pool of workers from which to draw. Children
worked for their families starting at an early age. This is a good thing as it
taught necessary skills and fostered strong familial relationships.<br />
<br />
Today infant mortality doesn’t come close to reaching the levels of just one
hundred years ago. Our society and culture have changed dramatically as a
result of modern innovation. We now see a type of idleness in our youth today
which simply did not exist back then. It must also be noted that such idleness
we see today is also a historical anomaly.<br />
<br />
<u>Woman and the New Race, Ch. 6: “The Wickedness of Creating Large Families.” </u>Here,
Sanger argues that, because the conditions of large families tend to involve
poverty and illness, it is better for everyone involved if a child’s life is
snuffed out before he or she has a chance to pose difficulties to its family.<br />
<i>“[We should] apply a stern and rigid policy of sterilization and segregation
to that grade of population whose progeny is tainted, or whose inheritance is
such that objectionable traits may be transmitted to offspring.”</i><br />
<br />
<u>“Plan for Peace” from Birth Control Review (April 1932, pp. 107-108)</u><br />
<i>Article 1. The purpose of the American Baby Code shall be to provide for a
better distribution of babies… and to protect society against the propagation
and increase of the unfit.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Article 4. No woman shall have the legal right to bear a child, and no man
shall have the right to become a father, without a permit…</i><br />
<i><br />
Article 6. No permit for parenthood shall be valid for more than one birth.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><u>“America Needs a Code for Babies,” 27 Mar 1934</u><br />
<br />
<i>“Give dysgenic groups [people with "bad genes"] in our population
their choice of segregation or [compulsory] sterilization.”</i><br />
<br />
<u>April 1932 Birth Control Review, pg. 108</u><br />
<br />
<i>“Birth control must lead ultimately to a cleaner race.”</i><br />
<br />
For anyone who regards themselves as champions for human rights, I must ask the
obvious question: Do you regard some humans as more worthy of life than others?
The Democratic Party long ago attached themselves to the ideology of
Progressive Liberalism which has determined that society is best served when
certain types of people are completely excised from the gene pool. When one
examines the subtext of the ideologies supported and promulgated by today’s
Democratic Party and its leaders, one can come to no other conclusion. In
addition to abortion on demand, these are a people who also embrace euthanasia.
In Europe—Belgium in specific today—this Liberal approach has resulted in
children now being targeted for death because their quality of life is deemed
as “not worthy enough” to continue living. Killing them is being presented as a
compassionate move.<br />
<br />
So-called Ethicist Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics at Princeton
University, has proposed that children should not even be granted rights as
human beings until they reach the age of one month. (There are some who have
asserted that Singer advocates for a limit of up to two years of age before a
child is granted the right to life.) Singer holds that it is the duty of an
attending physician to kill some disabled babies on the spot. He sees no
difference between a child in the womb and a month-old infant; his position is
that either should be allowed to be terminated if society is made better as a
result, or it is the parent’s desire without any legal consequences.<br />
<br />
Singer is regarded as somewhat radical even by members of the Democratic Party
so some may think me unfair to introduce him into this argument. However,
Singers’ thoughts are shared by many within the Progressive Liberal leadership
in power in the United States today as I will quickly show. When the President
of the United States cannot even make a personal comment as to the obscenity of
partial birth abortion but instead hails the act as a “woman’s right,” Peter
Singer becomes very relevant to this argument.<br />
<br />
In fact, when one looks at Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, and her views on
partial-birth abortion, it is difficult to separate Singer’s views from those
of the First Lady’s. In a letter, speaking of the partial-birth abortion ban,
Michelle Obama wrote, (emphasis mine)<br />
<br />
<i>“The fact remains, with no provision to protect the health of the mother,
this ban on a <b>legitimate medical procedure</b> is clearly unconstitutional
and must be overturned.”</i><br />
<br />
As a Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama voted three times to oppose the “Born
Alive Infants Protection Act.” Essentially this is the now President of
the United States advocating the exact same position that “extremist” Peter
Singer has long advocated. Sadly, this is the path the Progressive Liberal
Democratic Party has decided to walk. Given the spiritual direction of my
commentaries, this most definitely sets me in direct opposition of not only the
President but his political party. But is such an antithetical position for me
as a Christian fair to the Progressive Liberal Party? Is my taking such a
starkly opposite position being … Christian? In a word, yes. Let me explain.<br />
<br />
I had earlier written a commentary on the Christian Pro-Life movement and how I
believe that they are suffering from cognitive dissonance. (that commentary can
be found here:<br />
<br />
http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/02/are-prolife-christians-really-prolife.html
)<br />
<br />
As Christians, we are aware that life comes from our Creator. God is not a
bumbling, stumbling old fool as is portrayed by His detractors. Too often those
who mock God, spend the least amount of time possible putting forth the effort
to understand the subject of their ridicule. This position of ignorance does
nothing but make fools of them to others. However, such ignorance is displayed
to all with blissful unawareness. These are people who continue pontificating
to all in their profound ignorance as though they possess the wisdom of the
great sages. Sadly, however, I see this same level of ignorance and arrogance
displayed by my fellow Christians on related topics. Again, I’ll not delve too
deeply into those reasons as they have been covered in the aforementioned
commentary. However, I will reiterate that unless and until we as Christians
adopt a consistent view on Life, we will continue to lose the pro-life
argument. People do not like hypocrites.<br />
<br />
Returning to God for a moment, it is so vitally important that Christians—and
people in general—not anthropomorphize God Almighty. God is not a human being
and suffers from no such limitations in thinking. Consider for a moment that
God exists in eternal time. What that means is that while we must suffer in
linear time, experiencing each moment as was determined by physicist Max Planck
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_time ), God Almighty IS time, both eternal
and temporal. Consider that such a being has “designed” circumstances which on
this temporal plane of existence may not make much sense to us but will reap
much for us in the eternal realm. As Christians, this is the hope we are
supposed to cleave to through a little something called faith.<br />
<br />
<i>“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do
not see.”</i><br />
- Hebrews
11:1<br />
<br />
I do not expect my fellow human beings who have decided not to believe anything
of a Creator to understand this obscure concept we call faith. Truth be told,
few Christians understand the concept. They liken it to mere belief, but as the
Apostle James once pointed out,<br />
<br />
<i>“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and
shudder.”</i><br />
- James
2:19<br />
<br />
Faith is more than belief; faith is Supreme Confidence. When Christ said that
if we had faith, we could tell that mountain to throw itself into the sea, He
was speaking of this Supreme Confidence. (Matthew 21:21) How many of us lack
such confidence concerning the power of the Spirit? I would boldly declare that
most of us do … myself included, unfortunately. Faith is an elusive concept
while we are trapped in the temporal. It is this lack of faith which causes us
to lean upon that which we are familiar: The flesh. But the flesh is temporal
and finite. Relying on the flesh leads us to make decisions which yield a
temporal solution.<br />
<br />
Consider you are a young girl who has given into your boyfriend and had sex.
Predictably you find you’re pregnant, but your boyfriend whom you thought loved
you wants nothing to do with being a father. He pressures you to have an
abortion, threatening to leave you if you don’t. Though you don’t want to do
it, everyone around you—friends and family members you’ve told—encourage you to
do so. Your parents have always said that they’d disown you if you came home
pregnant and now that it has happened, you can see nothing but a bleak future
if you decide to keep the baby. There seems to be nowhere to turn. Suddenly
life went from being carefree to very serious. You’re sixteen years old and in
High School. The last thing you’re capable of dealing with is a child.<br />
<br />
You visit the Planned Parenthood clinic and are told that an abortion at your
stage of pregnancy will cost $950.00. (Source: Planned Parenthood:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures-4359.asp)
You’re shocked at the cost, but not as much as your boyfriend who offered to
pay half the cost. You ask why there is such a price disparity as your friend
had an abortion only six months earlier and it cost her only $300.00. The woman
behind the counter explains that at such a low cost, it was most likely a
pregnancy in the first trimester. You find out that you are just into the
second trimester and thus are going to have to undergo a surgical abortion
rather than take a pill.<br />
<br />
Now the situation has been ratcheted up considerably. You didn’t anticipate
having to get up on a table and have things put inside of you … or taken out of
you. Your friend took a pill and was given a list of instructions. You pulled
the $150.00 out of your savings account, money you intended to use for clothes.
That along with the $150.00 your boyfriend was going to contribute, and the
entire episode would soon be concluded by the afternoon. Now it was clear there
would be no abortion without a lot more money and an invasive procedure.<br />
<br />
Your boyfriend balks at the additional cost and angrily leaves you in the
clinic alone, threatening you with a paternity test if you have the baby,
intimating that he’s not even certain he’s the father. Your life is now
shattered. You don’t know what to do as you don’t have the money for the
abortion, you no longer have the support of the only boy you’ve ever slept
with, and your parents are sure to disown you if you tell them.<br />
<br />
You finally confide in your friends and together they help you scrape the
needed funds together to get the abortion. The entire procedure has left you
feeling dispirited and depressed. On top of having had to endure the indignity
of a stranger invading you in such an intimate manner, you find that you are
regarded as nothing more than a product by the people who had earlier welcomed
you with a smile. You find that they are unsympathetic to your plight if you do
not have the money to pay for the abortion. The depression will not lift for a
long time … if ever. You have taken a life and found out just how much you
actually meant to your “boyfriend” in the process.<br />
<br />
It would be easy to believe that the above scenario is pure fiction, but I have
been associated with a Crisis Pregnancy Center for almost twenty-three years.
The above scenario is not only common but one of the milder scenarios. One of
the facts which are continually downplayed by the Pro-abortion lobby is that
Planned Parenthood is primarily a business. They do not give away their product
for free. To compound matters, Planned Parenthood is a government subsidized
business. In fiscal 2012-2013, Planned Parenthood received 45% of its revenues
from Taxpayer subsidies which worked out to approximately $540.6 Million.
(Source: <u>Planned Parenthood Annual Report 2012-2013 </u><br />
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/AR-FY12_111213_vF_rev3_ISSUU.pdf )<br />
<br />
A local Crisis Pregnancy Center receives no such government subsidy but must
constantly defend themselves against a government monolith with an endless
supply of cash. Given the overt racism and ageism displayed by a business such
as Planned Parenthood—a business that as part of its model discriminates
against males, calling their opinion in the matter “irrelevant,” one would
think that not only would Planned Parenthood be put out of business, but its
directors placed on trial. Sadly, this is not the case because Planned
Parenthood provides a vital service for many people of power within our
country.<br />
<br />
As was pointed out earlier, Both Margaret Sanger and Peter Singer believe that
certain human beings are simply not worthy of life. United States President
Barack Obama has publicly declared that human life has no intrinsic worth and
should be disposed of when proven to be inconvenient. In a speech, he once
declared that he didn’t want to see his daughters punished with a child for
making a mistake. (Source: Presidential candidate Barack Obama to a Town Hall
Meeting in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, March 29, 2008) That statement alone shows
so much of the man’s base character, I still marvel at how he was elected much
less re-elected. Imagine the intimate relationship he’ll have with his
grandchildren should his daughters marry “the wrong type of man.”<br />
<br />
At the end of the day, the entire abortion argument comes down to a matter of
the heart. We ‘re not going to eradicate abortion on this planet any more than
we’re going to eradicate other types of murder, rape, assault, theft, etc.
People are people and absent a contrary direction, they will do what feeds the
body. The body is incredibly needy. Such need without proper context seems
completely appropriate regardless of the means. The flesh does not naturally
operate from a perspective of selflessness, but rather of selfishness. Such is
as a result of the flesh understanding the finite limitations of resources and
time; the flesh well recognizes its surroundings and naturally behaves
accordingly. As the flesh is needy and selfish as a matter of natural course, a
child—whether planned or not—is seen as an intrusion. A decision then has to be
made as to whether this is to be regarded as a welcome intrusion or something
which needs to be corrected to return the flesh to its naturally selfish mode.
Under present law, the child has no advocate and is utterly helpless.<br />
<br />
Contrast this with the position of the spirit. Our spirits do not naturally
exist in a finite, limited realm. We are eternal spirits, so the concept of
limitations is antithetical to the spiritual nature. Selflessness is actually
seen as of benefit to others as we all one in Spirit through Jesus Christ. This
is a belief which those who are not in a relationship with Christ cannot
accept, much less understand. The sad thing is that many who are suffering this
dearth of spiritual understanding claim to be Christians. This is the other
dirty little (not so) secret. Many Christians welcome abortion because they
agree with the Margaret Sangers and the Peter Singers of the world; they do not
want certain types here on earth … or in heaven.<br />
<br />
One of the hurdles the small Crisis Pregnancy Centers have had to overcome is
the vitriol hurled at them from certain local churches. Despite my best
efforts, I cannot see how they can reconcile the killing of babies with the
love of Christ. They have tried to explain their rationale, but their attempts
fall woefully short and bespeak not a compassionate heart, but one that is
totally selfish. The local Crisis Pregnancy Center I have been associated with
is seen by these people as exacerbating a societal ill which could be best
dealt with by allowing “nature to take its course” via abortion. If young, poor
girls are getting pregnant and then having abortions, there is no harm, no
foul. But if they actually have these children, what are we then burdened by as
a society? More mouths to feed which will statistically also remain poor and
most likely drift into drugs and crime and either impregnate others or get
pregnant themselves.<br />
<br />
Such is a bleak outcome, and on the surface, abortion could almost seem a truly
compassionate response to an ever-growing crisis. But killing is never a
solution. As Christians, we all are here for a specific purpose. To
believe otherwise—especially as a Christian—is to diminish God; to make Him
human. If we didn’t constantly seek to destroy the fabric of the family unit,
the incidents of pregnancy would surely diminish. Such true unity, however,
takes work and a great deal of selflessness. Few are willing to offer that much
sacrifice even for those they claim to love. For this, orthodoxy can claim much
of the blame. Why do I say that? Let me explain.<br />
<br />
Along with the aforementioned mindset by many within the church towards people
they believe are “beneath them,” orthodoxy paints a portrait of God which is
one of wrath and vengeance. The god of the Old Testament loves his human
creation but at a very high cost and only a select few. All others are regarded
as a burden and are essentially extraneous. Since orthodoxy believes that this
god is God Almighty, they take a page from his practicality towards one
another. The entire concept of Manifest Destiny came out of this primitive,
juvenile understanding of God. The Apostle Paul was very clear that such
division was absolutely not the teachings of Jesus Christ, who I hasten to add
is God Almighty.<br />
<br />
<i>“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male
and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”</i><br />
-
Galatians 3:28<br />
<br />
If a Christian sees the poor in crisis, rather than killing their children,
step in and help. That help can take many forms from actually forming a
relationship and mentoring these people to teaching them life skills, to
monetary aid, to prayer. There is an almost endless list of ways upon which
those who have been given much can help those with less and who are in need.
The one whose solution is to compound the unexpected pregnancy with the error
of murder will face their Creator one day and be pressed to give an account. On
that side of the veil, any temporal explanation will faint before the Creator
of all things. “I thought they would be better off.” As an excuse might be
answered with, “So why didn’t you do the same thing seeing as it was such a
good idea for them?” But that’s the irony, isn’t it? We always seem to know
what’s best for people who are prohibited from answering back with their own
opinions.<br />
<br />
It is far easier for humans to kill rather than create. Orthodoxy finds it far
more expedient and practical to engage in what I call “Hit and Run”
Christianity rather than invest the time in a relationship. Relationships take
time, are far too involved and can become problematic. “Saving” someone, having
them recite the “sinner’s prayer” and then sending them on their way is far,
far easier. This is what passes for righteous Christianity in today’s world. It
also is the perfect template for a soulless, uncaring world. Those same
people--who would just as soon see every Crisis Pregnancy Center closed because
they are exacerbating the situation by helping to bring undesirables into the
world--would actually be doing what Christ commanded them if they would take do
what He asked. They need to take leave of the useless mid-week Bible studies at
church and instead volunteer their time at a homeless shelter; at a Crisis
Pregnancy Center; tutoring the illiterate, teaching parenting skills on a
volunteer basis, etc. The list of Christian a substantive way is nearly
endless. <br />
<br />
The heart is our spirit created by God Almighty. The flesh is a wall to the
heart. Killing is a selfish, destructive act which takes no skill and little
thought. Creating is a cherished skill which reaps the rewards not yet seen by
any of us this side of the veil. Creating a relationship with others has a
payoff one will not find within the cold, echoing halls of today’s empty
churches. If the church were to actually practice what Christ commanded in
Matthew 28:18-20, it is quite likely the abortion situation would resolve of
its own accord. Instead of each person looking out for themselves, each person
would have seven billion people looking out for them. In such a world, where
would the need for an abortion come from? This is the desire and lesson Christ
has for each one of us. Are we Supremely Confident enough to go, and do it?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-90246582145081109292014-04-10T07:39:00.000-07:002014-10-12T00:54:00.785-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Br-QjosUBLM/VDoziPA2qFI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/-skZeaXRZ24/s1600/WestboroBaptist4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Br-QjosUBLM/VDoziPA2qFI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/-skZeaXRZ24/s1600/WestboroBaptist4.png" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2 style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 150%;">Homosexuality:</span></b></h2>
<h3 style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Is one destined to Hell, or is God bigger than that?</span></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">All contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson.
All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">here is
little doubt that with this commentary, I feel as though I have just stepped on
a Claymore pressure trigger landmine. I’ve already heard the “click” and once I
move my foot, it’ll blow me to smithereens. Alas this is the topic I’ve decided
to take on as it has become something of a contentious issue of late. Not that this
subject hasn’t been addressed time and time again by much deeper thinkers than
I, but (if I may be so bold) it hasn’t been addressed from the perspective I’m
going to introduce to you. Does this unique perspective I offer really matter?
Well it might and it might not; that is up to the reader, but my goal is to
simply allow for some reasoning to be applied to the argument where thus far I
have seen only partisan bickering from a perspective of bias and bigotry. For
example, as a general rule those who are anti-religious generally tend to take
a pro-homosexual attitude. The converse is true for those who hold more religious
views. As one who has spent a great deal of time disassembling religion and its
attendant thought vis-à-vis the Bible, I thought it was time to weigh in on
this topic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Suffice
to say no one is going to come away from my commentary completely happy with
what it is I’m going to say. Some in the religious community will only be
encouraged to sharpen the tines on their pitchforks all the more while some in the
secular community are going to call me a homophobe just as sure as the sun will
rise in the morning. I am aware of this, but the United States is still a free
country so until I’m bundled off and become part of the “disappeared,” I’ll
write what I know and believe. Hopefully it will be received as intended to the
benefit of all. Now on with the show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Homosexuality
is an uncomfortable topic for many. It was and largely remains, “The love that
dare not speak its name” as poet Lord Alfred Douglas once opined. But why? When
all convention is stripped away, why are we as a people uncomfortable with a
homosexual union? This is an interesting question and one that has fascinated
me for decades. When one bores down on the “why” aspect, the “why” starts to
unravel. What we uncover really isn’t so much a legitimate reasoning, as much
as it is a bias. Such, to me, is fascinating all the more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I like
debating contentious issues. I like asking somewhat leading questions because
in so doing, people reveal their true natures and thought (or lack thereof).
When I am discussing the nature of homosexuality with my religious friends,
invariably the mention of the prohibition by God comes up. Very quickly they
will cite God in Genesis chapter two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">That is
why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they
become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">– Genesis 2:24-25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This is
buttressed by further quotes from Leviticus which read:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thou
shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> -
</span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Leviticus 18:22 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If a man
also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an
abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon
them. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - Leviticus 20:13 </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The quotes from Leviticus
are part of what is called the “Holy Code” due to the repeated use of the word <i>Holy. </i>This Holy Code is covered
primarily in Leviticus chapters 17 – 26. I do not want the reader to in any way
misconstrue my respect for the Bible or the Old Testament, but as readers of my
earlier commentary on Bible inerrancy are well away, I view scripture and the
Word of God differently than most of my fellow Christians. This is important to
understand while reading my rationale for the conclusions I reach. (That
commentary can be found here: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/02/is-bible-inerrant-all-contents.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/02/is-bible-inerrant-all-contents.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> )<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I’ll delve further into
the Old Testament reasoning later on, but first let us look at the converse
viewpoint. What is the reasoning by my secular friends who see no problem with
Homosexuality, or if they do, why they do so without their being any sort of
religious component. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I grew up in the San
Francisco Bay Area which even back in the day (1970s) was an eclectic mix of
people. In many ways we were far ahead of the rest of the country with respect
to the evolution of societal mores, placing us on a par with Europe. My friends
were decidedly irreligious, but I suppose no more than I. While I believed in
Jesus from my earliest memories, we were in and out of the church while I was
growing up and by my teens, the trend had been towards the Baptist faith. I
will admit that while much Baptist teaching seeped into my consciousness, I had
major problems with much of their doctrine. It is most likely the reason I look
for the rationale behind any religious teaching so closely today. It could
legitimately be said that the Baptist faith is the reason this commentary can
be written at all. God does work in mysterious ways…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I was well familiar with
the Homosexual community even if I didn’t completely understand the allure. My
friends all took a dim view of homosexuals and the typical epithets were
liberally sprinkled in their phraseology when the subject came up.
Interestingly enough as we all grew a little older from our early and mid-teens
and into our late teens, this bias began to fade. Soon enough, there were a few
homosexual men that were a part of the group. It is from this base that I draw
a great deal of my anecdotal experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There were two individuals
I remember quite clearly. One was a rather engaging individual who seemed to
take a perverse delight in making me as uncomfortable as possible. I as the
naïve “Christian boy” was a perfect foil for him. It was good natured teasing
and I actually didn’t mind. We had many, many in-depth conversations about a
host of subjects which I found valuable. He gave me an insight on his thought
process and I did my best to give him an insight into mine. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The other man was quite
the opposite. He clearly did not like me and the feeling quickly became mutual.
This had nothing to do with his sexual orientation, but rather had everything
to do with the fact that he was a straight up jerk. (It’s true, folks. Just
because you’re gay, doesn’t mean you can’t be just as unpleasant a person as
any heterosexual.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">After I left High School
and joined the military, I lost contact with this group. It was in the military
that I got my first real taste of predatory behavior from a homosexual male.
There were a couple of incidents when I was younger where older men had tried
to “get to know me better,” but I ignored them and moved on. This was different
as this man began to actually follow me. It gave me a very interesting insight
into how a woman must feel who is being stalked. It is interesting how
sometimes life can give you a glimpse into an area otherwise unknown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My anecdotal take away is
that at its core, homosexuals are really no different than heterosexuals. One
group is attracted to the opposite sex while the other is attracted to their
own. Beyond that, I can see no difference personally. I’ve met stalkers of both
genders, I’ve met jerks of both genders and I’ve met great people of both
genders. So where does that leave us? We’re back to the “why” of the negative
feelings most of us by and large still have towards homosexuals. In can only
assume these feelings come from a perspective of the unknown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Those who hold a hard
Biblical view will often go on to explain that the pairing of a man and a woman
is designed specifically for the propagation of the species; it is a natural
pairing therefore. Thus, two men or two women would be an unnatural pairing
because they cannot have children. Now to be completely fair to the logic of
that rationale, such thought would also negate the heterosexual pairing of
couples who are sterile, who desire NOT to have children, or are at a post-menopausal
state. In each example, the pairings are not designed for the propagation of
the species. Why should your seventy year old grandmother bother to marry her
seventy-five year old boyfriend if they aren’t planning on having children?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Similarly we are told that
such heterosexual pairings are a Holy institution before God Almighty. When a
homosexual couple comes together, it sullies the institution of marriage. I’ve
given this particular criticism a great deal of thought. I am of the belief
that the union of marriage from a faith standpoint is as an example for us
human beings. Jesus Christ uses such language when describing His relationship
to us as the church. He calls us His bride with He being the bridegroom. But he
also refers to us as His children and calls us joint heirs to the Kingdom of
Heaven. Are we engaging in a bit of incest here? No, these are analogies which
Christ employed so that we could understand the depth of the relationship
aspect from an empathetic point of view. Most of us have someone in our lives we
care about deeply be it a spouse or a child. The selfless care we show to those
people is what Christ wanted us to see in the marriage analogy. One will note
that neither analogy remains relevant once we enter into eternity with Him.
There is no marriage as the concept as we understand it as human beings is far
too remote and isolating. Our relationship with one another irrespective of
sexual orientation will be far more intimate. Our children here on earth will
then be our peers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If one utilizes the Bible
to underscore the fact that Homosexuality is an abomination worthy of death,
then one must also acknowledge that Homosexuality is as old as the Bible. In
fact, homosexuality is as old as mankind. I’ll hasten to remind the reader that
the Bible is but one chronicle of one tribe of people in one part of the earth.
There are ancient chronicles of other peoples about the earth which gives us
insight as to their societal mores as well. Perhaps some history is in order.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When one looks at
homosexuality in Ancient Rome for example, one must acknowledge a different
relationship structure than the type enjoyed by the homosexuality community
which is predominant in today’s culture. Rome, like many societies before it,
engaged in a pattern of same-sex relationship based on age-dissonant sexual
dominance; an older man (not always very much older by the way) will take a
conventionally "male" role in a sexual relationship with a younger
male, but will not, in doing so, be regarded as any different from other
"male" men in general society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Ancient Sparta was thought
to have encouraged older men to take young boys at about the age of twelve as
protégées. These two would enter into a relationship whereupon the older would
teach the younger. Sex was certainly a part of this instruction, but was not
the only reason behind the mentoring. Sparta was a military society and there
was a clear point and purpose to this relationship structure. These younger
boys were brought up to not only trust their mentors, but to also learn all
there was no known about how to navigate through life. To be certain, much of
what is known about Sparta is colored by the victors in history and allowances
have to be made for error, but that these male to male relationships existed
seems without a doubt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Ancient Greece was
similarly accustomed to such male to male relationships, again owing to ritual
rites of passage under the umbrella of the military. In the 21<sup>st</sup>
Century we may be aghast at the union of an adult male taking a young boy for
sexual purposes, but ancient Athenian Law recognized no consent or age as
factors in regulating sexual behavior. In the ancient Grecian culture, pederasty
has been understood to be educative in nature. In this, it would appear to be
on par with the Spartan and Roman cultures. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Ancient Chinese culture
also shows evidence of the acceptance of homosexuality. Ruan Ji (210 – 263 AD),
the male lover of King Xi Kang was one of the most famous poets to apply his
brush to a homosexual theme. English historian Edward Gibbon (1737 – 1794)
observed that all but one of the first fourteen Roman Emperors were either
bisexual or exclusively homosexual. In like fashion, he found that for two
centuries at the height of the Han Dynasty, China was ruled by ten openly
bisexual emperors beginning in 206 BC. The names of the emperors, with their
acknowledged favorites were recorded in the official histories of the period by
Sima Qian and Ban Gu. It is also of note that in ancient China, there seems to
be no idea of a homosexual identity. Male bedmates of rulers were described
merely as men who received “<i>chong”</i> or
favor (which might be equally bestowed upon women) or, in Han texts, as “<i>ning xing,” </i>those<i> </i>who obtained love or favor through artful flattery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So the history is firmly
established, but just because mankind is okay with homosexuality, doesn’t
necessarily mean that God is okay with homosexuality, correct? Mankind seems to
be okay with a great deal of that which God is not so favorably inclined. True
enough. The Chinese religious point of view is varied, but Taoism which is the
oldest of the religions seems less concerned about homosexuality than it does
with one’s purity; preaching a life of simplicity free from striving after
power and wealth. For the devout Chinese, sexuality was not an activity hedged
about by taboos or divine prohibitions, but a challenge to achieve well being
by proper management of what we might call physiological economy. (<i>“Homosexuality and Civilization” </i> by Louis Crompton)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Citing religious
understanding from other societies is of interest to me primarily because such
people were largely ignorant of the Torah or the subsequent New Testament
scriptures. All things being equal, how can one be held to a standard God
imposed if God had not given them the same information? Western religion is
quick to condemn, but they can do so from the comfort of having the needed
information at their disposal. Would they be so quick had they no such
information? I think the answer is obvious.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Native America Indians are
another mysterious group who had their own view of God which was quite
divergent from that of the ancient Hebrews. Native Americans believe something
similar to the ancient Greek Philosopher, Plato insofar as they believed that
God created three types of people; Male, female and Two-spirits. This from
Wikipedia:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Two-spirited" or "two-spirit"
usually indicates a Native person who feels their body simultaneously manifests
both a masculine and a feminine spirit, or a different balance of masculine and
feminine characteristics than usually seen in masculine men and feminine women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two-spirit individuals are
viewed in some tribes as having two identities occupying one body. Their dress
is usually a mixture of traditionally male and traditionally female articles,
or they may dress as a man one day, and a woman on another. According to Sabine
Lang many tribes have distinct gender and social roles. Some specific roles
sometimes held by male-bodied two-spirits include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Detail of Dance to the Berdashe, painted by
George Catlin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Healers or medicine persons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Conveyors of oral traditions and songs
(Yuki)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Foretellers of the future (Winnebago,
Oglala Lakota)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Conferrers of lucky names on children or
adults (Oglala Lakota, Tohono O'odham)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nurses during war expeditions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="ES" style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Potters
(Zuni, Navajo, Tohono O'odham)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Matchmakers (Cheyenne, Omaha, Oglala
Lakota)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Makers of feather regalia for dances
(Maidu)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Special role players in the Sun Dance
(Crow, Hidatsa, Oglala Lakota)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To be certain, there are
other cultures about the world and their thoughts respecting homosexuality
going back to their origins, but such is for a more comprehensive look not
germane to this particular commentary. I endeavored only to give a broad
overview of the subject and how these “other gods” looked upon the topic. Based
upon the behavior of their people, these other gods either didn’t care, or
didn’t get around to addressing the issue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Respecting the laws of the
Ancient near East and northern lands, the Codes of Urukagina (2375 BC),
Ur-Nammu (2100 BC), and of Hammurabi (1726 BC) don’t mention any specific
prohibition on homosexuality. The Hammurabic Code is of special note as it is
often seen as a model for the Mosaic Law. King Hammurabi was given his law from
his god in much the same way as was Moses. Many archeologists believe that
Moses’ story is a copy of that of King Hammurabi as the Mosaic Law was not
given until approximately 1586 BC; some one hundred, forty years before Sinai. This
brings me back to the Torah and then onto Christianity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I had mentioned earlier
that it was important to remember that the Torah is but one chronicle of one
tribe of people. We must not forget that when we are looking at the history of
humanity. Too often we regard the Bible as a complete history of humanity, but
it is not. The Torah began as an oral history passed from one generation in one
family to the next. Like any family history, these stories were not concerned
with that which was not relevant to them. Thus, Genesis chapter one deals with
the creation of the entire universe and the entire earth and all the people
placed upon it. Beginning with chapter two, the story becomes more focused on
just the tribe of the people who would later become known as the Hebrews. The
“Others” about the whole of the world had their own stories and chronicles
which are largely ignored by the accounts in the Torah unless there was some
overlap. The Old Testament records no interactions with people of Nordic
ancestry or those of Native American ancestry for example. It is unlikely that
there are any interactions with those of Asian ancestry. It is clear that there
were interactions with those of black ancestry, but this seems to be later on
in the chronicle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I mention this only
because it is very pertinent when one is looking at the breadth of human
history on this planet. In my commentary on the races, I delve into this topic
in greater detail. That commentary can
be found here: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/03/race-isit-possible-that-we-all-came.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/03/race-isit-possible-that-we-all-came.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Within the tribe of the
people who would become the Hebrews, it is important to remember that they are
ruled by their god. This is not God Almighty, but rather a mighty spiritual
entity referred to as a Celestial being by both the Apostle's Peter and Jude. (2<sup>nd</sup>
Peter 2:10 and Jude 8) The Celestial being who rules over the Hebrew people as
their god is named Helel. His name in Hebrew means, “Light Bearer” for his job
is to bring the Light of God Almighty to the Hebrew people. It is because this
Celestial being failed to bear the Light of God Almighty to the Hebrews that he
was cast down (Isaiah 14:12). Helel shone only his light to the Hebrew people
rather than God’s true Light. It was left up to Jesus Christ to be the true
Light to all humanity, not just the Hebrew people (or any other select group of
people on the earth). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thus when the Old
Testament calls such specific acts as homosexuality into question (Leviticus 20:13), we
are reading the admonition of a Celestial being and not God Almighty. Why do I
say that? Well in addition to the information I have already outlined, let us
look at the character of the Celestial being, Helel and juxtapose that with the
character of Jesus Christ who is God Almighty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In Deuteronomy 20:10 – 20,
we are given a listing of how Israel is supposed to comport themselves when
attacking an enemy in the Land of Canaan. These are not instructions specific
to one group of people who have already shown violence against the Hebrews;
these are generic instructions against any who would present resistance. Verse
14 states:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <i>“As for
the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may
take these as plunder for yourselves.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">War
is rarely transcendent; it is vicious and cruel. The outlook for these women
and children taken by the Israelites was stark. Historically in war, rape of
women and children is common place. It had been perpetrated upon the Hebrews by
those who had conquered them in war, and it is clear the Hebrews returned the
favor with the blessing of their “god.” Rape was common place and knew no age
limit if such was given as plunder. Thus, many young children suffered
indignities they otherwise would not have at such a young age. It could be said
that the women and children as part of this particular battle strategy got off
easy as later on when the Celestial Helel ordered the annihilation of the
Amalakites as outlined in 1<sup>st</sup> Samuel 15:1 – 4, not even the women
and children were spared. Imagine justifying the killing of a small child
because “god” said so? Just believe me when I tell you no such order ever came
from the mouth of God Almighty. For proof of this, please note the character of
God Almighty as outlined by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Further, God Almighty describes Himself as love. (1<sup>st</sup>
John 4:8) The Apostle Paul describes love in this manner:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Love is patient,
love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not
dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It
always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never
fails. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">– 1<sup>st</sup>
Corinthians 13:4 - 8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
is God’s true character. If one can reconcile the actions of the Old Testament
god with the character displayed in Galatians 5:22 and 1<sup>st</sup> Corinthians
13: 4 – 8, that would be a neat trick. My guess is one could only do so by
presuming that which is not mentioned in scripture. God is love. This is how He
describes Himself and how He wants us to know Him. He desires an intimate
relationship with all mankind, not just the Hebrews and not just those who have
had the ability to go to church and get “saved.” The parables of Christ with
respect to the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11 -32), and the parable of the Lost Sheep
(Luke 15:1 – 7) should give any Spirit-filled reader the understanding that
Christ is reaching out to all of us. The age of the Celestial rule over
humanity is done ... as is their exclusivity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
my commentary on Matthew 27:51 – 54, I outlined this spiritual structure and
the Celestial hierarchy. That commentary can be found here:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/03/did-saints-really-come-back-tolife.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/03/did-saints-really-come-back-tolife.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
the curtain in the inner Holy of Holies was torn from the top down, it was a
signifier that humanity was no longer under the rule of the Celestial beings,
but now we were under the Grace of Christ. When my Christian brothers and
sisters refuse to acknowledge this paradigm shift, they not only diminish
Christ, but they relegate him to the back row. Thus when they become apologists
for the mass killings sanctioned throughout the Old Testament, they are siding
with the enemy rather than with the work of Jesus Christ upon the cross. This
is nothing to take lightly as a Christian. Our primary function on this earth
is to be a Light to others. When we spend our limited days in the flesh
spreading condemnation, how are we a light? Christ did not come to judge the
world and neither should we.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
brings me around to the status of homosexuality in the Old Testament. It must
be understood that such admonitions are from the mind of this particular
Celestial being and not God Almighty. If that is understood, then we can
proceed to the New Covenant and see just how Christ viewed homosexuality. One
might be surprised at the conclusion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
Romans 1:26 – 28, Paul is discussing the hearts of those who have turned their
backs on God. He speaks on their depravity, explaining that the men and the
women have exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones, abandoning the
natural desire for the opposite sex and instead opting for relations with the
same sex. We seem to focus on that part of the scripture and ignore the rest, however.
Context is everything and when one looks at the context of what Paul is talking
about, the picture becomes just a bit more clear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul
was addressing the infant church in Rome. The Book of Romans was thought to
have been written by Paul while he was still in Corinth approximately 56 AD.
This was still early in Paul’s over-all ministry. (Paul thought to have been
martyred in Rome around 67 or 68 AD) This was also in the very early reign on
Nero, but prior to his more horrific acts against the Christians. This period
of time in Rome was better for a short while under Nero, but over-all Rome was
in a moral state of decay. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Prior
to Nero, Rome had been ruled by Claudius who had actually managed to steer the
ship of state out of the rut his nephew, Caligula had placed it. Scandal didn’t
miss his house as it is thought his death was caused by his wife, Agrippina the
Younger, so that her son from her relationship with Roman Consul, Gnaeus
Domitius Ahenobarbus, could ascend the throne. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Caligula
had reigned only a little over three years, but the Empire reeled under his
antics. He nearly bankrupted the Empire with his extravagance and his
debauchery seemingly knew no bounds. In 41 AD, Caligula was stabbed thirty
times by conspirators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Prior
to Caligula, the Empire was ruled by his great uncle, Tiberius. Tiberius was a
great general conquering much of what is today England, Germany and France for
the Empire. But Tiberius was not well suited as an Emperor and soon retreated
to the tiny Island of Capri, never setting foot in Rome again. While on Capri,
Tiberius was able to give in to his lusts of pedophilia, having his swimming
pool filled with little children to swim with him naked and pleasure him
sexually.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
was the atmosphere which Paul had waded into. These were the cultural norms
which he was addressing. When we fail to understand just what it is that Paul
had to put into context in his letter to the church at Rome, we do everyone a
disservice. Writing from Corinth, Paul
was already well familiar with that port city’s dark peculiarities. Rather than
focusing on the mere fact of homosexual relations between the men and the women
of Rome, Paul addressed all manner of evil. The entire Empire was corrupt and
it was this heartlessness which Paul was attempting to address. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Furthermore,
just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God
gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.
They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of
doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no
fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that
those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very
things but also approve of those who practice them.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;">-
Romans 1:28 – 32</span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul
essentially covers every aberrant deed known in this conclusion. Why is it that
we as the church seem to ignore that which is a part of our lives and instead
focus and that which is not? As a church, do we give more license (read grace)
to the adulterer than we do to the homosexual? Historically that is indeed the
case. It is almost looked upon as a certain <i>fait
accompli</i> that men cheat with women. The patriarchs did so and in fact, had
multiple wives all with God’s seeming blessing. (King David had multiple wives,
yet is described as a man after god’s own heart in 1<sup>st</sup> Samuel 13:14)
How is it that we can excuse this bastardization of the marital bed with the
Old Testament patriarchs, but then condemn a committed, monogamous homosexual
couple? We can do so because the Old Testament “god” tacitly approved of
adultery by a man and the multiplicity of wives while calling homosexuality an
abomination worthy of death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Here
is what I see as the point Paul was making. Sexual immorality—ANY sexual
immorality—creates a barrier between the intimate relationship God wishes to
have with his creation and Himself. Sexual immorality can be found amongst the
heterosexual population just as well as the homosexual population. When a young
woman announces on the internet that she is going to set a record for having
sex with a thousand men in twelve hours, what is that saying about her ability
to allow room for God in her life? This woman, an X-Rated star named Lisa
Sparxxx nearly accomplished her goal in October 2004. She fell short by
eighty-one men. That is an extreme example, but the converse is also true. Men
parading about at Gay Pride Parades in almost nothing, waving their “parts” at
others are just as egregious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Human
beings are not the sum total of their genitalia. Absent the body, we are
spirit. While we will retain our identities of our time in the flesh once we
transition to the spirit, the limitations of sexual identity will be gone. The intimacy which
will be experienced will make the sex act seem distant and remote under the
best of circumstances. Sex is a necessity to propagate the species as designed.
(Mitosis wouldn’t give us the individuality which makes our world so
interesting) I believe sexual pleasure was given in order to ensure that
propagation. Given the rudiments of the act, we either would proceed upon
instinct—which robs us of our individual free will, or we would find ourselves
enticed through reward. Absent either inducement, I would find it curious as to
why anyone would ever engage in the sex act. Deep intimacy with others can be
attained without sex. Such intimacy is of the spirit, not the body. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We
look upon our bodies with such disrespect that we think nothing of polluting
them with not only thoughts, but actions which are not at all good for us. As
the Apostle Paul had said, <i>“All things
are permissible, but not all things are beneficial…” </i>(1<sup>st</sup>
Corinthians 10:23) We are given charge over our fleshly shells for just a
little while; they are not eternal and will perish soon enough. However when we
take care of that which has been given us, it speaks much to the love and
respect for the one who gave them to us to begin with. You wouldn’t accept a
cherished gift from a friend and then proceed to smash it to bits before their
eyes if you loved them … and the gift given. The same holds true for the gift
of the bodies we’ve been given while here on this planet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My
theology has led me to conclude that the Celestial Helel (once again, Lucifer as
outlined in Isaiah 14:12) is enraged over homosexuality because he constructed
our fleshly shells to operate in a specific manner and sees us as misusing them
for their intended purpose. Consider an engineer designing a car to run only on
paved roads, but the owner of the car LOVES off-road driving. Now off-road
driving isn’t necessarily wrong per se, but the designer is going to become
unhinged because the car wasn’t designed to operate that way and won’t enjoy
full efficiency. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">The analogy isn’t perfect, but hopefully one will see what I
am trying to say. A homosexual couple—male or female—cannot propagate the
species in their desired pairing; the design doesn’t allow for that. Never the
less, the couple can have a relationship which for better or worse </span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">fulfills</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"> all
the other aspects of a traditional relationship. It must be understood by all
that this is not an argument as to whether or not homosexuality will keep one
from Heaven. God has already answered that question. If one believes that because
homosexuals engage in sexual intimacy God will damn them to hell, one doesn’t really understand the nature of Christ or what Paul was attempting to
explain to the Church at Rome. Again, it is not JUST about homosexuals; it is
about the position of the heart before Christ for all of us. How we as
Christians treat anyone—homosexuals included—speaks to the position of our
hearts before Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God
created each and every one of us with purpose and seeks to have a relationship
with us; He loves all of us regardless our sexual orientation or identity. While
He utilized His Celestial agency to be His face to us in the Old Testament
times, He now uses <i>US</i> for that
purpose. For those of us—heterosexual or homosexual—who have experienced the
very worst of God’s human agency, one must not look towards such people to
establish a relationship with God. God does not want us to have a relationship
with Him through proxy; God wants a relationship with each one of us
individually; we must all come to Christ individually. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Don’t
be led astray from such a relationship because one of God’s ambassadors is
off-putting. I have been similarly consigned to the same fiery pit of hell by
these errant folks for the theology I propagate. I realized long ago they may
be well meaning, but they approach the situation from a point of fear and
ignorance. You see, God is as mysterious to them as he may be to you. God uses
others to be His face for a very specific reason; human beings learn to be more
like Him when we have to be His spokesman. This isn’t always going to lend
itself to a smooth ride. Christ told us that we need to count the cost of
becoming a disciple. (Luke 14:25 -34)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Jesus
replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind.’ This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the
second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments.” </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> - </span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Matthew
22:37 – 40<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Hebrews have 613 Levitical Laws and the 10 Commandments. This comprises the breadth
of the Law. There are further instructives which permeate the teaching just as
with any denomination, yet Christ took all of those rules and regulations and
distilled them down to two … TWO. These two cover everything irrespective of
religious affiliation. When one denigrates Christ, is one approaching Christ
from a position of fear and ignorance? Did one enter into a relationship with
Christ through proxy, or is one entering into their own personal relationship?
There is the primary problem on earth today. We insult, denigrate, malign, and
hate that which we’ve never bothered to understand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
homosexual community feels attacked and desire to have the same freedom to
exercise their sexuality as any heterosexual couple. However they have cleaved
to examples to represent their interests which are as bad as the worst of
heterosexual smut peddlers. This may not be a popular opinion, but it is a
correct one: have self respect for who you are as a person. I’ll reiterate:
Human beings are not the sum total of their genitalia. Rather than behave as
adolescents with a new toy, the homosexual community needs to understand that
with freedom comes responsibility. To be taken seriously, the antics have to
cease. This is an admonition not only to the homosexual community, but to the
heterosexual community as well. The serial philandering, whoring about and
general disrespect for one’s sexuality irrespective of sexual orientation has
to stop. As the Apostle Paul once said:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a
child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> – 1<sup>st</sup>
Corinthians 13:11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 477.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A
Christian seeks a relationship with Christ and then to usher others into that
same intimate relationship. This is what it means to make disciples of all
nations. Once others enter into that relationship for themselves, the Spirit of
the Living God will work on their hearts and give them instruction. We cannot
SAVE anyone as that was the job only of Jesus Christ. Be the face of Jesus
Christ to your fellow man, help them to enter into that right, intimate
relationship, and then allow the Spirit to do the rest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-37593317757183584292014-03-26T15:46:00.000-07:002014-12-24T08:53:11.255-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NPmynY2Dq8c/VDo0KcTw8RI/AAAAAAAAAMY/1iMYiZ4Ix9c/s1600/mixed-race-people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NPmynY2Dq8c/VDo0KcTw8RI/AAAAAAAAAMY/1iMYiZ4Ix9c/s1600/mixed-race-people.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Race:</span></b></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is
it possible that we all came from the same two people?</span></b></h3>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">All contents copyright ©
2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the
related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means
(electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of the publisher.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* * *</span><span style="font-family: , serif, , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 150%;">I</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> can’t help but think this particular commentary is going to be
taken the wrong way by a great number of people. There is little which is more sensitive
a subject today than that of race. It seems that everything in our daily lives
is orchestrated by race. From the number of commercials which feature racial
minorities, from the number of job positions filled in a given company by racial
minorities to the music which is regarded as most popular. We are constantly
bombarded with the fact that as a people, we are made well aware of our
differences, but none so vast as our racial make-up. We dance around the subject and refuse to allow a airing of the matter without fear. To be called a racist in this day and age is almost a fate worse then death. Such a mindset doesn't really help the matter at all, but rather sweeps it under the rug. In the end the matter must still be dealt with. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The election of Barack
Obama as United States President was not unique because he is one of the few to
ascend to the White House directly from the Senate (there have only been three
who have preceded him: Garfield, Harding and Kennedy), nor is his election
regarded as noteworthy because of his uneven upbringing. (a product of a broken home being raised largely out of
country in a completely different culture with a stepfather who is Muslim)
Barack Obama’s election is regarded as noteworthy merely by the fact of his
race. Whatever one may think of the man’s politics, his legacy will be as the
first black man to be elected to the office of the President of the United
States. Nothing else he does (or does not do) will overshadow this one aspect
of his being. My question is simple: Why should his skin color matter to
anyone? Quite frankly I am confused by this import we place upon race and I suppose
I really always have been. We call people racist all the time when really these are people who are merely expressing an opinion. It may be seen as unpopular by some, but true racism? I rather doubt it. Perhaps I should explain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I grew up in a suburb just south of
San Francisco, California on the coast. My first day of school saw me, a boy of
English/Irish extraction mixed in with a host of other kids of different races.
I thought nothing of it as to me, this was normal. My best friend at that young
age was a Hispanic boy and I honestly never gave a moment’s thought to his
heritage; I cared that we were friends and nothing more. Perhaps I was simply naïve,
but I tended to judge people by how they acted rather than their family
lineage. The other kids were no more in control over what race they were born
into than was I. To me, we were all just a bunch of kids and this was school. The
challenge was to get through it unscathed by the bigger kids and maybe make new
friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By the time I reached the 2<sup>nd</sup>
grade, my family moved to another suburb farther to the east of the San
Francisco Bay Area. This suburb was completely different. For one thing, it was
quite a bit more well-to-do. The other thing was that there were very few
minorities. For me, this was culture shock. I had never been in a classroom
with only white teachers and white kids. My first teacher was a very kind lady
Named Miss Roberts who was black. She more or less set the standard for teachers
for me. Now being faced with a white teacher in a predominately white suburban
town, I wasn’t certain what to expect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As I grew, I learned that
people are people regardless of their skin color. When I entered the Air Force,
I was once again in a racial mix of people. I found that I gravitated towards
those whose company I enjoyed regardless of heritage. Of course being older,
there were impediments to this absent when I was a child. Racism is not only a
white on (fill in the race) issue, but is a problem people in general suffer
with. While my peers didn’t seem to have a problem with me, I experienced my
first real taste of racism from one of my sergeants. He was a black Viet Nam
War veteran and—there is no other way to put this—hated white people. Years
later I saw a routine by Chris Rock and I instantly thought of my First
Sergeant in the Air Force because Rock was describing him exactly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Rock explained (in his own inimitable way) that the most racist people you will find are old black men. Now his reasoning is explained in that older black men experienced true racism themselves. Growing up in certain parts of the United States before the 1950s was not a good experience for most black people. The reconstruction period after the Civil War saw the advent of many prominent blacks to positions of real power in local, state and federal offices and thoughts of racism seemed finished. But old ways don’t fade away so easily and within less than ten years, the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan had formed to put the black man back in his "proper place." By the turn of the 20th century, racism against blacks was widespread—and very cruel. The lessons learned which led in part to the American Civil War appeared to have been forgotten.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Older black men who just
wanted to make a decent life for themselves and their families faced an uphill
battle simply because of the color of their skin. They saw family and friends
murdered and treated in despicable ways by the supposedly morally superior
whites. My first sergeant—who would have been born right around
1935—experienced all of this. To him, I was a self indulgent, ignorant little
white kid who couldn’t find his ass with both hands. The simple fact of the
matter is that he was right—to a point. I was not born of wealth and privilege,
just born white. However my First
Sergeant’s opinion of me was a description of many of my black and Hispanic
friends as well, but his own racism refused to allow him to see that. As far as
he was concerned, I was going to pay for how other white people had treated him
and his family when he was younger. It was lost on him that by treating me as he had been treated he had become the very thing he hated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">And the cycle continues. Or
does it? I never looked at my First Sergeant as a black man; I looked at him as
my superior. The color of his skin was irrelevant to me. My direct supervisor
was a black Master Sergeant and we got along just fine. He evidenced none of
the racism displayed by my First Sergeant who appeared to hate me simply
because of the color of my skin. While I didn’t enjoy the confrontation, it was
an interesting lesson for me. I’ll also add that it diminished him in my eyes.
I never respected the man as a result of such narrow thinking on his part. I
respected his rank and position, but he lost my respect as a man. I’m assuming
that was the opposite of what he had intended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">But this isn’t so much a
commentary on race relations as it is about race in general. Specifically, how
is it that as human beings we fractured into different “races” of people. I
need to start out by qualifying the term race here. We are all of one race:
Human. That we all have differences in appearance does not make us any more or
any less than another. I therefore find the term <i>“race”</i> a misnomer. I prefer to use the term "</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">ethnicity" to define our differences; we are all of the human race with different ethnic makeups. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">However for the benefit of the reader and this
commentary, I’ll proceed on premise that we’re talking heritage or lineage when
referring to race.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The question remains: If
one believes the Biblical account, one is forced to make some interesting
conclusions with respect to race in the world today. How is it that if all of
us came from Adam and Eve and then later from just the eight people aboard Noah’s
Ark, there is such a divergent group of people today? Quite literally, it
cannot have happened the way orthodoxy says it happened. Human beings cannot
become this divergent in the short span of time since the great flood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">If one follows the Biblical account, the great flood with the Ark took place approximately 4500 to 5000 years ago. I won’t belabor the secular arguments that such a cataclysm couldn’t have occurred for a host of other reasons. For the moment, I want to simply focus on the racial aspect. Archaeologists have uncovered human remains which predate the time of the great flood by thousands of years. These remains are clearly different races. One famous example is remains which were found in present day Kennewick, Washington of a Caucasian man who died approximately 7300 to 7600 years ago. While Native American tribes in Washington State sued in Federal Court to assert a claim as to their heritage and “Kennewick Man,” the Federal Court ruled that there was no genetic justification for their claim. The remains were not of a Native American.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">What is interesting about
this for me are two things: One, where the remains were found. It was believed
that man migrated on a land bridge across the Aleutians from Asian to arrive in
North America. Those who migrated would naturally be Asiatic in heritage. Kennewick
Man is not of such a heritage, yet there his is; buried in Washington State at
a time a when a Caucasian shouldn’t even exist.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Two is the fact that this time
line occurs well before the great flood. Already we have physical evidence of
racial disparity existing at a time when most Biblical scholars believe there
should be no racial disparity at all; we should have all looked pretty much
alike. Even Noah’s sons married second cousins which would have made them all
Semitic people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">According to the Human
Genome Project, the Jewish people are genetically their own race and have
maintained a purity of that race with is unrivaled by any other people on the
planet. Thus if one is to follow the Biblical account as orthodoxy has
intended, we should all look Semitic in appearance at the time of the great
flood; there should be no white or black people running around anywhere. Yet
the physical evidence seems to point in a different direction. Not only were
there white and black people all over the place, but they were in localities
they shouldn’t be. How is this possible? This is where the picture gets a bit
interesting—and controversial.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Before I get into the
answer as to what I have concluded is going on with the races, I would like to
give a bit of a history lesson with respect to Adolf Hitler and the Aryans.
Most people are aware that Hitler and one of his chief associates, Heinrich Himmler,
believed the Jewish people to be an inferior race. Hitler and Himmler believed
that they were born of the superior Aryan race and that mixing with the Jews
was decimating his people. But who were
the Aryans and why did Hitler and Himmler regard them as superior to the Jews?
This is a rather long and convoluted story of which no one seems to have
completely figured out, but it does have a bearing on my conclusions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">German archaeologist and ethnohistorian Gustaf
Kossinna (1858 – 1931) is widely perceived as being a catalyst for the ideas of
Aryan supremacy embraced by Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler. This from the Dictionary of Archaeology:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kossinna was quite influential, in fact; his
early arguments attempting to define cultures in archaeological sites by using
specific artifact types were an early application of the cultural-historical
approach. Where Kossinna went wrong was by going to extremes, as shown by his
famous quote, "Sharply defined archaeological cultural areas correspond
unquestionably with the areas of particular people or tribes." He used
ethnohistory to search for the origins of specific ethnic groups, believing
there was a one-to-one relationship between modern and ancient ethnic groups,
something modern archaeologists know is not true. Kossinna definitely believed
that Germans were the descendants of a superior race he called the Germani; and
as such his theories fit right into the Hitler/Himmler concept of the Aryan
race.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Himmler convinced Hitler that they were both
descended from this superior race of people and only by restoration of this
bloodline, could Germany—and ultimately the entire world—benefit. While there
were many political reasons for using the Jews as scapegoats, Himmler was
beyond any of that and used the political upheaval in Europe in the 1930s as a
pretext for going ahead with the ethnic cleansing he was certain would cure
their ills. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Whether one is convinced Himmler and Hitler both
misinterpreted the information they used which guided them, it is a fact that
they were none-the-less convinced. So if Heinrich Himmler was convinced he was
descended from a separate race of people than were the Jews, is there any
legitimacy at all to the claim? Can such racial disparity be proven by the
evidence? This is where Archaeologists take over and insist that we all
descended from a common ancestor which most likely came out of Africa. For a
host of reasons, I reject that assertion, but the primary reason is that
despite their claims, there is no hard evidence supporting it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">There is a clash between what the evolutionists
assert as opposed to what the Biblical creationists assert. But now we also
have this competing theory which seems to claim that the races were divided
from the beginning. Is this at all possible? Can we even begin to imagine that
the individual races (or lineages) of human beings were made separate from the
very beginning? Let us explore this a moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In the very beginning we find a problem with the
Biblical book of Genesis. This is a little known problem to most even within
the church, however a schooled pastor should be at least vaguely aware of the
situation. Genesis 1:1 begins thus: <i>“In the beginning, God created the heavens
and the earth.” </i>Based upon that one line, we proceed upon the premise that
God Almighty created everything. As we continue to read, we see how the
universe was created and how human beings were created in what is thought by
orthodoxy to be only six calendar days. Without delving into the <i>Young Earth/Old Earth</i> <i>Creationist</i> debate, I would like to
simply address one thing about that opening verse in Genesis. That one thing is
that our understanding of it is wrong. It does not say, <i>“…God created…” </i>What<i> </i></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">it
actually says in the original Hebrew is: <i>"In
the beginning, <b>Gods</b> created the
heavens and the earth.” </i>The Hebrew word "God" (Elohim) is used here
and denotes a plurality. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I have read many
commentaries as to why this is. The Hebrew scholars usually point to the
multifold Spirit of God and owe that to the usage of the plurality in Genesis
1:1. Of course the Christian scholars point to the fact that this plurality is
describing the Holy Trinity. Two different perspectives on exactly why the god
in the very first line in Genesis is not exactly who he claims to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Two things which are readily
apparent to me in this opening portion of Genesis are as follows: One, there is
absolutely no continuity. Sometimes a plurality is used to denote God and other
times it is a singularity. One would think that if Moses wanted us to all be
aware of God's multifold Spiritual presence, he would have used the Hebrew
"Elohim" throughout rather than switching back and forth as he evidently
does. (Notwithstanding the word choice in Hebrew, Moses was conveying a
particular idea. I am well aware that Moses did not write Genesis in Hebrew as
the language did not then yet exist. Moses most likely wrote Genesis is a form
of hieratic or some other variation of Egyptian script. Regardless, later
translators clearly saw his word choice and translated accordingly.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If one can accept that
Moses translated the story told to him by his father-in-law, Jethro of Midian
accurately, then one must accept that more than one “god” created the universe.
Who are these gods if not the Trinity or the many Spiritual “faces” of God
Almighty? The Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse as to who these “gods” truly are.
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul admonishes about the Rulers,
Powers and Authorities over this present realm. (Ephesians 6:12) In fact, these entities are a focus of much
of Paul’s writings. He clearly states that it was these same Rulers, Powers and
Authorities which Christ makes a spectacle of upon the cross. (Colossians 2:15)
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Peppered throughout the
early chapters of Genesis is the impression that there is more than one “god”
at work. (Genesis 1:26, 3:22, 11:7) Biblical Scholars press the issue that as
the Hebrew language contains approximately only 8700 words, a straight English
translation of the meaning is lost. I’ll point out that chronologically, the
Hebrew language also came long after the Genesis narrative and the possibility
of the same dearth of true understanding from the original language (probably
some form of proto-Sumerian) must then be entertained. Looking at the naked
evidence of the word choice as put down on papyrus by Moses using a hieratic
script (a proto-Egyptian script which came about alongside the more commonly
known hieroglyphic script), one is forced to conclude that a plurality in these
instances is pointing to several spiritual entities of vast power rather than
the many majestic attributes of the one true God. Because Biblical scholars
point out the fact that whenever a plurality is used to denote God it is
followed by other plural verbs, the lack of these plural verbs buttress their
case of there being only one god intended despite the word choice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My problems with their
conclusion are thus: In the instances when a plurality to denote God is used
and is followed by a plural verb, it is done so to make quite clear that a
differentiation be made between the God of the Hebrews and other gods. Since
the Genesis narrative is primarily about the Hebrew people, the god of the
Hebrew people is the primary subject. Using Elohim to denote “god” in these
instances would then necessitate a clarification. However in the passages where
Elohim is used as outlined parenthetically above, there are no “other gods”
about whose legitimacy or authority is being called into question. The usage of
the plurality is therefore unnecessary in these instances if there is but one
god present. Yet, the oral narrative which Jethro imparted to Moses clearly
employed a plurality. Again, why not simply use El or Elo to denote Almighty
God in these passages? Must we constantly be forced to switch back and forth
from denoting His many majestic attributes to simply referring to Him alone? What
is the point of this if we are already well familiar with the one true God? The
constant reminders of God’s abilities would appear to me to be a useless
redundancy. Such parsing on the part of Biblical scholars is nonsensical and clearly
shows and agenda leading the evidence rather than the converse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is vitally important
to remember a few things about the book of Genesis. As I have already stated,
it was first a story told orally from one generation to the next over a very
long period of time. There was no “reader” when the story was first told.
Memorization was of paramount importance so extraneous information was pared
down to the essentials. Thus Jethro explained the story of creation to Moses as
he had learned it himself. He explained to Moses that <i>“…<b>gods </b>created the heavens
and the earth,”</i> because that is what he had been told. Moses doesn’t seem
to ask for any clarification with respect to these “gods” and merely takes
Jethro at his word on this score. This is truly fascinating if in fact Jethro
is introducing a new component to the narrative not already familiar to Moses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Again the question is
asked: Is it possible that more than one god created the heavens and the earth?
If so, who are these gods and where are they today? Have they been banished? Do
we no longer see them? Are they still around us? Are these “gods” really the
fallen angels we so often hear about? These and many other questions are all
legitimate. I will endeavor to answer them to the best of my ability. First,
however, I think it is important to discuss whether or not such belief goes
against the teachings of the Bible. After all, the Gospel of John says that all
things came into being through Christ. If these “gods” created the heavens and
the earth and such was NOT actually created by the hand of God Almighty, then
doesn’t that leave us in a precarious situation? It seems to point out that
Jesus is lying. Let me explore that just a bit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To begin with, we
really do need to define the players. Who and what is God Almighty? Is He a
being who manifests Himself in multifold ways as the Jews believe? Is God
Almighty an individual set apart in some form or fashion from Jesus Christ and
the Holy Spirit—the Trinity—as the Christians believe? Is the doctrine of the
Trinity even legitimate? If any of the aforementioned are true as far as is
believed by orthodoxy, then much of what I will write will make little sense. Thus
I am going to proceed on the premise that God Almighty is just that: God
Almighty. He exists outside of time, outside of space and is as Christ and Paul
described Him: <i>“Invisible, living in an
unapproachable light which no one can see or has seen.” </i>(1<sup>st</sup>
Timothy 6:16) God is everywhere at once and is in everything we can discern
with our five senses. There is nowhere anyone can go to escape the presence of
God. The elemental structure of Almighty God is so far beyond our ability to
understand, that it was necessary for God Almighty to interact with us through
intermediaries. It isn’t that He had to do this; He desired to teach us more
about Himself utilizing this methodology. There is a reason for everything God
does and when we as human beings anthropomorphize Him, we throw most of Him
away. That having been said, how can we in our limited humanity ever see God?
God answered this problem in giving us two ways in which He presented Himself
to the human creation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I will quickly clarify
a point here so that the reader is not taken too far off by what I am saying. I
wish to make it very clear that God Almighty is the author of our eternal essence.
The spirit which makes up who we are comes from God Almighty. To that end, God
Almighty is our creator. Nothing I have ever come across has shown me that this
is not true. The body we inhabit on this planet, however, is another matter
altogether. Our bodies are a product of this temporal realm. We will not take
our bodies with us when we transition to be at Christ’s side. Our bodies remain
behind and return to the earth from which they came. They remain behind because
they belong here. We are all familiar that death robs us of the person we
loved, even though their body very much remains. The essence of the person
vanishes from the body. It is this essence—this spirit—which God Almighty
created. Do not conflate the body with the spirit; the two are not the same. Christ
Himself said, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Do
not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be
afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Matthew 10:28<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ clearly shows
the differentiation between the two separate components which make up our
earthly selves. He places far more import upon our spirit than our flesh. As
Christians, this fact should remain forefront in our minds. Sadly for too many,
it does not and far too much time and effort is wasted by good people
attempting to meld the body and soul together. The two are essentially
incongruent as Paul pointed out in Romans:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“…but
I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of
my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I
myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh
the law of sin.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Romans 7:23-25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Returning to the ways
upon which God presented himself to the human creation, the first method God
used to allow humans to “see” him was to utilize spiritual entities of almost
unlimited power. We call these beings angels, but that is not a terribly
accurate term where applied to these particular spiritual entities. An angel is
defined more as a messenger. These beings were less messengers than they were
administrators. Their goal was to create a realm, populate that realm with a creation
capable of housing the spirit with which God Almighty could imbue, and then
present the face of God Almighty to that hybrid corporeal/spirit creation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Genesis chapter one
outlines the creation of humanity by the majority of these Spiritual entities.
(Such beings are referred to as Celestial beings in 2nd Peter 2:10 and Jude 8)
Genesis Chapter 2 begins with an outline of the creation of one particular tribe
of human being by one particular Celestial being. This Celestial being is named
Helel, which in the Hebrew means, <i>“Light
Bearer.” </i>(Isaiah 14:12)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orthodoxy has
erroneously come to the conclusion that Genesis Chapter 1 and Genesis Chapter 2
are just an initial telling and then a more in-depth recap of the creation
narrative. However as we have already discovered, the Genesis account was first
presented as an oral history passed down from one generation to the next. This
went on until Moses wrote it down. Outside of Moses specific tribe of people,
however, the story continued to be told orally as it had been for thousands of
years. Thus a true reading of Genesis Chapter 1 outlines the general creation
of the WHOLE realm—universe, planets, time, et al. Then beginning with Genesis Chapter
2, the focus narrows dramatically and shifts only to the tribe of people
specific to those who would eventually become known as the Hebrews. It is these
people which the Celestial being, Helel, created and administered over. His job
was to present the “face” of Almighty God to this creation. In this manner,
Almighty God would have a relationship by proxy with His creation. This was the
methodology God Almighty used for a specific, but multifold purpose. Each and
every tribe of people created upon the whole earth were created in a similar
manner by the hand of a Celestial being.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My lineage is
English/Irish. I also have some Germanic and American Indian in the mix as
well. I am like most people on the earth in that I am a mutt as far as my
lineage is concerned. I am most certain that based upon my conclusions I am not
of the creation of the Celestial Helel. That makes me no better or worse, it is
simply a fact. My lineage came from the hand of another Celestial being. I do
not know the beings name, but I am most certain that just as my lineage was
created, so were others. Those others are as much human as I am, but they look
differently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I am going to use an
example which most will find lacking or perhaps even gauche, but it will have
to suffice for the purpose of this illustration. Consider that an auto maker designs
and creates many different looking automobiles. They all fulfill an essential
like function: transporting a driver and cargo, but they come in a variety of
different shapes and sizes. I have often used a car and driver metaphor to
explain the body and spirit. We humans do not realize that we are like the
driver of a car. Because of this, we allow the car to drive us never
understanding that we have ultimate control. We can step on the brake or the
gas, we can steer left or right or straight, we can direct the car forward or
put it into reverse. Most of us will spend the lifetime of the car encased
within never realizing that all of the control of the vehicle was within our reach
the whole time. Then the car finally breaks down for the last time and is
beyond repair. We are forced to exit the vehicle and then see with clarity that
it was really nothing but a shell; a mindless machine to which we gave over far
too much control. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This is an imperfect,
but hopefully somewhat adequate analogy between our spirits and our bodies. We
can be created by Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Kia, GAZ, Nissan,
etc., but we’re all just vehicles. We have different shapes and colors; some of
us are faster than others, some of us are larger than others. Some make a
different sound than others, but despite the differences, we’re still all the
same. We aren’t chairs, we aren’t rocks, we aren’t trees, we aren’t
battleships; we’re all a variation of a motorized vehicle which runs on wheels.
The cars may have been created by
separate companies, but the drivers are all created and supplied by God
Almighty. Because of that, there is absolutely no difference from one driver to
another; all are loved equally by their creator notwithstanding the type of car
they drive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These Celestial
entities—the creators of our “temporal vehicles,” were our first link with the
creator of our spirit “the driver.” But this proved to be an imperfect means by
which God Almighty could connect with His spiritual creation within this
temporal realm. This is not due to any deficit on the part of God Almighty; He
was well aware of the outcome and designed it as such. One of the aspects of
the spiritual realm which is lost on most Christians or people of faith is that
God Almighty is teaching these spiritual entities at the same time He is also
teaching us. By failing to fulfill their obligation to be the “face of God
Almighty” to humanity, these Celestial entities realized that the bias they
hold against humanity is completely unfounded and misplaced. God was able to
show them that they are really no better than us humans. God then removed them
from their role as administrators over humanity and took that role upon Himself
in the personage of Jesus Christ. Christ freed us from the yoke of the
Celestial’s rule and freed us to be with Him upon our passing from this
temporal realm. At some point in the future (and I am not going to attempt to
blow smoke at anyone on this score; I do not yet know how or when), Christ will
take over administration of the entire realm from the Celestial entities as
well. Thus far, God Almighty has allowed them to continue in this role, even
though Christ has all authority.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thus in the meanwhile,
we will exist here on this planet for a very short period of time as measured
against the whole in our different colored and shaped “cars,” all attempting to
navigate our way through the world until our cars are no longer viable and we
have to exit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I earlier had mentioned
Hitler, Himmler and their affinity for the Aryan race. I return to that now to
point out the inherent danger in regarding one group of people as superior to
others. Stripped of our bodies, we are all spirit. We are all created purposely
by the hand of Almighty God. We are all given an opportunity to visit this
realm no matter how briefly. To those of us who are given much, much is
expected. This is not to only mean those with money are to use that money to
help others. That is certainly a part of it, but Christ is speaking more to the
point of what we do with the opportunities this small patch of time on this
earth affords us. Will we use our time to attempt to surmount others, to elevate
ourselves over other people, or will we use our time as Christ intended and be
His face to our fellow man? Can we succeed where the Celestial rulers failed?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The flesh constantly
pulls at us. The body is extraordinarily needy. We are so closed off from one
another while we reside in the flesh that if we understood the pure unity that
is in Christ, I don’t think we could bear to return to the isolation of the
body. Much of this isolation could be overcome if we were honest and open with
one another in love, but our humanity prevents such from being a part of our nature.
Our bodies are a product of this realm. This realm is finite and so is our
flesh. Our fleshly order of thinking is therefore placed on a default setting
of “finite” which must be consciously changed. In order to change this setting,
one must first be made aware of the need for the change. This is the function
of the Christian; one who is in a relationship with Christ and who seeks to
help others to join in that relationship. This is not a job for the
fainthearted or the prideful. When Christ told us to count the cost of being a
disciple, He was not kidding. (Luke 14:25 – 34)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orthodoxy struggles
with much of these concepts because orthodoxy is born of people who allowed the
“cars” to do the driving rather than taking the control given to them by Christ’s
authority. As I have highlighted in other commentaries, the pure truth of the
Gospels have long been overshadowed by the agenda’s of man. Does such mean that
I am not wrong in my conclusions? I suppose the most honest answer I can give
is that I have reached my conclusions through much prayer and research. I had
long pondered the situations respecting the various races on this planet and further
pondered why if we are all cousins of a kind, we would believe some are better
(or worse) than others. Orthodoxy had no adequate answer to the question and
really neither did secular anthropology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I had come to an early
conclusion that perhaps the variant in racial makeup came about when “God”
confused the languages of the people at the tower of Babel, but moved away from
that model as it was simply not tenable. Later based upon finding in genetics,
I considered that Adam and Eve were most likely created looking like a mix of
all the variant of races which exist now on the planet. Through breeding with
brothers and sisters sharing similar features and colors, certain genes were made
dominate and others were made recessive. Over years, the dominate genes in
these particular groups settled into what we now regard as present day racial
make-up. I had to also abandon that model as untenable. It presumed far too
much which was not supported by the evidence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In the end the question
remained with no answers. My conclusion with respect to the racial or lineage
question I hold at present is not any more fantastic than is the Theory of
Evolution, or Panspermia. If one is more comfortable believing these Celestial beings
I have described as our creators and initial administrators as
extraterrestrials, I suppose that is up to them. To describe a spiritual entity
as an extraterrestrial would essentially be correct as they are not native to
this realm. That they are in any way corporeal or humanoid in the sense we
usually ascribe to ETs, I would have to politely disagree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In the end, it is
important to realize that Jesus Christ is creator God Almighty. He came to free us from our Celestial oppressors and when the time comes when we last close our eyes on this earth, we will become very aware that the variety of races enjoyed by
humanity was a gift given to us which we have by and large squandered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-34624696341716777362014-03-21T14:12:00.003-07:002014-10-12T00:59:57.043-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_6pEBRq6I3g/VDo07svGOKI/AAAAAAAAAMk/oNfSb5-XnhQ/s1600/noah-poster-Preview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_6pEBRq6I3g/VDo07svGOKI/AAAAAAAAAMk/oNfSb5-XnhQ/s1600/noah-poster-Preview.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Noah:</span></b></h2>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who
was he and did he look anything like Russell Crow?</span></b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">All contents copyright ©
2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the
related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means
(electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of the publisher.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">* * *</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We are in a season of Biblically
themed films. Both a repackaging of the TV mini-series, <i>Son of God</i> and <i>Noah</i> are
hitting the big screen this year. Obviously there is much which can be mined
for a good tale in both of these characters, but there is also much lore
surrounding both men and their times. Numerous books have been written about
Christ and no doubt more will be written in the years to come. Less has been
written about Noah and the world he grew up in, however. His world before the
flood is a strange one and not much is widely known. This commentary is about
the Darren Aronofsky movie, <i>Noah </i>and<i> </i>my thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Readers of my books or
my blog are already well aware that my book series, <i>The GOD Principle</i> is peripherally about the story of Noah and the
Ark. There is much more to the tale, of course, but it winds up predictably for
anyone vaguely familiar with the Biblical story. The orthodox explanation goes:
Because of man’s evil, God decides to destroy the earth with water. Noah is
commanded to build a large Ark, gather animals and his family and climb onboard
to ride out the storm. It is upon this premise which writer/producer/director
Darren Aronofsky created his epic, <i>Noah</i>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I had no idea this
movie was being considered when I began to write the outline for my series. I
conceptualized my novel, <i>The GOD
Principle,</i> back in the summer of 2004 after giving many years of thought to
writing a book concerning my beliefs of the end times. At that point,
I was wrestling with many conflicting doctrines and beliefs supported by orthodoxy.
I had come to some different conclusions
and decided to write a story as to how I thought the <i>“Great Deception”</i> (Matthew 24:24, and the Book of Revelation) would
be perpetrated. This became the framework which is <i>The GOD Principle</i>. As I began to do research for the book, the entire
premise began to change. It did remain essentially a book on eschatology, but I
realized I needed to paint a picture as to how I concluded the ending I visualized.
This brought me back to a pivotal point in human history; it brought me back to
an almost unknown piece of scripture found in Genesis 6:1- 4. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I was raised primarily
as a Baptist and my understanding of God was primarily shaped by their
theology. There are many paths I have chosen in my life as a result of their
teachings which I have struggled with mightily since my teen years. I often wonder
whether I would have been better off simply remaining immersed in my formative Baptist
theology, or whether the struggles I have endured since leaving those teachings
has been the better path. But you can’t unring a bell. What I have learned
since beginning my journey over twenty years ago has led me to conclude that my
Baptist brethren might be well meaning, but they are very wrong as to the
identity of God Almighty. My commentaries illustrate the many differences in
belief quite adequately, so I’ll not waste time going over them here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">As I began my research, I was brought back to this point in human history whereupon it appears a particular type or class of angel came down to earth in human form for a specific purpose. This purpose appears to be to create a race of beings who would regard these angels as god, rather than God Almighty. Of course you won’t expressly read this in Genesis, but when the Bible is taken as a whole, it is clear there was a creation which was far more powerful than a typical human being and that this creation subjugated humanity for a time. These were the creations which gave rise to the Grecian mythological creatures called Titans. The entire </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">hierarchical</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"> structure of the heavenlies was mirrored in not only Greek mythology, but Sumerian, Mesopotamian, Norse, Chinese—even Native American histories contain this hybrid spiritual-human structure.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As part of my research,
I read quite a bit on these mythological histories. I was struck by how easily
much of it fit into the Biblical narrative once the orthodox bias was “washed
away.” What bias in specific am I talking about? Well in Christian Orthodoxy,
the incident outlined in Genesis 6:1 – 4 is dismissed as being misinterpreted. Instead
of spiritual beings having come to earth to take human females as mates and
have children with them, orthodoxy decided that a better story is that the “Sons
of God” (Genesis 6:2) are actually those people who were born from the line of
Seth. The “Daughters of Men” (genesis 6:2) are those who were born of the line
of Cain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A bit quick bit of Biblical
history: Cain killed his brother Abel early on in the narrative and was
banished to a far off land called Nod. Now interestingly enough, Nod was
evidently already populated because Cain was concerned the people there would
learn of his evil act and seek to kill him. (Genesis 4:15 – 16) God promises
Cain that he will not come to harm and places an unknown mark upon him to ward
off any malevolent attack. Cain goes to Nod, takes a wife (it is a presumption
that Cain took one of his sisters to Nod with him; the Biblical account does
not say that) and raises a family. Sometime after Cain and Abel’s birth, Adam
and Eve also have a son they name Seth. The Biblical account seems to place
this birth chronologically long after Cain’s expulsion, but it is difficult to
tell. Since Seth remained “good” and Cain was already demonstratively “bad,”
orthodoxy paints the Sethian line as that which is of God and the Cainian line
as that which is of men. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I researched this
theory to the best of my ability and found that it first gained widespread
acceptance after Constantine the Great had usurped Christianity. For
Constantine to succeed in his goal (reunification of the Roman Empire under his
rule), a clear hierarchy had to be established. Thus any scriptures which gave
the impression something else was going on in the spiritual realm were excised.
One such book which I relied on heavily for my research was the <i>Book of Enoch</i>. This book discussed the
situation which is only hinted at in Genesis 6:1 – 4 in great detail. It not
only explicitly states the angels came down to earth, but it gives their names,
their spiritual station (Watchers or Grigori) and outlines their reasoning. It
also described a spiritual world which would have left Constantine struggling
to marry his empire were he to have allowed knowledge of this book to become
widespread and accepted. No Old Testament book outside of Isaiah describes
Christ with such clarity as does the Book of Enoch. I could not dismiss this
book simply because my Baptist brethren had deemed it “as a work of Satan.” It
was clear few of them had even read Enoch much less studied it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When I concluded the
Line of Seth-Cain explanation was not only flawed, but simply not tenable when
one looks at Peter’s and Paul’s writings. The Sethian line contained some of
the most barbaric human specimens recorded in the Bible. How can such behavior
by Seth’s offspring even remotely be considered Godly? Paul wrote much about
Powers and Authorities in the heavenly realms. He seems clear on the fact that
we are not dealing with just one malevolent spiritual entity, but rather
several. In the book of 2<sup>nd</sup> Peter and in Jude, these Powers and
Authorities are referred to as Celestial beings. (2<sup>nd</sup> Peter 2:10,
Jude 8) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One by one I researched
the origin of various bedrock beliefs held by orthodoxy and came away with the
fact that a great deal of it was either poor understanding of the scriptures,
or was simply made up. From a “Young Earth Creationist” model to the “Line of
Seth,” I kept finding out that what I had been taught as immutable truth was
wrong. Were the people who taught me these errors aware of what they were
doing? Not all; most were merely teaching what they had been taught. None ever
thought to question the source. It is difficult to look at the Bible and decide
that in order to really understand it, the entire book needs to be held up to
the most strident critical review. Those who have done so in the past have
either been deemed heroes by Christian orthodoxy because they side on the side
of orthodoxy, or regarded as degenerate heretics because they find fault with
orthodoxy. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I found myself in a
nether world when I did my research. I wasn’t coming up with the answers which
either side had ever come up with. What I discovered seemed to be completely
new, except I knew that it wasn’t. I was merely uncovering what had been hidden
over for thousands of years. None of what I found out were mistranslations of
scripture or made up theology; it is what I discovered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In my series, I make it
clear which I regard as truth and where I take literary license. My series was designed
to make the reader aware that the story of Noah they had learned was only a
small portion of the whole story and even at that was not the truth. By writing
the story the way I did, I wanted to educate people as to the events I believe
are closer to the actual truth of the situation. This has placed me at odds
with not only my Christian brethren, but surprisingly with the Atheist
community as well. Let me explain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As I researched my book
and found out that many of the “truths” I had learned were not actual truths, I
also found out that many of the arguments which my atheist friends had embraced
dissolved. When I removed these arguments from the equation, they suddenly
found themselves without a foundational basis for NOT believing. Rather than
please my atheist friends, it enraged them. Thus in their hatred of my
conclusions, I managed to place the Fundamentalists Christians and the Atheists
on one side of the aisle opposing me on the other. It may be irony at its
finest, but was not my goal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This refusal to explore
theology outside of what was codified by the Ecumenical Councils, led Darren
Aronofsky to consider none of what I discovered in the making of his film. He
borrowed bits and pieces from the Book of Enoch, but doesn’t understand the
significance of the bits he used. He remains as clueless to the truth as do
many of my longtime Christian friends. Even schooled pastors and Doctorates in
Theology have frowned on my conclusions, but refuse to point out to me why they
believe them to be in error. If anyone has ever worked hard on a particular
project, presented it for vetting, told it was incorrect, but NOT told why it
was incorrect, one can appreciate my present position—and frustration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In the tale of Noah and
the Ark, Noah is a surprisingly peripheral character. I did not realize this at
first. As I learned more about the antediluvian world in which Noah was born, I
came to the realization that there were more important characters in this drama
who have been forgotten by history. Noah came along more or less as part of a “mop-up
crew” after the fact. Noah’s name means, <i>“Rest.”
</i>His sole role in this drama was to provide his people rest from the
hundreds of years of misery which had been visited upon them by the errant
actions of the Watchers and their hybrid offspring. Now to be clear, there is
also symbolism in the structure of the Ark and how the entire situation foreshadows
Christ. However much of this symbolism is lost if one does not regard the
Watchers and their offspring as a part of the equation. This brings me to my
next point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orthodoxy has laid the
entire failure of humanity at the feet of mankind. In short, mankind was such a
wretched creation that on their own, they screwed things up so magnificently
God was forced—once again like the old man power washing the mold off of his
driveway—to destroy the earth with water. How obtuse must God be to create
something so flawed that He has to wipe the slate clean after only a couple of
thousand years? One would think that Omniscience would mean just that with God.
Evidently such is not necessarily the case. This seeming conundrum is a
favorite of my atheist friends, by the way. From the early days of the Epicurean
Riddle, atheists have loved pointing out how much God is either a clueless buffoon,
or a malevolent bastard to treat humanity in the manner He has. By realizing
that none of what occurred with the destruction of the earth was by God
Almighty’s hand, I have enraged both camps; believers and non-believers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If one reads the
Gospels and truly understands Christ, one can see very clearly that the Old Testament
god and Jesus Christ seem to have different goals and methodologies. Orthodoxy
has fought valiantly to keep most of humanity from seeing the truth of this
structure, but more and more people are becoming aware of the truth. My commentary
on the Holy Trinity explains this in greater detail and is very much worth the
read. Whether one agrees with my conclusions or not, the questions need to be
asked and the orthodox answers need to be explored without fainting away. You
can find that commentary here: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/03/theholy-trinity-when-did-we-split-god.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/03/theholy-trinity-when-did-we-split-god.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The essential reason the
earth was destroyed in that antediluvian time was not because “Mother Earth”
was upset at the flea-like human beings disrespecting the planet; it was destroyed
because the true rulers of this realm—the Celestial beings—were trying
(emphasis on TRYING) to rid their world of a pestilent creation called the
Nephilim. The Nephilim were the “heroes of old, the men of renown.” spoken of
in Genesis 6:4. Perspective is everything and if one understands the narrative,
one becomes familiar with the fact that by the time of the great flood, most of
the Nephilim had become larger than life figures which were worshipped and
adored by most of humanity. These Nephilim—especially the first generation
Nephilim—were incredibly powerful figures. They were not only physically
stronger than an average human, but they were more intelligent; more cunning
and shrewd. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But these creatures were oversized in other aspects of their personalities as well. Reading through
mythology, one can see the Titans being given over very easily to their base
passions almost without thought or care. This proved to be the weakness of the Nephilim. These
were beings that were creatures of this realm. Humans, by contrast, are not. We
are merely sojourners on this planet. Whether one wishes to believe in the
spiritual realm or not, it is without argument that as humans we are here for
only a brief period of time. A human being is essentially spirit. We belong to
God Almighty. We are not a creation of this realm and that is what began the
schism between the two creations. It also illustrated the strength the humans
had over the Nephilim. Humans could listen to the whisperings of the Spirit for
guidance from their God whereas the Nephilim could not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Aronofsky squandered
the opportunity to explore these conclusions. I cannot help but think that had
he sought out those who knew just a little more about the subject matter than
he did, his movie could have been so much better than a mere special effects
display. I will applaud his choice of Russell Crow as Noah, however. Someone
like Crow is visually what I imagined as I wrote my series. The Noah often
portrayed as a bent over old man is not accurate and Aronofsky chose Crow
wisely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Writers may be maligned
in Hollywood, but there is no movie without a script, and there is no script without
a writer. Aronofsky wrote on a subject in which he had little knowledge. His
epic <i>Noah</i> will suffer as a result. I realize
that writing this commentary before the movie’s release puts me in a precarious
situation. I could wind up looking like a fool if <i>Noah</i> becomes a block buster movie, but I don’t think it will happen.
After you strip away the special effects, what have you got? No one who sees
this film will walk out of the theater afterward having learned anything new.
In this day of CGI, even the special effects—spectacular as they are certain to
be—aren’t so special any longer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I am not yet decided as
to whether I will see the film. Having worked so many years to research my
series and knowing that because of my particular station in life, I will most likely
never have the opportunity to present it to the masses as has Darren Aronofsky,
I find seeing yet another tedious telling of Noah and the Ark uninteresting.
Perhaps once it is out on DVD I will rent it and take a look, but I highly
doubt I will be one of the throng sitting in the darkened theater.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My point of writing
this commentary is not to keep any from going to see <i>Noah</i>; people want to be entertained and will go and see it
regardless anything I say. My point in this commentary was simply to make
people aware of the fact that the story has so much more to it than anything
Christian or Jewish orthodoxy is willing to reveal and far more than the atheist
community is aware. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised and Aronofsky’s <i>Noah </i>will spur people to search more on
the subject; to seek out the truth. That may lead them to me and my
conclusions. Perhaps I may have my opportunity yet. That is largely up to all
of you.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-48685071994979898402014-03-07T11:01:00.000-08:002019-03-17T11:14:21.973-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBtnJqlZ-Y0/VDo1Z6rXP1I/AAAAAAAAAMs/ApHA0oUdzsM/s1600/Hermeneutic%2Bcycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBtnJqlZ-Y0/VDo1Z6rXP1I/AAAAAAAAAMs/ApHA0oUdzsM/s1600/Hermeneutic%2Bcycle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hermeneutics:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is it and why do we use it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">All contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">* * *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Through the course of writing my various commentaries on the Bible, I have been accused by more than one person of not adhering to various established disciplines while interpreting Biblical scripture. The concern of these well-meaning folks is that I am interpreting in error and thus am giving an erroneous explanation of what is going on in the various Biblical accounts I've thus far shared. I can certainly sympathize with their concerns; I have found myself more than a little perplexed from time to time from interpretations given by noted, lettered Biblical scholars. The list of these various interpretations in which these established disciplines were utilized is quite long, from Dispensationalism to Kingdom Theology. I will not go too deeply into these two schools of thought except to say they stand in complete and absolute opposition to one another, yet the conclusions of each were reached utilizing these established Biblical disciplines I am accused of NOT using myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The foremost of these disciplines is called Hermeneutics. This is a word which sounds far more intimidating than it really is. This from Wikipedia for expediency's sake:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Hermeneutics /hɜrməˈnjuːtɪks/ is the theory of text interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. The terms "hermeneutics" and "exegesis" are sometimes used interchangeably. Hermeneutics is a broader discipline that includes written, verbal, and nonverbal communication. Exegesis focuses primarily upon texts. Hermeneutic, as a singular noun, refers to a single particular method or strand of interpretation (see, in contrast, double hermeneutic). The understanding of any written text requires hermeneutics.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Hermeneutics is derived from the Greek word ἑρμηνεύω (hermeneuō, 'translate' or 'interpret'). It was introduced into philosophy mainly through the title of Aristotle's work On Interpretation, commonly referred to by its Latin title, De Interpretatione. It is one of the earliest (c. 360 B.C.) extant philosophical works in the Western tradition to deal with the relationship between language and logic in a comprehensive, explicit, and formal way.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The early usage of "hermeneutics" places it within the boundaries of the sacred. A divine message must be received with inherent uncertainty regarding its truth. This ambiguity is an irrationality; it is a sort of madness that is inflicted upon the receiver of the message. Only one who possesses a rational method of interpretation (i.e., a hermeneutic) could determine the truth or falsity of the message.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Here is a clearer understanding of the discipline by Daniel Little, University of Michigan:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>There have been two very different approaches to social explanation since the nineteenth century, and they differ most fundamentally over a distinction between <b>explanation</b> and <b>understanding</b> or <b>cause</b> and meaning (von Wright 1971). This distinction divides over two ways of understanding a<b> why</b> question when it comes to social events. Why did it happen? may mean, What caused it to happen?; or it may mean, Why did the agents act in such a way to bring it about?. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The hermeneutic approach holds that the most basic fact of social life is the meaning of an action. Social life is constituted by social actions, and actions are meaningful to the actors and the other social participants. Moreover, subsequent actions are oriented towards the meanings of prior actions; so understanding the later action requires that we have an interpretation of the meanings that various participants assign to their own actions and those of others. So the social sciences (or the human sciences) need to be hermeneutic: researchers need to devote their attention to the interpretation of the meanings of social actions. (Central contributors to this tradition include (Dilthey 1989), (Weber 1949), (Ricoeur 1976), and (Gadamer 1977). See (Sherratt 2006) for an excellent treatment of hermeneutic philosophy of social science.)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Hermeneutics is named for the Greek god, Hermes, son of Zeus. Hermes is a god of transitions and boundaries. He is quick and cunning, and moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine, as emissary and messenger of the gods, intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife. Given the subject matter of Judeo-Christian scriptures, utilizing the discipline named for a mythological Greek god set forth by a Greek Philosopher (Aristotle) is rather curious. I'll circle back to that later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">While the discipline of Hermeneutics associated with philosophy dates to approximately the time of Aristotle (360 BC), Biblical Hermeneutics came about much later and initially broke into two separate camps: Jewish interpretation and Christian interpretation. While Christians embraced the Old Testament scriptures as well, these scriptures experienced quite a bit over overlap with their Jewish brethren. However given the starkly different beliefs of the two camps, the interpretations were vastly different. Clearly, the Jews did not regard Christ as the Messiah. Thus any interpretations of scripture using Talmudical Hermeneutics (מידות שהתורה נדרשת בהן) painted quite a different picture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Even within Christianity, the application of Hermeneutics has had an uneven history with respect to adhering to strict disciplines. Grammar and exegesis utilized as a point of proof seem to take a back seat to presupposition, and there is the main problem with the application of Hermeneutics to faith. People of different faiths believe different things. How sincere will one be to follow the evidence provided by a strict application of Hermeneutics if it begins to run counter their belief? In truth, not too many. Thus a sort of safety net is first put into place; parameters which will ensure that the evidence leads to only one conclusion. This is the <b>presupposition</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In Catholicism, this presupposition (coupled with the necessities dictated by Constantine the Great) led to the Apostle Peter being regarded as the first Pope. Because of misapplied Hermeneutical interpretation, when Jesus said to Peter, <i>"...and on this rock, I will build My church..." </i> The Ecumenical Councils found justification in imposing an earthly hierarchal structure, placing layers between man and God. The whole scripture passage doesn't appear to me to impart that message, but I don't have an agenda to fill as did Constantine the Great.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked His disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>But what about you? He asked. Who do you say I am?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Simon Peter answered. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- Matthew 16:13-19</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Biblical interpretation under the direction of Constantine created a meaning not readily apparent to the Spirit-filled Christian reading that passage. Could it be interpreted to mean what Constantine decided it had to mean? That certainly seems to be the case as the 1.2 Billion Catholics throughout the world according to census figures compiled by the Vatican in 2013 can attest. However, to a good majority of Protestants today, that Hermeneutical derived conclusion remains in error; Protestants do not see Christ naming Peter to be the specific head or director of the church on earth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I will slightly digress here to allow my opinion on the matter. What I see in this passage is Christ speaking about believers in a general and Peter's belief in Him as a specific example of faith. It was upon that rock of faith Christ would build his church. How radically different the two meanings are. The true meaning was lost entirely due to an agenda and a presupposition. The truth was buried for approximately twelve hundred years, and to approximately 1/7th of the world's population, it still is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This is the essential problem with the modern application of Hermeneutics to the Bible. Once again I realize that I am opening up myself to a hail of criticism for having the temerity, the unmitigated gall, the unbridled hubris to attack such a tried and true discipline. But I stand by my claim; it is a poor discipline to be applied to divinely inspired works, and I <b>will</b> give you my reasons as to the why by the end of this commentary. In the meantime, I am going to do my utmost to lay out my argument, begging the reader's indulgence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">As I have already pointed out in just two areas of belief above, these are the essential reasons for the uneven history of the application of Hermeneutics to the Bible. In matters Biblical, it appears prior to implementing the discipline one MUST have an idea of where they desire to go: A presupposition. Once the path has been constructed, the Hermeneutical discipline is applied to present the proper interpretation and give such validity. If one believes Christ wanted the Apostle Peter to be the Pope, one will utilize the proper Hermeneutic interpretation to arrive at that conclusion. If one does not believe that Christ intended for the Apostle Peter to be the first Pope, the same utilization of Hermeneutic discipline is applied. But is this how God wanted us to learn? Ah, and there is the rub.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Entering into the study of Hermeneutics, I would like the reader to consider this small example of the problems inherent with the application of a presupposition. Consider this passage from Luke:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And he took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- Luke 22:19</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In Catholicism, this passage has been interpreted into the doctrine of Transubstantiation. This means that at the time of the Eucharist, the bread and the wine literally become the fleshly body and the blood of Jesus Christ. This was a doctrine first conceptualized in the 11th Century by Hildebert de Lavardin, Archbishop of Tours. It was held up as legitimate by the Council of Trent in 1551, being called, "...<i>that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood - the species only of the bread and wine remaining - which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls Transubstantiation."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Catholicism interprets the scriptures such as the one from Luke above along with the Eucharistic discourse given by Christ in John 6, and in 1st Corinthians 10-11, where Paul equates the body and blood of Jesus with the "bread" and "cup of benediction" used in the Eucharist. Suffice to say that Protestants did not arrive at the same conclusion as did the Catholics on this matter, despite the standard rubric utilized by both parties to ferret out error. Why would this be? My answer comprises the remainder of this commentary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Bible as a unified compiled work did not come into being until Jerome's translation of the Latin Vulgate circa 382 AD. Under the direction of Pope Damasus I, Jerome was commissioned to transcribe the Greek Septuagint and make revisions to the Vetus Latina (old Latin translations) of the four Gospels from the best of the old Greek texts they had available. Though it wasn't his intent to make a new version of the Bible, the very nature of the work and the constant revisions necessary are reflected in voluminous correspondence. Latin was the official language of Rome, especially among the schooled and nobility. Thus the Vulgate was transcribed, and we had our first sanctioned codex of scripture the Bible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">How exactly was Hermeneutical discipline applied to these works before this time? How exactly was Hermeneutical discipline applied to the transcription under Jerome's care? What of the many epistles which may have been written, circulated about the Empire, but were lost prior to compiling any of the works which make up the New Testament? As an example, between 1st and 2nd Corinthians, it is quite clear the Apostle Paul received a letter from the Corinthian Church. 2nd Corinthians is an answer to their questions, but is it reasonable to believe that the letter written to Paul would have been just as important as a part of scripture? Would those early Christians not have been just as divinely inspired to write what they did if Paul felt compelled to answer them?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Take for example this passage from the Pauls letter to the Colossians:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on <b>human tradition</b> and the basic principles of this world rather than Christ.</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- Colossians 2:8 (emphasis mine)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In theology, there are three classical interpretations for what it is Paul was saying here. I wish for the reader to pause for a moment and reflect on what I just imparted to you: There are <b>three</b> classical interpretations rather than one. Ruminate upon that while I continue. I will cover the three in brief here as they are covered in greater detail elsewhere. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">(I have provided a link to one source here: http://www.xenos.org/essays/stoich.htm )</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> The first view is that Paul is talking about the Old Testament Law.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> The Second is that Paul is referring to Demonic spirits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> The third is that Paul is talking about religious principle, primarily those which existed before Christ. It would appear there is some overlap between the first and the third.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">There are a host of theologians over the course of centuries who have all fallen into different groups regarding this point Paul was trying to make. So what is the truth? It would seem that based upon the various adherents of any one particular belief, the truth is what you agree with. Hermeneutical discipline was merely a tool to utilize to buttress the given argument.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously, I have my own opinion which I have given in earlier commentaries. I arrived at my conclusions through years of study and prayerful contemplation. Paul makes much of the fact throughout his letters that our realm is ruled by unseen Powers and Authorities. Since Christ came to this realm to redeem us back to Himself, it would appear as though we were under the rule of someone or something else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The author of Hebrews makes an interesting claim concerning Christ and the Rulers and Authorities:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>It is not to <b>angels</b> that He has subjected the <b>world to come</b>, about which we are speaking. </i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- Hebrews 2:5 (emphasis mine) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Clearly, the author of Hebrews is stating that angels, spiritual entities, have no place or rule in the world to come, implying that they already possess such rule here and now. In 1st Corinthians, Paul seems to reiterate this thought:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>For as in Adam all die, so in Christ, all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then when He comes, those who belong to Him. Then the end will come when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all <b>dominion, Authority, and Power</b>.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- 1st Corinthians 15:22-24 (emphasis mine) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Greek usage of the word Dominion or Kingdom here is Basileia (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">βασιλεία</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">). Strongs defines this word as: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>royal power, kingship, dominion, rule;</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>not to be confused with an actual kingdom, but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom</b>;</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah;</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom; a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the Messiah</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- Strongs Exhaustive Concordance #932 (emphasis mine)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The implication is clear. Paul regarded his world post Christ's ascension as still being under the rule of spiritual entities of vast power. This condition would persist until the end whereupon Christ would remove these spiritual entities from power. Given the wealth of evidence just in Pauls own writing, why would any believe Paul was merely talking about the strictures of the Old Testament Law? The answer, of course, is presupposition. If one would faint away at the thought of there being spiritual entities of vast power who are the true rulers of this realm, then one will read the evidence in such a way as to make such entities disappear. This type of parsing of scripture using Hermeneutics is akin to an ostrich sticking its head in a hole in the ground in an attempt to hide. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Hermeneutics was first applied to philosophy. While I will admit that I may be on somewhat shaky ground here, I will state that human philosophy as such is a singularly human construct. It does not mean that a philosophy is absent any truth; I find quite the contrary. However, one usually will not assert that philosophy is a product of divine inspiration. (I did say I was on shaky ground, didn't I?) So what is divine inspiration? Why would I separate such works from that of philosophy? Let me endeavor to explain the difference, at least to my mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This from Wikipedia for expediency's sake:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument. In more casual speech, by extension, "philosophy" can refer to "the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The word "philosophy" comes from the Ancient Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophia), which literally means "love of wisdom." The introduction of the terms "philosopher" and "philosophy" has been ascribed to the Greek thinker Pythagoras.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I am going to state clearly that when one is dealing with Spiritual matters, human logic and reason may sometimes not apply. (cue the groans from all corners) What do I mean by that? Actually, it is quite simple. As a point of human logic and reason, Jesus Christ should not exist. How can one be God AND a man? How can an individual exist in eternity AND exist simultaneously in a given, finite place in space and time? From the laws we understand in our temporal realm, that would seem to be an impossibility. Human logic and reason presuppose a particular end game if you will; it presupposes that certain truths remain absolute. Hermeneutics, where applied to philosophy, would follow that end.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">But how does that same discipline apply to writing which doesn't rely on human logic and reason? How can one apply human logic to Christ walking on water? The fundamental laws of physics would negate His being able to walk on water. The polarization of the molecules of water creates surface tension, a type of skin, which is strong enough to allow a very light object to remain on its surface. (a leaf, small insects, et al.) The weight of a fully grown man, however, would far exceed this molecular bond and he would fall through. We all know this as a matter of fact, so logic (which presupposes this outcome) dictates.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I have outlined in an earlier commentary my thoughts on scripture. I regard them as divinely inspired, but they are not the inerrant word of God. (That commentary can be found here: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">( http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/02/is-bible-inerrant-all-contents.html )</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It was more than twenty years after Christ's ascension that we can date the first of the known works which make up the New Testament, that being Pauls letter to the church at Thessalonica circa 52 AD. While it is entirely possible that there were other letters sent back and forth during these early years of the infant church, without evidence to support that assertion, there is no way to know. However, whether there was the written word or not, is not the point. For the majority of the existence of the Hebrew people from Noah on (to be fair, from Adam and Eve on), there was no written word to chronicle these people and Gods admonitions to them. Such did not occur until approximately 1485 BC with Moses. If one opts to place the birth of our earth and people at approximately six thousand years that would tell me that approximately half that period we were without any written record; there was nothing to hold up to critical analysis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The intent of Christ was not that we necessarily compile a written word; the intent of Christ was that we form interpersonal relationships. These relationships were to be centered on the Truth of Jesus Christ. As we enter into this relationship with Christ and by extension other Christians, we are to widen that circle to include those who don't yet share in that relationship. This was the Church which Christ told Peter He would build on that Rock of Faith. At this time in history, there was no critical analysis of the letters which were being written, no critical analysis of the Gospels which had been penned. These were people in a close, Christ-centered relationship which wrote what they knew as a result of that Christ-centered relationship. Their works were the result of Divine Inspiration, an outgrowth of that Christ-centered relationship. How does one decide on a matrix which will quantify the results of these inspired works? Certainly, it would seem that employing a man-made construct would be the absolutely wrong thing to so. Let me explain:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In the book of Acts, we see a situation whereupon the Bereans (a people who lived in what is now known as Veria in Greek Macedonia, northern Greece) were preached to about Christ by the Apostle Paul and Silas. Upon hearing their words, the Bereans searched through the Hebrew Scriptures to make sure that what they were being told was truth. As Paul and Silas were preaching Christ, they utilized a common thread with the Hebrew Scriptures to point out His validity within them. This did not sit well with the Jews who were in Thessalonica. That Jews in Berea were being converted based upon the evidence in the Hebrew Scriptures was just too much to bear. As far as they were concerned, the Hebrew Scriptures were NOT to be used to validate Christ. Period.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">While this stirred some discord in Berea, Paul was sent to Athens where he continued preaching. There he ran into philosophers and the Stoics. Upon hearing what he was saying, they became perplexed. Paul was alarmed at the plethora of idols all about the Greek city and was advancing the idea that there was only one God and He presented Himself in the personage of the Christ. To the Athenians, this was interesting enough for them. However, when Paul got to the resurrection, most of them begged off. To their logic and reasoning, their Hermeneutic discipline negated any validity of a man dying, being buried for three days and then coming back to life. Hermeneutical discipline failed to buttress the validity of the Christ by the very people who pioneered the Hermeneutic discipline.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">So the Jews who had their own method for interpreting the scriptures failed to agree with Paul on the nature of the Christ. Likewise, the Greek Philosophers who spent a great deal of their time ruminating of various philosophical disciplines failed to agree with Paul on the nature of the Christ. Would not an unbiased view of the account offer up only one correct interpretation regardless of the people making the interpretation? But that is not fair! one may say. People are free to believe or disbelieve. They are free to ignore the evidence presented before them. True enough, but Paul handed them no Hermeneutical argument as such; Paul simply told them what happened as he was taught it. As any good Bible student is aware, Paul was taught by the risen Christ.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the <b>rulers of this age</b>, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of <b>Gods secret wisdom</b>, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the <b>rulers of this age</b> understood it for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- 1st Corinthians 2:6-8 (emphasis mine)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">So that brings me to my next point. Paul and his conversion, his teaching via the Spirit is really the model for all Christians. We can learn the truth the EXACT same way Paul learned the truth. I would be so bold, and confident to say that there have been people on this earth who have lived in the years since Paul who have learned from Christ in the exact same way. These are people who had no formal training or schooling; they were ignorant of such words as <i>Exegesis </i>or <i>Hermeneutics</i>. Yet they were given information directly by God Almighty. These were people who because they were not puffed up with knowledge gleaned from the hallowed halls of academia God found open and willing. These were people who could hear the truth because they were not too busy listening for the applause of man.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">When modern teachers of theology dismiss their Christian brethren so quickly for revelations because they have not been adequately schooled, what exactly are they saying about the early church fathers? What are they saying about Christ? The imposition of these restrictions put in place by these self-anointed gatekeepers of the truth would keep even the Christ from being eligible to preach on His life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Geerhardus Vos (1862 1948) was a Dutch Reformed pastor and a Calvinist. He was educated at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids Michigan and then Princeton Theological Seminary. He received his doctorate in Arabic Studies from the Philosophy Faculty of Strassburg University in 1888. <i>"He was probably the best exegete Princeton ever had,"</i> Benjamin B. Warfield once told Louis Berkhof. Abraham Kuyper was so taken with the academic acumen that Kuyper offered him the chair of Old Testament studies at the Free University of Amsterdam when he was only twenty-four years old. J. Gresham Machen commented that if he knew as much as he did, he would be writing all the time. Cornelius Van Til considered him the most erudite man he had ever known.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">By all accounts, Vos was most comfortable studying and teaching, avoiding attention as a result of the response to his many works. His area of expertise was eschatological studies. Briefly, eschatology is the study of end things, in this case, the end of this present realm. For all his accolades and education, Vos had a difficult time looking at the broader picture and instead focused on marrying the God of the Old Testament with that of Jesus Christ. This isn't to dismiss Vos work; quite the contrary. However, it is to illustrate that despite his advanced education and accessibility to the best information of his day, Vos remained mired in tradition which severely clouded his studies. His Hermeneutical conclusions always supported his beliefs rather than the evidence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I firmly believe Vos was a man of God and followed the leading of his heart. I am also not above seeing that God uses people and circumstances which best fit the age they exist in. It could well be said that Geerhardus Vos did just as God wanted him to do to accurately answer the questions put before those within his particular sphere of influence. Vos had to fight back against the onslaught of very Liberal theologians who, goaded by Darwinian logic, sought to diminish Christ and His works, distilling everything down to a moral equation. Despite Vos stilted view, his goal was to elevate Christ and keep people aware. Perhaps a gentler hand in that chaotic era wouldn't have sufficed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Vos was very firmly attached to the idea that human beings were a sinful creation, destined to hell lest they come to know Christ and repent of their evil ways. Liberal theologians of his era didn't care for such an outcome but had no more understanding of scripture than did Vos. Like the atheists of today, they just found it more expedient to <i>throw the baby out with the bathwater</i> and reject Gods deity altogether.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The problem as I have already pointed out in my commentary on the 5 Points of Calvinism, is that such a stance, no matter how well-intentioned, relegates the majority of humanity - since the very foundations of the earth were laid - to a fiery hell. Such is not of God and will only be supported by Hermeneutics if one enters into the study with a presupposition. (The Atheist argument has also been addressed in my commentary, Do Atheists Have A Point?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">With all due respect to Geerhardus Vos and others who have dedicated their lives to the academic study of God whether it be to prove or disprove, I would say that not stepping back to analyze God from the perspective of God has taken them off the path of truth. God is not human. To anthropomorphize God in any way outside of the Christ is to build upon a flawed premise which will lead to a flawed conclusion. As Christians, were called to a very simple life. We are to emulate Christ in all we do. We are to allow others not already in a relationship with Christ to be able to see Christ in our actions. If we are not doing that, it really does not matter how many degrees or letters one has after his name. Paul pointed this out in 1st Corinthians 13:1:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Theologians, teachers, pastors, and other learned individuals know where to find the verse in the Bible by heart, but they NEVER think it applies to them. They have placed themselves above such humility because God has already validated them by virtue of their positions, degrees, and letters. Well then call me Nathan, because I've got news for such people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In my more than half-century of life, I have seen enough in religious circles to know one thing with absolute certainty: Not a one of these lettered theologians knows the actual details of what went down during Christ's ministry or the time of the formation of the early church. This is where secular history is extraordinarily valuable. It is one of the main reasons I immerse myself so much in the history of the entire world, and not just what was recorded in the Biblical texts. It isn't that I don't regard these texts as legitimate, but it is that they were usually written to a select group of people for a specific purpose. Biblical Hermeneutics dismisses all of this because, before the execution of a particular study, the predetermined objective is already decided upon. The discipline of Hermeneutics is merely misapplied to buttress the predetermined objective. This will be argued heatedly by my detractors, but consider the multitude of religious thought just within Protestant denominations. There are quite a few. Some major ones rise to the top like cream, but there are lesser ones as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Now consider that the seminaries which school those pastors and Doctors of Theology all have classrooms and teach their version of Hermeneutical disciplines. Employing Hermeneutics, one group will stake their life on a doctrine called <i>The Rapture</i>. Employing Hermeneutics, another group will stake their life on a doctrine which asserts that it is the responsibility of Christians today to cleanse the earth so that Christ can return: <i>Dominion Theology</i>. When one examines these two theologies, one will quickly see that they stand in direct opposition to one another. The former doctrine holds to a view that at a certain point, Christ will whisk His children off this planet so they will avoid the calamity He is about to visit upon the earth. The latter doctrine holds to a view that in order for Christ to return, this present earth must be cleansed of all evil. Can you imagine the objective of this particular movement? That which is not considered of God must be excised so Christ can return.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Let me reiterate: Two different conclusions reached using the same Biblical scriptures and the same Hermeneutical discipline. How is this possible? The answer is one I have already given. The objective of each was already laid out, and both the scriptures and the discipline were merely tools of validation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">So what was missing that this could happen to cause these two diametrically opposed conclusions? First, be aware that it is not just these two views, but a host of others which lie in between. What is missing is the Spirit. I know that sounds far too simple, but that is the answer. It is the ONLY answer. Man-made constructs act to nullify the ability of the Spirit to work in our hearts and our minds. When we utilize these various disciplines in place of the Spirit, we are telling God that we know how to get closer to Him better than He does.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">For Peter and John to confront the Doctorates of Theology of their day with the teachings, they'd received from the Spirit took tremendous faith. However, in Acts 4:8, it <b>doesn't</b> say, <i>"Then Peter, filled with the knowledge of years of study and verifiable Hermeneutical harmony of the scriptures..." </i>Instead Acts 4:8 begins, <i>"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them..." </i>The religious leaders were astounded. Despite what they may have thought about their own pedigrees, it was clear they were standing before two humble men, who just happened to know a great deal more about the subject matter then they did. The reason goes back to that explanation in verse 8: <i>Filled with the Holy Spirit.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">In my commentaries, I buck quite a bit of tradition. I don't necessarily like having to point out how much we've allowed the works of man to seep into and replace what should be solely the abode of God, but someone has to. In my younger days, I lamented not having had the opportunity to go to seminary and learn. I dearly desired to study with others and bounce concepts off of learned scholars, but my life's path was to take me elsewhere. Of course, I never lost my curiosity, and while I still do not understand God to the degree that I would like, I do try to trust Him. When God tells us that He will impart His wisdom to us through His Spirit, when He tells us to seek Him first, and then all the rest will be added to us, then I have to believe Him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Thus in my various studies, I have seen many good people who have suffered terribly because they have done precisely what I am endeavoring to do now. I don't regard myself a modern-day martyr and let me be perfectly clear: I do not covet such a position. However, I realize that there are cause and effect. Both Peter and John were threatened by the <i>Doctorates of Theology </i>in their day as recounted in Acts. These "learned theologians" were men who could not abide with these bedraggled Christian upstarts who had no formal schooling coming in and telling them they were wrong. To concede such would have been bad for their business. To be certain, business for those religious leaders, just as it is for those in the business of religion today, was pretty good. Unfortunately for the Doctorates, too many of the simpletons (read Christ-believing people) in the crowd were in agreement with Peter and John and what they had preached. It forced the religious leaders to begrudgingly back down after issuing a few more threats.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Academia has its place, and I am well aware of that. However, just like with how we as Christians have remade the image of the church into that of an angelic hierarchy, we have also done the same with our institutions of higher learning. We do not teach our seminary students truth; we indoctrinate them and call it truth. After careful examination, it would seem that <i>truth</i> is a relative term. Every seminary teaches their version of the truth and their version only. Every seminary uses the same tools, but only to buttress their version of the truth. When the sought objective is already decided upon, of what use are the tools? If one were to have given Michelangelo a block of marble already sculpted into a figure, he would have little use for the chisel and sanding cloth. Such tools may have made it look as though he did something, but he'll know that he did not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Christ desires a relationship with us. He loves us and wants our lives to be lived for the brief period of time we are on this planet with a purpose. As a people, we are more content when we have a purpose. Our purpose as Christians is to usher as many of our fellow human beings into the same love relationship with Christ we experience. We are to revel with them in their victories and cry with them in their sorrows. We are to comfort them and support them through the good and bad times in their walk, and they are to do the same for us. This is the truth which has been lost by the influence of the teaching of angels which Paul warned us about.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I want you to know, brothers that the Gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">- Galatians 1:6-12</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Need I be the one to point out by virtue of that dialogue Paul would be invalidated as a leader or teacher in the modern church? The mere fact he asserts the claim that he learned from no man is enough right there. What is a seminary if not one man teaching another? Does the Spirit figure in this instruction? I would dearly like to believe so, and despite my seeming issues against orthodox methodology, I know the Spirit can and does still work. However, like the Pharisees of old, their resistance blunts the effect.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">There is no way I could make it through seminary today. It is not that I couldn't write the type of papers they want to see and pass their exams; instead, it is that like Paul, I would not be doing so to please man, but to please God. To do that, I would have to present something other than what is taught in seminary. God has placed these thoughts and observations upon my heart. I realize this will put me at odds with those who hold to orthodox views; they have much to protect. To cede the fact that what they may have learned is in error takes such people out of the pulpit and places them in the pews. Such is a little like always having had the benefit of flying first class and then facing the prospect of having to ride coach; you just cannot go back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Let me be clear about something while we're on that subject. I have no desire to be anything other than what I am: a witness for Christ. The thought of leading a large church or organization is an anathema to me. I realize that this is the sole motivating goal for a great many of our religious leaders today, but such is not of Christ. While I've got the time, I will endeavor to impart these thoughts to any who bother to read them. I am not desirous of tearing down the citadels of religion just to take over and build my own; I desire to see such fall away to be replaced by Christ. I know that this is mostly wishful thinking. Human beings aren't that humble. Few are the men and women I've come across who have looked at the edifice they've built and walked away from it because they recognized the barrier it truly proved to be between them, their congregation and Christ. (To be fair, I have known a few who did do this.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Do I believe that Hermeneutics can be used as an accurate tool to help to understand scripture? I believe that understanding the historical context, the proper definition and usage of the word and its attendant meaning within the narrative context, understanding the culture of the people who wrote it and to whom it was intended is vitally important. I have used such discernment when putting together my commentaries. What I do not regard as useful is the application of such tools to prove a presupposition. This, I believe, I have proven occurs far too often within theological academia by virtue of the examples I have presented. The reader will have to ultimately decide whether my opinion has merit or not. To the students presently in academia, I would suggest pointing out the conflicts of the various doctrines to your instructors. Ask why such exists if all are applying Hermeneutics without a presupposition?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This brings me to my next point and the most important one on this particular subject: The power of the Spirit. It is my firm belief that the best Hermeneutical discipline one can employ in attempting to understand scripture is the Spirit of the Living God. We were given the power of the Spirit, but the simple truth is that we don't really believe in the power of the Spirit. It is a given we don't trust our fellow Christians to utilize the power of the Spirit properly; that is just too much spiritual freedom. Someone has to keep a lid on things! One can argue to the contrary, but the mere fact we continually use man-made concepts to understand that which Christ said He freely would give us proves the truth of my assertion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The proof of a Christian is in their fruits, and those fruits are easily manifest to those who already possess them. Preach Christ crucified and now risen; preach His love for all mankind, preach the relationship He so desperately wants, and I'm pretty sure you'll find very little need for Hermeneutical discipline. Scripture only gives a faint verification of what is already known in the heart through the Spirit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I would urge those who have taken issue with my commentary to read this essay by Dr. Donald G. Bloesch Ph.D. While I do not agree with all he concludes, I was frankly well pleased by the fact that I had found his essay after I had completed my own and realized he had said many of the same things and raised similar issues. His essay can be found here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=0</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-86900929761695681852014-03-04T08:37:00.005-08:002014-10-12T01:03:31.807-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c3Rbkn5bNgM/VDo1x3g1niI/AAAAAAAAAM0/NdgBKWOyTAw/s1600/holy_trinity-normal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c3Rbkn5bNgM/VDo1x3g1niI/AAAAAAAAAM0/NdgBKWOyTAw/s1600/holy_trinity-normal.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Holy Trinity</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When did we split God up into three
separate beings…and why?</span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">All contents copyright
© 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the
related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of
the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">*
* *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
suppose it was only a matter of time before this subject was raised. Readers of
my previous commentaries have already seen hints as to my beliefs regarding the
Trinity, but I haven’t as yet done a commentary specific to the topic until now.
The reasons are many, but foremost are that this particular doctrine is
regarded as the bedrock of Christianity and one must tread carefully and make
certain of their facts. Those who have dared question the Trinity are usually dismissed
as not being Christian by those who do hold to the orthodox doctrinal belief. This
is a shame because to always tag those who question the rudiments of the
Christian faith as not being Christian is to remain ignorant. God is big enough
to undergo even the most rigorous scrutiny even if His <i>“defenders”</i> are not. However
before I continue, I suppose I should explain just what the Trinity is and why
it has been so eagerly embraced by Christians.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I’ll begin this
commentary by explaining that it is not meant to answer every question with
respect to the Trinity. The amount of work necessary to follow every lead and
compile all of the evidence is better suited to a Doctoral dissertation. While
this commentary could be an adequate partial framework for just that purpose,
in its present incarnation it is but a faint overview of the information
regarding this doctrine. My main point presently is to bring awareness to
people of the doctrine’s origins and why I believe that rather than being a
construct of God Almighty, it is really a means by which the enemy divides us
so as to make it easier to conquer. Heretical? Read and then you can be the
judge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Trinity put very
simply is a doctrine which explains that there is one God who eternally exists
as three distinct persons—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Each are regarded as God, each is regarded as existing eternally and each is
regarded as equal to the other. This consortium is referred to as the Trinity
or the Triune Godhead. This definition is the one which the Council at Nicaea
agreed upon in 325 AD:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We believe in <b>one God</b>, the <u>Father Almighty</u>,
Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one <u>Lord Jesus Christ</u>,
the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the
essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God,
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;</span></i> <i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By whom all things were made [both
in heaven and on earth];</span></i> <i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who
for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made
man;</span></i> <i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He suffered, and
the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; From thence he shall come to
judge the quick and the dead. And in the <u>Holy Ghost</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> (emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">By the time of the Second
Ecumenical Council fifty-six years later, some revisions had to be made based
upon changing needs. The Council of Constantinople in 381 AD expanded upon the
creed, making it more specific and giving broader identity to the Holy Spirit,
which was less clearly understood as part of the over-all Triune Godhead at the
time of the first council. This ambiguity regarding the church’s position on
the Holy Spirit led to the Macedonian or Pneumatomachian “heresy,” which denied
the divinity of the Holy Spirit. The latter revision is the one which was
disseminated most widely throughout the church. Called the "Niceno-Constantinopolitan
Creed" or the "Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed”, it was later simply
referred to as the “Nicene Creed” completely overshadowing its former
incarnation. The revised creed reads thus:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
believe in <b>one God</b>, the <u>Father,
the Almighty</u>,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">maker
of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
believe in one <u>Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God</u>,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">eternally
begotten from the Father, God from God, Light from Light,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">true
God from true God, begotten, not made, of the same substance as the Father.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Through
him all things were made.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">by
the power of the Holy Spirit<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">he
was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">he
suffered, died, and was buried.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">he
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">and
his kingdom will have no end.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
believe in the <u>Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life</u>,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">who
proceeds from the Father (and the Son).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
has spoken through the Prophets.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
look for the resurrection of the dead,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">and
the life of the world to come. Amen.<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">(emphasis
mine)<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The question which may
come to mind respecting this configuration is: <i>“If there are <b>three</b> distinct
persons, how can there be <b>one</b> God?”</i>
This is a question which has vexed just as many within the faith as it has to
those outside of the faith. To assert the position of worshipping only one God,
but then introducing a grouping of three is confusing to even the most pious
Christian. This is perfectly understandable as it stands as an absolute
incongruity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The question then is
asked: “<i>Is the Trinity just God showing
three different aspects of Himself?”</i> The answer by orthodoxy is a
resounding NO. The rationale is that the Bible shows that the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons. Advocates of this rationale
point first to passages such as John 3:16, John 16:10, John 14:26 and Acts
2:33. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No one has ever
gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as
Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes
in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever
believes Him is not condemned, <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
John 3:13-18<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">That passage is
pregnant with so much that orthodoxy either misses or ignores that I am almost
inclined to write on that instead, but as it is necessary for this present
topic, I will continue. When one considers the wording in that passage as well
as the passage near the end of the Gospel of Matthew, it is easy to come away
with the impression that we’re dealing with three distinct persons.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Matthew 28:19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The words used in the
Greek to denote Father, Son and Holy Spirit are thus: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Father:</span></u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <b>Pater </b> πατήρ Strong’s #3962 ("father") is
used of our heavenly Father. He imparts life, from physical birth to the gift
of eternal life through the second birth (regeneration, being born again).
Through ongoing sanctification, the believer more and more resembles their
heavenly Father – i.e. each time they receive faith from Him and obey it, which
results in their unique glorification.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Son:</span></u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
<b>Huios</b> υ</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ἱ</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ός Strong’s #5207
properly, a son (by birth or adoption); (figuratively) anyone sharing the same
nature as their Father. For the believer, becoming a son of God begins with
being reborn (adopted) by the heavenly Father – through Christ (the work of the
eternal Son). In the NT, 5207 /hyiós ("son") equally refers to female
believers (Gal 3:28).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Holy
Spirit:</span></u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <b>Pneuma</b>
πνε</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ῦ</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">μα
Strong’s #4151 properly, spirit (Spirit), wind, or breath. The most frequent
meaning (translation) of 4151 (pneúma) in the NT is "spirit"
("Spirit"). Only the context however determines which sense(s) is
meant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[Any
of the above renderings (spirit-Spirit, wind, breath) of 4151 (pneúma) is
always theoretically possible (spirit, Spirit, wind, breath). But when the
attributive adjective ("holy") is used, it always refers to the Holy
Spirit. "Spirit" ("spirit") is by far the most common
translation (application) of 4151 (pneúma).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In the 21st Century, we
have the benefit of two thousand years of rumination and contemplation over
just what the application of these terms mean respecting God Almighty. For the
most part, the Trinity as it stands today was molded by the time of the Arian
Controversy during the formative years right after the convening of the first
of the Ecumenical Councils convened by Constantine the Great between 325 – 381
AD. This controversy was sparked by the Alexandrian presbyter Arius ( 256–336)
that a critical mass of bishops rallied around what eventually became standard
language about the Trinity. This from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
controversy was complex, and has been much illuminated by recent historians
(Ayres 2004; Freeman 2008; Hanson 1988; Pelikan 1971; Rubenstein 1999; Williams
2001). It can be briefly summarized as follows. Arius taught, in accordance
with an earlier subordinationist theological tradition, that the Son of God was
a creature, made by God from nothing a finite time ago. Sometime around
318–21AD a controversy broke out, with Arius' teaching opposed initially by his
bishop Alexander of Alexandria (d. 326). Alexander examined and excommunicated
Arius. Numerous churchmen, adhering to subordinationist traditions about the
Son rallied to Arius' side, while others, favoring theologies holding to the
eternal existence of the Son and his (in some sense) ontological equality with
the Father, joined his opponents. The dispute threatened to split the church,
and a series of councils ensued, variously excommunicating and vindicating
Arius and his defenders, or their opponents. Each side successively tried to
win the favor of the then-current emperor, trying to manipulate imperial power
to crush its opposition.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Unified thought on just
what was the Trinity, was difficult to achieve at best. The reasons for this
are actually quite simple: <b><i>No </i></b>Trinitarian doctrine is
explicitly taught in the scriptures. That may seem like a provocative
assertion, but it is never-the-less a fact. Scripture is used to buttress a
presumption of a Trinity, but no such structure explicitly exists within
scripture, rather we interpret based upon presumption. Needless to say for a
host of reasons, this is dangerous to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What may be unknown to
a great number of Christians, who hold to a Trinitarian view of God, is that
the concept is not unique within religion world-wide. The concept of <b>hypostasis</b> as the shared existence of
spiritual or corporal entities has been used in a number of religious and
intellectual settings. The word hypostasis means underlying state or underlying
substance, and is the fundamental reality that supports all else. This from
Wikipedia:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Christian
usage, the Greek word hypostasis (</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ὑ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">πόστ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ᾰ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">σις) means beneath-standing or
underpinning and, by extension, the existence of something. It can also mean
manifestation.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Early
Christian writings it is used to denote "being" or "substantive
reality" and is not always distinguished in meaning from ousia 'essence'
or 'substance'; it was used in this way by Tatian and Origen, and also in the
anathemas appended to the Nicene Creed of 325. See also: Hypostatic union,
where the term is used to describe the union of Christ's humanity and divinity.
The term has also been used and is still used in modern Greek (not just Koine
Greek or common ancient Greek) to mean "existence" along with the
Greek word hýparxis (</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ὕ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">παρξις)
and tropos hypárxeos (τρόπος </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ὑ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">πάρξεως),
which is individual existence.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was mainly
under the influence of the Cappadocian Fathers that the terminology was
clarified and standardized, so that the formula "Three Hypostases in one
Ousia" came to be accepted as an epitome of the orthodox doctrine of the
Holy Trinity. Specifically, Basil of Caesarea argues that the two terms are not
synonymous and that they therefore are not to be used indistinctly in referring
to the Godhead. He writes, "The distinction between ousia and hypostases'
is the same as that between the general and the particular; as, for instance,
between the animal and the particular man. Wherefore, in the in the case of the
Godhead, we confess one essence or substance so as not to give variant
definition of existence, but we confess a particular hypostasis, in order that
our conception of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit may be without confusion and
clear."This consensus, however, was not achieved without some confusion at
first in the minds of "Western" theologians, who had translated
hypo-stasis as "sub-stantia" (substance. See also Consubstantiality)
and understood the "Eastern" Christians, when speaking of three
"Hypostases" in the Godhead, to mean three "Substances,"
i.e. they suspected them of Tritheism. From the middle of the fourth century
onwards the word came to be contrasted with ousia and used to mean
"individual reality," especially in the Trinitarian and
Christological contexts. The Christian view of the Trinity is often described
as a view of one God existing in three distinct hypostases/personae/persons.The
Latin "persona" is not the same as the English "person" but
is a broader term that includes the meaning of the English "persona."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
early church was a group of very courageous people who were literally on the
run for their very lives. The persecutions of Nero were only the first volley
of terrors which were to be visited upon these people as they sought only to
follow through with Christ’s command for them to, <i>“Go and make disciples of all nations…” <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Beyond
having to dodge the overt persecutions from their government (Rome), they soon
found themselves having to battle against deliberate error being disseminated
in their name which began to twist and pervert the very nature of Christ. The
authors of these works remained largely anonymous, but variously ascribed their
works to the known Apostles to assure validity. For too many people, these
works were read and believed. The situation became so dire that an early church
father named Irenaeus, Bishop of Smyrna, wrote a five volume work titled, <i>“Adversus Haereses”</i> or <i>“Against Hereies” </i>to answer these
errors. Irenaeus was a student of an early church father named Polycarp of
Smyrna. Polycarp, in turn, was a student of the Apostle John. This pedigree
lends considerable weight to Irenaeus’ writings. In fact no less that of a later
church father under Constantine named Eusebius of Caesarea regarded Irenaeus’
work so important that he used them as a framework for his own writings to lend
validity to the Universal Church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Irenaeus
wrote his work approximately 180 – 186 AD. In his work, he describes several
schools of Gnosticism and contrasts their beliefs with that of the purity of
Christianity. The influx of the Gnostics into true Christianity was confusing for
too many people. As the populous was largely illiterate, none had the knowledge
and skill to refute the errant writings. Part of what the Gnostics postulated
was the concept of a muti-person Aion (</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">Α</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">ἰ</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;">ών</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">) into sets of fours or eights </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">(Irenaeus, Against Hereisies, 1.1.1–3;
1.8.5; 1.11.1; 1.12.3; 1.15.1–2.) (Aions were Hellenistic deities)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
most well known of these early Gnostics was Valentinus (100 – 160 AD) According
to a later Church father critical of the Gnostic’s works Named Tertullian,
Valentinus was initially a candidate for the position as Bishop of Rome, but he
started his own group when he was passed over. (As a point of edification,
prior to the time of Constantine and the legitimizing of Christianity, church
leaders in specific areas were referred to as bishops. Bishop, </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ἐ</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">πίσκοπος, epískopos in
Greek, simply means <i>“overseer”</i> or <i>“guardian.”</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There
is much about Valentinus which is lost to history, but a Coptic version of his
work, <i>“Gospel of Truth”</i> which was mentioned
by both Irenaeus and Tertullian, was discovered at Nag Hammadi in 1945 lending
credence to the veracity of the claims against him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider
the differing points of view the early church fathers prior to the first of the
Ecumenical Councils held with respect to the Trinity. When one sees the gross
error introduced by these councils, how is it that like a <i>cafeteria</i>, we Christians continue to “pick and choose” that which
we like or dislike when it come to “truth?” I can only imagine the talks
Irenaeus must have had with Polycarp regarding points of theology. One would
think that if the Apostle John believed in three distinct persons as the makeup
of the Triune Godhead, he would have passed that information on to his student,
regarding it as an important fundamental. Further, it would be logical to
assume that Polycarp would have passed that teaching onto Irenaeus. However,
the written record does not reflect this belief.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Polycarp,
Bishop of Smyrna </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(69 – 155 AD) recognized no Trinitarian
concept of God. Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John. Based upon this
excerpt, it could best be said that Polycarp regarded the Trinity as aspects of
God rather than three distinct persons:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 6.0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now may the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the eternal High-priest Himself, the [Son of] God Jesus
Christ, build you up in faith and truth, and in all gentleness and in all
avoidance of wrath and in forbearance and long suffering and in patient
endurance and in purity; and may He grant unto you a lot and portion among His
saints, and to us with you, and to all that are under heaven, who shall believe
on our Lord and God Jesus Christ and on His Father (The Epistle of Polycarp to
the Philippians in APOSTOLIC FATHERS (as translated by J.B. LIGHTFOOT) 12:6,7).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: 6.0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Irenaeus,
Bishop of Smyrna </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(130 – 202 AD) was not as clear
respecting the Triune Godhead as is orthodoxy. He acknowledges the divine
incarnation of the Son and the Spirit, but does not expressly designate them
God. Rather he takes a position that both are aspects of God. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Justin
Martyr</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> (100 -165 AD) takes a subordinationist approach
where God and Christ are concerned. (No mention of the Spirit appears) To
explain, the subordinationist believes that Jesus is subordinate to that of God
the Father, thus there is no equality of any sort of Duality or Trinity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Origen
of Alexandria</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> (184 – 153) Conceptualized a
quasi-triune Godhead, but was also subordinationist in his eventual belief,
conceding that the Father alone was God.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
Constantine legitimized the Christian faith, he did not allow for the freedom
in Christ which was the central point of Christianity. One will recall
Galatians 5:22:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But
the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, <b>there is no law</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
believe it is reasonable to ask why Constantine, if he was truly sincere about
being a Christian, needed to convene a council at all, let alone six others
over the course of following centuries between 325 AD and 787 AD. Could one not
regard the scriptures as they stood as adequate enough? When we regard the
Bible as inerrant, is that not what we’re essentially stating? This is where
orthodoxy hides much of its origins. The true thought they all share is that
the Bible does not stand alone; the Bible must be supported by doctrine and
dogma. Orthodoxy asserts that <i>NO ONE</i>
can simply pick up a Bible, read it and glean the truth. If orthodoxy truly supported
such a notion, the plethora of doctrines and dogmas unique to a multitude of
Christian faiths would be wholly unnecessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
such doctrine was necessary from the standpoint of the Roman Emperor.
Constantine had a larger problem to face than his <i>eternal</i> destination; he had an empire to knit together—and to <i>keep</i> together. A necessity of order must
exist in a proper structure. Structure avoids chaos. Whether for good or for ill,
a single thought avoids confusion. Constantine was intelligent enough to see
that adhering to the strict teachings of Jesus Christ would necessitate his
removal as the Roman Emperor. The world as Christ envisioned it within the
Gospels—as the Apostles wrote in their epistles—was not mirrored in the
structure of the Roman Empire, or in Constantine’s goals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Creating
“heaven on Earth” was not what Constantine had in mind; ensuring the survival
of the Empire under one leader was. As stated before, this necessitated control
thus, the Ecumenical Councils. It was within those councils in which rules were
written for application to the Christian “religion” to ensure the continuation
of the Roman Empire. It was in these rules the concept of the Holy Trinity
became a useful tool. Just as there was a “Heavenly hierarchy” manifest in the <b>Father</b>, the <b>Son</b> and the <b>Holy Spirit</b>,
so too could there be an earthly hierarchy manifest in the <b>Emperor</b>, the <b>Pope</b> and <b>Holy</b> <b>Doctrine</b>. Nothing would proceed from the mouth of the Pope and be
set forth in Holy Doctrine which had not first been approved by the Emperor,
thus the Pope did the Emperor’s will in much the same fashion as the Son did the
Father’s will. This was a mindset which was emphasized most stridently
throughout the new church. The writings of Augustine, Tertullian, Eusebius, and
John Chrysostom buttressed and set down in the minds of the people this new
view of the teachings of Christ. The strict flow of information mitigated the
possibility of error. Since the Empire had control of most all the known
original writings, there was little defense for those who saw the gross
usurpation of the truth. As time went on, most simply forgot and no longer knew
the truth from the carefully constructed and now ubiquitous lie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
fall of the Roman Empire in approximately 480 AD further complicated matters by
putting what few works there were out of the hands of most the populous. The
early church had no structure as did the Jews, so without the direction of the
Emperor, the people were left with nothing. Centuries passed with most people
adopting various prevailing beliefs which came about through their conquerors,
or beliefs simply made up. What was left of the Catholic Church was bunkered in
various monasteries sprinkled about the former empire. This was the condition
until Frankish King Charlemagne was crowned as Emperor in the year 800 AD by
Pope Leo III. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
revived empires existed on uneven ground until 962 AD when Otto I was crowned
Emperor. It was to him the true founding of the Holy Roman Empire is ascribed
during his reign as the German King from 936 AD
until his death in 973 AD. In between the dissolution of the Roman
Empire in 480 and Otto I in 962 (and later, William the Conqueror in 1066),
most of Europe was ruled by growing feudal kingdoms. People who could take and
hold land, defending it from marauders, soon found others willing to trade
their services for protection upon that land. From these tiny feudal kingdoms
came the Charlemagne’s, the Otto’s and the William the Conqueror’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Otto
I followed the same essential path as had Constantine over five hundred years
before him, using the church as a means to solidify rule over the people.
Otto’s victory over the Asiatic people to the East called the Magyars in 955 AD
(most likely people displaced after the fall of the Roman Empire in 480 AD who
mixed with the Huns, Goths and Vandals) helped to create an aura about him as
the “Savior of Christianity. The Magyars were regarded as pagans, respecting
nothing of the rules and regulations known to the Catholic Church. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
if the Holy Trinity is not three distinct persons, then just what is it? The
question remains: How can God be talking to Jesus? How can Jesus talk about the
Holy Spirit as something separate from Himself? These are all legitimate
questions and their answer lies not in creating rules and regulations which
have come out of our dearth of human understanding, but from the very Spirit we
struggle to know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God
is not human. I realize that should be axiomatic, but even a cursory look at
the voluminous theological history we have shows it is not. From portrayals of
God as a grizzled old, stern-faced man with a white beard and long white hair,
to modern imagery where a faceless God is seated on a huge throne with the much
smaller Christ seated (or standing) beside Him, we have this image of a “human-like”
God fixed in our consciousness. This anthropomorphism of God Almighty creates
finite limitations not a part of God Almighty’s essential makeup. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Here
is a surprisingly uncomfortable truth of which most Christians are ignorant: No
one has ever seen God Almighty except for the Christ. Not Adam and Eve, not
Enoch, not Noah, not Abraham, not Elijah … not even Moses. None of these great
people of the Old Testament had ever laid eyes upon Almighty God in the flesh—<b>ever</b>. Why do I assert such a claim? To
be fair, it is not my claim, but rather Christ’s. Consider: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. <b>No one has ever seen God</b>, but God the
One and only who was at the Father’s side has made Him known</span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"><i> </i>-
John 1:17-18 (emphasis mine)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul speaks on this
same situation in his letter to Timothy:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of
our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time—God, the
blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is
immortal and who lives in an unapproachable light whom <b>no one has seen or can see.</b></span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"><i> </i>-
1</span><sup style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;">st</sup><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"> Timothy 6:14-16 (emphasis mine)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As
does the Apostle John in his epistle:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dear
friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. <b>No one has ever seen God</b>, but if we
love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us</span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"><i> </i>-
1</span><sup style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;">st</sup><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"> John 4:11-12 (emphasis mine)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: right;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
why is it that so many of these great people of the New Testament including
Jesus Christ claim no one has ever seen God if in fact many people of the Old
Testament have not only seen God, but actually sat down and had lunch with him.
Consider this passage from Genesis:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Lord appeared to Abraham</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> near the great trees of Mamre
while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.
Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he
hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my Lord, do not pass your servant
by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest
under this tree. <b>Let me get you
something to eat</b>, <u>so you can be refreshed</u> and then go on your
way—now that you have come to your servant.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Very
well,” they answered, “do as you say.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of
the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then
he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant,
who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf
that had been prepared, and set these before them. <b>While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. </b></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b> </b></span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">– Genesis 18:1-8 (emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Despite
the blatant anthropomorphism here, it is a situation which makes either Moses
(or his father-in-law, Jethro who taught him these stories) out to be a liar. Or
perhaps Jesus Christ is the liar. What is clear is that both assertions cannot
be truth. Yet this is but one instance of a face to face meeting between God
and His people. Moses also met face to face with God on numerous occasions in
the Tent of Meeting. Consider this passage from Exodus:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Lord would speak to Moses <b>face to face</b>, as a man speaks to his
friend. - </span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: right;">Exodus 33:11(emphasis mine)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: right;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Theologians
who have struggled with this clear dichotomy came up with the novel approach of
a “Pre-incarnate Christ” who is the “God” we see so often throughout the Old
Testament. This is more formally, but generically called a <b>Theophany </b>(Greek<b> </b>θεοφάνεια), a spiritual manifestation of a
deity. Despite the assertion from the author of Hebrews who claims that Christ
had never been to earth prior to His earthly incarnation ( Hebrews 9:26), the
Theophany presumption remains because in orthodoxy, there no other explanation
as to who is representing God in these Old Testament instances. I’ll further
add that the God of the Old Testament cannot be the Christ because that entity—especially
if thought a pre-incarnate Christ—acts NOTHING like Jesus Christ. When people
focus so much on Doctrine and Dogma that they cannot separate error from truth,
we are in serious trouble. As a Christian, we are supposed to be able to see
the Character of Christ clearly. It is a character of love and forgiveness and
gentleness. Without belaboring this point (I’ve outlined my position on this
particular argument many times in previous commentaries), I will simply say
that the presupposition created by the Councils predominates any thinking on
the part of orthodox theology. So certain are these adherents of orthodox
theology of the belief that these men who were called together by the Emperor
of the Roman Empire would allow nothing but absolute truth to be codified in
their orthodox belief, they will stake their academic integrity on it. I’ll
hasten to had that <i>everything</i> which
was codified in the first council had to be approved by this same Roman Emperor,
a believer in the pagan sun god, Amun Ra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There
are a couple of issues I would like to highlight before I continue, the first
of which deals with the legitimacy of the position that the Old Testament god
is in fact God Almighty. Christian theologians take much of their information
(if not all) from the position held by the Jews. Little of the Jewish
traditions are challenged by Christian theology, perhaps because of such
earlier actions by leaders such as Otto I—I really do not know. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Hebrew people denoted their god by the usage of the word, <i>“EL”</i> or possibly <i>“ELOAH.”</i>
This rendered in the Hebrew as: אֵל. This is an interesting word pregnant with
much tradition, but not much in the way of specifics. Many ancient Semitic
tribes used EL as a generic word to denote a deity. This from Wikipedia:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cognate
forms are found throughout the Semitic languages. They include Ugaritic </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">il, pl. </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">lm; Phoenician </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">l pl. </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">lm; Hebrew </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ēl, pl. </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ēlîm; Aramaic </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">l; Akkadian ilu, pl. ilānu.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Northwest Semitic usage El was both a generic word for any "god" and
the special name or title of a particular God who was distinguished from other
gods as being "the god", or in the monotheistic sense, God. El is
listed at the head of many pantheons. El is the Father God among the
Canaanites.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
because the word sometimes refers to a god other than the great god Ēl, it is
frequently ambiguous as to whether Ēl followed by another name means the great
god Ēl with a particular epithet applied or refers to another god entirely. For
example, in the Ugaritic texts </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">il
mlk is understood to mean "Ēl the King" but </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">il hd as "the god Hadad".<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Semitic root </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">lh
(Arabic </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ilāh,
Aramaic </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alāh,
</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Elāh, Hebrew </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">elōah) may be </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">l with a parasitic h, and </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">l may be an abbreviated form of </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">lh. In Ugaritic the plural form
meaning "Gods" is </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ilhm,
equivalent to Hebrew </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">elōhîm
"Gods". But in Hebrew this word is also regularly used for
semantically singular "god" or "God".<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
stem </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">l
is found prominently in the earliest strata of east Semitic, northwest Semitic,
and south Semitic groups. Personal names including the stem </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">l are found with similar patterns
both in Amorite and South Arabic which indicates that probably already in
Proto-Semitic </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʾ</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">l
was both a generic term for "god" and the common name or title of a
single particular "god" or "God".<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
our English language, we can denote a proper pronoun by capitalization of the
word. <i>“God”</i> would be capitalized to
denote God Almighty, indicating a particular singular entity as opposed to a
general entity. This would give the reader the clear understanding we talking
about a particular God as opposed to just a god in the general sense. In
Hebrew, there is no capitalization, thus context and usage is the only means by
which to convey intent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Greek Septuagint is a translation of the Hebrew Bible (Torah) and some related
texts into the Koine Greek which took place under the direction of Greek King
of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphus approximately 325 – 350 BC for its inclusion
in the Library of Alexandria. The name “Septuagint takes its name from the
seventy Jewish scholars who completed the translation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jerome
was later commissioned to translate the old Greek texts into Latin as Greek was
no longer the recognized state language. Jerome utilized copies of the Septuagint
which had been revised earlier by Origen Adamantius, an early church father. Jerome
also found and used certain ancient Hebrew texts to augment his translation
much later on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It
should be noted that we have no extant copies of any of the original texts. We
have copies of copies of copies. Through every translation and incarnation,
cultural idioms have seeped in along with adherence to principles native to the
translated language. (e.g. Hebrew has no capital letters, but English does. Thus,
a presumption has to be made as to what would be regarded as a proper pronoun.)
Given the circuitous route taken to get the ancient Hebrew scriptures penned by
Moses in a Semitic language older than ancient Hebrew script into English, it
is a fact that changes were made. This doesn’t dilute the essential story, but
it could do much to change the intended meaning. <i>“el”</i> or <i>“EL”</i> אֵל simply means god. A presumption and a
belief have to be attached to this term in order to make it mean, “<i>Creator God Almighty.”</i> Again if one
holds that these various mentions in the Old Testament were in reference to God
Almighty, one has declared Jesus Christ a liar because He directly refutes that
assertion. (John 1:18) The indication is that the ancient Hebrews certainly regarded
<i>EL</i> as Creator God Almighty, but those
same Hebrews also did not recognize the deity of the Christ. Their position may
be seen as in error by Christians, but at least it is congruent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
would challenge scholars and others who desire to be true to the meaning of
these texts to exercise their God-given intellect and reason and take a fresh
look at the naked evidence of the scriptures, divested of any presupposition. I
would venture to guess that God would begin to reveal much heretofore hidden
from them by virtue of their own pride.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
again, the question is asked: What is the Trinity if not three distinct persons
working in perfect harmony and consort with one another? This is my conclusion
based upon my studies. This conclusion represents roughly thirty years of
study, research, contemplation and prayer. One is certainly free to dismiss my conclusions;
I only ask that they be given consideration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
began by explaining that God is not a human being. I reiterate that here
because it is vitally important the nature of God be kept forefront in one’s
mind. What God is in His original construct is so vast, so encompassing, that a
human mind cannot begin to conceptualize Him. In short, God is everything.
There is nothing you can see, touch, taste, hear or smell which is not God. I
like the image which Paul used in describing God as living in an unapproachable
light as white light is a combination of all colors within the spectrum. Refraction
gives us an image of these different colors, but under normal conditions one
sees only white light. I regard God in His “normal” state as just such white
light. Evidently, so does the Apostle Paul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How
does such a being present Himself to His creation, especially a creation so
limited as are human beings existing in a temporal realm in a corporeal state?
Initially, He utilized spiritual entities specifically designed to traverse the
two states of being as His special ambassadors. These spiritual entities could
interact with God on a level that I do not completely understand and then
interact with humanity on basic, relatable level. Through this exchange, God
Almighty could direct His spiritual ambassadors to take charge of human agency.
He didn’t specifically tell them how to go about administering over us, but
rather allowed them to administer as they saw fit. In this way, God Almighty was
able to teach His spiritual ambassadors more about Him while teaching human
beings more about Him. It is akin to a classroom filled with two groups of students
learning the same subject in two different ways. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To
directly interface with the human creation without violating the covenant He
had with His spiritual ambassadors, God Almighty could do only one thing: Come
to earth as a man. This is what He did in the personage of the Christ. I will
reiterate: God Almighty is <b>NOT</b> a
human being in His “normal” construct. Do not get sidetracked from that
thought. God Almighty <i>CAN</i> be in two
places at the same time given that one of those locations is a temporal “bubble”
created within Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
this way, two parts of the Holy Trinity are realized; the essential “God” which
is all about us, and His personage amongst us in the guise of the Christ. That
leaves us with the last part of the Trinity which is the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit is that power which is imparted to believers as a result of <b><i>relationship</i></b>.
One cannot possess (or harness, if you will) the power of the Spirit absent a
relationship with God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Here
is a simplistic way that I have conceived to explain the Holy Spirit. If one
has family member to whom they are close, a spouse or even a close friend, one
develops a relationship with that person. This relationship can be extraordinarily
powerful. Through such a relationship, much can be conveyed. You will learn
skills and glean information either directly or indirectly as a result of the
power of that relationship. We all have relationships with others to a greater
or lesser degree. Think of a teacher or some mentor who was prominent in your life
and the power that relationship has had in your life. That (in a very small way)
is akin to the Holy Spirit in a Christ-centered relationship. I call it <i>“Relational Causality.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When
Christ gave believers the “Great Commission” related to us at the end of the
Gospel of Matthew, he told us to baptize others giving special note of the meaning
by which Creator God wishes us to know Him; His “normal” or <b>“Essential Construct,”</b> His <b>“Empathetic Humanity”</b> and the incredibly
strong and everlasting <b>“Relational
Causality.” </b>In understanding the breadth and totality of His being, we
would come to better understand our own. Consider that human beings are
essentially spirit in construct. While we exist here in this temporal realm, we
are encased in a finite human body. I’ve already used the analogy of the power
of relationship. So in this way, God has given us an example of the true
construct of the “Trinity” just by looking at ourselves: Spirit, flesh and
relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orthodoxy
is essentially tradition. Traditions come about for a number of reasons as I
have hopefully been able to illustrate adequately enough in this commentary. In
the 21<sup>st</sup> Century, we have access to information on a scale not ever seen
in the history of humanity. In the face of this information (which is not new,
just rediscovered), it is incumbent upon our teachers, leaders and pastors to
break from the traditions which have been proven to be false and look once
again towards God for the truth. This means that many of them will lose all
their worldly goods because their world was built upon the sand to begin with.
While from an earthly perspective this seems like too much to ask of any one
person, the reality is that if one were to win the whole world, it would not be
a fair exchange for one’s soul. The choice as to which to follow is up to the
individual. Truth or tradition? It will take courage to decide, especially to those
seduced already by the world. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
will leave with this prescient quote from Joshua:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Now
fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your
ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the
Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then <b>choose for yourselves this day whom you
will serve</b>, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or
the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my
household, we will serve the Lord.”</span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-align: right;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: right;">- Joshua 24:14-15 (emphasis mine)</span></div>
</div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-74919625061435675752014-03-01T07:40:00.000-08:002015-01-23T11:24:45.566-08:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9hkfZqEPcYQ/VDo2PtG7DoI/AAAAAAAAAM8/4LVWy7jm9cs/s1600/zombie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9hkfZqEPcYQ/VDo2PtG7DoI/AAAAAAAAAM8/4LVWy7jm9cs/s1600/zombie.jpg" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Did The Saints Really Come Back To
Life?</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<h3>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">An Expository on Matthew 27:51-54</span></b></h3>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">All contents copyright ©
2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the
related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means
(electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of the publisher.</span><b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">*
* *<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"And
behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the
earth shook, and the rocks were split.
The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had
fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection
they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those
who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took
place, they were filled with awe and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of
God.’"<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-
Matthew 27:51-54<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%;">O</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">ne
of the more bizarre passages in the New Testament is the one above found in the
Gospel of Matthew. This particular passage which occurs at the point of time
when Christ died on the cross was part of a series of climactic events which
occurred in Jerusalem. In addition to this event where the “saints” (Greek: Hagios - <i>Those who are like Christ </i>or <i>Likeness of nature with the Lord) </i>arose, we
also have the curtain separating the inner Holy of Holies being torn in two
starting from the top down to the bottom. Without a doubt, this is a difficult
passage and one which I have found no one quite can agree on. This is a passage
which had perplexed me for more than 30 years. On its surface, it does not seem
to make a great deal of sense. Are we reading spiritual analogy, is it meant as
symbolism, or did this event really occur as it was recorded by the Apostle
Matthew? I will endeavor to answer the question to the best of my ability.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I will start this
exploration by making a few things about what I believe very clear. Unless one
knows my perspective, one will not be able to follow my explanation. I will
begin by making clear that I do not hold to many orthodox views respecting Christianity
as readers of my commentaries are already well aware. While my views do not
necessarily follow orthodoxy, I will challenge anyone—ANYONE—to show me where
my views diminish Christ. To be clear, Jesus Christ is God Almighty. There is
but one God that I believe in and He showed Himself to us in the personage of
the Christ. He interacts with us in this day though His Spirit and through
other Christians who are to be His face. A great deal of what orthodoxy teaches
is essentially doctrine and dogma. Some of this Dogma has been embraced by my
Evangelical brethren, but there is scant evidence of its legitimacy. Again,
readers of my commentaries are already aware of this. I would suggest any who
wish to understand more about my viewpoint to start with my commentary on
Matthew 27:46 which is a nice companion piece to this present commentary. It
can be found here: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-biblical-commentary-on-gospel-of.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-biblical-commentary-on-gospel-of.html</a></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I feel as though I need
to paint a picture of the situation in the world at the time this event
occurred before I begin. The situation was not limited to the temporal realm,
but to the spiritual as well. In fact most of what was transpiring during this
period was as a result of a war going on in the spiritual realm which had been
unseen by most of humanity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus Christ had been
prophesied to come to earth since the very beginning. In Genesis 3:15 we find
this piece of condemnation levied against the serpent that had deceived Eve: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“And
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and
hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
allusion is Christ being superficially injured as a result of an act by the
serpent. The serpent fares far worse for the exchange which will take place
between the two. One of the more striking prophesies is found in Psalm 22 where
the entire future crucifixion scenario is played out. Isaiah also very
accurately prophesies the coming Messiah. A careful reading of the Old
Testament scriptures will reveal a time when the Messiah was to come to earth
and dwell amongst us. The question, however, is <i>why</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Why.
Yes indeed—that is a question. If The Most High God had created mankind with
foreknowledge of their disobedience and that disobedience necessitated their
deaths, then can it be reasonably argued that it is not so much humanity which failed,
but rather God Most High for creating something so manifestly inferior to begin
with? Of course I am well aware that to even contemplate such makes me a
heretic. (You’ll have to stand in line to hurl that particular appellation at
me. Might I suggest you bring reading material—maybe one of my novels </span><a href="http://www.thegodprinciplebook.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">http://www.thegodprinciplebook.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
. It’ll be quite a wait, so you may as well enjoy it.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Regardless,
it is a legitimate question to ask. If God is the ultimate Creator and knows
all, then shouldn’t God have employed better methodology with respect to his
human creation? The entire Garden of Eden scenario impresses me as little more
than a setup. That is, it would impress me as little more than a setup <b>IF</b> I subscribed to the orthodox view.
Clearly I do not and am more than comfortable with what I have come to believe <i>really</i> happened. Let me explain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
one wishes to hold to the view that God Almighty as manifest in the Old
Testament scriptures is Jesus Christ, one has a huge hurdle to jump. As a
result of the blatant disparity between the two principles, many theological
teachings have sprung up over the two millennia since Christ bade us an earthly
farewell. The one which pervades Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christianity is
Dispensationalism. However, we also have facets of Calvinism and Deism which
construct a disparity between God’s character and that of Christ.
Dispensationalism attempted to give us the “Why” of the question and John
Nelson Darby is at the very least to be given his just due for that. However,
orthodoxy never dared ask the question, simply holding to the view through the
model of the Trinity that God and Christ were two different components of the
Triune Godhead. An example: If you are married, you and your spouse may be in
agreement on how to raise your children, but one of you may be the “easy touch”
to your children whereas the other is the disciplinarian. You are both in
general consort with one another, but one is much more harsh and unforgiving in
approach than the other. Between the two of you, a reasonable middle ground is
reached. This is essentially how orthodoxy views the Trinity and its players. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">To
me the Trinity is a complete misnomer. I am not going to delve too deeply into
the history of the concept of the Trinity as I have answered that in earlier
commentaries, most notably my commentary on Matthew 27:46. I will say that as
an embraced concept within the early church, the Trinity as we understand it
did not exist. It wasn’t until 186 AD that the church fathers were able to even
come to a rudimentary understanding of the three aspects of God. The Trinity as
we’ve come to embrace it was wholly a construct of the Ecumenical Councils
first convened by Constantine the Great, Emperor of Rome. His reasoning for
creating a structured hierarchy is clear to see: Just as there is a structural
hierarchy in Heaven; God the Father, as ultimate head, then Jesus Christ and the
Holy Spirit in lateral lesser, but essentially equal positions, Constantine
could recreate that Spiritual structure with an earthly counter-part. He would
rule as the ultimate leader (an earthly God the Father) while the Pope (or
father of the Church) would fulfill the Christ leg of the Trinity with their
doctrine and dogma filling in the gap for the Holy Spirit. In this </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">hierarchical</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> structure, complete control was assured; no one would be straying from the
established and sanctioned path without incurring the Emperor’s holy wrath. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What
the Church has to come to grips with (and what they are tremendously resistant
to do) is recognize that the doctrine and liturgy which they embrace is a
result of these councils. Unless and until we understand church history, the
enemy can use it to cloud our understanding. And we cannot forget that as
Christians, we are facing a very, very powerful spiritual entity that will stop
at nothing—NOTHING—to take us away from the truth. The Christian faith has been
infected repeatedly with false teachers who I firmly believe began their
mission perfectly sincere, but then were seduced by the adulation of their
followers. It is difficult to ignore people who look to you to have all the
answers. Worship is alluring to even the strongest among us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“For false Christs and false
prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the
elect—if that were possible.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 427.5pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">- Matthew 24:24<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These spiritual enemies
are warring against God by warring against us human beings. Prior to Christ,
this entire realm (not just the planet earth, but the entire universe) was
theirs. Everything which was contained within was theirs. This was as it was set
up by covenant. God gave them this realm to create, to shape, to build. When
one reads the Gospels and specifically Paul and Peter’s letters, this becomes
quite clear. Let me explain:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"This
is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead
of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light
for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be
seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
John 3:19-21<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There is a chronology
to the Bible which I find all too often overlooked by too many in theological
circles. Too many teachers of the Bible tend to forget that until Christ died
upon the cross, He—along with everyone else—was living under the strictures of
the Law. I cite this so often because when one believes that Christ was NOT
under the Law one is misinformed as to just what the Law truly was. Christ
fulfilled the Law not only by not sinning (read transgressing the Law), but by
being killed by the enemy for no covenantal reason. Hebrews is quite clear on
this point in explaining why Christ had to die. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“For
this reason, Christ is the mediator of a <b>new
covenant</b>, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal
inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins
committed under the <b>first covenant</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Hebrews 9:15
(emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“By
calling this covenant “new,” He has made the <b>old obsolete</b>; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Hebrews 8:13
(emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“But
now He has appeared <b>once</b> for all at
the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Hebrews 9:26
(emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul adds to this point
of view given by the unknown author of the book of Hebrews and even expands
upon it in his letters to the Churches at Colossi and Ephesus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">God
made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having <b>cancelled the written code</b>, with its
regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away,
<b>nailing it to the cross</b>. And having
disarmed the <b>Powers and Authorities</b>,
He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">- Colossians 2:13-15 (emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Although
I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to
preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to
everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept
hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the
church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the <b>Rulers and Authorities in the heavenly
realms</b>, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Ephesians 3:8-11(emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the <b>Rulers and Authorities</b>, against the <b>Powers of this dark world</b> and against
the <b>spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms</b></span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">.” - Ephesians 6:12 (emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There is little doubt
that Paul gives us a rather interesting insight on the unseen spiritual
entities which rule the earth. Both the author of Hebrews and the Apostle Paul also
seem to make very clear that these are beings which not only gave us the Law,
but ruled the earth long before Christ came and “made a public spectacle of
them, triumphing over them by the cross.” The naked truth is that if one does
question the veracity of the argument that the world prior to Christ’s
crucifixion was ruled solely by God, one then is forced to explain just what
these entities are and why they have such vast power over us; why Christ had to
come and defeat them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The author of Hebrews
asserts that Christ came but <b><i>once</i></b>. This is an assertion which
carries with it some weight. What it means is that Christ never appeared here
in this realm prior to His earthly incarnation. This is significant because
orthodoxy claims that the instances of God throughout the Old Testament,
instances where God talked face to face with Abraham, Job, Moses—even to Adam
and Eve—were either the pre-incarnate Christ, or a Theophany. A Theophany is
best defined as a spiritual manifestation of a deity. The author of Hebrews
makes it clear that those manifestations of the Old Testament God were <b>not</b> Jesus Christ in <i>any</i> incarnation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Just
as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was
sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and <b>He will appear a second time</b>, not to bear sin, but to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> -
Hebrews 9:27-28 (emphasis mine)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Note that Christ’s
return a second time would be in His Glorified incarnation. Thus He will appear
in the same manner as He would have appeared to these various Old Testament
figures to those who hold a pre-incarnate Christ view. When one is studying
scripture, it is vitally important that one do so without filtering such
through any preconceived notions as to what it is “really” saying. Orthodoxy
long ago concluded at the Ecumenical Councils that a Triune Godhead ruled, thus
every theological interpretation of the scriptures must follow that lead
without equivocation. This presents a problem for many, many passages of
scripture which clearly indicate that something else was going on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Humans are rather
judgmental characters. That isn’t a criticism, just a fact. We make judgments
about everything all the time.<i> </i>Because
of human character, we tend to look at God as though He was also human. Because
the attitude of the Old Testament God is also very judgmental, there is a
certain kinship which exists; human beings can readily identify with a God who
chooses some people over others, who covets, who is jealous, who angers quickly
and who kills. The Old Testament is filled with this type of god and his
antics. I won’t bore the reader with the examples here; they are listed in my
other commentaries and throughout the Old Testament. What is important to
consider, however, is that God in the Old Testament makes a rather bold
assertion. God states unequivocally that <b>He</b>
<b>does not change</b>. (Numbers 23:19,
Malachi 3:6) If that is in fact the case, one has to explain why Christ is so
vastly different in approach from the God of the Old Testament. Further, one
would have to explain how the Spirit of God is also vastly different from the
Old Testament God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no
law.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Galatians 5:22-23<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This is a rather tall
order to fill when one considers the Spirit of God and the Word of God act in
total opposition to “God” Himself. The Old Testament God acts nothing like
Christ and displays NONE of the fruits of the Spirit. If he is to be believed
in His assertion that He does not change, then exactly what is going on? Even
if one subscribes to the Triune Godhead, the dictates of such a structure would
demand that they act in perfect accord with one another. Thus, there should be
no discernible difference in their approach, only how they manifest themselves
to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul was keenly aware
of this case of mistaken identity where Christ and the Old Testament god were
concerned. To the Church at Colossi he wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“See
to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,
which depends on <b>human tradition</b> and
the <u>basic principles</u> of this world rather than Christ.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">- Colossians 2:8(emphasis mine)<i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The human tradition
I’ve emphasized is understandable enough. Most of orthodox doctrine was
conceived through man, not Christ. The Nicene Council established most of what
the Christian Church believes and teaches. The underlined “basic principles” is
interesting though. What does that mean exactly? What is it Paul was trying to
convey? In the Greek, <i>basic principles</i> translate to the word, <i>“stoicheion”or “stoixeion” </i></span><span style="background: #FDFEFF; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 150%;">στοιχεῖον,
ου, τό. </span><span style="background: #FDFEFF; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The definition of this word is interesting. Strong’s
Exhaustive Concordance renders its meaning as:<span style="color: #001320;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="background: #FDFEFF; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4747
stoixeíon– properly, fundamentals, like with the basic components of a
philosophy, structure, etc.; (figuratively) "first principles," like
the basic fundamentals of Christianity.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[4747
(stoixeíon) refers to "the rudiments with which mankind . . . were
indoctrinated (before the time of Christ), i.e. the elements of religious
training or the ceremonial precepts common alike to the worship of Jews and of
Gentiles" (J. Thayer).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The RSV however
renders stoixeia as "elemental spirits," i.e. spiritual powers or
"cosmic spirits" (DNTT, 2, 828). This views 4747 /stoixeíon
("elements") as ancient astral beings associated with the very
beginning (make-up) of the earth.]<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider for a moment
that Paul is merely referring to the “rudiments with which mankind …were
indoctrinated (before the time of Christ). Would not God’s rudimentary teachings
be the same as Christ’s irrespective of a Triune Godhead? Are these two not
supposed to act in one accord? Yet the very word choice points out that this
isn’t at all what is going on. Paul is warning the Colossians NOT to be taken
captive by such basic principles—<i>stoixeia</i>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider now that these
basic principles are more in keeping with Paul’s other admonitions with respect
to spiritual Rulers and Authorities in the heavenly realms. Not only would that
be consistent with what Paul has said to other churches, it also answers some
very nagging questions as to exactly who is who in the Old Testament. Naturally
such a view is discarded out of hand by those who have adopted the orthodox
view; the concept of Christ molded by the hands of a Roman Emperor who
worshipped the pagan sun god, Amun Ra. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Tradition is a hard
habit to break and no one knows that better than I. But it is a fact that some traditions
are better discarded than nurtured. Just because something has graduated to the
status of tradition, does not necessarily make it good. Paul recognized this
and warned against it—almost three hundred years before Constantine convened
the first of the councils. In Paul’s day, it was the traditions of the Hebrews
which troubled him, but not just the Hebrews, the pagans as well. They had
their “basic principles” too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider this
interesting passage in the book of Isaiah:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“How
you are fallen from heaven,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">O
Lucifer, son of the morning!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How
you are cut down to the ground,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
who weakened the nations!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> For you have said in your heart:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘I
will ascend into heaven,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
will also sit on the mount of the congregation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the farthest sides of the north;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
will ascend above the heights of the clouds,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
will be like the Most High.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet
you shall be brought down to Sheol,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
the lowest depths of the Pit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Isaiah
14-12-15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There are a couple of
interesting things about the above passage. We have been taught that Lucifer
was the name of Satan prior to his fall from Heaven. This is incorrect. The
name “Lucifer” appears only in the Latin Vulgate and the King James Bible translation
of the Holy Bible. When Jerome of Stridonium translated the Greek Septuagint
into the Latin Vulgate in approximately 382 AD under the direction of Pope
Damasus, the names of all other named angels in scripture—Michael, Gabriel,
Raphael—were left in their original Hebrew. However this particular angelic (or
Celestial) entity’s name was not left in its original Hebrew, rather Jerome
translated it into Latin. Jerome gives no reasoning as to the why. Lucifer
means, <i>“the morning star,”</i> or <i>“light bringing” or "light bearer."</i> In the Hebrew, Lucifer is rendered as Helel: </span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">הֵילֵל</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">An interesting aspect
of this name is that it describes this spiritual entity as being the bringer of
light. One should find it reasonable to ask, “Whose light?” If Almighty God
already reigns as supreme and Lucifer (Satan) stands opposed to Him, whose
light is Lucifer bringing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider that as
Christians today, we are supposed to bring to others not already in a
relationship with Christ the “Light” of His Word and truth. We are to bring the
Light of Christ to our fellow man. Prior to Christ, this was the job of these
Celestial entities. As I have already pointed out, they failed in this task
magnificently for many of the same reasons human beings do. These entities
charged with administering over humanity and bringing God’s Light to us all,
fell prey to the seduction of worship instead. As time went on, they bothered
less with reflecting God’s true Light and instead reflected their own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This sentiment is
reflected by the Old Testament Prophet, Isaiah. It is an interesting passage in
Isaiah Chapter 14 which seems to come out of nowhere to describe an act of
duplicity motivated by pride and vanity:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
said in your heart,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
will ascend to Heaven;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
will raise my throne above the stars of God;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
will ascend above the tops of the clouds;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I will make myself like the Most High</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- Isaiah
14:13-14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Understanding that
there were spiritual entities which were placed here to be liaisons between God
and man is necessary to fully understand what occurred when Christ gave up His
spirit. One must understand the “lay of the land” before one can proceed. Thus,
I will proceed upon the premise that there were these spiritual entities which
are referred to as Celestials in the book of 2<sup>nd</sup> Peter and Jude. (2<sup>nd</sup>
Peter 2:10-11, Jude 8) These entities were charged with being God’s face to the
human creation. In this, they failed magnificently. Nothing they did was as it
should be. The true nature of God was not reflected in their administration of
the human creation and as a result, Christ came and freed us from their rule.
Covenantally, this entire realm was theirs. When Satan offered the entire world
to Christ if only He would bow down before him, this was not an empty promise.
The Celestial entity that made the offer had full rights to this entire realm;
not just planet earth, but the entire temporal realm. (Matthew 3:1-11)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For those inculcated
with the teachings of orthodoxy, this is simply too fantastic to believe. The
first reaction is shock, then anger will set in. After this initial digestion
of information occurs, there is a scrambling to prove the error with scripture.
Rationalizations and twisting of scripture will have to be employed in order to
get around certain obvious statements made by Christ, Paul, Peter, John, the
author of Hebrews, Jude and Luke in Acts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It was these spiritual
Powers and Authorities—these <i>stoixeia </i>which
Christ was speaking to while hanging on the cross in Matthew 27:46. When He
cried out, <i>“My God, My God, why have you
forsaken me?” </i>He was not lamenting being forsaken by God the Father, He was
speaking first to the Celestial beings who had engineered his crucifixion
(Colossians 2:15) and then to the Jewish leaders who were well familiar with
the referenced incipit which we know of today as Psalm 22. Christ was telling
both parties what was about to happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When He finally gave up
His Spirit and left his temporal body upon the cross, Christ descended to Sheol
where all human spirits were trapped since the beginning. This prison of Sheol
was what was regarded as a spiritual death for it was a (seeming) eternal separation
from Creator God Almighty. Sheol was a construct of this temporal realm and as
such, it belonged to those who had rule over this temporal realm: That being
the Celestial entities, the <i>stoixeia.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul states where
Christ went upon His earthly death very clearly:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“When He ascended on high, He led
captives in His train and gave gifts to men.” (What does “He ascended” mean
except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended
is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the
whole universe.)
</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-Ephesians 3:8-9<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Apostle Peter makes the same declaration in his epistle:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“For
Christ died for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to
bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the
Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who
disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark
was being built.”
</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
1<sup>st</sup> Peter 18-19<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What truly occurred at
the moment that Christ died upon the cross was something completely opposite of
what these Celestial Rulers and Authorities had expected. I surmise from what
Paul explained as their reaction that they had expected Christ to admit defeat,
pack His bags and return to the eternal ether from whence He had came, leaving
them to continue to administer over the human creation as they saw fit. Instead,
upon reaching the abode of the dead in Sheol, Christ was armed with the power
which came from a violation of the very Law the angels themselves had written:
They had killed when death was not warranted—nor allowed. Christ had not
transgressed their Law, yet they killed Him anyway. In so doing, these
Celestials proved themselves to be just as flawed, just as errant as the human
creation they asserted were nothing but sinful, unworthy creatures. This is
nothing to brush aside blithely; Christ proved to these Celestial Rulers and
Authorities before the entire host of heaven that they were absolutely no
better than their human charges. Upon that stark realization, God Almighty, in
the personage of Jesus Christ the Messiah, was able to take legal control of
this realm out of their hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ’s first order of
business was to empty this abode of all its occupants. Within three days, He
rose again in a new, glorified body which was not of flesh and blood, but was
perfect. It was a body which possessed all the qualities of a fleshly body, but
was imperishable. This new body was not bound by the laws of physics or
space-time. Christ was able to alter His appearance at will, appear and
disappear at will, but He could also eat and drink; He could touch and be
touched. Most of these instances are recorded in the Gospel of John which are
too numerous to list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">With special attention
now being given to those who were in Sheol at the time Christ arrived, I will
now endeavor to explain just who it was that came out of their tombs upon
Christ’s earthly passing. Being well cognizant that space and time are not
measured the same, what is seen as almost instantaneous to us, may have been a
length of some time to those inhabitants of Sheol and to Christ Himself. Those
who rose were regarded as saints, but a better rendering would be believers.
These were most likely people who had heard Christ’s teachings, believed in
Christ and had recently passed. Let me explain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There a few things to
clear up with respect to misconceptions about this particular passage in
Matthew. First, addressing just who it was that emerged from the tombs. I have
read various expository writings and commentaries whereupon the authors assert
the saints raised were such luminaries of the Old Testament as Elisha, Abraham,
Daniel, Isaiah, etc. Such is not the case. Were any of those men to have been
the ones coming out of the tombs (putting aside the fact that none of those men
save for Abraham even died in Israel), no one would have known who they were.
There were no cameras back then, no renderings of what any of these men looked
like in paintings, busts, etc. Bringing forth any of these Old Testament
“saints” would have been pointless as a testimony for no one would have been
alive to recognize who they were; they would have been strangers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The second thing to
clear up is a bit more obvious, but I’ll cover it here none-the-less. It has to
deal with the tombs themselves and the culture surrounding the dead for the
Jews. In that era (and going back much further, in fact), upon death, a body was
washed and then dressed for burial by being wrapped in linens filled with
various aromatic herbs and flowers. The body was then laid in a “tomb” (more
like a hollowed our space in a rock face) where it remained until the soft
tissue decayed and left nothing but a skeleton. This was a process that took
approximately two years. At the end of that time, the bones were collected and
placed into a small stone box called an ossuary. This ossuary could be left in
the tomb (if it was owned by a family of means), or it could be kept in the
home or elsewhere convenient. Given that in the Gospel account these tombs
broke open and the bodies of the saints came out, I would assume based upon my
knowledge of the customs that these were people who had died within the last
two years, thus in much the same way that Christ raised Lazarus from his tomb,
so too were these bodies raised.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Now
the better question is why? Well, the text gives us the reasoning, but we had
to put everything in its proper context. These were people who had been
returned to their fleshly bodies in much the same way as Christ had raised
many, many people from the dead throughout His earthly ministry; the state of
decay is immaterial. Lazarus had been dead for four days and putrefaction had
already set in. An unembalmed body after four days would have been beyond
viable no matter how one may wish to look at it. A sack of bones or a bloated
corpse is the same to God. The word used for “bodies” here in this passage is
the Greek word, <i>“Soma” </i></span><span style="background: #FBFBFB;">σ</span><span style="background: #FBFBFB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ῶ</span><span style="background: #FBFBFB;">μα. </span><span style="background: #FBFBFB; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The literal translation
is, <i>“the body (as a sound whole), used in
a very wide application, literally or figuratively:--bodily, body, slave. A
body, the mass of anything, usually a corporeal tissue, human, animal, or
plant, though it can also refer to a heavenly body; the church is said to be
like a (human) body, emphasizing its essential unity with very important
diversities of function within the unity”.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: #FBFBFB; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">- Strongs Concordance 4983</span><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: right;">
<span style="background: #FBFBFB; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
these two interesting signs occur just as Christ gives up His spirit. The
curtain separating the inner Holy of Holies is torn in two from the top down,
and recently dead followers of Christ miraculously emerge from their tombs and
return to family and friends to tell them the Good News of Christ’s victory
over the enemy upon His resurrection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So why tear the curtain
in two and what is the significance of tearing it from the top down? The answer
is one filled with much symbolism. First let’s look at the curtain itself. The
dimensions of this curtain (or veil) were quite stunning. It was sixty feet in
height, thirty feet in width and four inches thick! This veil was made of fine
linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn. There were figures of cherubim
(angels) embroidered onto it. Cherubim, spirits who serve God, were in the
presence of God to demonstrate His almighty power and majesty. They also
guarded the throne of God. These cherubim were also on the innermost layer of
covering of the tent. If one looked upward, they would see the cherubim
figures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Angelic figures were
all about the veil and the interior of the Holy of Holies. The very lid of the
Ark of the Covenant had two cherubim angels with their wings outstretched,
touching one another. Between these wings, the essence of God would appear on
the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. If it is as we have already established—the
Celestial Ruler and Authorities were the acting “god” to the human creation,
then the abundance of cherubim imagery is more than explained: We are seeing a
cult of angelology manifest in the entire temple structure. Christ understood
this completely and upon wresting covenantal control from these Celestial
entities, He signified the end of this cult of angelology by tearing apart the
veil separating the inner Holy of Holies from the outer temple from the top
down—as only Creator God Almighty could do. These beings would no longer stand
between God Almighty and His creation. God would now interact with humanity on
a very intimate and personal level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When coupled with the
witnesses from Sheol who had risen from their tombs and most likely went to
find their families to wait until after Christ’s resurrection in order to
spread the Good News about Christ’s victory, this entire situation had to have
not only angered these Celestial Rulers and Authorities, but actually caused
great fear—perhaps something experienced by them for the very first time. There
is absolutely no record that those who were raised from their tombs suddenly
returned to the ether, or otherwise did anything but live out a natural life
only to taste physical death once again. I’ll hasten to add that there is no
accounting of Lazarus’s life after his resurrection either. There is no
accounting of exactly how many people came forth from these tombs, and thus far
there is no actual accounting outside of the Gospel of Matthew to buttress this
incident. But they did witness and testify as to where they had been and who
had set them free. They were also able to give an accounting of who sent them
there and kept them in chains. To these Celestial entities, this must have been
more than they could bear. The Apostle Paul stated clearly that, <i>“Christ had made a public spectacle of
them…”</i> (Colossians 2:15)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I happen to believe
this event occurred exactly as it is outlined in the Gospel. Where I find
myself at odds with my fellow Christians is the “why” of the matter. One can
clearly see that the orthodox point of view essentially lets these Celestial
entities—Satan, if you prefer—almost completely off the hook. For millennia
we’ve blamed the Jews for killing Christ. Even though we tend to recognize that
the entire plan was Christ’s from the beginning, without knowing the actual
reasoning behind why things work the way they work, we’re left wondering. The
earthly part of the battle was only a slim sliver of what was really going on.
Christ engaged these Celestial beings (yes that is a plurality I have employed.
Paul, Peter, and Christ acknowledged a plurality when referring to the enemy)
and emerged victorious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Book of Hebrews is
a book rich with information to the Spirit-filled reader. I urge any who are
reading this to look more deeply into what it is that I have suggested in this
commentary. There are many ideas which will be new to you, but give them
prayerful examination before you decide they are without merit. Consider that
in this era with Christ’s return imminent, the time of angelology has passed
and we must now embrace Christ. With that, I leave with a quote from that book
and its unknown, but Spirit-filled author:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This is the
covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will
put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I
will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is
forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore,
brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of
Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain,
that is, through his flesh,” </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-
Hebrews 10:16-20<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: -1.0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 427.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-23970316911539243532014-02-24T12:31:00.000-08:002019-03-16T14:40:31.171-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A5SIqVfOvZo/VDo3AvyZg8I/AAAAAAAAANI/DZFpNKSr_UA/s1600/Gregory%2BMelton%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A5SIqVfOvZo/VDo3AvyZg8I/AAAAAAAAANI/DZFpNKSr_UA/s1600/Gregory%2BMelton%2B1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Are Prolife Christians <i>Really</i> Prolife?</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All contents copyright 2014-2019 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">* * *</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Last week, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued a moratorium on capital punishment saying. There are too many doubts and too many flaws raised by its application. Inslee concluded that the death penalty was inconsistently applied. He further stated that Equal justice under the law is the states primary responsibility. as such, in death penalty cases, I'm not convinced that equal justice is being served.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Inslee's moratorium on capital punishment follows the lead of many other governors throughout the country. In 2013, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper issued a similar moratorium for the same reasons as highlighted by Jay Inslee as did Oregon governor John Kitzhaber in 2011. The most noted of this rash of issued moratoriums rests with Illinois governor, George Ryan in 2000.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think it only fair to inform the reader of my personal views on this subject so that my salient point is not lost. I am a Pro-life Christian. That is a term that generally evokes scorn in most people who regard themselves as enlightened and progressive. That is fine, I understand completely. In fact that I appreciate their scorn is partly the reason, I am writing this particular commentary. Let me explain:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No one likes a hypocrite. When someone takes an absolute position on an issue or a behavior, we have an expectation of sincerity and consistency. Well forgive if there is a show of (seeming) remorse on the part of the one caught in the lie, but only to a point. For the most part, well always tend to be just a bit skeptical around a proven liar or hypocrite for the remainder of their lives. When that person is someone in a position of power, the situation becomes somewhat muddled. We may hate the fact they lied to us or were hypocritical on one issue, but there are so many others we agree with them on that we regard it as a wash. This cognitive dissidence is challenging to surmount to an ideologue, hence our current state of political leadership.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of the four governors I mentioned above, three of them belong to the Democratic Party. Of those three, all are morally against the death penalty for a host of reasons. Of course they cited what I regard as genuine procedural and Constitutional reasons as well, but for the most part, the impetus for the moratorium is ideological. The last governor I mentioned on the list is a member of the Republican Party. George Ryans rationale for the moratorium in Illinois, while he was governor, is not too dissimilar than that of the three Democrats. Here is the difference and what it is that troubles me so. Those who hold anti-death penalty views disproportionately tend to be members of the Democratic Party. This makes Governor George Ryan a rarity within his own political party. To me, this is a shame, but I'll circle back to just why I think that it a bit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The three aforementioned Democratic Governors who have stated very publicly a host of moral and Constitutional reason for suspending the death penalty in their respective states all hold to the view that there is absolutely no problem with abortion. (Cue the groans from the reading audience. Abortion?? Again?? Give me a break!) Ah so you say, but wait. I do have an interesting point to make here and one which you may not be expecting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Governor George Ryan stands apart from his colleagues not only in the Republican Party but from his Democratic colleagues who have issued moratoriums on capital punishment as well. What is this issue which separates them? George Ryan is truly pro-life; the others are hypocrites. Why do I say that? Well, the record speaks for itself. George Ryan not only issued a moratorium on capital punishment in Illinois, but he also holds that abortion is murder. In other words, he holds genuine pro-life views. Pro-life is pro-life period. The aforementioned Democratic governors are all pro-abortion; ergo they are not truly pro-life, but rather anti-death penalty. Their stand on abortion nullifies Their moral base for rejecting the death penalty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I feel it necessary at this juncture to clarify specific parameters concerning killing before we go further. The act of war is a commentary all its own and I have long contemplated how I would like to write on the subject. War is sometimes inevitable, and in war, people die. I am not going to address that in this commentary. Suffice to say, I would very much like to see us as the human race progress beyond the need for war, but as long as ego and pride reign in the human heart, such will remain an impossibility. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Likewise killing because you are defending yourself or others from imminent danger is one thing about which I have absolutely no qualms. There is cause and effect in our world, and if one attacks another with deadly intent, one had best be prepared to pay the ultimate price. That too is a separate issue which I have given much thought and may write about in a future commentary. However in the case of state-mandated, institutional killing, be it an execution, or an abortion, there is never the imminent threat to anyone save for the individual about to be exterminated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I will now digress for a moment for an editorial comment. Please don't get sidetracked because I didn't use the politically correct buzzwords of anti-choice or pro-choice; these are manifest misnomers since from a medical standpoint a pregnant woman is carrying a separate, distinct being within her. Unless and until that being can be consulted as to their wishes respecting their lives, there is no choice argument to be made here. We are talking about abortion. If you are for it, embrace the terminology.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Abortion, even to those who believe in it, is uncomfortable for a host of reasons. On a basic, visceral level, we all know we are killing life which if left to its own devices would grow into a living, breathing human being. None goes into a hospital to have a sebaceous cyst or a tumor removed with the belief that if left to its own devices, these growths would manifest a living, breathing human being. A quick biopsy of the tissue would show that the DNA is an exact match for the host. A biopsy of a fetus within its mother's womb would show a completely separate DNA structure; a completely different, distinct being which just is not finished growing yet. This isn't ideological; it is a medical and scientific fact. Again a level of cognitive dissidence is employed to proceed upon the false premise one is not embracing a culture of death.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, what of my friends on the other side of the political and ideological aisle; what of my Christian brothers and sisters who have absolutely no problem strapping a human being to a chair, a post, a medical gurney and taking their life? Are these people not engaging in the same level of cognitive dissidence they accuse the other side of possessing? Here is where the argument gets interesting, but sadly completely misses the central point of a pro-life stance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pro-life means precisely that: Profile. If one is to take a position that killing a living, breathing human being is wrong, especially when it is institutional killing, then we are forced to define what exactly defines a living, breathing human being. Clearly, those who hold to more Progressive Liberal views have decided to themselves that the unborn are not living, breathing human beings and as such, are not entitled to those same rights and privileges. By contrast, those who hold to Conservative Christian views have decided that those who have committed certain crimes against their fellow man have forfeited their right to life. Thus at both ends of the spectrum, we have (seemingly) good people espousing a culture of institutionalized death and rationalize this point by stripping a human being of their humanity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The cost to the state in appeals and housing of an inmate on death row is astronomical. When the typical length of time on death row is fifteen years, the dollars add up rather quickly. In the end, the execution is carried out with very little in actual return for the dollars spent. For an inmate securely locked away on death row, how is a society made any safer by then killing them? As a point of practical reality, it is not. As a point of law, I am not qualified to answer. I realize that a sentence must be carried out as imposed by a court of law, but we as a people have to begin looking at whether or not the imposition of certain types of sentences are not only wasteful from a fiscal standpoint but harmful to society as a whole. Let me explain:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When we glorify the institutional killing of another human being, what message do we send to our youth? I can only speak to my personal experience on this subject, but I have been against the death penalty for as long as I can remember. I would say that the most formative teachings I had on the subject were watching the documentary series, The World At War from the 1970s. Watching the bulldozers push piles of bodies into open pit graves while Lawrence Olivier somberly intoned the brutality of the Nazis made me physically ill. I was perhaps ten years old at the time. Asking my father, who had been in Germany right after Berlin fell why these people were killed. He explained that the Nazi government executed them. The word execution was negatively burned into my brain. A country could execute its populous and call it something good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, surely this wasn't something I as a citizen of the United States would have to worry about; our country wouldn't execute its own citizens so impersonally, would it? Well in the mid-1970s, executions had been suspended by the Supreme Court in 1972 via the decision Furman v. Georgia whereupon the Supreme Court found the death penalty being imposed unconstitutionally, violating the Eighth Amendment grounds of cruel and unusual punishment. (As a point of irony, this same court ruled that a woman's privacy rights implied under the 1st, 4th, 9th, and 14th Amendments granted her the ability to abort her unborn child just 12 months later. More on that later.) Then I saw a made for television movie called, The Execution of Private Slovik starring Martin Sheen. I was just eleven years old at the time, and I haven't been able to watch the movie since such was the impact it had on me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This from Wikipedia:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The Execution of Private Slovik is a nonfiction book by William Bradford Huie, published in 1954, and an American made-for-television movie that aired on NBC on March 13, 1974. The film was written for the screen by Richard Levinson, William Link and by Lamont Johnson who was the director, the film stars Martin Sheen.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The book and the film tell the story of Private Eddie Slovik, the only American soldier to be executed for desertion since the American Civil War.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>In 1949, a Pentagon source revealed to Huie the existence of a European graveyard of unnamed American soldiers. Huies probe identified the grave and name of the only American soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War. The story of neer-do-well Eddie Slovik is an example of Huies masterful reporting and his tendency to anger the mighty. Eisenhower, who authorized the execution, tried to stop the book.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am well aware that an example was being made of Slovik; desertion was not to be tolerated. Many American men and boys were killed in battle and did not necessarily want to be placed in harm's way any more than did Eddie Slovik. I realize now that the movie was also a great propaganda statement to keep the U.S. Supreme Court from lifting its ban by showing the humanity of those facing the ultimate punishment. What struck me was the institutionalized method of the execution. It was handled in much the same clinical manner as a tooth extraction. It'll hurt for a bit, but then it'll all be over. This incident also takes us back to equal justice under the law proviso. There were 49 death sentences for desertion handed down by the military courts during World War II, but only one execution was carried out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thus for good or for ill, the institutionalized killing of human beings by the state has always struck me as a grave evil which colors any of the good that may have come before or after. When we as a people place so low a premium on life, we can find ourselves rationalizing just about anything. Good people who march and protest against abortion, have absolutely no qualms about state-sponsored execution. Good people who march and protest against capital punishment, have absolutely no qualms about state-sponsored abortion. It could be said that the only ones who are against these rationalizations are those whose lives are about to be extinguished.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the one hand, the argument is that individual humans have engaged in acts which have resulted in their state-sponsored deaths; they are responsible for their own actions. On the other hand, those facing extermination are not regarded as human beings at all despite all the evidence to the contrary. In both instances, it has become a matter of practicality to merely kill. Eddie Slovik was a troubled man with a life-long pattern of behavioral problems. He was initially classified as 4-F by the army as a result of his prior criminal record, but a workforce shortage resulted in a reclassification to 1-A. He was well aware of why he was the only one of the 49 men convicted of desertion to face death and said so. His last words in front of the firing squad were,<i> "They're not shooting me for deserting the United States Army...thousands of guys have done that. They're shooting me for bread I stole when I was twelve years old."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As Christians, why are we so willing to allow state-sponsored executions? On the surface, this question almost seems laughable. Consider this case out of Florida. On November 4th, 1980, twenty-seven-year-old Larry Eugene Mann kidnapped ten-year-old Elisa Nelson as she was riding her bicycle to school after a dentist appointment. Without going into the details, suffice to say that Mann killed Elisa Nelson in a nearby orange grove. He murdered her, as she tried to fight him off. Due to the appeals process, it took 32 years for the State of Florida to execute Elisa's killer. Larry Mann was finally put to death on April 30th, 2013.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The case is horrific, and there is no way that I am going to attempt to dismiss Manns acts as anything other than depraved. To sate his own sexual lusts, he killed an innocent little girl and deprived her a life. Elisa would be forty-two years old today and most likely would be married with children of her own children that will never be born because of Larry Mann. When one contemplates the experiences, the joys, the sorrows, the successes, the defeats, the breadth of experiences lost due to a life taken so soon, there can be nothing other than sorrow. Larry Mann was evil. That is not in question. What is in question is our primary role as Christians. Mann was already behind bars and hadn't killed anyone in all of those 32 years of incarceration. Is it an affront for Mann to continue to draw breath while his tiny victim cannot? Mann would have never tasted freedom for the remainder of his life with or without the death penalty, and as a society, we would have taken the higher road by imposing equal justice under the law and leaving Manns eventual disposition to God Almighty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However, killing is easy. Since Cain killed Abel, we've all become aware of just how fragile life is. Abels death wasn't the last through unnatural means outlined in the Bible; there are records of tens of thousands of murders--perhaps hundreds of thousands. I am going to point out some uncomfortable truths here which will not sit well with my fellow Christians. Because it is uncomfortable, doesn't make it any less true. Here is a passage from the book of Ezekiel:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Now the glory of God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>As I listened, He said to the others, Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men, and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Ezekiel 9:3-6</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here is an uncomfortable question for my fellow Christians: How is what the God of Israel who commanded the six soldiers to mark some and kill others any different from what Larry Mann did? Is it the opinion of these Christians that since the command came from God, any 10-year-old girls who were slaughtered by the Hebrew soldiers were more or less guilty than Elisa Nelson? As a point of fact, both were 10-year-old girls minding their own business, and both were murdered by the hands of men they did not know, nor cause offense. They were killed merely for what they were: 10-year-old girls. In one case, it was a matter of opportunity, in the other it was because she had the misfortune to have been born into a family which did not hold to the beliefs of the Hebrews, ergo, no mark upon her body by a stranger was allowed. For this, she was murdered and perhaps more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am not attempting to be melodramatic, but I am trying to illustrate just why it is that good Christians can be aghast at certain types of wanton murder, but then look away when other types of killing are committed. Of course, the rationalization of the murders committed in the Old Testament is that these were a people who deserved to die because they did not believe in the God of the Hebrews; they were, therefore, evil people and their deaths were on their own heads. I will state very clearly here and now that my understanding of scripture clearly shows that this thinking is absolutely in error. Let me explain:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have often used this passage of scripture before because it is powerful. In it, we see Christ, who is God Almighty, dealing with a situation which under the Law (read the Old Testament Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai from an angel [Acts 7:38, Galatians 3:19-20] ) was a capital offense:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>At dawn, he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say? They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>However, Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>No one, sir, she said.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- John 8:2-11</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To be true to His earlier words and commands as outlined in the Law He supposedly wrote, should Christ not have aided in the stoning of the adulterous woman? Why did He allow her to live? Moreover, why did he countermand His own Law? Are we not taught that the God of the Old Testament and Christ are, one and the same? If so, why do they have such starkly different views on the pro-life question? Without any real debate, it is clear the Old Testament God has no problem killing those who displease him. Christs take is entirely different. The Old Testament Gods tactic is more along the lines of weeding out those who don't fit in, while Christ is interested more in total reconciliation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When the Manson family killed Sharon Tate, her unborn baby and the others with her in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969; when they murdered the LaBiancas the next night, events were set into motion which eventually placed five people on death row in California. Charles Manson, Charles Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie Van Houten all faced death in Californias notorious gas chamber for their parts in the grisly murders. Manson was 37 years old at the time of conviction. The other four were barely in their 20s. It was made clear at trial that these were kids who had been sucked into Manson's strange visions of a war and a subsequent utopian society in which they would be an integral part. This brainwashing by Manson didn't deter Deputy District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi from getting a conviction with a death penalty as punishment. It was only as a result of the Supreme Court suspension of the death penalty in 1972 and a subsequent moratorium in the State of California that same year which reduced their sentences to life with the possibility of parole.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Consider the lives of the Manson Family players who faced death. I am cognizant that this will be an extremely unpopular opinion, but what these people did with the extra time they were given is a point of fact and one of which a Christian should remain well aware.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <u>Susan Atkins</u> became a Christian in 1974 and wrote a book about her life. Her faith cleared the fog of Charles Manson's indoctrination from her mind, and she was able to see clearly what she had done to Sharon Tate and her baby. She died of brain cancer while still in prison in 2009.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <u>Charles Tex Watson</u> also became a Christian and has spoken much about his life and conversion. He has started a prison ministry called Abounding Love. He still resides in the California penal system.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <u>Patricia Krenwinkel</u> has kept a perfectly clean prison record and has earned a Bachelors degree in Human Services. She works in such programs as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous and teaches illiterate prisoners to read. She does not shy away from her crimes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <u>Leslie Van Houten</u> likewise has kept a clean record in prison, earned a college degree and does what she can to help others in her sphere to not make the same mistakes she has.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <u>Charles Manson</u> remains unrepentant of his actions, insists that he is factually innocent since he was not the one who killed and is still waiting for the war he prophesied back in the summer of 1969. <u>Update:</u> Charles Manson died in prison on November 19th, 2017 of a heart attack brought on by numerous medical issues attributed to old age. Manson was 83 years old.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My whole point in listing these people and what became of them is just this: How many lives have these people touched in a positive way since their execution dates were nullified? Do the people who live with them see Christ in their lives or not? While Manson has remained the twisted, bitter man he was back in 1969, his followers with only a couple of exceptions have grown up and realized the horror of what they did. In imposing the death penalty on people, are we removing the possibility of any future good they could contribute to our society? The answer is an obvious Yes, but I have to wonder just how much thought is actually given to such an answer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Consider Saul of Tarsus in the 1st Century AD. He was a young man then, perhaps in his mid to late 20s. He was raised as the son of a Pharisee (A Jewish religious sect prominent in that age) and entered into the same teaching when he became of age. By all accounts, Saul was a zealot and a determined ideologue. To him, the Christian faith was an abomination and an extreme offense before God Most High. To him, followers of the Christ were beyond recanting; they deserved to die and with the same prejudice that had been outlined in Ezekiel 9:3-6. Saul either participated or at the very least observed as the Disciple Stephen was stoned to death as described in Acts Chapter 7. To Saul, Stephens death was a job well done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Shortly after that, Saul and a contingent of men headed for the distant Syrian city of Damascus to kill the small, but growing Christian community which resided there. As is well known amongst the Christians of today, Saul was interrupted on his journey by the Spirit of God. This confrontation was so profound that Saul abandoned his mission and reevaluated his entire purpose in life. It didn't happen right away as he states in Galatians 1:17, he went to Arabia and spent three years there. Saul later abandoned his Hebrew name for that of Paul as he focused his ministry on the pagans in the Hellenized world. His Latin name would be far more embracing to them, and so he did what he could to meet them where they were.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The point of my relating Pauls experience is simple. Paul regarded himself as the foremost of sinners (1st Timothy 1:15) and was well aware of the pain and terror hed brought to others. Paul was either directly or indirectly responsible for many horrendous murders which included men, women, and children. He did these acts because he had convinced himself it was for God. However, for all his training, Paul really didn't know God at all. He had allowed his own hatred and bigotry to rule him, and for that, innocent people died.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Suppose Paul had been caught by members of the early Christians and executed for the murders hed committed? What if the Pharisees who tried to kill him after his conversion had succeeded? Paul wrote thirteen of the twenty-six book which makes up the New Testament. Many theologians today regard Paul as the actual author of Christianity, so profound were his works. Paul brought an understanding and a perspective on Christ to the Apostles which they had not previously been made aware while they walked with Christ in the flesh. This was by design. Those Apostles had not yet had to exercise a level of faith with Christ that those who would follow were forced to; Paul brought them an aspect of Christ which was Spiritual. Peter realized this as did the other Apostles and they all recognized that God in His wisdom gave them a messenger from the most unlikely of places. Every Christian today has a faith-based more on the way Paul experienced Christ than how the other Apostles experienced Christ. In many respects, Paul is our model.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Suffice to say none of that would have taken place had Paul been executed for his crimes in the beginning. I am uncertain what the New Testament would look like or if there would even be a New Testament had Paul died at the time of his conversion. The oldest of the written works of the New Testament is thought to be Pauls letters to the Church at Thessalonica, written circa 52 AD. The Romans eventually executed Paul, but not until approximately 68 AD. There was much study, time and planning into making the Apostle Paul into what he became as opposed to the young, brash Pharisee he had been.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Equal justice under the law is sacrosanct; it is a hallmark of our Constitution. The laws which govern one are to govern all. When we lose that, we have lost our foundation. The mere fact that so many prosecutors play fast and loose with the law is beyond troubling to me. There are examples after example, and I don't wish to belabor it here, but I will ask one to consider the case of Carla Fay Tucker.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tucker killed a woman named Deborah Thornton during a botched burglary in 1983 when she was 23 years old. Tucker had a difficult life as a child; a product of divorce addicted to drugs. She dropped out of school and drifted into prostitution when she was just 14 years of age when she and her mother began to follow various musical rock bands around the country. Her story is a tragic one that should have never happened. She was convicted of the murder of Thornton and sentenced to death. While in prison, she was freed of her addiction to drugs and began to build her life. Prison gave her the first real structure shed ever had. She became a Christian and devoted the remainder of her days to doing what she could to further the cause of Christ.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No one who came to know Carla Fay Tucker behind bars thought she deserved to die. The person she was when she committed the murder no longer existed. Here we have the Pauline parallel. A notable list of people including Pope John Paul II and Deborah Thornton's own brother petitioned for her sentence to be commuted. The Warden of Huntsville prison in Texas testified that she was a model prisoner and that after 14 years on death row, she had been reformed. Despite these statements of fact, the Texas board turned her down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Governor George W. Bush could have commuted her sentence and was asked to do so by many of the same people who had petitioned for her release, but he was planning on running For the United States Presidency. He deferred to the Texas Board which had earlier denied her request and thus, allowed a fellow Christian to die though it had been in his power to alter that outcome.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Contrast with Gary Ridgeway who for perhaps as long as twenty years (figures are still hazy) engaged in a killing spree against women with a body count he confessed to being between seventy-one to maybe as much as one hundred. (He either isn't sure, or he is keeping the information as leverage) Both the state of Texas and the State of Washington have the death penalty on their books. Because of the politics of the death penalty and because prosecutors and investigators wanted more information from Ridgeway, the death penalty in his case was taken off the table. He'll die in prison from old age. Is Gary Ridgeway any less a threat to society as was Carla Fay Tucker or Larry Mann? Equal justice? Hmm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now consider the case of Cameron Todd Willingham who was executed February 2004, for murdering his three young children by arson at the family home in Corsicana, Texas. Nationally known fire investigator Gerald Hurst reviewed the case documents, including the trial transcriptions and an hour-long videotape of the aftermath of the fire scene and said in December 2004 that "There's nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fire. It was just a fire." In 2010, the Innocence Project filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas, seeking a judgment of "official oppression."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This from Wikipedia:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Willingham's case gained renewed attention in 2009 when an investigative report by David Grann in The New Yorker, drawing upon arson investigation experts and advances in fire science since the 1992 investigation, suggested that the evidence for arson was unconvincing and, had this information been available at the time of trial, would have provided grounds for Willingham's acquittal.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>According to an August 2009 investigative report by an expert hired by the Texas Forensic Science Commission, the original claims of arson were doubtful. The Corsicana Fire Department disputes the findings, stating that the report overlooked several key points in the record. The case has been further complicated by allegations that Texas Governor Rick Perry impeded the investigation by replacing three of the nine commission members in an attempt to change the commission's findings; Perry denies the allegations.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>When our system of justice becomes a mechanism for expedience; when the law is used to aid the careers of those in authority, we no longer have a system of justice. When we execute an innocent person, we cannot go back later and apologize to the harmed party and return their life. Since it became manifest to George Ryan that there were far too many errors being committed by the State of Illinois, a moratorium on executions was the only lawful remedy. I am stunned that more good people in this country don't understand this very basic concept. It seems that people tend to think, Well he may not have committed THAT murder, but I'm sure he did something else just as bad, or else they wouldn't have convicted him. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Purely on Constitutional grounds, what is applied to one should be applied to all. Thus I agree with Jay Inslee's argument and the reasons he has given for issuing a moratorium on the death penalty in Washington State. Inslee should now take that a step further and recognize that the most innocent citizens of his state are similarly being slaughtered as a matter of expediency and convenience, but I doubt he will. In much the same way That George W. Bush allowed Carla Fay Tucker to die because not to do so would have hurt his political fortunes, Governor Jay Inslee will not stop the slaughter of innocent children. Abortion is a sacrament amongst certain Progressive Liberals and to touch it is political suicide to any with a (D) next to their name. Capital punishment is a similar sacrament amongst certain Conservative Christians and to touch it is political suicide to any with an (R) next to their name. These two warring political and spiritual factions are actually far more alike than they are willing to admit. They have each staked out ground which they believe to be honorable and just, but in truth, it is anything but.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have laid down examples of what could have become of Carla Fay Tucker had she been allowed to live. We have seen what those who terrorized Los Angeles in the summer of 1969 did with their lives behind bars. I have not yet raised the issue of what those whose lives have been extinguished through abortion before ever having being given a chance; theirs is a blank page. These were people who may have become street thugs, or they may have discovered the cure for AIDS. There may have been just another homeless person strung out on drugs amongst them, or there could have been another Stephen Hawking. The point is, we don't know. They don't have a face to us, so they are disposable and we treat them that way; an inconvenience which is worth more to us dead than alive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In 1857, the United States Supreme Court voted in a 7-2 decision that Dred Scott, a black slave who had been taken by his owners to the free states in the north, could not sue for his freedom. The majority opinion written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney denied Scott's request and in doing so, ruled that an Act of Congress, in this case, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of the parallel 36°30' north to be unconstitutional for the second time in its history. Let me repeat that in case it was missed: The United States Supreme Court said that prohibiting slavery was unconstitutional. The worth of some humans did not rise to the level of others, but it was those humans who need not fear the ruling which made the rule. Do you get it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What the Court essentially did was decide that by the mere fact of birthright, Dred Scott was not a fellow human being, but a savage. He did not and never would enjoy equality with Caucasians. The Court looked upon Dred Scott and other people of color as little more than animals. Today we look back on that period in our history with a profound sense of shame, but for a large segment of society, they regarded the Courts decision as just.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I suspect that one hundred years from now, we will look back on the holocaust of abortion in much the same way we look upon slavery. Despite what those who support abortion wish us to believe, the majority of the abortions are performed for matters of convenience; someone forgetting to take their birth control, or just too lazy or aroused to bother. It really doesn't matter the cause; it is irresponsibility on the part of the principles, and an innocent is forced to shoulder the responsibility rather than the actual guilty parties. (Sound familiar?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The United States exists in and propagates a culture of death. We kill the unborn, we kill those who have committed horrible acts, and we now allow people to kill themselves in certain states. We do this because to kill is one of the easiest things to do. Killing takes no intelligence, and it takes little skill. Killing is the best solution when being responsible is just too gosh darn hard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wish that is wasn't so. I wish our leaders were men and women of character, but the Bible spoke of the last days when the love of one towards another would grow cold. We're here now, folks. When a pastor can stand before a pulpit and invoke an imprecatory prayer (Psalm 109:6-9 for the intrigued) upon another person; when we can laugh and sing and engage in revelry when a human being is roasted to death in an electric chair, their neck is separated by a fall from a noose, or drugs are sent coursing through their veins until it stops their heart, then we are a people who need to pause and take stock of just who we really are. When a United States President can call a child a punishment; when he can sanction the penetration of the skull of an infant at 9 months gestation in order to vacuum out the brain; when we as a people do not give a second thought to a baby burning in a saline bath which can take as long as three days to kill them, we have opted for a culture of death. Now several states have enacted laws allowing for infanticide. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Update:</u> As of the date of this edited commentary, the United States House of Representatives led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D - San Francisco) have voted down a bill 14 times that would mandate babies born alive through botched abortions would be given medical care so that they could live. Let me repeat that so it registers: Fourteen times they have voted for infanticide. ( https://www.lifenews.com/2019/03/08/house-democrats-block-bill-to-stop-infanticide-for-14th-time-refuse-care-for-aborted-babies-born-alive/ ) It is this culture of death we are passing on to our children and grandchildren.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We shake our heads and bemoan the lack of humanity and compassion in our youth today. How can a child take a firearm to school and shoot his classmates? How can a group of middle-school girls gang up on another girl, rape her with a foreign object and then set her on fire to burn alive? Kids are quick studies, and they have learned well the culture of death from their authority figures; they've learned to devalue life from us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The secular world remains in the dark on matters of the Spirit. It is up to us who profess Christ to be His Light to this darkened world. We cannot accomplish this task if we remain in the dark ourselves. If you are a Christian, if you claim to follow Christ, then learn what it is He taught. Seek to emulate Him and Him alone. Drop the culture of death and legalistic dogma. It has no place in the Body of Christ. Being Pro-life means just that: Pro-life--all of it. If one who claims Christ cannot do that, then one should just put aside the pretense and retreat into the legalistic dogma which is manifestly their first and only true love.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-35651771560171446042014-02-22T19:16:00.000-08:002014-10-12T01:10:22.806-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-alu15Suqq5Q/VDo3ZAH83xI/AAAAAAAAANQ/4pU_Br5eYhk/s1600/angry%2Bgod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-alu15Suqq5Q/VDo3ZAH83xI/AAAAAAAAANQ/4pU_Br5eYhk/s1600/angry%2Bgod.jpg" height="287" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do
Atheists Have A Point?</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why God is so often indiscernible to man.</span></h3>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this
document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by
any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior
written permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">*
* *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">long
with approximately two million fellow world citizens, I too bought and read
Richard Dawkins, <i>“The God Delusion”</i> …
and in hardback no less. My reasoning
was simple enough: I wanted to know what it was he had to say about Christians
and their faith. I confess that I also appreciate Dawkins caustic and
aggressive writing style. I marvel at his attempts to intimidate his readers by
employing the most varied and obscure words to convey a point when a simpler,
pedestrian approach would be far more embracing. I can almost detect the dark
thrill of enjoyment he must feel in his choice of word, as though he’s reveling
in the chance to wield his choice more as a club to crush his audience rather than
to illuminate. There were certain passages I had to reread because I had found
myself laughing at his word choice and sentence structure. This isn’t
necessarily a criticism, just a personal observation. In my writing style, this
is most certainly my area of lack.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“The
God Delusion”</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> was released just about a year before
another book also critical of Christianity and the faith called <i>“God Is Not Great”</i> by the late
Christopher Hitchens. I bought this one too, but only in paperback. (Budgetary
concerns, you know.) Hitchen’s style has always struck me as more open than Dawkins’.
Hitchen’s impressed me as someone, who while pretty much convinced of his
opinion respecting God, didn’t appear to carry with him the animus towards
Christians I detect in Dawkins’ work. Both held to the belief that the concept
of a supreme creator was a construct of man as a tool to control others, but
Hitchens seemed a bit more at ease with the notion. I will confess that without
anyone delving too deeply into history and scripture, such would certainly seem
to be a valid conclusion. Let me explain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Dawkins starts off <i>“The God Delusion”</i> attacking basic
tenets of Christianity, however he does this from more of a Catholic
perspective than anything else. Raised in the Anglican Church in England, it
would make sense that his earliest influences would be anti-catholic. I regard
this more as a subconscious bias rather than one which is overt. Dawkins
regards himself as above any particular religious bias, seeing them all as
equally silly. Yet despite his assertions to the contrary, it is easy to see a
partiality towards his formative Anglican faith. Dawkins seems to take a
special delight in pointing out the errors of the Catholic Church above all
others. This was always a point of amusement for me because from a doctrinal and
liturgical standpoint, there is very little which separates the Anglican Church
from that of the Catholic Church. <i>What’s
that you say? There’s little difference between the Protestants and the
Catholics? You’re a lunatic! Wars have been fought, people murdered in horrific
ways as a result of the differences!</i> Yes, that is true, but the differences
were not so much rooted in perceptions of God as much as they were in seeking national
autonomy. In short, asserting sovereignty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Protestant
Reformation succeeded in dispensing with Papal authority, but when one examines
the liturgy and doctrine of both faiths, one will find very few actual differences
in how one is to view God. The God of the Old Testament remains a distant,
aloof God; Christ is the supreme sacrifice who became sin in our place and died
on the cross as a result. Confession of sins is necessary to be saved. Salvation
is not guaranteed and depending upon circumstances (usually disagreeing with
the established church, be it Protestant or Catholic), salvation can be
absolutely denied to an individual. Certain peoples about the earth are regarded
as little more than savages and do not possess a soul by which to save. I can
go on and on, but this is the formative “Christian” teachings to which both
Dawkins and Hitchens were exposed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Regular readers of my
commentaries will already know that I regard the Protestant Reformation as more
a push for national autonomy than a “religious” reformation. Doing away with
Papal authority was a necessary component of the Reformation for it gave each
ruling monarch within the Holy Roman Empire control over their own lands and
people. The domino effect was very much in play here as we first watched
England (and parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland), then Germany, the
Netherlands, and pockets throughout France, Switzerland, Poland, Prussia and
Hungary resist the Pope and instead embrace Calvinism, Anglicanism or
Lutheranism. With each split, The Vatican lost more and more power and
influence while Europe gained its independence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One can debate the
wisdom of allowing such diverse religious thought throughout Europe, but it is
a fact of history. The Vatican fought back against this tide as much as
possible, but the reality of the “new normal” soon took hold. This left these
individual countries with their new religious doctrines which (as I had earlier
pointed out) were not too dissimilar from that of Catholicism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">From this base, both
Dawkins and Hitchens learned about the nature of God Almighty. Most people in
the Western world have also learned from this same flawed base. While I have
yet to write an in-depth commentary on Catholicism or the Protestant
Reformation, I did outline some of the problems associated with Calvinism.
(That commentary can be found here: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2013/03/five-points-of-calvinism-what-is-really_19.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2013/03/five-points-of-calvinism-what-is-really_19.html</a>
)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In this commentary, I
addressed some doctrinal points of view which are held by Hyper-Calvinists.
These are beliefs which have trickled down throughout many Protestant religions
to include the Southern Baptists, Fundamentalist and Evangelical Christianity.
(Groups I was closely associated with while I was growing up.) Some more
“progressive” churches such as the Christian Missionary Alliance do not hold to
all of the doctrines of Calvinism, but the flavor is most assuredly retained
and is evident in a typical church service. As I pointed out already, these
“Reformed Faiths” transferred most everything they know over from Roman
Catholicism. Little except that which created a political impediment to
national autonomy, was thrown out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Everyone who is
introduced to a faith movement, be it Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Mormonism, Buddhism,
etc. has to make a decision as to whether to believe what they’re being told or
not. When we are children raised in a faith-centered household, much of the
early decisions are made for us; we follow our parents lead. This is a natural
part of growth as children are born as blank slates which need to be filled in.
Soon enough, however, certain people begin to consider the amassed information
and begin to make judgments. Is what they’ve been taught reasonable? Does what
they’ve been taught translate into the practicality of everyday life? With
kids, this isn’t limited to just matters of God, but to <i>everything</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When we learn certain
things in school (Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, etc), there is an almost
immediate pay off which only reinforces what we have learned. We can suddenly read
books, write letters and add up all the money we’ve spent on video games. But
when it comes to religion, there is an almost immediate disconnect. Where is
the payoff for what we’ve learned about God? One can pray to Jesus, but it is
quite unlikely Jesus is going to reply in a manner easily understood. For some,
this is regarded as a challenge and they will seek a deeper meaning into this
enigmatic God. For others, there is a reaction almost akin to indifference;
they simply ignore the situation altogether and go on about their lives. They
neither think much about God, nor care to make Him a cause, good or bad. In my
experience, this is where most people wind up. Then there are those who are at
the opposite end from the first group. They believe that just as we learn about
math and can then add 1 + 1 and see without error that it will equal 2, a
prayerful petition to God Almighty or Jesus Christ should result in as clear a
reply as one human being talking to another. When this doesn’t manifest, a
feeling akin to betrayal occurs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Reading <i>“The God Delusion,”</i> Dawkins struck me as
this type of person; one feeling betrayed by not only God, but the parents and
“adults” in his life who evidently had lied to him. When one is ruled by the
tangible, the intangible is going to seem terribly foreign. Science demands a
certain order; the evidence must be clear in order to make an assessment. When
dealing with matters of faith, this order falls apart. I see this conflict of
the tangible verses the intangible in Dawkins when I read such passages as
this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“There
is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else has a
responsibility to give your life meaning and point… The truly adult view, by
contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we
choose to make it.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">―
Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Were Dawkins referring
only to people, I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with his point of view. As
human beings, we are supposed to mature and make our own way in this life.
Baring any mental or physical impediments, there should be little to stand in
the way of that goal. Even in a marriage, you shouldn’t rely on your partner to
provide for your happiness, but join with you in it. But Dawkins isn’t talking
about one person to another here; he is talking about a person of faith
deriving their meaning from their God. His disdain is clear by labeling such as
<i>“infantile.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus Christ was clear
in His assertion that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6) His
desire that we join with Him as part of this life is not an infantile act. An
infant has very basic needs and meaning and point are not among them. Where
then, does Dawkins arrive at the conclusion that such is infantile? This goes
back to his usage of language as a club. I won’t belabor his methodology here;
it evidently works for him as his books sales can attest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Still it is of interest
to note that without God, Dawkins would be an obscure scientific author and
enjoy none of the popularity his later works excoriating God Almighty have
given him. Despite his obvious scorn towards God, Dawkins has much to thank
this unseen, figurative entity for. He has become a “rock star” of a sort for
trotting about the Western World explaining how abysmally stupid anyone who
believes in God truly is. To his fans, this is as manna from heaven. Many of
them might hold vague, discordant feelings towards God for a host of reasons,
but they don’t possess the sharpened, erudite tongue of Dawkins by which to
express these feelings. Thus just as a Roman gladiator would enter the Coliseum
arena in full armor with weapons at the ready to cut down his unarmed “opponent,”
Dawkins’ fans will cheer him as he sets upon a hapless victim nowhere near as verbally
skilled in the arena of blazing lights and high definition television cameras
in yet another studio. This is high theater at its finest and Clinton Richard
Dawkins knows it and knows how to exploit it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But of what use is any
of these theatrics? Is Richard Dawkins convincing any people of faith that God
is some sort of a cosmic joke at best and non-existent at worst? According to
statistics, that would not seem to be the case. While the disenchantment over organized
religion has grown in the United States, such disenchantment has not seen a
like growth in the ranks of Atheists. Those calling themselves atheist or
Agnostic (those who don’t know) are growing in numbers, but not at as fast a
rate as in the 1990s and certainly not apace of “defections” from organized
religion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Findings for these
statistics can be found through American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS
2008) here: </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://b27.cc.trincoll.edu/weblogs/AmericanReligionSurvey-RIS/reports/ARIS_Report_2008.pdf">http://b27.cc.trincoll.edu/weblogs/AmericanReligionSurvey-RIS/reports/ARIS_Report_2008.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Dawkins and Hitchens
both may have given people pause, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Hopefully
if I am writing my commentaries correctly, <b><i>I</i></b> am giving people pause as well. We
should all endeavor to challenge ourselves and learn more. Stagnation is not a
good thing. Retreat isn’t a good thing either and this is what I find Richard
Dawkins really doing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We all have hurdles in
life which we face. These hurdles are sometimes so huge and insurmountable, we
don’t even recognize them; we don’t know they exist. Consider that our United
States Declaration of Independence asserts that:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> “<i>We hold
these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal
& independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent
& inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty,
& the pursuit of happiness;”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Following this ideal,
citizens of the United States have an opportunity to do or become just about
anything which is possible. However because people are varied in both talent
and physicality, some goals are going to be far out of reach for some rather
than others. This isn’t a situation which presents inequality; it is a
situation which points out our diversity. Were we all able to do the exact same
things, where would the variety and diversity come from? To be an NBA player,
it is thought one must have height as well as skill. Several stars in the NBA
overcame the height requirement and surmounted the obstacle before them to
become stars of the NBA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy”
Bogues stands just five feet, three inches tall. Yet he played Professional
Basketball with the Charlotte Hornets, the Washington Bullets, the Golden State
Warriors and the Toronto Raptors. He also served as head coach for the
now-defunct WNBA team Charlotte Sting. How many men standing just five feet,
three inches would ever imagine they could surmount the obvious obstacle of
height to play with the NBA? What it took for Bogues was the ability to look
beyond that which was visible or apparent. Bogues was able to do this
successfully enough to enter a career which utilizing all logic and reason,
should have been closed to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How does Richard
Dawkins’ wrestling match with God compare with the story of Tyrone Bogues? It
is simple. Richard Dawkins was unable to surmount the unthinkable and so he
merely explained how it couldn’t be done. Since the natural human reaction to
seemingly insurmountable obstacles is to beg off, Dawkins became a vanguard; a
voice for those suffering the same dearth of ability. It is for this reason he
enjoys the accolades from his fans while drawing the ire of (some) of his
critics. The irony here is that many people of faith Dawkins has targeted suffer
from the exact same struggles with faith as does he. However, these are people
who despite appearances, have chosen to remain faithful and trust God rather
than shake an angry fist at Him. Faith is a difficult prospect and one which is
NOT for the faint-hearted. There is a reason for this which will be utterly
lost on the Richard Dawkins of the world … for now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Faith is a component
not quantifiable by science. Science is the study of our present, temporal
realm. Science must have the tangible to study and view. If it cannot be
observed and measured, it does not exist. While I completely appreciate this
perspective, it remains an indisputable fact that there is much within our
world which cannot be measured or seen, yet we acknowledge its existence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Without delving into
the theoretical and quantum world of physics (which still have many of their
basis in tangible scientific fact.), I’ll start with something which is rather
obvious. It is the concept of love. What exactly is love? Many experts in the
field of neurology insist love is nothing more than a biochemical response to
certain stimuli. Chemicals such as testosterone, oestrogen, pheromones,
dopamine, norepinehrine, serotonin, oxytocin and vasopressin are released which
will have an effect on brain chemistry resulting in attraction. We are further
told that this is an evolutionary result of the bodies need to procreate. Ergo,
science has distilled love down to chemical reactions based upon a need to bond
in order to protect and propagate the species. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I am not going to go
into the reasons I disagree with this in any great detail as such is not
germane to this commentary, but I will state that to be equal under
evolutionary tenets, other animals should experience the same roiling emotions
as do humans when love is a factor. Anyone who has been in love understands
exactly what I am talking about. There are amorous feelings—lust, for example,
and then there is love which transcends a need for procreation. I rarely see
this evidence in the animal kingdom and not at all to the degree seen between
humans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Within the homosexual
community today is a component of love which would tend to belie the notion
that love is an evolutionary response to protect and propagate the species. The
obvious is that as a purely biological fact, same sexes cannot procreate. Love
has absolutely nothing to do with that biological function. Thus it would seem
that as a point of evolutionary assertion, homosexuality would be an
abnormality which should have self corrected within the human organism by now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Love is difficult to
quantify, it is difficult to pin down. Love has built and destroyed empires;
love has resulted in the most beautiful works of art and literature in the
world and has led to some of the most horrific acts imaginable. Love exists,
but no one is agreed upon as to just what it truly is; mere biological
responses due to stimuli, or something deeper which transcends the flesh?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ talked much
about love. Central to Christ’s ministry was to point out the difference
between the rule under God Almighty and the rule which existed under his
spiritual Ambassadors. The latter ruled through the letter of the Law; they
implemented in terms of on or off, yes or no, binary ones or zeros. Christ
introduced shades of gray into the equation. Thus under Christ, love was able
to burst forth and breathe. Mankind was no longer limited to the strictures of
the Law, but was free to truly love. However this biochemical freedom required
self-restraint as one matured in Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul illustrates this
point to the Corinthian Church: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Everything
is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible,
but not everything is constructive.”</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
1<sup>st</sup> Corinthians 10:23<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">When
the strictures of the Law was removed, there was no longer anything which stood
between man, his actions and God. But man’s actions could still have a
deleterious effect upon their lives while they remained in the body, and blunt
their effectiveness as the face of God to others. Love allowed Christ to extend
this level of freedom and intimacy to all, whereas the Law prohibited such
behavior, punishing transgressors with death. Consider how the spiritual
Ambassadors of the Most High God administrated over humans beings:</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 40.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 40.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If
a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his
neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 40.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If
a man sleeps with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man
and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 40.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If
a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What
they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 40.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If
a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is
detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 40.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If
a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must
be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 40.5pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-
Leviticus 20:10-14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 40.5pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Contrast the above with
how Christ dealt with a similar situation:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"...but
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the
temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him,
“Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone
such women. So what do you say?” This
they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up
and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a
stone at her.” And once more he bent
down and wrote on the ground. But when
they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and
Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where
are they? Has no one condemned you?” She
said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from
now on sin no more.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- John 8: 1- 10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jesus approached the
situation entirely different from that of the Angelic Administrators of the Law
because the Law was absent love. A concept and emotion which few today can
adequately explain, which cannot be measured or seen, yet it has the power to
change lives and worlds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There is no doubt some
will take issue with my analogies, but I regard them as rather apt: love is
unseen, unquantifiable and lacks a logical explanation as to its existence. It
is also an undeniable truth of the human condition. It is not attached to
physical needs of the species nor is it a component of mere sexual release; it
is deeper, it is unique. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Of all the things which
Christ said we CAN’T take with us from this earth upon the death of our flesh,
love is not among them. Love is what He earnestly encourages us to cultivate.
It is the ONE thing we are supposed to build and nurture. What we build in love
will be waiting for us upon our transition to the spirit. Can I scientifically
prove this? No … no more than science can prove to me or anyone else exactly what
love truly is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Faith falls into this
same category because it is a component of love. When we exercise faith, we are
placing our trust and our belief in Christ unreservedly. In much the way a child will completely trust
their parents, Christ desires us to trust Him. This bond of trust between the
parent and child is a component from birth and is broken only by the parent,
not the child. A child will follow the parent because the parent is their sole
focus in the new world. Only a betrayal which results in pain to the child
threatens to break the bond. Even at that, it takes quite a bit to completely
sever this bond between parent and child. Any who have witnessed the pain of an
elderly parent or friend over an aloof or cruel parent knows that this is a
heartbreak which lasts a lifetime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The reactions I have
seen from some of my friends who claim to be atheists has been almost the same
reaction I have seen from friends who have suffered through bad relationships
or even outright rejection by their parents; it is a deep hurt—a feeling of
betrayal. This is perfectly understandable and I do not wish to diminish or
marginalize those feelings here; they are very much real. Something which
cannot be measured or quantified can burn like an acid in the consciousness of
anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When we do not
understand God, we feel as a child who is rejected by our parents. When
circumstances in our lives create pain, we feel as a child being treated
cruelly by our parents. When we find ourselves sinking in confusion and our
lives are swirling out of control; when we cry out to God to help us and give
us guidance, but he is silent to our understanding, we feel as a child who has
been ignored and pushed aside by our parents. We do not feel loved and that
void must be filled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I have had these
conversations with these so-called atheists too many times to count. The
stories are all essentially the same with the embrace of atheism being
something of a protective response to the seeming neglect they’ve suffered. No
one likes to feel worthless to the one who is supposed to love them. Thus when
one believes they’ve been slighted but cannot confront the object of their hurt
due to limitations, one simply removes them from their lives. Atheism is more a
reaction to the inability to see and understand God than a logical conclusion
to the (lack of) tangible evidence of God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Love is powerful, yet
it is a mystery. Faith is powerful and remains elusive to most. A Christian is
told that both are necessary to really understand God. It is interesting that
neither was a necessary component to be Godly during the time of the Law;
obedience was all which was required. Love is a mature emotion necessitating a
mature response. Obedience via threats requires no thought at all. Obedience as
a component of love requires faith. Putting both together—love and faith, we
find powerful forces which cannot be measured, quantified or even fully
explained. However, it remains without a doubt that our society has been built
upon these mysterious invisible forces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Love
is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth. It
always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never
fails.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-1<sup>st</sup>
Corinthians 13:4-8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your
strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Mark 12:29-31<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“We
love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet he hates his
brother, he is a liar.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
1<sup>st</sup> John 4:19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Being
deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives
you courage.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Lao Tzu<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Where
there is love, there is life.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Mahatma Gandhi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“A
loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Thomas Carlyle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Now
faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> - Hebrews 11:1<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Faith
is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Martin Luther King Jr.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“That
deep emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which
is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Albert Einstein<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Faith
consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Voltaire<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Faith
is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Mahatma Gandhi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Human beings are more
than the sum total of their corporeal parts. This may seem axiomatic to some,
but too many are being inculcated with the notion that they are little more
than a combination of complex proteins and amino acids which have coalesced into
our present biological form. Our minds—our consciousness is just the combination
of inherited traits passed down through DNA coupled with learned experiences. When
we die, all of this is lost forever; we return to the nothingness we cannot
remember before we were born. To a hurting people this may seem like adequate succor,
but it is an unfortunate retreat—a surrender. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Atheists struggle to bridge
the gap between the temporal and the spiritual in as much as those who claim to
hold to the spiritual do not fully recognize the import of the temporal. From a
Christian perspective, this temporal life has specific purpose no matter how blind
we may personally be to that purpose. When academia arrogantly eschews any idea
of there being a world beyond that which they can see, touch, hear, smell or
taste, they have already limited themselves and their ability to learn. In the
most honest definition of the term “academic,” these people must beg off; they
are no longer interested in learning, nor are they interested in teaching. They
have now relegated themselves to the role of indoctrinator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To eschew the spiritual
because it is beyond one’s comprehension is as arrogant and small-minded a
position to take as those who eschew the temporal world because it is of Satan.
Neither position holds the truth for it works only to puff up a false sense of
righteousness which is simply not helpful. Consider for one moment as an Atheist
that you are more than the sum total of your corporeal parts and that when you
pass from your body, that consciousness you so easily dismiss will continue on
elsewhere, perfectly aware and perfectly sentient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As a Christian,
consider that you are more than the sum total of the spirit. That God placed us
on this earth to learn certain lessons in humility and empathy which can be
gleaned nowhere else. What makes up the whole human being is an amalgam of the
two. God had to become man to interface with us and redeem us back to Himself.
It took His Spirit and His flesh to accomplish the job. Christians do
themselves a tremendous disservice and pass that disservice onto others when
they denigrate the human condition to the extent they do. Atheists do
themselves a disservice and pass that disservice on to others when they denigrate
the spiritual to the extent they do. My point is thus made to the best of my
ability. Just because one does not understand an idea or concept, does not necessarily
mean it is not true. Endeavor to learn to what you do not understand, not kill
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christopher Hitchens
died after a valiant battle with cancer in December, 2011. I was saddened by
his passing as I enjoyed reading his work on a regular basis and felt the world
was made just a bit more dim with his light no longer in it. I didn’t agree with his political ideology
and suffice to say I didn’t agree with his view of God. Hitchens struggled with
Christ’s teaching because he couldn’t understand a man speaking and teaching as
Christ did <i>unless</i> He was God … which
Hitchens soundly rejected. Still Hitchens did not dissuade Christians from
praying for him as he lay dying. Mick Brown writing for the April 9, 2011
edition of The Sydney Morning Herald said, “<i>Hitchens's
attitude to people praying for him could be described as a mixture of polite
gratitude for their consideration and a determined refusal to let it sway his
opinions.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Hitchens knows the
truth about this temporal realm now. He doesn’t know everything, of course as
he is not God, but he knows enough. I do not hold to the belief that
Christopher Hitchens is roasting in Hell and I imagine that when he opened his
eyes in eternity, he had a hearty good laugh over being proved so wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Richard Dawkins will
also experience that same sudden awareness someday—as will we all. None of us
will long survive in the flesh; some will live many years, while others will be
here only fleetingly. Our duration on this earth is not the point; what we do
with the opportunity is. Circumstances in this realm are such that a good
number of people conceived, are taken before they ever have the opportunity to take
a breath. That their existence is so very brief is not evidence that God is an
ogre, rather their lives provide those of us blessed with a time of substance
here the opportunity to be of service to others; to be the face of our unseen
Creator. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The flesh will never
understand the spirit because they are two dissimilar constructs. That the
tangible cannot take a measure of the intangible does not invalidate either. That
seemingly insurmountable hurdles face us all does not mean we are not to make
the attempt. This is how we grow and it is the gift which God has given to us
all. One may never truly understand this concept in the temporal, but one will
most assuredly come to believe upon stepping over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">After Hitchens hearty
laugh, I imagine him being filled with tremendous gratitude that God turned out
not to be the monster he’d imagined for so long after all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-40505485172333127842014-02-18T13:13:00.004-08:002021-09-25T20:45:42.902-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kafa5cRExoI/VDo4PWynGuI/AAAAAAAAANc/3UsHq7lRQBQ/s1600/desert.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kafa5cRExoI/VDo4PWynGuI/AAAAAAAAANc/3UsHq7lRQBQ/s1600/desert.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 115%;">No evidence of the Exodus from Egypt?</span></h2>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Why
historians are terrified to recognize Israel’s past.</span></h3>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">All contents copyright
© 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the
related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means
(electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of the publisher.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">*
* *<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="376">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Unresolved Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Link"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A while back I was reading an
article whereupon some archaeologists were interviewed about a part
of their findings in the Sinai desert. They were there to see if they could
uncover any shred of evidence to suggest that there had been a mass exodus of
Hebrews from Egypt which would have occurred approximately 3500 years ago. The
beginning of this exodus is chronicled in Exodus 12:31 after the angel of death
had struck down the first born of any who had not had their door frames painted
with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. This exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt
numbered approximately two million people and took forty years. (Numbers 14:33) <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, to place this tale in proper
context, a little more background as to the circumstances of why the Hebrews
were in Egypt to begin with is in order. To do that, we have to go back to the
book of Genesis. In Genesis 37, we have a brief family history and an account
of where everyone is living. Jacob, Isaac’s son, and Abraham’s grandson is
living in the land of Canaan (Modern-day Israel.) along with his two wives,
both daughters of a man named Laban. There were twelve sons in all born to
Jacob by these two wives, but the account makes it clear Jacob favored his
marriage—and the children born to his wife Rachel over that of his wife, Leah. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The oldest of the boys born to
Rachel was named Joseph. This account is rather long and is a quite well-known
story in Judeo-Christianity, so I am going to quickly skim over to the main
points. Joseph was a teen at a point in time when his older half-brothers began
to feel somewhat cheated. Their father clearly favored the younger boys and
when Joseph began to recount dreams whereupon his older brothers would one day
worship him, they had heard enough. They took him out with them to tend to
their flocks and intended to kill him. In the end, they decided to sell him to
some slave traders. They brought back his coat covered in lamb’s blood to
convince their father, Jacob that Joseph had been accidentally killed
by a wild animal. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With Joseph thought dead by Jacob,
there was no one to know where Joseph had gone—not even his brothers. Joseph
was subsequently sold to an Egyptian official named Potiphar and went to work
for him. This turned out to be rather fortunate for Joseph as Potiphar liked
Joseph and moved him into his opulent house with him and his wife. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This living arrangement worked out
well enough until Potiphar’s wife decided that she too liked Joseph and wanted
to sleep with him. Joseph, remembering the ways of God taught to him by his
father (lessons which were evidently lost on the older sons—especially Judah),
resisted her charms. Humiliated, Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of attempted
rape. Potiphar immediately had Joseph thrown in prison. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is no real accounting of the
duration of time Joseph spent in prison, but it was years. Soon a situation
arose whereupon a cupbearer and a baker wound up in prison with Joseph. Both
were troubled by dreams they had had and asked Joseph what they could mean.
Joseph accurately interpreted their dreams. Good news for the cup bearer, not
so good news for the baker. Joseph had asked that the baker remember him when
he was once again back in the Pharaoh’s service. Fat chance. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two years elapsed after this
incident when the Pharaoh began to have dreams. Without anyone to answer these
confusing dreams, the Pharaoh was becoming disagreeable. Seeing an opportunity
to put him in good stead with the Pharaoh, the cup bearer suddenly recalled
Joseph in prison and explained to the Pharaoh that he might be of use. The
Pharaoh called for Joseph, explained his dreams and Joseph gave him the correct
interpretation. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The dreams which so bedeviled the
Pharaoh, regarded a coming drought which would affect the entire
region—including the land of Canaan. This drought would last for seven years
and unless steps were taken, famine would soon grip the land. So impressed was
the Pharaoh, he not only freed Joseph, but made him governor of all of Egypt.
In essence, Joseph went from convicted felon to the vice president in the blink
of an eye. (In modern times, it usually works in reverse.) <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Joseph ordered the construction of
grain bins and that they be filled while they still had time to do so. (Seven
years according to Pharaoh’s dream.) This was done as directed and at the end
of seven years, the drought did indeed hit. The outlying lands suffered terribly,
and food soon became scarce. Without getting into the details, Joseph’s family
made their way to Egypt to buy grain, but after a weepy family reunion, were
invited to stay. Thus, Jacob’s family relocated to Egypt. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fast forward about three hundred
years. The immediate families of Jacob are all dead and the Semitic Pharaoh,
most likely from The Hyksos people, who once ruled Egypt is overthrown. He
is replaced by a man not of Semitic lineage most likely named Ahmose I.
While the historical dates don't exactly line up with the traditional dates of
Moses' Exodus from Egypt, the other details in fact do.<br />
<br />
Thus once the Hyksos king was defeated and Egypt returned to rule
under the Egyptians, there was very little love shown towards their former
Hyksos captors who were a Semitic people just as were the Hebrews who
had come from the land of Canaan at Joseph's behest. Jacob’s family
had multiplied to such an extent over the years in Egypt, this new Pharaoh
was concerned he could face an insurrection along similar to what had occurred
earlier. The Hebrews were then stripped of their rights, regarded as second-class
citizens, and then eventually regarded as little more than slaves. This
condition lasted a little over one hundred years. It was during this period
that Moses was born. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moses, as is well known in
Judeo-Christianity, was hidden in some reeds along the river after a decree
went out from this new Pharaoh to kill all the male babies born to the Hebrew
women. While Moses was set adrift in the river to hide him from the Pharaoh’s
guards, he was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter. The girl decided to raise the
baby as her own and asked Moses’ sister to find a suitable wet-nurse. Moses’
sister naturally called upon their mother. Thus, Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s
household, given all of the rights and privileges accorded such a position
while still being raised by his own mother. Moses grew up being schooled not in
Hebrew culture, but rather Egyptian. Consider at this point that most all
Moses’ family were just as immersed in Egyptian culture as well. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a point of reference, I ask the
reader to regard their own genealogies. Where was your family line four hundred
years ago? I have spent approximately twenty years working on my family
genealogy. On my name’s sake side, Wilson, I have traced us back to Scotland
circa 1700. On my Paternal grandmother’s side, I’ve traced my lineage back to
1000 AD in Well, England. This would have been roughly the time of William the
Conqueror. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On my maternal Grandmother’s side,
I’ve traced back as far as the late 18<sup>th</sup> Century in Dublin, Ireland.
In none of the above examples would I be familiar with the customs of my
forebears. It is a given I could not speak the language. Even English in 1000
AD would be nearly incomprehensible to us today; I do not know one word of Gallic.
I would be regarded in every respect as little more than a stranger to those
who lived there. While I have found relatives still residing in Ireland and In
Well, England, we do not know a thing about each other. I would remain a
stranger until I got to know them. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Consider this is the situation that
Moses and the Hebrews faced when they began the exodus. We tend to think these
were people all well acquainted with Hebrew customs and beliefs, but these were
people who had been raised as Egyptians. They knew extraordinarily little—if
anything at all—about their origins; they regarded themselves as Egyptian. It
was for this very reason that Moses had to learn about his people from Jethro
of Midian after he fled into the desert. (Exodus 2:21) Had Moses been raised as
a Hebrew and knew of their customs, there would have been little need to learn
anything from Jethro. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is interesting that we have
movements in the world today which deny the German Holocaust happened, yet my 90-year-old
father was over in Germany shortly after Liberation and saw the devastation
Adolf Hitler brought to not only the Jews, but to the German people. Despite
the amount of eye-witness testimony, paper evidence in the form of records,
journals, etc., photographic evidence, and a wealth of forensic evidence, there
is a huge movement to assert the position the Holocaust never happened. This
would be news to my father who still talks about the “walking skeletons” he met
over in Germany. I’ll hasten to add that World War II ended just sixty-nine
years ago. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite this recent historical
event, how many children in school today learn the details of this war? The
answer is very few. It is regarded as ancient history in our schools and thus,
is essentially given “lip service” with no factual information having been
imparted. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The same people who would assert
that World War II is too far in our past to be necessary to be taught to our
children in school, are the exact same people who insist the Hebrews should
have retained all their forebears had told them four hundred years earlier. My
question: Do we regard the ancient Hebrews as more intelligent and responsible
that we should be today? The logic applied by these critics would certainly
lean in that direction. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ask a typical person off the street
what was going on in the United States four hundred years ago. Ask them what the
culture was, what language was spoken and who was the world power in the year
1614. Very, very few can answer those questions. Sadly, many would not even
know the United States didn’t yet exist. But we expect a tribal people who had
been living away from their ancestral land to not only retain all knowledge of
that former time, but to have also retained all of the culture, language, and
rituals. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Consider the plight of the native
American people. On my father’s side, my great-great grandmother was full
Mohegan Indian. The culture, language, and knowledge of her family is lost to
history. I know; I have looked. She was “bound out” as a child and wound up
working for my great-great grandfather in 1854. She tended to his wife and
family as Yellow Fever swept through and wound up killing all but my
Great-great grandfather and his eldest daughter from that first marriage. He
then took his servant girl, the Mohegan Indian, as his bride and they had seven
children together. My father remembers this woman just barely as she didn’t
pass on until 1928 when my father would have been barely five years old.
Regardless, nothing was passed down, and I know very little about her people
outside of what is printed about the Mohegan in general. To me, this is a waste
and personally, I would very much like to explore this part of my family tree. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My point in explaining all of this
is simple. For some mysterious reason, archaeologists hold ancient
people to a much higher standard than they do to contemporary people. If
we can decimate a people so thoroughly that though barely one hundred years
hence, there is nothing known, how is it we have any realistic expectation a
tribe enslaved under the aforementioned conditions should retain knowledge of
their forebears? It simply is not reasonable. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With the passing of elder Native
Americans of various tribes, the language they spoke is going with them. So
much of what a people is resides in their language. How they speak, what they
speak of, their thoughts as constructed orally; all are subtle nuances which do
not translate easily outside of the language. Moses spoke Egyptian as did the
other Hebrews. It is quite possible—probable, in fact—that they were bi-lingual
to a degree, but growing up in Pharaoh’s household as he did, Moses native
tongue had become Egyptian. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moses also wrote in Egyptian. In the
year 1450 BC. This is from Colleen Manassa, curator of <i>“Echoes of Egypt:
Conjuring the Land of the Pharaohs”</i> and Associate Professor of Egyptology
at Yale University: <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For day-to-day documents, ancient
Egyptian scribes wrote in a cursive, abbreviated form of hieroglyphs called
“hieratic,” the script used in this short letter. A small rectangular piece of
papyrus cut from a longer scroll, this letter consists of a list of festival
offerings that a woman, Hetep, gave to a man, Penre, apparently to settle a
previous debt. The recto consists primarily of a list of loaves of bread, cuts
of meat, and assorted vegetables, while the verso includes an unusual curse
formula and oath: “No male robber (of the necropolis) shall violate it; no
female robbers of the necropolis shall violate it. As Re endures, as Re
endures, they will reach Paenre, consisting of what Hetep gives to you because
she has given it to you before Re.” After being written, the letter was folded
(the horizontal creases are still visible in the thin lines of missing fibers),
and the address was written, which is why the name of the addressee is upside
down relative to the text on the verso.</span></i></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://echoesofegypt.peabody.yale.edu/hieroglyphs/letter-hieratic-script" target="_blank">http://echoesofegypt.peabody.yale.edu/hieroglyphs/letter-hieratic-script</a><br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The above references some hieratic
writing on a scrap of papyrus dated to 1450 BC. This would make such writing
contemporary to the time of Moses and the Exodus. It would also have been the
type of writing he and the Egyptian Hebrews would have been most familiar
with—providing those Egyptians Hebrews were literate. Most were not as most had
no formal teaching, nor the benefit of education as had Moses. Thus, when the
exodus began, whatever pottery, writing or other signs of life in the Southern
Sinai which may have been found would be easily mistaken for Egyptian, rather
than the Canaanite artifacts they have so far expected to find. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So, what is the evidence to back up
my claims? Surprisingly, there is much evidence all about us, but it is
misunderstood and mislabeled. I will endeavor to expound upon the claims I’ve
thus far made to engage the reader to consider what has been either mistakenly
over-looked, or deliberately concealed by historians
and archaeologists. The troubling aspect of this conclusion is that
neither is acceptable. We expect that those who call themselves historians to
be absent a particular ideological agenda, but that is sadly not the case. I
will delve more into that later. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First it is important to understand
just what Biblical Archaeology is. As far as a “science” or practice,
it is relatively young; about 150 years old. The “father” of
Biblical Archaeology is William Foxwell Albright (1891 –
1971). Albright first came to prominence as one of the scholars who authenticated
the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1948. This provided a base upon which he began his true
life’s work which was to prove the events of the Bible pointed
to archaeological evidence we can see today. This is what became
known as Biblical Archaeology. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To be certain, this is a hot topic
issue with a host of differing opinions. Many of
younger archaeologists who were influenced by Albright’s
teachings have since concluded he is mostly in error with his findings. They
have approached the subject as secular archaeologists and thus
believe their findings are unbiased and are the only true accounting of
the facts. To this I ask the following questions: <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><ol start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Why is it reasonable to presume that a people separated by
time and space would retain the exact same characteristics of one another?
The Hebrews inhabited the land of Canaan (Abraham was buried in Machpelah
in modern-day Hebron, Israel) in the time of Abraham who had originally
come there from the land of Ur (Modern-day Southern Iraq.) Those who went to
Egypt were limited to Jacob’s family. The whole of the people of the land
of Canaan remained in Canaan. <br /></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Approximately 470
years passed between Jacob’s arrival in Egypt and Joshua’s return to the
land of Canaan. As has already been pointed out, Joshua and his people
were more Egyptian than they were Canaanite in the vein and culture of
Abraham. Why are archaeologists looking for Canaanite pottery
and other like evidence in the Southern Sinai Peninsula rather than
evidence of habitation of any kind?</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Why
are archaeologists insistent they should be able to locate
evidence of a language of these people not in existence at the time
of the exodus? Again, the earliest evidence of the Hebrew language dates
to 1000 BCE, four hundred years after the exodus occurred.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br /></span></li></ol><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unless and until
modern archaeology puts aside the secular agenda and answers these
questions fairly, their findings are as biased and “colored” as they
accuse Albright’s of being. Despite this, I can find volumes of information in
books and on the Internet which assert there is absolutely NO evidence of the
Biblical exodus. However, I can still find assertions that the Jewish King
David is a work of fiction despite verified archaeological evidence
to the contrary. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The evidence of King David is found
in the Tel Dan Inscription. This from Wikipedia:<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Tel Dan Stele is a broken stele
(inscribed stone) discovered in 1993-94 during excavations at Tel Dan in
northern Israel. It consists of several fragments making up part of a triumphal
inscription in Aramaic, left most probably by Hazael of Aram-Damascus, an
important regional figure in the late ninth-century BCE. Hazael (or more
accurately, the unnamed king) boasts of his victories over the king of Israel
and his ally the king of the "House of David" (bytdwd), the first
time the name David had been found outside of the Bible.[1]</span></i></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Tel Dan inscription generated
considerable debate and a flurry of articles, debating its age, authorship, and
even some accusations of forgery, "but it is now widely regarded (a) as
genuine and (b) as referring to the Davidic dynasty and the Aramaic kingdom of
Damascus."[2] It is currently on display in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.[3]</span></i> <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
secular archaeological agenda does no favors to any true student of
history. It is better to state that one has found no definitive evidence
thus far than to state with certainty no such evidence exists because the story
is a fabrication. Such is a position of supreme arrogance not worthy of one
calling themselves scholars. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, I am not so naive as to
believe there are not egos warring in our hallowed halls of higher learning. My
mathematics teacher in college once told me that in higher institutions, one
either is published, or one is irrelevant. That is a shame because it goads
otherwise good people into producing <i>ANYTHING </i>in order to get noticed
and facts be damned. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While I may sound like someone with
an axe to grind, I assure you that such not entirely the case. The only “axe” I
desire to grind to a razor-sharp edge is that which will be used to cut through
the lies of ideology. The simple fact is that we don’t know all the truth of
the past, but when we allow our preconceived notions of what we <i>believe </i>the
past to have been to then lead us to false conclusions, we are primarily lying
to ourselves in these instances. Those who are familiar with my commentaries
are also familiar with the fact that I do not hold to traditional Christian
orthodoxy <i>“just because that’s what I was taught.”</i> No, quite the
contrary; I desire to learn truth, not dogma. I have taken that same sharpened
aforementioned axe to my own long held beliefs and cut them down like
over-ripened stalks of wheat. Where there is error, no truth exists regardless
the ideological desire. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I have come to understand it, two
major errors have occurred on both sides of the ideological aisle:
Traditionalist of the Judeo-Christian belief regard the book of Genesis as the
inerrant Word of God and believe that as they comprehend it, it can be used as
a scientific treatise on the origin of the universe. The second error I have
found is that secularists hold to the belief that the book of Genesis is the
inerrant Word of God and believe that as they comprehend it, it can be used as
a scientific treatise on the origin of the universe. Because of these errors,
both sides expend tremendous amounts of effort and rhetoric to disprove one
another rather than simply letting the evidence speak for itself, be it pro or
con to their agenda. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I know of a woman who attained a
Decorate in Theology, though she claims to be an atheist. Her whole point was
to evidently prove that God does not exist, thus she authored her dissertation
on how Christianity is little more than a cult. Such a paper should have been
summarily dismissed, but it was vetted by a group of her peers who hold similar
beliefs, to wit: God is dead and any who believe otherwise are crazy. Again,
such an arrogant position has no place in academia, but such is the nature of
rabid ideology. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I raise this anecdote for one reason
only: These are the same minds we trust to provide us an unbiased, legitimate
conclusion as to the archeological truth of our origins. I can only imagine the
response this woman’s dissertation would have received had it been peer
reviewed by those who held no such bias against people of faith. Perhaps such a
work would have even been seen as intolerant and racist. Perhaps. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I have struggled to find papers
listing the artifacts uncovered in the Southern Sinai Peninsula which date to
the Eighteenth Dynasty under the rule of Thutmose III (1479 – 1425 BC)
attributed to the Egyptian Hebrews and the exodus. Thutmose III’s reign would
have coincided with Moses and the exodus. Thutmose and his army traveled widely
as a result of various military campaigns against the Phoenicians in Syria and
the Kadesh on the Orontes River which flows through Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria.
My guess is that I will never find such papers written on these discoveries,
for <b>no archeologist</b> is looking for them. Their presumption is that the
Hebrews in Egyptian captivity remained fully Hebrew and/or Canaanite in
culture, appearance and bearing. I cannot underscore enough how incongruent
this belief is with human nature. People adapt to their surroundings, and we
have an overwhelming wealth of information to bear that fact out. <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My call to archeologists who may be
reading this missive is to reassess your position; begin to look in areas with
fresh eyes and without an agenda. I am certain you’ll make astounding
discoveries once you let go of all agendas besides the truth.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-30672463749523063312014-02-16T22:09:00.000-08:002014-10-12T01:15:53.183-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-feb6BYbENpA/VDo4rjAwupI/AAAAAAAAANk/cC03rQQreas/s1600/The-Ten-Commandments-Tablets-Are-Christians-Under-the-Law-e1380402280376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-feb6BYbENpA/VDo4rjAwupI/AAAAAAAAANk/cC03rQQreas/s1600/The-Ten-Commandments-Tablets-Are-Christians-Under-the-Law-e1380402280376.jpg" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 40px;">Is God More Interested In Our Spirit or Body?</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0in; text-align: center;">
<h3>
<span class="woj"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px;">What is the purpose of The Law?</span></b></span></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0in;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 20px;">All contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0in; text-align: center;">
<span class="woj"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0.5in 10pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="woj"><i><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’<b><sup> </sup></b>But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><b><i><sup><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” </span></i></span><span class="woj"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">– Matthew 5:38-42<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 40px;">M</span></span><span class="woj">any, many times I find myself discussing the Old Testament with certain people who will bring up the fact that the New Testament isn’t a new covenant, but rather a “completion” or a “clarification” of the old. I have pointed out this very verse to them to show that Christ doesn’t appear to be adding anything to the verse from Exodus 21:24. Quite plainly it seems to be a complete countermanding of what was pointed out in The Law. Still there seems to be a stubborn refusal to see the obvious. I had to finally ask myself whether it was I who was not seeing the obvious. After all I am the one taking the contrary position with respect to the understanding of this passage in Matthew. Perhaps I am the one led astray.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking at the passage in Exodus seemed like a reasonable place to start. Context is everything and in this case, it was necessary to understand the reasoning behind this particular law. Why did God find it necessary to give such a command to begin with? Exodus chapter twenty-one begins with God giving Moses a command to explain the laws to the Israelites. The laws deal with the minutiae of everyday life for a Jew in exile circa 1450 BC. Even a cursory read will allow that life for them is far removed from life for us today. Of course there is still much wisdom which could be gleaned and applied to our circumstances in the twenty-first century, but for the most part, these were instructions written for those people within their present circumstances. But why? What was the point? A little history lesson might help to answer that question.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dating to approximately 1772 BC, the Code of Hammurabi set down for the Babylonians laws for which they would be held to as a people. As the Babylonian society matured and the population grew, it was obvious that law of some sort was needed. One cannot transgress a law if no such law exists. Thus, the Hammurabic Code was written upon a Stele (a type of stone obelisk.) in the Akkdaian language using cuneiform script. The image upon the top of this Stele is of King Hammurabi being given the Law by their God. (More on that later.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was revolutionary about the Hammurabic Code was it is one of the earliest examples of the presumption of innocence, something not even evident in the much older Sumerian Code of Ur Nammu (circa 2050 BC). Of course what it did share with the older known codes including the Laws of Eshnunna (circa 1930 BC), the Codex of Lipit-Ishtar of Isin (circa 1870 BC) and the later Hittite, Assyrian and Mosaic Laws was the evident need for codified rule to be implemented in order to have order over the growing populous. In this, the most well known of all these laws is also the youngest; the Mosaic Law.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Moses received the Law upon Mount Sinai approximately 1450 BC marking its entry into the list of ancient codes. On its face, it would appear as nothing terribly removed from any of the previous codes or laws given to other peoples about the whole of the earth. One can only speculate that the delay in the Hebrews receiving such a code was due in part to their approximately four hundred years living under Egyptian rules and regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here I must digress for just a moment regarding the Egyptian “experience” for the Hebrews. It is taught by orthodoxy that the Jews were in captivity by the Egyptians for four hundred, thirty years. This is incorrect. What actually occurred was an enslavement which lasted approximately one hundred years. The problem has come about due to the mention of the four hundred, thirty years figure and then a presumption that all of those years were spent in bondage. As a reading of the Exodus account will show, a good deal of time passed in Egypt after Joseph had brought his family over. Subsequent to Joseph’s death (an indeterminate period of time), the ruling Pharohic house was overthrown by an invading clan. The Pharaoh which had welcomed Joseph was from a Semetic lineage, thus Joseph’s family and the Pharaoh were distantly related. With the invasion and displacement of the dynasty which welcomed Joseph and his people, the Hebrews were enslaved. Regardless the enslavement, this new dynasty still operated under rules and these rules were imposed upon their Hebrew captives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I find that I must digress just a bit further here to explain a bit of the seeming historical incongruity offered by </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">archaeologists</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> with respect to the Hebrew captivity and the eventual exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. The prevailing theory is that this portion of the Genesis and Exodus accounts are pure fabrication due to the dearth of evidence of Hebrew remnants in the Southern Sinai Peninsula. A paper I read on the subject specifically pointed out the dearth of pottery shards in the soil to indicate the Hebrews spent any length on time in the area. One </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">archaeologist</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> was quoted as saying that it was the evidence of such pottery, emblazoned with the native writing (in this case Hebrew script) which was used as an indicator of the presence of certain people. I don’t wish to seem “snarky” or disrespectful, but I have to marvel at the fact any of these people are employed as </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">archaeologists</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> at all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">After living in the land of Egypt for over four hundred years, the only “script” familiar to Moses and his people would have been a rudimentary form of Egyptian. As a point of historical fact, the Exodus was thought to have occurred in approximately 1446 BC. The earliest Hebrew writing dates to approximately 1000 BC. Owing to the fact that Moses was schooled in the Egyptian language (both written and spoken), one would naturally assume any artifacts uncovered in the Southern Sinai Peninsula would be Egyptian since no Hebrew writing yet existed. One would think, but one is not a modern </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">archaeologist</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> with an agenda… (End of snarkiness…for now.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Human beings sooner or later become aware of the fact that Law must be imposed to maintain order. Without any central figure to restrain us, we would all go our separate ways and create chaos. Thus rules were written and set forth. The god of the Hebrews saw this very clearly and so imparted his laws to Moses upon Mount Sinai. (Galatians 3:19-20)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">This Law </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">differed</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> from other previous codes and laws insofar as the first four items on the list handed down dealt directly with the position of god towards his people. In brief:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</div>
<ol style="line-height: normal;">
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="woj" style="line-height: 24px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> . </span></i></span><span class="woj" style="line-height: 24px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>You shall have no other gods before me.</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="woj" style="line-height: 24px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> . </span></i></span><span class="woj" style="line-height: 24px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in Heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="woj" style="line-height: 24px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> . </span></i></span><span class="woj" style="line-height: 24px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>You will not take the Lord’s name in vain.</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="woj" style="line-height: 24px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i><span style="font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"> . </span></i></span><span class="woj" style="line-height: 24px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><i>Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy.</i></span></span></li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contrast with the Hammurabic Code which contains 282 laws, one of which is: “An eye for an eye.” Sound familiar? That is number 196 of the Hammurabic code and it reads:<i> “If a [noble-]man put out the eye of another [noble-]man, his eye shall be put out.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="woj"><i> </i></span><span class="woj">This much older code begins:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0.5in 10pt;">
<span class="woj"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">"Anu and Bel called by name me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who feared God, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil-doers; so that the strong should not harm the weak; so that I should rule over the black-headed people like Shamash, and enlighten the land, to further the well-being of mankind ..."<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The code then launches into the listing of the laws beginning thus:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0.5in 10pt;">
<span class="woj"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. If a man has accused another of laying a nertu [death spell?] upon him, but has not proved it, he shall be put to death.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0.5in 10pt;">
<span class="woj"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. If a man has accused another of laying a kispu [spell] upon him, but has not proved it, the accused shall go to the sacred river, he shall plunge into the sacred river, and if the river shall conquer him, he that accused him shall take possession of his house. If the sacred river shall show his innocence and he is saved, his accuser shall be put to death. He that plunged into the sacred river shall appropriate the house of him that accused.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 12pt 0.5in 10pt;">
<span class="woj"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. If a man has borne false witness in a trial, or has not established the statement that he has made, if that case be a capital trial, that man shall be put to death.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And so on. There is no opening provision for recognition of God Almighty in the Hammurabic code beyond the brief mention in the introduction. Clearly what Both King Hammurabi and Moses (and their gods) agreed upon was that, <i>“An eye for an eye”</i> was regarded as just recompense. As a matter of justice within the confines of law and order, that would indeed appear to be the case.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why then do modern-day theologians, pastors and teachers proceed upon the premise that Christ’s admonition to, <i>“Turn the other cheek.”</i> Is merely an extension of <i>“An eye for an eye”</i> when the meaning is completely contradictory to the intent of the former law? Hammurabi made provision for different classes of people with respect to the <i>“Eye for an eye”</i> concept. Law 198 reads: <i>“If he has knocked out the eye of a plebeian or has broken the limb of a plebeian, he shall pay one mina of silver.” </i>How would Christ’s admonition expand upon this? What about the Hammurabic Law 199 which reads: <i>“If he has knocked out the eye of a patrician's servant, or broken the limb of a patrician's servant, he shall pay half his value.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I point out these examples only to illustrate the fact that what Christ said was the <b><i>better way</i>, </b>is NOT an extension of the Mosaic or Hammurabic Law, but a countermanding of it. Paul was very clear on this subject when he said,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0.5in 10pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="woj"><i>“God has made you alive in Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having <b>cancelled the written code</b> (read the Mosaic Law), with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the Powers and Authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” </i></span><span class="woj">-<i> </i>Colossians 2:13-15<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now consider what Paul has said about the Mosaic Law and look at what Christ had to say about the Mosaic Law:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0.5in 0in;">
<span class="woj"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0.5in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Matthew 11:28-30<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To be clear, the burden which Christ refers to here is the strictures of The Law. Unless one understands quite clearly that Christ came to fulfill the Law (meaning it was no longer necessary to us for our salvation was now in Christ), one is going to have a very, very difficult time understanding the point of God having come to earth in human form.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Upon corporal death, humans souls were transported to a place of imprisonment referred to by the Hebrews as Sheol. Here they remained until the time of the great judgment which no one—not even the angels—knew when was to come. Thus a human’s souls were burdened both in life and in death. Christ came and by fulfilling the Mosaic Law, freed us from its strictures and burdens.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One has to understand that such laws are written for man in his fleshly state, existing in a finite realm. Christ desired more for His children, something far better. He desired we grow and mature. Christ had no intention of ever leaving us under the awesome burden of the Law any more than a parent would expect their children to remain suckling milk from their mother’s breasts and remaining in diapers in perpetuity. We expect our kids to grow and mature and take upon themselves greater responsibilities. At a certain point, they will be regarded as adults and begin to teach their own children. God is no different. Those who continue to cling to the Law invalidate Christ and His work upon the cross for they regard Him as irrelevant, believing the Law is superior. Beyond that, however, those who continue to cling to the Law remain Spiritual infants. So afraid to follow the very Spirit which freed them, they are willing to cling with all their might to printed words which Luke and Apostle Paul has told them was given to us by angels, NOT God Almighty. (Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our eventuality is not this earth, not this realm, not this time nor place; our eventuality is a place beyond time, beyond the flesh and makes what we know here to be nothing but a faint dream. We hold onto this place so tightly because we’re afraid to let go of what we know. Like a child clinging to their mother’s hem on the first day of school, we are terrified of growing up. Because so many of our Pastors and teachers have been led astray, we find allies in our fear; we believe we’re doing the right thing, when deep in our spirit we know we are not.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That nagging feeling we experience at church, that feeling we have which screams out to us, <i>“Is this all there is?”</i> is the pricking of the Spirit telling you it is time to grow up. Put away the milk and begin to eat solid food; small pieces at first, of course, but solid food none-the-less. The enemy will not like it when you begin to assert your autonomy in Christ. While you are a spiritual babe, you belong to them on this earth. You may be God’s afterward, but your effectiveness here has been blunted to a point of irrelevancy. This is not what God wants for you. If it had been, there would never have been a need for the Christ at all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ll reiterate the Great Commission which Christ gave to us all for it is profound and so very important,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0.5in 10pt;">
<span class="woj"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The root of the word “Disciple” is <i>“learn”</i> or <i>“learner.” </i>Such is born of a relationship and can come about no other way. We must endeavor to put aside the <i>“hit and run”</i> Christianity methodology. <i>Saving people</i> in an assembly line type process is NOT what Christ intended by the usage of the word “disciple.” God is very much interested in your spirit rather than your body. Recall Christ’s words,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0.5in 0in;">
<span class="woj"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0.5in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Matthew 10:28<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we “save” people and then send them on their way with a “pat” on the head, we are essentially rejecting Christ’s teachings. To be clear, WE’VE saved no one. What we as Christians are charged with is ushering others into an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ who is God Almighty. There will be no crowns one will have collected for how many people they have helped to say the “sinner’s prayer”, rather such crowns are born of the relationships one has cultivated and nurtured; they are born through being the true face of Christ to His children. If we cannot do that in even the simplest of our daily activities, we truly do not know what it is to be a Christian.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God values us as the spiritual essence we truly are. He will tend to our needs as He sees fit while we exist in the flesh, but His main goal is to see to it that we come to know Him intimately. For some, this will mean a life in which there is little in the way of task. For others, it will be a life of awesome tasking. I wish I could give the reader a rationale to why there is such disparity, but I am not God. What I do know is that God promised we would be justly rewarded for our efforts when this time on earth has passed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In much the same way those who are facing the greatest obstacles are afforded the opportunity to overcome the greatest challenges, perhaps God has tasked us differently to give us all an opportunity to see the individual challenge unseen by our neighbors. Christ addressed the difficulty of the rich man entering into that intimate relationship because to do such meant the rich man would have to reset his priorities. Few even today with means are willing to do that and instead rationalize how God loves them more because He’s given them so much.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">God is not impressed with the temporal; He desires us in the eternal. The Law was brought to us in our infancy by Ambassadors of the Most High God and despite their good intention, it was misused. Christ came and wrested control </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">conventionally</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> from those Powers and Authorities (Colossians 2:15) and has given us all the opportunity to now grow and live in Him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now what we do with that opportunity is completely up to us.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-57305099307682713162014-02-15T11:51:00.002-08:002014-10-12T01:19:20.972-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PGB8nrLELBY/VDo5aDRePjI/AAAAAAAAANw/SjF9LF_DXdo/s1600/thefall%2B(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PGB8nrLELBY/VDo5aDRePjI/AAAAAAAAANw/SjF9LF_DXdo/s1600/thefall%2B(1).jpg" height="140" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Did
Physical Death Occur Before the “Fall of Man?”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All
rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">*
* *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%;">S</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">ome
time ago, I had a conversation with a friend and the subject of physical death
prior to the Fall of mankind as outlined in Genesis chapter three came up. It
was my friend’s belief that there was no physical death prior to the Fall as
God had created the world as “perfect.” All of this had occurred on the sixth
day (Genesis 1:31) capping an exhausting week of creation. Thus, nothing He had
created in this week of purposeful activity would have been brought forth
merely to die.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I’ll admit that I was
somewhat taken aback; I hadn’t really given much thought to this particular belief
in quite some time, but had long since concluded that a young earth model
simpley was as a result of a misunderstanding of the Hebrew word for <i>“day”</i> which is the word <b>Yom. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Theological
Wordbook of the Old Testament (1980, Moody Press): <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"<b>Yom</b> can denote: 1. the period of light
(as contrasted with the period of darkness), 2. the period of twenty-four
hours, 3. a general vague "time," 4. a point of time, 5. a year (in
the plural; I Sam 27:7; Ex 13:10, etc.)."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
of the Bible (symbols omitted):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">from an unused
root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from
sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figuratively (a space of
time defined by an associated term), [often used adv.]:--age, + always, +
chronicles, continually (-ance), daily, ([birth-], each, to) day, (now a, two)
days (agone), + elder, end, evening,
(for)ever(lasting), ever(more), full, life, as long as (...live), even now,
old, outlived, perpetually, presently, remaineth, required, season, since,
space, then, (process of) time, as at other times, in trouble, weather (as)
when, (a, the, within a) while (that), whole (age), (full) year (-ly), younger<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Young Earth Creationists
hold that God created the entire universe in just six Earth-calendar days. This
is what it seems to say in the Book of Genesis without further reading or study
on the usage of the word, <i>“Yom”</i>,
therefore this remains what they believe. If one takes such a position that the
whole of the universe was created in just six days and then factors in that
Adam maybe lived alone on the earth for only a week or two before God created
Eve, one can come to the conclusion that not too much actual time had passed
from creation to the Fall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Why does this series of
events matter to a Young Earth Creationist? From what I have come to
understand, it is as a result of most people being consciously aware of the
fact that no matter what the Bible appears to say, death is a part of the cycle
of life. The more time which lapses between creation and the Fall, the more
implausible the concept of a <i>no physical death</i>
world become.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Buy why should there be
physical death at all? If God is God, and God indeed created a perfect world
(Deuteronomy 32:4), then why should there not be an expectation that physical
death would be completely absent? That is a good question and one which I will endeavor
to answer here begging the reader’s indulgence by explaining that I am not a scientist
and am going to only highlight the rudiments of some concepts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The physical world we
exist in is a dynamic place. One thing appears to be certain, however and that
is all matter seems to be interdependent upon a constant transference in order
to maintain viability. Consider a normal dry cell battery contains a set number
of electrons, but it is the imbalance and movement of these electrons from one
side of the battery to the other which gives it life. When the electrons reach equilibrium,
the battery is regarded as dead, even though the number of electrons in the
battery hasn’t changed, only their location. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This concept seems to
be a basic rule throughout the Universe. When all energy is expended and the Universe
is expanded to its apogee, if there is no “contraction” as theorized by certain
physicists, the Universe is dead; it can no longer support life and as such,
ceases to exist. Life is dynamic and it must remain in constant motion; such
are the laws of physics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">At the most basic
level, there are vying theories as to what exactly it is which makes up matter.
Matter is defined as anything that takes up space and has weight (mass and
volume). We will think of Molecules which are comprised of atoms. Atoms are
comprised of Leptons (an electron, for example) and Quarks (of which Baryons,
such as Protons and Neutrons, are made). This is an essential description of
ordinary matter. From here, it gets a bit more complex. I won’t delve too
deeply as this is really not the salient point of this commentary. However an
idea of just what we are in the physical is pertinent if one is going to
subscribe to the notion that there was no physical death prior to the Fall of
man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This from Wikipedia:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
definition of ordinary matter is more subtle than it first appears. All the
particles that make up ordinary matter (leptons and quarks) are elementary
fermions, while all the force carriers are elementary bosons.[23] The W and Z
bosons that mediate the weak force are not made of quarks or leptons, and so
are not ordinary matter, even if they have mass.[24] In other words, mass is
not something that is exclusive to ordinary matter.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">~ ~ ~<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
term "matter" is used throughout physics in a bewildering variety of contexts:
for example, one refers to "condensed matter physics",[86]
"elementary matter",[87] "partonic" matter,
"dark" matter, "anti"-matter, "strange" matter,
and "nuclear" matter. In discussions of matter and antimatter, normal
matter has been referred to by Alfvén as koinomatter (Gk. common matter).[88]
It is fair to say that in physics, there is no broad consensus as to a general
definition of matter, and the term "matter" usually is used in
conjunction with a specifying modifier.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How this matter
combines to form so many disparate objects is an argument which I’ll table for
the moment. There are far too many competing theories to explain the plethora
of life on this planet. Suffice to say that as I hold to a Christian view of
the realm, I am not an adherent of an Evolutionary model, but rather an Intelligent
Design model. That having been said, both models must recognize that functional
design is necessary for this to work. Without functional design, we would
remain blobs of basic matter. In our physical world, this is part of the
overall design; transference of energy until an equilibrium is attained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The consumption of
matter in order to provide for this functional design seems to have been built
into the Creation model irrespective the position held by those who believe
there was no death prior to the Fall. The eating of plants by either man or
beast results in the death of the particular vegetation consumed. The body will
break down the matter and convert it into energy which is then used to feed the
body. What isn’t consumed is passed through the body and expelled as waste. This
waste, while of no use to the host, is certainly of use to smaller organisms
which begin to go to work to harvest what consumable matter remains until
energy conversion is complete and the waste material is fully consumed. Thus,
the apple eaten by the human host "dies" and then goes through a variety of
changes on the most basic level as its matter is consumed and expelled in an
unending chain until it once again finds itself as a component of some other
object. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But perhaps we’re not
talking about non-sentient plants, but rather higher life forms. Okay, I’ll go
along with that. The Genesis account is still rather broad, and included almost
all animal life. (Genesis 1:29-30). I’ll point out here this account made absolutely
no provision for marine life unless one wishes to place them into the category of <i>“all the beasts of the Earth.”</i>Some<i> </i>of these creatures have a normal
lifespan which is exceedingly short. It is such by the aforementioned
functional design. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A flea would therefore have
to fall under the Genesis guideline as <i>“all
the beasts of the Earth”</i> as there was no provision made for exclusion. I
suppose it could be argued that a flea could have survived on plant sap prior
to the Fall rather than blood of warm-blooded mammals, but again I’ll table that
argument for the moment and instead focus on its lifespan. The typical female
flea will lay approximately 20 eggs at a time. Given the brevity of the adult flea lifespan,
most fleas can produce up to 500 eggs. Some quick math would find that with a
very short period of time without physical death on the planet, we’d be
over-run with fleas. The same would hold true for any of the 90 million known species
of insects alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider a spider. I
used to perform home inspections and noted spider-egg cases with hundreds of
small little spiders emerging. There is nothing at all to indicate these
spiders would or could feed on anything other than the bodily fluids of another
insect, but again I’ll lay that aside for the moment and simply concentrate on
their life-span and numbers. Mathematically, we would soon be a world of
nothing but spiders if they could not taste death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Perhaps we shouldn’t
limit ourselves to these lower animals and move to even higher forms of life.
Fine. Let’s take a rat and apply the same basic rules of reproduction without
any natural (or supernatural) predators to control the population. Now rats
will eat pretty much anything, so a strict vegetarian diet is not altogether
implausible. The average litter for a healthy female rat is approximately
twelve. Gestation of the rat is 21 days and they can reach sexual maturity in
approximately five weeks. Again simple math would show that within a very short
period of time, the world be over-run with rats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thus a period of just
one year from creation to Fall would find our world in a very precarious
situation without there being physical death. It is for this very reason that such
Young Earth Creationists keep the time from Adam’s creation to the Fall very
short; they are well cognizant of the dangers inherent in dragging out the <i>“perfect world”</i> scenario.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Now a reasonable
question one should ask is, “Why is it that we believe there was no death prior
to this Fall?” To answer that question, one has to refer back to the verses
which this particular belief descends:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Then
God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface
of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be
food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and
to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green
plant for food”; and it was so. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Genesis 1:29-30<i> </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Therefore, just as through one man sin entered
into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because
all sinned—<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
Romans 5:12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
first passage of scripture outlines what was to be consumed by the creation
having been imbued with the “breath of life” from God Almighty. Since plants
are the “sacrifice” here, they are obviously not included as “living things.”
This is a point of view that most botanists would find rather curious. Regardless
since plants are not living things and those which are imbued with the “breath
of life” are, we must conclude that anything not a plant did not suffer death
prior to the Fall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
second passage of scripture is from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Roman
Church. In it he is attempting to describe the situation which existed under
The Law. Paul is essentially addressing what would later come to be known as
the concept of Original Sin. Adam’s transgression condemned all mankind to this
state of sin, ergo all men would suffer physical death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">However
on closer examination and read in context, this is not what Paul is saying at
all. Under the strictures of The Law (Referring to the Old Testament Law which
comprised the Ten Commandments and six-hundred, thirteen additional laws given
to Moses by the god of the Hebrews on Mount Sinai.), mankind was forever
separated from union with Creator God Almighty and was imprisoned in a place
referred to as Sheol for the indeterminate future upon physical death. It was
this which Paul was addressing, a <i>spiritual</i>
death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For to me, to live is Christ and to
die is gain. Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive
work for me; yet I don’t know what I prefer: I feel torn between the two,
because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but
it is more vital for your sake that I remain in the body.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">- Philippians 1:21-24<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
we are not discussing a spiritual death, but rather only the physical upon the Fall
of mankind, where is the harm? Paul was clear that upon his physical death, he
would be with Christ which he regarded as far better. This gets a bit confusing
the more we explore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Let
us assume for the moment that we are strictly talking about the lack of a
physical death prior to the Fall. Now as we have already seen, unchecked life
in the physical could have damning consequences in a very short period of time.
Obviously one could hold to the position that such vermin did not exist on the
planet prior to the Fall, but that would be reading into the scriptures that
which does not exist. Genesis 1:29-30 seems to be rather clear on that point.
Therefore we have to take what God had originally intended and run through it
as though there had been no Fall. Under
such circumstances, what would have been the eventual destination for all
mankind? With no death, there would have been no transition into the spirit and
to be at Christ’s side which Paul found was much better than living in the
physical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But
let us assume that Paul only said what he did because he was contrasting the
fallen world he lived in with the purity of Heaven. Good enough, but as we have
read throughout scripture, Heaven is described as eternal. Eternity is not the
same as infinity. Infinity can best be described as a fixed point (a beginning)
with a line heading off in one direction without end. For most Christians, this
is what they conceptualize when they think about eternal life. This is in
error.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Eternity
is not a fixed point (a beginning) with a line heading off in one direction
without end; eternity is best described as a circle. There is no discernible
beginning or end to a perfect circle. It is to this state which we are being
called to join with Christ; to enter into eternity. Romans 6:23 is a good
example for it describes the state of separation from God (spiritual death)
contrasted with union with Christ (spiritual life). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
natural conclusion to life without humans having suffered through this Fall to
the Young Earth Creationist is stark: A life living as little more than a
mindless beast, naked and without purpose. How many have actually contemplated
the state of being Adam and Eve were placed in respecting the Garden of Eden?
On the surface, it seems great. A good looking couple with bodies which would
never age, being able to run around naked with one another all day. A temperate
climate and no fear of the wildlife around them only would add to the state of
unimaginable bliss; a life of no want, no worries and no harm. To this I have
two questions I must ask:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-indent: -0.25in;">If
the world was declared perfect by God (Genesis 1:31), then why the need for the
Garden of Eden to begin with? Just to be clear, the Garden was an area which
was defined and separate from the rest of the earth; it had boundaries.
(Genesis 2:8)</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 150%;">
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 481.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What
was the purpose of mankind being relegated to this perpetual state of infancy
within a confined space if the whole earth was declared perfect? Without having
to expend effort to do <i>anything</i>, of
what use is the state of mankind? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
have spent much time contemplating the state of humanity left in the Garden had
there not been a Fall. Of course the quick (too quick, sometimes) response from
defenders of this belief is that God had always had a plan and mankind was not
supposed to live in the Garden Indefinitely. Really? Please show me where God
did not intend for His creation to live indefinitely in the Garden. I read
where God had a plan, but I read this far, far later in the New Testament
scriptures. Prior to that, there are only passages of scripture with the Old
Testament where upon God talks about His vast knowledge of events and that we
are not to question his actions. Good enough, but to be fair that really isn’t
an answer to the question. Why create a state of being for humanity with the intention for a such state to fail, only to then blame the subjects for doing what was intended
from the onset? To hold such innocents accountable for another’s actions is
illogical and not at all in keeping with the character of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
one believes God is a purposeful God, then one has to conclude that God never
intended for His human creation to long survive in the Garden. If such is the
case, why place them in the Garden to begin with? What was the point of the
Garden experience? Was it to show His creation that they are inferior, that
they could easily be led astray? But led astray by what, their own passions? If
they were created to be perfect, there should be no contrary passions by which
to be led astray. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Perhaps
God felt they could be led astray by an outside force. It is therefore
reasonable to assume that the Garden was designed to protect His creation from
Satan. As is well known in Orthodoxy, Satan had already fallen himself and had
been kicked to Earth. (No one knows for certain when this happened as Orthodoxy
would still place the age of the universe at barely a month at this point.) However
if one presumes the Garden was constructed to protect Adam and Eve from Satan,
God proved Himself to be wholly incompetent to the task. Satan had very little
trouble not only gaining entry to the Garden, but in convincing Eve that God
really didn’t know what He was talking about. I can only imagine the White
House enjoying such security.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Of
course once mankind had “Fallen,” God had no choice but to kick them out of His
pristine Garden and into the cold, <i>“cruel?”</i>
world. Why would this state be any worse than the Garden if the whole world was
perfect? (Genesis 1:31) Regardless, it most definitely seems as though the
whole of the Earth outside of this Garden to the East is far worse than
conditions which were existent within. To make certain Adam and Eve didn’t
sneak back in, God placed a Cherubim Angel on guard so as not to give access to
the Tree of Life to either of them. So why not simply remove this tree? Why
leave it as a further temptation to Adam and Eve? More questions without sufficient answers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So
at this point, physical death came into the world and it proved to be a good
thing. Without this transference of matter and energy, the earth would suffer a
monumental breakdown. For every organism created, the elemental matter must
come from somewhere; energy conversion from the sun, consumption of other
organisms, etc. Without death on a certain level, none of this could take place
and as we have already seen, the Earth itself would soon become dangerously
crowded with creatures that could breed far more quickly than could mankind. A
common house cat can get pregnant three times a year and have as many as seven
or eight per litter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
have set up the following scenario to simply point out what occurs by well
meaning people when they do not know their history, their science, or their theology. Of
course this then opens up the dialog for discussion as to exactly what type of
death we experienced at the Fall if not physical. If we are in essence spirit
and spirit is eternal, then how can we experience spiritual death?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">First,
of course, we have to justify the assertion that as spiritual beings we are in
fact eternal. For this I will simply refer to Christ’s words in scriptures. Jesus
Christ first explains this in John 17:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Father,
the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify You. For you
granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all
those you have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know You and
trust the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-John 17:1-3<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Once
again I wish to reiterate the definition of the term, “Eternal” for the reader’s
edification. Read the definition and then apply it to what Christ is saying as
he prays to God the Father in the above verse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-right: .5in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
from Dictionary.com :<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">eternal </span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> <span lang="ES">e·ter·nal [ih-tur-nl]
<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Adjective<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1.
without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (opposed to temporal
): eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2.
perpetual; ceaseless; endless: eternal quarreling; eternal chatter.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3.
enduring; immutable: eternal principles.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4.
Metaphysics . existing outside all relations of time; not subject to change.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Noun<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5.
something that is eternal.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6.
the Eternal, God.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Earlier
I described the term “Eternal” as a closed ring without a discernible beginning
or end. We use this same symbol when we enter into marriage for just this
reason. What I desire the reader to contemplate and ruminate upon is this: If one
is eternal, if one has no discernible beginning or end, but rather exists in an
ever existent state, how can one die? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
is a difficult concept for human beings to contemplate in the flesh. We regard
ourselves as finite beings existing in a temporal realm. Everything has a
beginning and an end. Time unfolds in a linear manner in a forward progression.
We cannot traverse this time construct no matter what science fiction may
desire. An eternal being exists outside of this temporal time construct. In our
spiritual essence, we do not experience linear time in the same manner our
fleshly bodies must. Our bodies are a construct of this realm; our spirit is
not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
death we would experience (if such were possible is) is separation from our
Creator, God Almighty. In a small way, this is what occurred when our spiritual
essence was imprisoned in Sheol after the Fall as outlined in Genesis Chapter
Three. The entire redemption process which Jesus Christ undertook freed us from
this prison. You can see this clearly in this series of scripture verses. If
you will kindly indulge me:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“What,
then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions until
the Seed (read Christ) to whom the promise referred had come. The Law was put
into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not
represent just one party; but God is one. </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">– Galatians 3:19-20<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“For Christ died for sins once for
all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to
death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and
preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited
patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">1<sup>st</sup> Peter 3:18-20 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“God made you alive with Christ. He
forgave us all our sins, having <b>cancelled
the written code </b>(emphasis mine), with its regulations, that was against us
and that <b>stood opposed to us </b>(emphasis
mine);He took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having <b>disarmed the Powers and Authorities </b>(emphasis mine), He made a
public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-<i> </i>Colossians
2:13-15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What
I find human beings have a difficult time of grasping is the fact that there
are other beings which inhabit this realm who possess far greater power and
intellect than we do. Even those who claim to believe in God and regard themselves
as Christian scoff at the notion of there being spiritual entities a vast power
which controlled the Earth. Orthodoxy has done a very able job of diminishing
the nature of these beings. The horror genre of books and film has redirected
our attention towards a group of entities little understood by anyone. It is to
these beings the majority of our ills are blamed. As a point of fact, these
lesser beings have very little power except that which we willingly give them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
am speaking quite plainly about demonic entities. What is interesting about
such beings is that we are given authority over them quite clearly by Christ. Paul
had absolutely no trouble expelling such entities when he came upon them; such
beings are completely and totally subservient to the authority given to us by
Christ. We need only be cognizant of such power and authority and exercise it. </span><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 150%;">I will not delve into what exactly demonic entities are in this commentary, but they are NOT angels and never were. They are something quite different.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Contrast
a demonic entity with that of a Celestial entity as outlined in these two
passages of scripture:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Once when we were going to the
place of prayer, , we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she
predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by
fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us shouting. ‘These
men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.’
She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned
around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to
come out of her!’ At that moment, the spirit left her.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">- Acts 16:16-18<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“In the very same way, these
dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial
beings. But even the Archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil
about the body of Moses, did not dare to brings a slanderous accusation against
him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ Yet these men speak abusively against
whatever they do not understand…”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 481.5pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">- Jude 8-10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
stark reality of this temporal realm is that it is but a wisp of existence in
eternal “time” and is inhabited by beings which are not natural to this realm. These beings are extraordinarily jealous of the fact they no longer possess us
as they had prior to the work of Christ upon the cross. Because of the
perceived subterfuge utilized by Christ to wrest control of this realm from
their hands, they feel cheated and are enraged. Since they cannot vent this
rage upon their creator, they will do they next best thing and that is to
blunt the works and effectiveness of us, <i>human
beings</i>, from coming into a relationship with our Creator while here in the
flesh. The reasons are quite simple from their perspective; Paul was very clear
in 1<sup>st</sup> Corinthians 6:3, <i>“Do
you not know that we will judge angels?” </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">How
much more effective will we be in meting out judgment if we are aware of our
purpose here and have come to not only see these beings for what they truly
are, but to see them through a relationship with Christ?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orthodoxy
was constructed to blunt the works the true church would have on this earth.
Sadly most who have made good careers peddling the Gospel will not agree with
me, for to do so, would mean the end of their livelihoods. While I am not
desirous to see anyone put out of work, I do believe that the spreading of the
Gospel should not be made a paid career. There is far more on this in my commentary,
<i>“Is the Church a Building or the People
Within?”</i> which can be found here: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2014/01/is-church-building-or-peoplewithin-why.html</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
entire concept of physical death is only just another of the errors constructed
to further degrade us as human beings before our Creator; to make us feel so
very unworthy when as a point of historical fact, Jesus Christ went to His
death an innocent man to assert just the exact opposite. (The Antiquities of
the Jews, Book 20, Chapter 9. Flavius Josephus)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
after reading my arguments to the contrary one can still put forth a plausible argument
that prior to the Fall of man there existed no physical death in the universe,
I suppose they are entitled to their opinion. I have had my say on this topic.
But as I have so often asked of my readers previously, <i>“Are you leaning upon the teachings of tradition to arrive at your
conclusions; have you really explored the concept for yourself, have you
asked God Almighty to reveal to you the truth of the matter regardless your
personal beliefs?” </i>How you respond to that question will tell you what your
next step in your growth process should be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; tab-stops: 481.5pt;">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-68640619874242787072014-02-11T23:05:00.001-08:002014-10-12T01:23:18.463-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f04tJGXCciU/VDo6aQlfwTI/AAAAAAAAAN4/evOQVoSdz24/s1600/heretic-nametag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f04tJGXCciU/VDo6aQlfwTI/AAAAAAAAAN4/evOQVoSdz24/s1600/heretic-nametag.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Heretic or Disciple?</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All contents copyright
© 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the
related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means
(electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">*
* *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It
has been brought to my attention more than once that my teachings border on
what is regarded as heresy; that my beliefs are in direct opposition to God and
I am most certainly destined for hell as a result. Obviously I don’t see it
quite that way and have done my utmost to explain this to my detractors …
without much success. Sooner or later that <b><i>word</i> </b>comes out and is thrown at me
with all the force the critic can muster. <i>“You are
a HERETIC! Unless you repent of your ways, God will send you to hell!”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Variations
on this admonition have also demanded that I cease such teaching and stop
infecting others with my errors. To this, I am not only irritated, but bemused.
It seems as though I am having a “debate” with people who truly have not
bothered to ever read a thing I’ve written. Worse still, they seem to have
absolutely no idea what the word “heresy” means. Therefore, when the intended pejorative
is hurled at me with the intent to cause me harm, it instead falls flat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What
is heresy? Why is it regarded as death to anyone within the church to be
labeled a heretic? Truly to answer this question, one must know the meaning of
the word. From there one must explore how this word has taken on the connotation
it has and why it is used to club anyone who dares stray off the orthodox path.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
from Wikipedia: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Heresy
is any provocative belief or theory that is strongly at variance with
established beliefs or customs. A heretic is a proponent of such claims or
beliefs.[1] Heresy is distinct from both apostasy, which is the explicit
renunciation of one's religion, principles or cause,[2] and blasphemy, which is
irreverence toward religion.[3]<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
term is usually used to refer to violations of religious or traditional laws or
legal codes, although it is used by some political extremists to refer to their
opponents. It carries the connotation of behaviors or beliefs likely to
undermine accepted morality and cause tangible evils, damnation, or other
punishment.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This
is the textbook definition of heresy which is used today. However the etymology
of the word would leave one with a far different understanding. As I am well
familiar with the origin of this word and its usage, I have been left feeling
somewhat confused by those who use the term as though it is something to be
seen as bad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
term <i>“heresy”</i> is from the Greek </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">α</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">ἵ</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">ρεσις</span>
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">and originally meant “choice” or “thing chosen.” In Christianity, heresy became a means by
which to control and keep people in line. This wasn’t the original intent nor
usage of the word; an early church father named Irenaeus, Bishop of Lugdunum
(modern-day Lyons, France) popularized the term in his tract, <i>Contra Haereses</i> (Against Heresies)
written in approximately 180 AD. The
primary reason for this work is that Irenaeus was concerned about the Gnostic
movement which was threatening the purity of the Gospel of Christ. Gnostics
were producing works masquerading as original writings of the Apostles which
gave an erroneous view of Christ, His life and mission while here on earth. It
also set about to rewrite salvation and the nature of God. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Against Heresies was a five-volume work which
Irenaeus felt was necessary to sort out the truth from the mounting lies of Gnosticism.
Many of these Gnostic works have resurfaced today and are looked upon by some
in theological circles as having merit. Such books as <b>The Gospel of Judas, The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of the Lord</b>
and the <b>Gospel of Truth</b> had sprung
up and were vying for the hearts and minds of the early church. Irenaeus did
what he could to point out the errors in these works and how they deviated from
the truth of the Gospels and the Apostle’s writings. In short, he pointed out
how these works took away from Christ rather than add to his Deity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The Gospel of Thomas is an explicit example of the
type of deception employed by the Gnostics, making the boy Christ out to be a
moody bully with special powers. To believe that Christ could be anything like
the figure described in the Gospel of Thomas is to simply not understand who
Christ is at all. While I understand that many Doctorates in Theology tend to
lean more on the academic, if one claims to be a Christian and has spent many,
many years in study and <i>still</i> cannot
discern the character of Christ, one might be in need of serious prayerful
contemplation as to whether they’ve wasted their time and money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Many who bandy about the term “heretic” so freely
believe they are given such license based upon Paul’s letter to Titus. A
reading in context would tend to show just the exact opposite of what Paul was
trying to convey however, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“But
avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and argument and quarrels about the
Law, because they are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once,
and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You
may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” </span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">- Titus 3:9-10<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul
also speaks of those teaching false doctrine in the early church. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“As I urged you when I went into
Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to
teach false doctrines any longer nor devote themselves to myths and endless
genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by
faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a
good conscience and a sincere faith.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-
1<sup>st</sup> Timothy 1:3-4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Characteristic
of these early churches were those who saw an opportunity to rise above the
common man into a position of leadership if they could come to the people with
something akin to what the Apostles brought. In much the same way the Gnostics
would later promulgate their errors, these various individuals all about the
Empire saw an opportunity too good to pass up. Paul knew of these types as he
was well familiar with the personality make-up; Paul was trained as a Pharisee.
Shining more brightly than any other was what being a Pharisee was all about.
Paul makes note of this on several occasions, once describing himself as, <i>“A Pharisee among Pharisees.”</i> (Acts 23:6) Likewise Christ had critical words
for the Pharisees and their self indulgence and pomp. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">False
doctrine would have been easy to see to the experienced eye as it would stand
in opposition to the teachings of Christ. This is important to remember because
as we will see, the term “Heretic” as applied to certain people later on in
history wasn’t applied to beliefs which stood in opposition to Christ, but
rather beliefs which stood in opposition to <b>tradition</b>. The Gnostics were called out by those in their day who
were as aware of the errors as Paul was aware of the usurpers amongst the
infant churches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">As
time went on, ferreting out the error became more and more difficult. By the
time of Constantine the Great, the infant church had grown, but was under
constant persecution; it was an outlaw faith. The Emperor Diocletian was particularly
brutal in his persecutions, slaughtering many Christians in horrific ways. Men,
women and children were all tortured and killed simply because the professed a
faith in Christ. In this formative period, few of these martyrs had ever seen a
word of the Gospel even if they were able to read. They relied upon what they
had been told by various church leaders and by creeds which they had learned.
The “doctrine” they were aware of was </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">minuscule</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">. They knew only of Christ
resurrected.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Constantine
changed all of that when he gathered together the leaders of the churches over
the breadth of the Empire to put together the official rules for the now “legitimized”
church. Of the eighteen hundred church leaders Constantine invited to the first
council (approximately one thousand from the East and eight hundred from the
West), only between two hundred fifty and three hundred eighteen showed. Most
assumed it to be a trap and stayed away. The largest numbers of attendees were
from the West.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A
part of what was decided at this council was the Holy Trinity. Prior to this
time, there was no official definition of the Trinity; the concept was largely
unknown to most of the early church. There was also the issue of deciding what
would be regarded as legitimate scripture and what was to be excised. The official
day of worship (the Sabbath) was moved from Saturday to Sunday. There was the introduction
of the Winter Solstice celebration to the Christians by making it Christ’s
birthday even though it had been largely understood that Christ was most likely
born in early Autumn. This same usurping was done to mask over Passover and the
celebration of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. The new name given to
this celebration was the “Feast of Ishtar” or Easter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
above noted and more were all introduced into Christian worship and none was
called out as heretical. As a point of fact, many of these practices are still
celebrated in the church today and to NOT observe them as outlined by
Constantine’s council is regarded as heresy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In
our 21<sup>st</sup> Century world, we sometimes take for granted all that has
transpired in the two thousand years since Christ walked the earth in the
flesh. We take for granted that our system of governance in the United States, <b>Of the People, By the People and For the
People</b> is an historical anomaly. The empires which have risen and fallen
since the inception of man have all been based around a king or monarch who
ruled unilaterally and autonomously. If such a ruler could also convince his
subjects God was standing with him, than that was all the better. Constantine
the Great was well aware of this and used the young Christian Church to help
knit his fractured Empire back together. However utilizing the Christians for
his purposes did not equate to actually being a Christian; Constantine had no
intention of relinquishing control. The Council of Nicaea established the new
rules irrespective of Christ’s teachings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Over
the next one thousand years, these rules were used as a vicious club against
any and all who dared speak out against the obvious errors. People were burned
at the stake alive, they were beheaded, they were torn apart, they were
drowned, stoned, crushed, etc. These rules were not to be abridged under any
circumstances and to do so meant a certain, gruesome death to the offender. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Regardless,
many brave people did step forward and endured the slings and arrows of their
church leaders, rulers and fellow man to disseminate the truth. While they may
not have gotten all of the details correct, they felt a calling from the Spirit
and were compelled to speak about what they knew in their heart was truth. From
the Disciple Stephen stoned to death for believing in the risen Christ to those
today who are being killed in Muslim countries for the exact same reason, the
establishment has hated the truth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">John Wycliffe</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
(1320 – 1384) was an English philosopher, theologian and lay preacher and
translator. He was famous for his criticism of the Papacy and the doctrines of
the Catholic Church and spent his life battling against them. Ten years after
his death from a stroke, Wycliffe was declared a heretic by the Council of
Constance in 1415. He was defrocked, his writings burned and his body disinterred.
In 1428, Pope Martin commanded a posthumous execution of Wycliffe and had his
corpse burned and his ashes cast into the River Swift.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <b>Jan Hus</b>
(1369 – 1415) was a Czech priest, philosopher and reformer. He was burned at
the stake for challenging the Catholic Church on matters of the Eucharist and
other theological topics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">William Tyndale</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
(1494 – 1536) was an English scholar and a leading figure in the Protestant
Reformation. He is well known for his translation of the Bible into English. In
1536, Tyndale was convicted of Heresy and executed by strangulation. His body
was then burned at the stake.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Martin Luther</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
(1483 – 1546) was a German monk and a leader of the Protestant Reformation. He
is most famous for nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg
Chapel in1517 incurring the wrath of Pope Leo X. While he was not executed for
his crime of Heresy, he was excommunicated by the Pope (which still stands to
this day).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
list goes on and on, but all these men had the courage to stand up against the
most powerful leaders of their day, endure the scorn of their fellow citizens
because they had arrived at conclusions counter to what had been set down by
orthodoxy. The passing of years has shown that most of what these men believed
is in fact closer to what Christ taught and what He had passed onto the
Apostles and Disciples. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">While
organized religion has stepped in and Balkanized the works of Christ on the
Cross, there are still many good people amongst us who fight on, pointing out
error when it threatens to blot out the truth. These people may not have the
degrees or letters given to those who have chosen symbolism over substance, but
they clearly have the Spirit. Their beliefs as measured against the teachings
of Christ, not of man, stand firm. These were men—and women—who have given (and
will give) their lives so that the truth will always shine most brightly amidst
the crushing darkness of orthodoxy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Am
I too critical of organized religion and those who have chosen a career in
theology? Not necessarily. Where I am critical is when one has decided to
conform to the orthodox teaching rather than challenge their instructors for
fear of being rejected. Despite my personal theological views and beliefs, I am
quite confident I possess sufficient theological knowledge to enter any
seminary and write a doctrinal thesis which would allow me to place a ThD at
the end of my name. This isn’t a pointless boast, it is merely a fact. However
to do such, I would have to compromise my beliefs. What seminaries expect and
what I would present are two different things. Regardless the notations,
citations and logical conclusions, I would be branded a heretic and expelled. I
know this and thus find the pursuit (at least for now) to be pointless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ
came as a man to this earth to redeem humanity. One can only redeem what one
once possessed or is rightfully owned. The essence of what we as beings are,
our spirits—our essential construct came from God Almighty. Absent our fleshly
bodies, we are eternal spirits and Christ explained that we would have eternal
life with Him (Matthew 25:46, Romans 6:23). When we get bound up in doctrines
such were conceived to water down the Christ; when we will happily condemn our
fellow man for daring to challenge orthodox positions we have never bothered to
examine ourselves, who are we trying to impress? God? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“If
I speak in tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a
resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">– 1<sup>st</sup>
Corinthians 13:1<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Love
is patient, love is kind. It does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">– 1<sup>st</sup>
Corinthians 13:4-8<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">–
Galatians 5:22<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If
one does not see their God manifest in the above verses via the teachings they’ve
learned, one is being called by the Spirit to dig deeper, to fall to their
knees and ask God for clarity and for truth—no matter the personal cost. I came
to this point in my walk many years ago and this was what I asked of Him. For
good or for ill, I believe He has answered my plea. It has not been an easy
road; walking against the tide never is. However I am well aware that I am in
excellent company. Trails were never blazed by those who chose to walk a path first
cleared by others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Stepping
into the unknown is scary and I will not minimize that here. I have certainly
had my sleepless nights over what I believe, but until I am shown quite definitively
that I am in error, I intend to continue my studies and teachings as I have
come to understand them. It is what I have been called to do and regardless the
position of the modern-day <i>Constantine’s</i>,
I will push forward. Despite the screams of “Heretic!” screamed at me by the <i>Inquisitors </i>and their demand that I
recant, I must be true to what it is that Christ has called me to do. Today
this is a relatively benign task; there’s little my critics can do beyond hurl
invective. Tomorrow it may be a different story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">History
has always shown that the most virulent critics of the truth masquerade as
those who claim to be the true keepers of the truth. Thus Constantine and his
successors killed scores of people of all ages and stations over the centuries
for daring to cross him; thus the modern church has excommunicated and shunned
those who dared to ask questions which left them mute with rage. Is God really
visible in the faces of these Christians? Would an unbeliever see God when
looking at these children of His? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">That
question can really only be answered by either God Himself, or those who have
found their hearts being pricked by my words. Such people know who they are and
so does God. One can attempt fool his fellow man, but there is nothing at all
hidden from God’s sight. Pride, ego … and fear are all laid bare before Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Heretic
or Disciple? It isn’t merely a matter of perspective if one is seeking to do
the will of God Almighty and follow His admonitions. As Christ said, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“If
the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first”. </span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> –John 15:18<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-79167365877590633222014-02-11T09:24:00.000-08:002016-11-10T06:57:23.873-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i4ALzS9frFc/VDo7FY_hoeI/AAAAAAAAAOA/3BWGzrOMAvw/s1600/luther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i4ALzS9frFc/VDo7FY_hoeI/AAAAAAAAAOA/3BWGzrOMAvw/s1600/luther.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is the Bible Inerrant?</span></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All contents copyright
© 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the
related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means
(electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">*
* *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 150%;">I</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
am going to take a point of view which is not very popular to the orthodox
Judeo-Christian faith. I begin this
commentary giving the reader my point of view—not to sway the reader, but to be
honest from the very start where my thoughts lie. My reasoning behind this move
is simple: I am not attempting to influence anyone with subterfuge, but rather
through mere fact alone. It is up to the reader to decide whether my points
have merit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
have read the Bible more times than I can count. I have read it as one would
read a book—from front to back, and I have read it in segments. Obviously I
favor certain sections more than others and am far more familiar with those favored
areas of scripture. Of late, I tend to read the Bible more as a reference book.
That may not be what is considered an “appropriate” use of the Bible, but
historically it seems to fit best. What is the Bible if not a reference book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Is
the Bible Inerrant? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My personal belief is that the Christian Bible and the ancient
Jewish texts which comprise part of the Old Testament are divinely inspired
scripture, neither inerrant nor infallible. I also hold to the belief that
these compilations of scripture are in no way the sum total of all divinely inspired
scripture which was written for the benefit of mankind, but rather only that
which survives. Scripture itself, through various authors, point this fact out
quite clearly. One only need to go to Joshua 10:13 and we find reference to a
mysterious book called Jasher. (<span style="background: white;">The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint" title="Septuagint"><span style="background: white; color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Septuagint</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span><span style="background: white;">translation
renders<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i>sefer hayashar</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> in both cases as 'Book of the Just'.)
Joshua then quotes from Jasher 88:64 (It must be understood that <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the Bible was n<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ot</span></span> given chapter and verse until Jerome of Stridonium transcribed the
scripture into the Vulgate circa 382AD.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> Then
later beginning in the 13th Century when it was broken down into
chapters by Italian Dominican biblical scholar Santi Pagnini, and then
even later in the 16th Century when numerical verse was added by <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">William Whittingham.)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Jasher is mentioned again and quoted at greater length in 2<sup>nd</sup>
Samuel 1:18-27. This passage is from Jasher 56:9, <i>“Only teach thy sons the bow and all the weapons of war, in order that
they may fight the battles of their brother who will rule over his enemies.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">By no means is Jasher the only book mentioned in the Old
Testament. There is also mention of a <b>Book
of Statutes</b> written down by Samuel (1<sup>st</sup> Samuel 10:25), <b>Samuel the Seer, Nathan the Prophet </b>and
<b>Gad the Seer</b> (1<sup>st</sup>
Chronicles 29:29). These last three books detail the reign of King David. In 2<sup>nd</sup>
Chronicles 9:29 we have mention of the <b>Prophecy
of Ahijah the Shilonite</b> and <b>Visions
of</b> <b>Iddo the Seer</b>. It is clear
through the context the books were read and studied by the Kings and prophets
of that day. Where they divinely inspired? There is no way to know for certain,
but their mention in the Bible should lend some credence to their import.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Is
the Bible Inerrant?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There are more books which are mentioned in the Old Testament
and allusions to many more letters written in the New Testament which are now
lost to history, but I won’t belabor that point here. The main point I raise is
with the inerrancy or infallibility of what it is we call the Bible. Exactly what is inerrancy and why has it
become such a sticking point with Christians? If the Bible as we know it today
is without error, I suppose we need to discuss just what level of error we are referring
to. Are we referring to typographical error, linguistic or grammatical error,
or is it something deeper?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This from Wikipedia on Biblical Inerrancy: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy is a positional
statement formed by more than two hundred evangelical leaders at a conference
in Chicago in October 1978. This conference was sponsored by the International
Council on Biblical Inerrancy (ICBI). It’s design was to defend the position of
Biblical Inerrancy against what was seen as a trend towards more “Liberal” conceptions
of Scripture. It appears from their statement that the signatories assert that
since there are no extant original manuscripts of the Bible, those which exist
cannot be considered inerrant. The signatories also maintain that the existing
manuscripts are faithful copies of the original manuscripts.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Pope Leo XIII (1810 – 1903) in his encyclical, <i>Providentissimus Deus</i> (On the Study of
Holy Scripture) reaffirmed the decisions of the Council of Trent (convened
between 1545 – 1563) and emphasized that the Bible in all its parts was
inspired and that a stated fact must be accepted as falling under inspiration,
down to the most insignificant item; that is, <i>the whole Bible is the Word of God</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Mr. H. Chaim Schimmel, a lawyer versed in both Talmudic and
secular law and the author of, <i>“The Oral
Law”</i> asserts that Judaism had never promulgated a belief in the literal
word of the Hebrew Bible, hence the co-existence of the Oral Torah. His
reasoning here is obvious; if there is a written, inerrant version of the Bible
then an Oral version must be said word for word exactly the same way without mistake.
Since the origins of Jewish history were only made orally until the time of
Moses, this would place Jews in an uncomfortable position. Additionally
according to Jewish tradition, the Oral Torah was passed down orally in an
unbroken chain from generation to generation until its contents were finally
committed to writing following the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD by the
Romans. The Oral Torah was transcribed into the Mishnah, compiled between
200-220 AD. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Thus we are left with a host of different opinions on the
matter. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Is the Bible Inerrant?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Can the question be tightened somewhat to hone in on what the
true point is? Is Biblical Inerrancy the same as Biblical Infallibility? A
dictionary definition of the two words, Inerrancy and Infallibility are slight.
Inerrant would mean that there are no errors whereas Infallible would mean that
there <i>can be</i> no errors. Thus it would
seem that Infallibility would be closer to what most people are referring to
when they talk about the inerrancy of the Bible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Still it is interesting that even the most ardent supporters
on the Evangelical side are only taking the inerrancy only so far as the
transcription of the text. Pope Leo XIII (Not an evangelical by any means)
brought that standard higher by proclaiming the Bible to be the Word of God.
Based upon these notions, the average Christian is left with the misimpression that
the Bible is indeed the Inerrant Word of God. Quite plainly, this is a complete
falsehood and it is yet another impediment placed between God and man. Let me
explain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When Constantine the Great convened the first of what was to
eventually become seven Ecumenical Councils in Nicaea (modern day Iznik,
Turkey), these various bishops from the Empire began to put together what would
not only become the official Christian religion, but they would also tackle
what was to be the Bible used to guide the faith. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In approximately 367 AD, Athanasius, an early
church father, came up with a list of seventy-three books for the Bible which
he believed to be divinely inspired. This list was finally approved by Pope
Damasus I in 382 AD, and was formally approved by the Church Council of Rome in
that same year. Later Councils at Hippo (393 AD) and Carthage (397 AD) ratified
this list of seventy-three books. In 405 AD, Pope Innocent I wrote a letter to
the Bishop of Toulouse reaffirming this canon of seventy-three books. In 419
AD, the Council of Carthage reaffirmed this list, which Pope Boniface agreed
to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Much later in the year 1546, the Council of Trent
in response to Martin Luther having removed seven of these New Testament books
from the official canon of scripture, reaffirmed the original St. Athanasius
list of seventy-three books.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Reformation
leader, Martin Luther, disdained the New Testament books of James so much that
he called it, “… an epistle of straw.” These books which Luther disdained and
removed were called “Luther’s Antilegomena” or written texts whose authenticity
or value is disputed. These seven disputed (by Luther) texts included Hebrews, James,
Jude, 2<sup>nd</sup> Peter, 2<sup>nd</sup> and 3<sup>rd</sup> John, and
Revelation. Additionally, he removed the Apocalypse of Peter, the Acts of Paul,
the Shepherd of Hermas, the Epistle of Barnabas and the Didache. Both the
Shepherd of Hermas and the Didache are two books which I have read a number of
times and more Godly works one will not find within the Canonical scriptures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Much older
books which had once been considered a part of the Hebrew </span></span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Scriptures were later removed based primarily upon the same
type of political winds which had faced those in the early to mid-fourth
century with Constantine the Great and the latter Protestant Reformation of the
sixteenth century. It is important to remember when dealing with church
history, that one is also dealing with political history as well; the two were
usually one and the same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Book of Enoch was one book regarded as Holy Scripture by the
Essenes and was carefully preserved in the Qumran Caves along the Dead Sea in
Israel. It wasn’t until the Council of Jamnia in approximately 90 AD (twenty
years after the destruction of the Temple and still in the early years of the
Diaspora) that Enoch was excised from the list of Hebrew books. This council was
dominated by the Pharisaic line. (The particular sect which Christ regarded some
as “white-washed tombs.”)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Regardless its removal, Christ quoted from the Book of Enoch.
That He could quote from the book indicates to me that He had not only read it,
but was familiar enough with it to recall it from memory. The exact quote he
used was worked into His “Sermon on the Mount.” Matthew 5:5 is an exact quote
of Enoch 6:9. <i>“Blessed are the meek for
they will inherit the earth.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 445.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Again it is important to point out that we possess
copies of the Book of Enoch which date to 250 BC. These copies have been
verified as to their content and veracity against the Ethiopic copies of Enoch
in use by that sect of Christianity since the time of the Apostles. Enoch did
not quote Christ, Christ quoted Enoch. The early Christians prior to
Constantine had embraced the book, but the Jews had already rejected it. Constantine
did not quibble with the Jews over what should be included in the Old
Testament, satisfied enough with their work at the Council of Jamnia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 445.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">However an early church father named Tertullian in the
Early 3<sup>rd</sup> century AD commented on the Jewish rejection of the Book
of Enoch as follows, <i>“Since Enoch, in the
same Scripture, also taught about the Lord, then it should not be rejected by
us… but it appears that the Jews rejected it specifically for that reason, just
like they do almost every other part that foretells Christ.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 445.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Indeed, it is true that the Jews corrupted their own
scriptures to take Jesus out of the Old Testament. One example is Psalm 22:16. It reads <i>“They
pierced my hands and my feet.”</i> That
is what the Septuagint and Syriac versions say.
Christians take this as a prophecy about the crucifixion of Christ. But the Jewish Bibles say <i>“Like the lion my hands and my feet.”</i> Which is correct? To answer the question, we should look to the
oldest manuscript evidence, which is the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls favor the Christian
version. They also favor the inclusion of Enoch as part of divinely inspired
scripture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 445.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Is the Bible Inerrant? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 445.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Clearly Christians seem to be in a quandary as to just
how we are to regard the Bible. We’re told by well meaning pastors and teachers
that it is the literal Word of God, but clearly it is not. If there is any
error or deviation found within scripture being held to such a standard, God is
then made out to be a liar. We can rationalize that the error rests with man
and his own evil intents to pervert the Word, but then where does that leave
God? He is mighty enough to make certain His words are given to us in sixty-six
complete books, enduring over thousands of years by many different human
authors, but He can’t stop a translator or political ruler from, corrupting
what He so carefully planned? That is an incongruity not worthy of the one we
call God Almighty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 445.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps the inerrancy is in the fact that the Bible
will teach one about who Christ is and what He is to do for all of us. Well
that certainly is a possibility, but again the Council at Jamnia was convened
in 90 AD. The letters and the Gospels which went on to make up the New
Testament were still floating about the Empire in no cohesive form; there was
in effect no written New Testament at that point. All we had is what was
available of the Old Testament and as we’ve already seen, that was being
controlled by both religious and political forces with their own agendas; any
reference to Jesus Christ as the Messiah was excised. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 445.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Is the Bible Inerrant?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; tab-stops: 445.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The first canon of scripture was compiled by an early
church father named Marcion of Sinope in approximately 130 - 140 AD. It
comprised eleven books of the New Testament and nothing at all from the Old
Testament as Marcion was convinced the god of the Old Testament was not actually
god. He regarded the theology of the Old Testament as incompatible with the
teachings of Jesus Christ regarding God and morality. Marcion believed that
Jesus had come to liberate mankind from the authority of the god of the Old
Testament and to reveal the superior God of goodness and mercy whom he called
the Father. Paul and Luke were the only Christian authors to find favor with
Marcion, hence Luke’s is the only Gospel in Marcion’s canon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This brings us back to the inerrancy of the Bible question.
Marcion was later declared a heretic and his writings were burned, but this occurred
after his death. During his lifetime, his beliefs were gaining in popularity.
Was his version of the canon without error or was the canon later compiled by
the Ecumenical councils the one which must be regarded as inerrant? Perhaps it
was the truncated canon which Martin Luther compiled which was inerrant. Of
course the Eastern Orthodox Church which split from mainstream Catholicism in
the twelfth Century might have the actual inerrant Bible. Then again it could
be the Ethiopic Christians and their texts which (unfortunately for Western
Christianity) includes the Book of Enoch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In 1881, the King James Bible first published in 1611, was
revised. That there was need of revision at all would give anyone regarding the
Bible as the Inerrant or Infallible Word of God pause. Never-the-less there was
a revision and it was expansive. In the New Testament alone there were more
than 30,000 changes made. Over 5000 of these changes were made on the basis of
what were considered better Greek manuscripts. Of course this begs the
questions as to exactly what was being read between the original publication in
1611 and the revised version introduced in 1881. Were the readers being fed
lies for two hundred seventy years? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Exactly where in the
Bible itself does it say that it is the Word of God? Specifically, it does not.
Again, there was no Bible as we understand it back when the New Testament
letters and the Gospels were being written. It is clear that the Apostles had
no idea they were writing letters which would one day make up the canon of scripture.
They were writing to churches and to various people because it was far more
efficient to do so. These letters could be copied and passed around and the new
churches could learn from the Apostles in this manner without the Apostles
actually having to be on hand in person. That their words became the basis of
the New Testament was certainly of God, but the words written were of those men
in a relationship with their Creator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">John 1:1-2 explains quite clearly just who the Word of God
is, <i>“In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I believe we get tripped up with the usage of the word, <i>Word. </i>We tend to think written word when
applied to the Bible because it is in fact written. But the actual Greek word
for <i>Word </i>is <b>Logos</b>. This is from
Wikipedia:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Logos (/</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ˈ</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">lo</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʊɡɒ</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">s/, /</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ˈ</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">l</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ɒɡɒ</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">s/, or /</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ˈ</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">lo</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʊɡ</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">o</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">ʊ</span></i><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">s/; Greek: λόγος,
from λέγω lego "I say") is an important term in philosophy,
psychology, rhetoric, and religion. Originally a word meaning "a
ground", "a plea", "an opinion", "an
expectation", "word", "speech", "account",
"reason",[1][2] it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning
with Heraclitus (ca. 535–475 BC), who used the term for a principle of order
and knowledge.[3]<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Ancient philosophers used the term in different ways. The
sophists used the term to mean discourse, and Aristotle applied the term to
refer to "reasoned discourse"[4] or "the argument" in the
field of rhetoric.[5] The Stoic philosophers identified the term with the
divine animating principle pervading the Universe.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Under Hellenistic Judaism, Philo (ca. 20 BC – AD 50) adopted
the term into Jewish philosophy.[6] The Gospel of John identifies the Logos,
through which all things are made, as divine (theos),[7] and further identifies
Jesus as the incarnate Logos.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Although the term "Logos" is widely used in this
Christian sense, in academic circles it often refers to the various ancient
Greek uses, or to post-Christian uses within contemporary philosophy, Sufism,
and the analytical psychology of Carl Jung.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">We mustn’t forget that God Almighty and Jesus Christ are one
and the same. Christ is the personification of God, comprehensible to us in our
humanity. The Bible is quite clear that. <i>“No
one has seen God.” </i>– John 1:18. In God reducing Himself to an essence by
which He could interface with us, the Christ became necessary. In as much as we
human beings are both flesh and spirit, so too is Christ. God’s Word (Christ)
was made flesh and dwelt among us. There is many reasons for this which have
been covered in previous commentaries, but it has to do with covenants and
Authorities. God could only redeem us by becoming one of us and this He did
through the personage of the Christ. Marcion was almost correct, but he got sidetracked
by not knowing who the enemy really is. It was an honest mistake and the enemy
has done their utmost to wipe this knowledge from the face of the earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Inerrancy, Infallibility, Literal; the Bible is a compilation
of stories and the recitation of events which together give us a picture of who
God Almighty is and who we are to Him. The Book of Enoch as well as the Book of
Jasher coupled with the knowledge of how Moses learned of his origins have led
me to conclude with near certainty that the Book of Genesis is but one story
handed down through one group of people. Jasher is a parallel account and has
more information in some areas and less in others. It is not unlike two
different brothers telling the same story to their own children around a campfire
in separate locations. The essential story is the same, but certain details will
be amiss. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When Jethro explained the origins of the world to Moses, he
told these stories as he had learned them from his father and grandfather and
so forth. Jethro was a Midian priest who undoubtedly had brothers and sisters,
a father and mother, cousins and other extended family. The male heads of
households were charged with learning the stories of their origins and passing
them down. Each telling of these tales by others is going to have some “drift.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Today one might recall the popular game called “Telephone”
and how so much error could occur just by passing information around the room.
I don’t mean to imply the same level of error occurred in the telling of these
tales—these stories were very important and were taken seriously, but that
subtle changes slipped into the narrative was without a doubt. The Jews
understood this completely which is why H. Chaim Schimmel takes the position he
does with respect to The Oral Law. The objective of these stories wasn’t to
keep the details perfect, but to impart an idea of who they were as a people
and where they had come from. Thus when I see well meaning Christians try to
use the Book of Genesis as a scientific treatise regarding the creation of the
universe, I cringe. Genesis is by no means a scientifically accurate book nor
was it ever meant to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Is the Bible Inerrant?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When we make the Bible into something it is not, we
unwittingly take the majesty and power away from God. Jesus Christ was called
the Word of God and that is exactly what He is. God in His elemental state is
so far above our ability to understand in our humanity, that He had to make
Himself known to us in a manner we could comprehend. This is the Christ, the
Word of God. What has been written about Him and about the early church if such
rises to the level of truth and edification is regarded as divinely inspired scripture.
Not automatic writing, but divine
inspiration. There is a difference in the two terms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“All scripture is breathed out of God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that
the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” </span></i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">-2<sup>nd</sup> Timothy 3:16-17<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Human beings are an interesting lot. The things of a
spiritual nature constantly present an obstacle which is difficult to surmount.
The reason is simple: The flesh cannot understand the things of the spirit;
the two are incompatible. The Apostle Paul spoke of this incompatibility in
Romans 7:21-23:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is
right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see
another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my
mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The spiritual nature of God is simply too much for most of
humanity. That is a provocative statement, but one that I have found to be
true. The evidence is the level of anthropomorphism we humans engage in; we
have a need to bring everything down to our level in order to understand it. Rather
than rely on the truth of God, hear with our spiritual ears and see with our
spiritual eyes, we turn away and remake God in <i>our</i> image.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For far too many years throughout human history, mankind had
no written guide to explain who and what God is. Even when the written word did
become available, too many were denied the privilege of reading it through
either availability or inability; illiteracy was rampant throughout the world.
If the Bible is indeed the Inerrant Word of God, why would God place Himself out of
reach to the very people who needed Him most?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The truth is far easier to see if one listens with their
spiritual ears and sees with their spiritual eyes: The true Word of God is
Jesus Christ, and God’s “face” to humanity in this era are His children;
Christians. As Christians, we are part of the spiritual body of Christ; we
dwell now in the Kingdom of Heaven, though we are still in the body. These are
spiritual concepts, however and they do not translate easily to the understanding
of the flesh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There is an old saying about how a Christian is to comport
themselves among those who are not Christians: “You are the only Bible some
people may ever read.” That is a powerful saying and one I have tried never to
forget, but I sympathize with Paul. Personally, I tend to be far too critical
and do not see the good in others and circumstances as often as I would like; I
am at constant war with the flesh which impedes my ability to speak in the
spirit. Regardless my deficits in the flesh, I learned long ago not to rely on the
flesh for any truth; the flesh is imperfect and easily corrupted. Simple pride
and ego can color the flesh and quell the spirit so subtly it is hardly
noticed. It is for this reason The Law is so attractive to the flesh; it was
written for the flesh, not the spirit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As Christians we are expected to reach a level of spiritual
maturity so that we can become God’s “face” to others; to usher others into the
intimate relationship with God which He desires. This is a task He has left to us and
whether we like it or not, it is a privilege and a precious gift. The flesh does not agree with
this methodology and prefers a hierarchical structure in order to maintain
control. The flesh cannot comprehend that God is <i>always</i> in control no matter how it may appear to the flesh. As
such, the flesh creates limits and restrictions for itself preventing the very
maturing which God expects of us all. The flesh will always attempt to quell the spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I love reading the Bible. Obviously there are some passages
that I prefer over others. But my hope and salvation is not in the Bible, it is
in Christ. He and He alone is the Word of God. He and He alone is inerrant and
infallible because Jesus Christ <i>IS</i>
God. This is a spiritual concept which will never be clearly understood by the
flesh. The enemy of the Spirit feeds the flesh and will continue to do so until the time which
Christ finally takes over. Until that time, we Christians have a small window
of opportunity to use the lives Christ gave to us to usher others into the
same Godly relationship with Him we enjoy. Once our time of duality in this
realm has passed for us, it will never come about again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Is the Bible Inerrant? No, but Christ is and that is all that
should matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<br /></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-1477832289478201952014-01-27T09:59:00.001-08:002014-10-12T01:28:33.692-07:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BMT0Ukx-5qM/VDo7ppjoA5I/AAAAAAAAAOM/v-z05FBxEtc/s1600/prosperity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BMT0Ukx-5qM/VDo7ppjoA5I/AAAAAAAAAOM/v-z05FBxEtc/s1600/prosperity.jpg" /></a></div>
<b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Is the Church a Building or the People
Within?</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Why Orthodoxy Has Allowed the Acquisition
of Things to Supplant Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All
contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this
document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by
any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior
written permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I* *
* </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 150%;">U</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">ndoubtedly
this will be another one of my commentaries which some will regard as
contentious. Hopefully it will bring the reader information rather than
contention. It is not my intent to bring division, but rather to instruct. Truth
should always take precedence over a lie no matter how convenient or expedient the
lie may be. When one is teaching on God Almighty, there is no excuse not to
speak the truth. In our modern churches today, that appears to be a tall order
as tradition seems to trump truth at every turn. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In truth, few of us
have ever experienced “church” outside a building; we associate God and Jesus
with going to a building, regarding such a Holy Place, “God’s House” as it were.
This holds true even for those of other faiths. Jews attend Temple, Hindus and
Buddhists have shrines (although Buddhism is more a philosophy than a religion
in the strictest sense), Islam has Mosques; even Atheists have their own type
of “church”, gathering in a designated structure which is set apart. We as a
people have become inculcated with the notion of church being the building.
Without the building, there really is no church, but rather just the people.
Obviously this thought is completely in error. God’s House now rests within
those who claim Him. WE are God’s House now, not a brick and mortar structure,
not a temple or mosque.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The question which may
come to mind is, “Why does any of this matter? If we worship in a building or
in a field, whose business is it to anyone?” That is a good and legitimate
question to ask. Ultimately one can find union with God in any place; the
location and surroundings are immaterial. However that having been said, it
does matter to those who claim to be followers of Christ. The reason it matters
is because Christ is nothing if not truth. When we as Christians begin to apply
to Christ that which is not true, what does that make us? Jesus was not much of
a fan of Organized Religion; He saw the inherent danger in iconic worship.
People would soon begin to venerate the material rather than the spiritual.
Amongst other issues, the Pharisees took extreme exception to Christ’s opinion
regarding their religious trappings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is of interest to note that when God
ordered the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, He did so with the command
it have handholds so it could be carried anywhere. Likewise the Tent of Meeting
which housed the Ark was just as mobile (Exodus 25:12-14). The early tabernacle
was dynamic, not fixed - essentially mirroring God. The subsequent temple which
David wanted to build was constructed not out of necessity, but rather out of
pride. David explained to Nathan the disparity he noticed with him as an
earthly king living in a palace when God was merely “living” in a tent. God, of
course, had a different opinion on the matter and questioned David’s intents.
In the end He allowed for David’s son Solomon to build the temple, but it would
only stand for as long as His people were obedient to Him (2<sup>nd</sup>
Samuel 7:1- 16). This required obedience
didn’t last too terribly long for the Israelites and the temple was destroyed by the army of
Nebuchadnezzer in 587 BC after 410 years of use—a far cry from the “forever” which was imagined. The
second temple built by King Herod fared even worse and was destroyed completely
after barely 70 years (and while still under construction) by the Romans. By
contrast, the Cathedral in Notre Dame is over 850 years old. Thus the French
Cathedral has lasted longer in one incarnation than both the Jewish temples by
almost 400 years. (Perhaps the 12<sup>th</sup> Century Catholic Bishop, Maurice
de Sully, had greater success because he didn’t ask God’s permission before
building the cathedral.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Today it is clear that
Christians regard the mark of a successful church as in direct proportion to
its size. A mega-church with a membership of five thousand people and a staff
of degreed pastors (a few ThD’s in the mix certainly doesn’t hurt either.)
denotes a church that is wildly successful. But is it? Is a church so large the
pastor (s) do not know the people occupying their pews really the example
Christ spoke of? It is just as clear that one reading the scriptures would find
the Apostles would have taken exception to the Mega-church model as what was
intended. Such an edifice lent itself to an impersonal environment and not one
conducive to the familiarity necessary for the health of the body. The church
they take such pride in may be large and growing, but so is a tumor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Not too long ago, one
of these mega-churches crashed and burned very </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">publicly</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">. The Crystal
Cathedral in Garden Grove, California was a wonder in its day boasting a
seating capacity of over 2700 people. It possessed a state of the art audio and
visual system which produced programs for a weekly television program called,
“The Hour of Power.” The building was striking in its architecture, sporting
glass walls and ceilings in the main sanctuary which allowed for the Southern
California sun to bath the parishioners in its warm glow. For all intents and
purposes, this was a thriving, dynamic church. The lead pastor was Robert
Schuller who had started this congregation in 1955. In its earliest days,
Schuller held services in a drive-in movie theater. Interestingly enough, this
early incarnation was closer to the 1</span><sup style="line-height: 150%;">st</sup><span style="line-height: 150%;"> Century church model
envisioned by the Apostles than the behemoth it later became. What made it so
was its simplicity and intimacy. It soon grew beyond that formative state and
Schuller eschewed the division talked about by the Apostles, opting to merely
grow one single body instead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Crystal Cathedral
was built in 1970 and grew to give Schuller world-wide fame. He wrote many
books and hosted his television show for more than thirty-five years. In its
time, the Crystal Cathedral stood as an overwhelming success to the power of
God, having been host to world leaders and United States presidents and the
most watched religious themed T.V. Program in the world. But was it a success,
or did it just give the earthly appearance of success?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">By 2010, the Crystal
Cathedral was bankrupt with debts exceeding more than $55 Million. The building
still had a mortgage in 2010 of more than $36 million. Drowning in debt which
had severely limited its outreach, the Hour of Power ceased broadcast in 2006.
In the next four years, there was an exodus of parishioners from the
congregation as internecine battles amongst the Schuller family became known to
the general public. By mid-2012, the Roman Catholic Diocease of Orange had
purchased the Cathedral and renamed it Christ Cathedral. Schuller was retired, and for all intents and purposes the church he had built was no longer. One has
to wonder what would still be remaining today of Schuller’s church had he
followed the Apostolic model rather than the model of man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Many might say that
Schuller’s example was an anomaly and not representative of the church
experience in general. To those who say that, I would point to the many
churches one can find in just about any community with dwindling congregations.
The dynamic aspect of God is antithetical to the fixed aspect of a brick and
mortar building. Thus when the congregants grow and move on, when the older
generation dies off, the building—and its many sundry needs—remain. How can a
congregation believe they are serving God with their tithes and offerings when
the bulk of that money is going to the mortgage, the heating, water and
electrical bills as well as the administrative over-head? Most churches may
only apportion five percent or less of their intake for actual ministerial
outreach. All the rest of this money goes to fixed expenses. (2013 study
conducted by Ministry Advisory Panel. <a href="https://www.eccu.org/resources/advisorypanel/2013/surveyreports20">https://www.eccu.org/resources/advisorypanel/2013/surveyreports20</a> )<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When one stops to
contemplate the trend occurring with the modern church and then realizes this
is only the fiscal impact, the other damning aspects of the modern church is
akin to throwing gasoline on a blazing structure in a vain attempt to
put out the fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consider the modern
church structure is to seat a large group of people in a room. These people are
seated so as not to see or interact with one another, but rather to face
forward and be apart from their fellow man. After an appointed and limited time
of pleasantries (in many of the churches I’ve attended, this is a time
caustically referred to as “grin and grip.”), we assume our places, sing a few
songs about Christian brotherhood and then we are to sit in silence while we
listen to the opinion of one person for the next half hour to hour (depending
upon the individual speaker). None can
raise their hand to ask for a clarification on point as this is regarded as
“rude” and not in keeping with protocol. The subtext here is clear: The pastor
is the educated one, not you. The pastor is the one versed in the subject
matter, not you. The pastor is the one anointed by God, not you. Ergo, if you
do not understand what the pastor is saying, the problem lies with you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Of course many pastors
have allowed for a time when they will answer your questions at some other
time, but depending upon the size of your congregation, you may never get that
chance. I have personally attended two churches as an adult where I never even
met the lead pastor. His time was far too valuable to be bothered with such
banal questions from someone like me. For that, there was another tier of people
who would clarify the point for him. Additionally, there were home groups where
the finer points of his sermon could be discussed—discussed, but not
necessarily answered to anyone’s satisfaction. Few of these discussions would
ever make it back to the ears of the one who first spoke them. Thus, any errors
pointed out by members of the congregation remained unchecked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The primary problem
with such a church structure is that it does not really lend itself to
Christian fellowship. One goes to church today to be indoctrinated, not to get
to know their fellow Christians. Doctrine is used as a measure and an indicator
of one’s “Faith.” To question what is taught is akin to being an adulterer and
such a person is questioned on their beliefs and if there is no change, they
are excised from the body post haste. This church structure, of course, was the
desired intention since the first of the Nicene Councils began to codify
Christianity under the Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 AD. If one were to go
to a church service and expect to be able to engage the speaker in a Q & A,
one would be sorely disappointed and would be asked to remain silent or leave.
In truth, few pastors are equipped to engage their congregation in that manner.
Most approach the dais with a prepared and practiced sermon and any deviation
is simply not tolerated. (I’ve witnessed multiple services with the same pastor
giving the same sermon without much deviation. Even the humorous anecdotes,
timing and rhythm of the sermon remains unchanged from service to service. How
can a pastor engage his congregation when one is unable to deviate from the
script or speak on the subject matter extemporaneously?) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A personal
anecdote: Years ago I asked a pastor of
a small church I was attending a question regarding the passage in Matthew
27:52-53. The passage dealt with the bodies of many saints coming out of their
tombs and going into town to preach to the people about Christ. I was terribly
confused about this passage as it almost appeared as though the Bible was
talking about zombies. To his credit, the pastor neither dismissed me nor tried
to give me a contrived answer. He looked at the passage, looked back at me and
shrugged his shoulders saying, “I don’t know.” I remain in his debt for his
response because he displayed true humility and respected me enough not to try
to explain that which was beyond him. It pushed me to discover the meaning
behind the passage for myself and the spiritual significance, but that is for
another commentary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As I write this
commentary I am listening to Johann Sebastian Bach. While Bach wrote for many
noblemen of his day, his primary employer (as with Michelangelo) was the
church. It could be said that despite its failings, the institutionalized
church has also given us many wonders we otherwise would not have experienced.
The Sistine Chapel is one such wonder to behold as are the many cathedrals
throughout Europe (and even here in the modern day United States with such as
the Crystal Cathedral). I raise this issue only to let the reader know that I
am well aware of the seeming benefits of the institutionalized church over the
centuries. However, to presume that God in His eternal wisdom would not have
still graced humanity with the talents of these many people is to diminish God.
Is this not the same rationale that David used in wanting to construct the
first temple? The better question to ask is how many gifted individuals would
we have been graced with had the institutional church NOT stood in their way?
Such people are now lost to history irrespective their talents and abilities
because of the church’s intrusion and restrictions. The modern church by its very structure does
not lend itself to utilizing the talents of its congregation. There can only be
ONE pastor. Should there be others with spiritual insight amidst the
congregation, they are ignored. There is no church division and the only church
planting which will occur has to first be sanctioned and planned for by the
Church Association. Budgetary concerns have to be addressed and, of course, qualified, licensed, degreed pastoral candidates must then vie for the position; they must interview for the job - like any other prospective employee.
As a component of the modern church, this is truly a sad commentary and not at
all what Jesus intended. It may make temporal sense to those in charge, but is
excludes the eternal power of the Spirit to work in the body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What is the solution
then? While I have raised many issues (and there are many more), what is the
solution? In his book, “The Problem of Wine Skins – Church Structure in a
Technological Age”, Howard A. Snyder is rather direct. He asserts we ought to
do what Christ commanded which is to sell everything and give it to the poor
(Matthew 19:21). Is this a realistic solution? Many churches have a great deal
of money tied up in real estate and other property. There is also the attendant
responsibility they have taken on in administrative overhead. Selling off the
building would effectively put the pastor, associate pastor, music minister,
youth pastor, accountants, secretaries, custodians, et al. out of their jobs. Yes,
that is true. But consider this novel approach and one which was used by the
early church which met with great success: The pastor volunteers his time and
works elsewhere for his income. (Paul remained a tent maker and Peter a
fisherman while they planted churches and preached.) The congregation can meet in private homes
until they reach a certain predetermined size and then break off and start a
new congregation. Any administrative roles needing to be filled would utilize
the congregation, an eclectic mix of people with varied talents heretofore
ignored by the modern church. In this way, all have a part and all are
included; no one is left out and pride will not have opportunity to take root
in any one individual. (Even a degreed and lettered pastor does not know
EVERYTHING and should not proceed upon that false premise.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Is such a solution
unrealistic? No, but it will meet with great resistance. It is a human trait
that people do not like to give up stuff. A pastor or a degreed theologian has
worked hard at his career and is not going to entertain for one second the
possibility of simply throwing it all away. They will dip into their years of
knowledge of the scriptures and parse same to contrive a valid excuse as to why
God called them to create their monoliths and why God has personally sanctioned
their church and continues to bless them. Of course they will; the pull of the
flesh is strong and the enemy is cunning. So cunning, in fact that even the
elect can be deceived. Humility must be a component of the pastorate. These are
positions which are supposed to be above the traps laid by man. As Christ
Himself said, <i>“<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">… If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross daily and follow me.</span>”</i></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">(<i> </i>Luke
9:23)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">History has shown us
that such as the modern church construct is inevitable. Humans like control and will do
what is necessary to make certain control is maintained always. The Jews first wanted a king and later King David decided to build the temple. Much later, Constantine the
Great established the church under his rules and regulations for just this
reason. He needed the people of God, but only on his terms. Once his primary
goal was realized (a united Empire with him at the head), the established
church structure was used merely to keep the masses “in line” and prevent
further insurrections. Neither tactic worked very well and the established
church structure survived him by only 150 years. With Rome’s fall in 486 AD,
the remnant of the church bunkered in monasteries and was for all practical
purposes, useless to the people at large. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Whatever people did learn
about God and Christ came from small home studies. This was the new reality of
humanity throughout the known world until early in the 10<sup>th</sup> Century.
When the Holy Roman Empire was born, the structure of the church was changed;
the people in charge were not at all the “good Christians” one would have
imagined they should be, but rather were ruthless despots. Again, any such
learning was done in the home and usually to their earthy detriment. Those who
did not conform to the strictures of the Holy Roman Empire were brutally
tortured and then executed. It is safe to say that little Christian learning
was gleaned from orthodoxy during this dark period, despite its supposed
legitimacy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">There is an even
greater danger to the body than that of the hubris and pride many modern pastors
suffer from which is the brutal facts of history. As early 20th Century philosopher George Santayana famously stated</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." What has bedeviled humanity before is </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">prophesied</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> to visit us again. The Bible prophesies a
coming darkness before the rise of the dawn and eternal Light. In that time,
the established church will not be in existence as it is today. Whatever
“legitimate” church will reign over the earth will not be one which will imbue
humanity with the goodness and the Grace of God Almighty. If we, as God’s face
to our fellow man, do not begin to plan for this eventuality today, we will not
be equipped to handle what is to come tomorrow. In effect, by maintaining these
faux “houses of worship”, we are actually </span><i style="line-height: 150%;">“…placing
our light under the peck measure.”</i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> Our growth will remain, but again what
kind of growth are we aiming for? If it is unity and harmony of the body of
Christ, we’re failing and failing spectacularly. Just as in the Dark Ages, the Church today is
filled with people hurting and in desperate need of others, but do not feel
safe. Those who have created their livelihoods on the name of God are not going
to be too quick to cede the power and position they’ve worked so long to
attain. Jesus has some startling news for such people, </span><i style="line-height: 150%;">“… they have received their reward in full.”</i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> (Matthew 6:2)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">We are entering what I
believe to be the final phase of humanity in this earthly state. It could all
end tomorrow, or in a hundred years or more, but the end is coming. For now there
is still a sliver of light which we can enjoy and take advantage of, but it will
soon grow dark. In those times, will planting yet another brick and mortar
building, will adding yet another financial obligation, placing the awesome
burden of debt upon a congregation really be what Christ intended? Must we as a
Christian church always firmly plant our feet and demand that the lost come to
us, rather than our being dynamic enough to go to the lost? When darkness once
again falls upon the world (and it is a historical certainty that it will), these
brick and mortar monoliths will fall as well. The hard work which was expended,
the dollars wasted on new carpeting, paint, tile and administrators will be
seized by the authorities and the occupants imprisoned, killed or otherwise
turned out. (Think China, Cambodia, USSR, etc.) Meanwhile, many who could have
otherwise </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">benefited</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> from those funds never will; many who could have shared in
the unity of a dynamic body will have missed the chance while meeting after
endless meeting was convened to deal with issues of zoning, taxes, apportioning
of funds for maintenance, etc.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Unless and until we as
a true church decide to stop wasting our time and effort on icons, on an
edifice which we place before us to feel important and display our earthly
worth and wealth to our fellow man as an indicator of “God’s love”, we will
have failed in the primary objective given to us by Jesus Christ, <i>“Therefore go
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.”</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-66384767369190539712014-01-17T17:00:00.001-08:002014-10-12T01:30:53.750-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5yWtIG2ZnrI/VDo8M7U3qdI/AAAAAAAAAOU/tYgLq6OPA68/s1600/God%2BBully.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5yWtIG2ZnrI/VDo8M7U3qdI/AAAAAAAAAOU/tYgLq6OPA68/s1600/God%2BBully.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 150%;">Why do we so readily assume
God is a bully?</span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">All contents copyright © 2014 by M.L.
Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of
the publisher.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">* * *</span><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #181818; line-height: 150%;">“God’s grace is not infinite. God is infinite,
and God is gracious. We experience the grace of an infinite God, but grace is
not infinite. God sets limits to His patience and forbearance. He warns us over
and over again that someday the ax will fall and His judgment will be poured
out.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><i><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 150%;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">―<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1250965.R_C_Sproul"><span style="background: white; color: #666600; line-height: 150%; text-decoration: none;">R.C.
Sproul</span></a></i><i><span style="background: white; color: #181818; line-height: 150%;">,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2101042"><span style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">The Holiness of
God</span></a></span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">* * *</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I don’t often like to
point out what I regard are errors with any one particular individual’s
doctrine. Everyone has their own relationship with God and I do honestly
respect that. Splitting hairs over finer points of doctrine is not what I like
to do nor does such interest me. That having been said,</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I do find the need to
point out what I regard as errors which threaten the relationship one has with
God when such is propagated by respected and influential leaders within the
church. In that regard, eminent theologian R.C. Sproul has done much to
propagate such error.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I will take this
opportunity to point out that in the above quote, Dr. Sproul uses the word “infinite”
when I believe he actually meant to use the word “eternal.” I’ll note that these
are two different words with two completely different meanings. Infinity is a
construct of a temporal realm, it is mathematically quantifiable; eternity is
not. Eternity is a construct of a higher dimensional realm which is
unquantifiable. Eternity belongs solely to God Almighty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This isn’t terribly
surprising as Dr. Sproul is a Calvinist. Those who have read my earlier commentary
on Calvinism will already know where I stand on that belief; even John Calvin
didn’t believe in Calvinism, but rather it was his followers who twisted his
teachings into what we have become familiar with after his death. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But the deeper question
one must ask when confronted with such quotes coming from a teacher of the Word
is this: Why do we as human beings assume that God Almighty is a worse caretaker
of those who are weaker than are we? Let me clarify that point for a moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Human beings can be
incredibly cruel to one another. No one needs to look very far to see acts of
heinous depravity; it is all about us. The human heart is just that: Human. As
human beings, we more readily identify with that which is most familiar to us.
The flesh cries out for attention because the flesh is needy. When we are conceived
in the flesh, we are also present in the spirit. At biological conception, the
new life is imbued with the very spirit from God Almighty. It is this spirit
which He is interested in. Ironically, it is the presence of this spirit which tends
to discombobulate theologians like Dr. Sproul. Such learned men cannot
conceptualize a God who can stomach such loathsome creatures as a human being
regardless, and can only look upon man through the veil of blood which was shed
by Jesus Christ. This is an unfortunate way to view one’s fellow man because it
is ultimately an elitist position and is not at all in keeping with the love relationship
as outlined by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When a theologian must
retreat to the pages of the Old Testament to buttress an argument with respect
to the attributes of God Almighty; when only the Law is held up as the means by
which God’s Holiness can be quantified, we have lost our way and clearly do not
know who Jesus Christ is. I will reiterate it here as clearly and as succinctly
as I possibly can: Jesus Christ <i>IS</i>
God Almighty; they are exactly one and the same. Jesus Christ is not a subset
of God Almighty, He is not a “close friend” of God Almighty, He is not a vestige
of God Almighty: Jesus Christ <b><i>IS</i></b> God Almighty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Why am I hammering a
point which sould be assumed as well known by a theologian like Dr. Sproul? The
answer is simple: Orthodoxy has taught our theologians for many, many years now
(primarily from the Protestant Reformation onward, but really since the days of
Constantine the Great starting in 325 AD.) that God Almighty and Jesus Christ
are really two separate entities which operate in perfect consort with one
another. Both exist in an eternal state, but there is never the less a hierarchal
structure enjoyed amongst them. There is at the head of this hierarchy, God the
Father, then there is Jesus Christ and laterally is the Holy Spirit. This
structure is referred to as the Holy Trinity. It should be noted that this Godhead
structure was unknown to the early church and was not even formally recognized
by any of them until 186 AD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Trinity gave
Constantine just the kind of ammunition he needed in order to pull the early
church in line with his thinking. Until the Edict of Milan in 313AD,
Christianity about the whole of the Roman Empire was an outlaw faith movement.
(I refuse to call it a religion as in its most pure form, it is a
relationship.) The Battle of Milvian
Bridge between the Eastern and the Western halves of the Roman Empire had
established Constantine the Great as the certain eventual victor and future
head of the whole of the Empire. Shortly afterward, he penned an edict with the
leader of the Eastern provinces named Licinius. The two rulers of the Empire
met in the city of Milan in what is today Northern Italy. (Then it was regarded
as a satisfactory halfway point so as not to give either ruler a logistical
advantage.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Part of this edict was
to give greater tolerance to Christians and to treat them benevolently. The
last Roman Emperor to pour his efforts into the persecution of the Christians was
Diocletian. It is regarded as the most severe persecution ever levied by a
Roman Emperor and it was this severity which eventually led to an outright
revolt and Diocletian’s ouster. (Diocletian was part of a Tetrarchy – four rulers,
two primary and two secondary - which ruled the Empire from 293AD to 313AD.) With
the Edict of Milan agreed upon, Christians the Empire over were finally given
some freedom to practice their faith unlike any enjoyed since Christ. It was
this act on the part of Constantine which made the eventual convening of the
councils of Nicaea possible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">During the Battle of
Milvian Bridge, Constantine the Great was supposed to have seen a sign in the
sky promising victory if the Chi-Rho (The first two letters which spell out “Christ”
in the Greek.) were painted upon the shields of his army. Whether this event
actually occurred or was merely a clever ruse on the part of Constantine to
ingratiate himself with the Christians is forever lost to history. (This
account comes primarily from an early church father named <em><span style="background: white; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Eusebius</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span><span style="background: white;">of Caesarea</span>
whose claims are sometimes inflated.) </span> Regardless, it was the perfect pretext to
convince the leaders of the early church of his good intentions. (There is lore
which states Constantine converted to Christianity on his deathbed, but again
this is another of those incidents lost to history. Regardless, it makes for a
good tale. In all likelihood, he remained an adherent to the Sun God Amun Ra
until his death – like any good Roman.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Once the first of what
was to become seven Ecumenical Councils was concluded, Constantine had
established the Apostle Peter as the first of the Church Fathers or Popes. The
reigning church leader in Rome, Sylvester 1<sup>st</sup>, held onto the
position as the Bishop of Rome from 314 Ad until his death in 335AD. (Sylvester
did not attend the Nicaean Council and had little to do with its codification.)
Sylvester was succeeded by Mark and then Julius.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The formation of this
early structure was carefully controlled down to the manner of worship to the
plethora of icons which were introduced and then venerated. Constantine’s
mother, Helena, was sent all over the Empire to collect relics to buttress the
belief in the Christian God. In this, here is a listing of some of what she was able to miraculously
locate: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A
piece of the cross of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
bones of one of the Magi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
blood of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
nails used to secure Christ to the cross.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Scala Sancta (the stairs from Pontius Pilate’s praetorium) which was used by
Jesus.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There are many more on
the list, but the point is thus made. These varied objects became the “glue”
necessary to bind the Empire together for Constantine and it did so quite effectively.
The hierarchy of the church was thus established with Constantine, the Roman
Emperor, as its true head. Christianity was now established as the national
religion, but only under strict supervision and through a strict set of rules. Abridgement
of these rules would find the offender no better off than they would have been
under the worst of the Diocletian persecutions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So what does this
history lesson have to do with how Dr. Sproul sees God Almighty? Actually it
has much to do with his perspective. How we are taught from our very earliest
is generally how we’ll always view something. Our formative years set down in
the bedrock of our consciousness how we will perceive the greater world around
us. We’ve seen such teaching lead to everything from the inculcation of racism
to the embrace of Communism and Islam. We’ve also seen such teaching lead to
incredible acts of generosity and benevolence. Nature or nurture is the age old
question, but it is without a doubt that to stand against the tide is going to
take extra effort and few realize they even have the need. Thus we tend to
follow the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When we are raised to
believe that God loathes His human creation and can only stomach them through
the veil of Christ’s blood and all of the learned men surrounding us are in absolute
accord with that thought, who will challenge the predominate thinking? Very
few. No one covets a position as the outsider.
It is far easier to walk a road which has already been paved with misconceptions
rather than to cut a trail through the untouched tangle of truth. The aforementioned
history lesson was introduced in order to give a foundation to the reader as to
exactly where the teachings within the modern church originated. Certainly
there have been “tweaks” to the teaching over the millennia, but the essential
structure remains untouched. Thus Christ is relegated to second tier status
forever and always in the minds of His people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When I became a parent,
many views I held about God began to fall apart. I simply could not believe
that I, as a loathsome human being, could be more forgiving than God Almighty.
Raising kids is not an easy task and anyone who has had the pleasure
understands what I mean. Children are a boundless blessing, but they can also
try your patience. (To put it mildly.) I’m certain that with few exceptions,
most all people reading this who have had children have felt the sting of their
rejection on at least one occasion. Such rejection can take many forms, but the
rejection is felt no less keenly. It hurts when our children tell us they hate
us … or worse. But we forgive them and we do what we can to bridge the gap
separating us. We do this (or attempt, in any event) because we love them. Now
how is it that as broken, rotten, loathsome, sinful human beings we can do
something which God is unable without utilizing a “proxy?” The short answer is
we cannot. The Apostle John explained that we can love because Christ first
loved us. (1<sup>st</sup> John 4:19)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orthodoxy teaches that God
cannot look upon sin and as we are all sinners, God apart from this veil of
Christ’s shed blood cannot look upon us and DOES NOT regard us as His children.
This is errant teaching which came from the hierarchal structure first instituted
by Constantine the Great. To put it plainly, it is absolutely one hundred
percent incorrect. (I would ask the reader to reference my earlier commentary
on Matthew 27:46 for further details on
my thoughts:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-biblical-commentary-on-gospel-of.html">http://thegodprinciplebook.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-biblical-commentary-on-gospel-of.html</a>
)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sproul calls sin “Cosmic
Treason” evidently without realizing what sin is. Sproul appears to conflate
sin and evil. This is unfortunate since the two concepts are as different as
night is from day. (Again I have already addressed this is an earlier commentary.) I will mention this just to clarify in the
minds of the reader what Dr. Sproul seems incapable of grasping: God does not
desire you to love him at the point of a gun. If such were the case, I do
believe our world would look much differently than it does. God is about a
loving relationship first and always. The “Holiness” of God cannot ever be
trampled by our behavior no matter how abysmally we act. To relegate such
holiness to a being that is so easily roused to anger would bespeak a being not
entitled to enjoy such respect from anyone … except at the point of a gun. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Lastly let me be clear
on the path which Sproul has chosen is one which dooms most of humanity. If one
must first acknowledge and accept Jesus Christ, most of humanity is damned to
the fiery pit of Hell. The reach of the 1<sup>st</sup> century Christians was
exceedingly small and most of the world had absolutely no knowledge of Jesus
Christ. This remained the case as the centuries wore on. Most all of Asia
remained unaware of the Christian God even up through the beginning of the 2<sup>nd</sup>
millennia. While we in the West might not give much thought to the untold
billions of lives smothered out by a misreading of scripture and our own innate
bias, I assure you that it matters to those people in far off lands who do not
share the belief they are going to roast for all eternity just because a well
meaning Christian says so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I had earlier made
mention of the myriad evils which mankind is quite capable of inflicting upon
one another. I reiterate that we do so because we are being led by our flesh
rather than ceding control to the spirit which imbues all of us. I’ll also
hasten to add that such evils remain in the slim minority. They get attention
because of the fact they exist out of the norm. Most of us “loathsome humans”
simply do what we can to make our way through this life as best we can. We may all
be sinners (as sin defined is merely the failure to meet a predetermined line of
demarcation; in this case, one set by the Celestial Beings of God Almighty –
Galatians 3:19), but the evil (read selfishness.) which ensnare us comes in
shades of gray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is my hope and
prayer that as Christians we would all begin to recognize that love is the
primary component in the Christian relationship. Most people can be coerced to
do something they don’t really believe, but God looks upon the heart of the
individual. If we were supposed to simply love God or He’d kill us, there would
have been no need whatsoever for Jesus Christ; a better path could have been
utilized.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christ emphasized
relationship and love. Paul said that God desires we call him Abba – father.
Such is an incredibly intimate term between a parent and their child whom they
love dearly. Don’t short-change God
Almighty because you cannot yet understand His totality of being. We anthropomorphize
God at our peril and our personal loss. We lose so much when we regard God as
possessing our attributes. Read Galatians 5:22 and compare the attributes Paul
says God possesses to the attributes you have been told God possesses by the church.
If you can find an angry, short-tempered, jealous God within the attributes
listed, you’re reading into the scriptures what is not there. Don’t bring an
Eternal God down to your level in order to understand Him, rather listen with
your spiritual ears and rise up to His.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-59916835391584028052014-01-12T12:42:00.002-08:002014-10-12T01:33:17.686-07:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxFJU3juDRY/VDo8wjupnKI/AAAAAAAAAOc/83AgPcwSIfw/s1600/Good-vs-Evil.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxFJU3juDRY/VDo8wjupnKI/AAAAAAAAAOc/83AgPcwSIfw/s1600/Good-vs-Evil.1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Who Are We Really ?</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">And What Is This Thing Called Evil?</span></b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All
contents copyright © 2014 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this
document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by
any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior
written permission of the publisher.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* *
* </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">This
is going to seem a rather disjointed commentary for many different reasons. I
suppose the primary reason is that I have a jumble of thoughts within which
seek an escape. It seems that only by holding such thoughts out before me can I
really make sense of them and what it is I am supposed to do with my life as a
Christian; a certain introspection, if you will. Ordinarily I have not used
this blog space for anything other than my religious and political views. I
have definite opinions about a great many things and surprisingly enough, those
views have not altered much over the span of my life. As I grow
older, however, I find that having a certain point of view or opinion about the
larger world around you really doesn’t help to navigate some of the more murky
aspects of your life. Whether or not I think Barack Obama is a good or bad
president does not seem to help me in my job or familial relationships.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Quite
frankly as one who has never really caught onto the ideal of journaling, the
whole concept of a blog is somewhat intimidating to me. It has always been my
impression that a blog was a place where thoughts of a certain import could be
conveyed to the masses for their edification/enjoyment/ bemusement. I am
personally drawn to blogs that impart information of which I was
previously unaware. I’ve attempted to do this on my blog page, but I fear that
what tends to happen is a presentation of walls and walls of text which is
quickly abandoned by any potential reader; such is the subject matter I have
decided to tackle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Personal
taste is an interesting thing. I have often wondered why I am attracted to the
subject of theology and if so, why I never pursued the proper formal training.
Time has answered some of those questions for me; adulthood and raising a
family left little room to spend on what was little more than a “hobby” of
mine. Of course the financial consideration had to also be factored into the
equation as much as the investment of time; raising a family left little of
either. However the interest remained. Theology – (From the Greek: </span><span style="background-color: white;">θεολογία</span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">literally meaning God study) is a subject that
continues to draw my interest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Lately
I have found myself in something of a spiritual wilderness. This is not a
unique position to anyone – believer or agnostic. (I don’t subscribe to the
position of there being atheists for a host of obvious reasons.) One of the
more famous accounts of such spiritual wilderness is a poem by Saint John of
the Cross, a 16<sup>th</sup> century Roman Catholic friar which was
written in approximately 1578. St. John was regarded as a Christian Mystic and
delved deeply into the spiritual connectivity we as humans have with God.
Clearly he was well aware of the (maddening) situation which the Apostle Paul
also pointed out in 1<sup>st</sup> Corinthians 13:12 regarding a human’s
ability to see the greater world as God views it. Paul said that such was akin
to, <i>“… looking through a glass darkly.”</i> My previous
commentaries sought to put an answer as to the “why” of this situation, but it
doesn’t begin to address the emotions such a situation can have on the
individual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Part
of my wilderness can be summed up in this one basic question which so many
before me have sought to answer: "<i>Why is it that so often it appears as
though God isn’t present?"</i> Through faith we’re commanded to believe
that God is with us, but the harsh reality for most is sun that the will rise for the
dawn of a new day and rare is the occasion a change for the positive is forthcoming;
evil continues its onslaught seemingly unabated. Our prayers continue to go
unanswered and most of us are left feeling absolutely alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">To compound our
suffering, we find that we cannot raise such feelings with our fellow
Christians because to speak of such things is tantamount to lacking faith. As
we are taught from the earliest, a lack of faith denotes one who is “not of the
body” and is therefore not saved. A misreading of scripture (my interpretation)
by too many well meaning Christians warrants ostracization for the one even
thinking such thoughts about God. Thus the one hurting is set further adrift by
the very people who are “called” to be the face of God to their fellow man. To
me, this seems antithetical to the way God designed us to interact with one
another. However if such were the case, would it not be reasonable to presume
that God would tend to His flock and teach them properly; raise up those who
have a voice which speaks the truth of God , rather than of the traditions of
men? Hence, why does it seem God is not present?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">My
vexation at such a conundrum is multiplied when at every turn, doors are shut
to me. I don’t mean to make this a whiny entry into my blog, but rather an
avenue of thought. In truth, how many of us are terrified to speak what we
really feel about the condition of our relationship – not only with God, but
with God’s people? Will a pastor who leads a successful church who suddenly has
an epiphany really impart such to his congregation if it means the loss of his job?
Will the Deacon or Elder at a church risk their position to speak out on what
has touched their heart because to do so would result in their excisement from
“the body?” What about one who has simply attended a particular church for
years, but has come to different conclusions than what is popularly taught?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Why
should good people be terrorized into silence for fear of being rejected by
other Christians for the dark thoughts which fill every person’s heart from
time to time? Are we not called to share in one another’s sorrow as well as
their successes? Evidently that is not the case in today’s modern church where
personal internecine cliques will trump Christian unity at every turn, where
one who enjoys wealth sees such as a sign of God’s love over that of the poor
wretch barely making ends meet, where only the number of degrees and awards are
a deciding factor in who possesses the wisdom of God and who does not? Why are
Christians (or even non Christians) forced into silence when the Spirit
instructs just because it may run counter to traditional teaching? While I
agree that error should be reigned in, my personal research has shown me that
orthodox thought propagates most of the error. (John Nelson Darby anyone?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">I
will confess that after decades of study, prayer, contemplation … pleading
even, I really do not understand this entity we call God. Such does not shake
my belief in Him; quite the contrary, but I do not understand Him in the least.
If Christ said that all authority was given to Him (Matthew 28:18), then from
that point to now, it would seem to me that He is complicit in the evil which
has bathed this world so thoroughly. However since such would run counter to
what Paul tells us of God’s very nature (Galatians 5:22) and certainly is not
in line with the example Christ left us with, I have to conclude I am
misreading the signs. This further vexes me as I have tried most earnestly to
understand what is going on and what the point and purpose for my being a part
of it could be. Let me explain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">My
theology has led me to the conclusion that a Covenantal agreement between God
and his spiritual ambassadors erroneously referred to as angels (they are
actually Celestial beings of vast power.) led to a break in the intimate
relationship which should exist between man and God. A misunderstanding of what
was written in Genesis has led mostly western religions to conclude there was
some sort of “fall of man” which has dropped us all into a sinful state. While
there was technically a “fall” and this “sin state” did exist, one has to be
aware of certain words and their meanings. The word <i>“sin”</i> is a
term which simply means, “to miss the mark.” I cannot underscore enough that
sin is not evil; they are two totally different concepts. Simply put, Sin is
not gradient; it is black or white, on or off, ones or zeros; sin is
essentially binary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Evil
is a tricky concept for most people to grasp because even theologians are not
certain just what evil is. They will rail against the “evils” of the world, but
all they’re really doing is pointing out the effects of evil, not the actual
concept itself. So what then is evil and how does it differentiate from sin? To
answer that question, one needs to look briefly at all acts which are evil.
Certainly we can look at a Hitler as evil. We can look at a Charles Manson as
evil. Some of us will look at a Margaret Sanger (founder of Planned Parenthood)
and conclude she is evil. One must be cognizant of the fact that despite our
personal belief, each one of these people has their followers and those who
regard their acts as good and NOT evil. What is the difference in what those
followers believe and what you believe?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">A
Christian might say that murder is evil and a sin against God, thus these
aforementioned people are evil. Really? That is your tipping point? Anyone
familiar with the Old Testament would become well acquainted with God’s temper
and the wanton killing and murder which ran rampant. (Deuteronomy 20:10 – 20
comes to mind.) You can attempt to explain such murder away all you wish, but
what else do you call the plight of a little Canaanite girl minding her own
business at home who is then suddenly torn from her mother’s arms, raped and
then brutally murdered by the invading army of Joshua? Righteous justice? It is
to laugh. There is nothing righteous or just about such brutality. Compare the
heinous instructions from god to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy with
Christ dealing with the adulterous woman in John chapter 8. Quite a contrast –
and yet both occurrences took place while under the covenant of the Law; the
Old Testament. (Christ had yet to die for ANYONE. The strictures of the Old
Covenant were still very much in effect.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Israel
was following the orders of their god when they invaded the land of Canaan. The
Canaanites may have been “sinful” in the eyes of the god of the Jews, but there
is very little evidence to support their being an evil people. (At least no
more so than were the Jews themselves.) Again, two different
concepts with two different words in the Hebrew language. Regardless the
designation of being “sinful” by their god, there remains no excuse for the ill
treatment the Israelites showed the citizens of Canaan. Period. Such is a
rationalization by people unwilling to see the incongruity between the god of
the Law and Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">So
what then is evil? If we have seen that sin is simply the abridgment of a set
line of demarcation (e.g. If you can finish the race in under 5 minutes, you
win otherwise you lose.), but evil is not the same. As I stated earlier, evil
is gradient. Recall Christ’s parable in Matthew 12:43-45. How can one be
invaded by spirits MORE wicked then those who had been swept clean if sin is
predicated on a single line of demarcation? The answer, of course, is that they
cannot. Evil is gradient, evil has shades of gray. It does so for a very
interesting, yet obvious reason. Evil – true evil – is merely the antithesis of
God Most High.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Consider
that Christ came to this earth as a servant; Christ came to be selfless. He did
so because at that time, the earth was under the command of the powers of
darkness. (John 12:31, John 14:30, John 16:11) I will not belabor the obvious
incongruity that according to orthodox thought, Jehovah God was still in
absolute and complete control over the whole of the earth at that time.
Scripture is clear that the earth was being ruled by something apart from God
Most High. Once we can accept Christ came to defeat these powers of darkness,
we can then look at evil in a new light.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Christ
explained to us in Luke 14:11 that, <i>“For everyone who exalts himself
will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” </i>The
common thread here is the frame of mind one has who would exalt himself over
that of his fellow man. Such a person is not being selfless by definition, but
rather <i>SELFISH.</i> So as Christ is selfless and good, one who is
selfish is evil. Now think about those who are regarded as supremely evil in
history – or even people in your own sphere who you would regard as evil. If
you look carefully you will note that the level of evil is proportionate to the
level of selfishness. Worship of self is evil; worship of God is good. David
Koresh thought himself a god and molested little girls. Hitler sought to bring
about a master race which regarded him as their leader and murdered millions of
people in the process. Both men were supremely selfish and put no one or
nothing before themselves. Even at the very end, Koresh did not free the people
from the Compound at Waco and instead allowed the ATF to burn them to death –
all of them. Hitler believed the German people had failed him and thus deserved
their fate. He then committed suicide rather than face judgment. The mystery of
what is evil is thus solved. It is to be the antithesis of God; it is to be
selfish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Of
course I am not so naive as to believe the critics of this commentary will not
come out of the woodwork to shoot down my theories. Would it dissuade such
people if I were to say that God told me these things Himself? Probably not.
Those critics are keenly aware of the fact that I have not heard God’s audible
voice much as they have not heard God’s voice. Such people rely primarily upon
the teaching and instructions they have received from “learned men” rather than
the prompting of the Spirit. It is a sad reality in our world which holds men
of letters higher than those who have connected with the Spirit. Such was
prophesied however. I suppose that should give me a measure of hope; based upon
the vitriol of my critics, I am on the right track.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Please
do not misconstrue this commentary to mean that I regard all who have had such
formal teaching to have been deluded or not “in touch” with the Spirit; that is
not my intent. I started out this commentary with a confession that I
personally do not understand God and that fact hasn’t changed. What I am
pointing out in this commentary is that most the rest of us do not understand
Him either. We will shield that fact from our fellow man primarily out of fear,
and then out of pride. My pride where understanding God is concerned is
non-existent. One can only be called a heretic so many times and ostracized by
fellow Christians for only so long before any pride once possessed is
completely eroded away. Pride and ego do not compel me to write these
commentaries (since I know that few read them in any event); a thirst for
knowledge and understanding does.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">During
the nine years I researched my novel series, I had to find the answers to a
number of vexing question which kept coming up regarding God, the spiritual
realm and us lowly human beings. Too much of what I had been taught simply did
not fit no matter what contortions of facts one made. The answers I received
from the clergy (“There are some things in the Bible we’re not meant to
understand.”) displayed a stunning level of ignorance of both history, and of
the spiritual aspect of just who God is. Quite the contrary to such limited
thinking people, I believe that the entire breadth of scripture is to be
understood with absolute clarity. Paul’s analogy of, “…looking through a glass
darkly.” Refers to the spiritual realm only and not to scripture. How can one
assert that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, but God doesn’t want us to
understand it? I would presume if such were the case, it would have never been
written at all then. Of course I dismiss such notions as the tripe that it is.
With this understanding, the teachings I received from tradition began to fall
apart one by one. I was left with an entirely different understanding, some of
which is explored in the pages of my novels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Here
is a truth. People are generally self-centered; it is a natural requirement of
the flesh trapped within a finite world which dictates such. I hasten to add
that the fleshly body is merely a temporary conveyance and is NOT the sum total
of our parts. Only the limited vision of the flesh will struggle with the
eternal because the two are incompatible. The spiritual realm in not infinite;
it is eternal. As with sin and evil, Infinity and Eternity are two different
words with two entirely different meanings. We do not enter into infinity with
God, we enter into eternity with God. (John 3:16, Romans 6:23, John 17:3,
Matthew 25:46) When one contemplates the differences in those two terms and the
implications of one over the other, I’m certain a greater degree of
understanding will be enjoyed. It will, of course, open up a range of new
questions which I have concluded is part of “Eating solid food, rather than
continue to suckle milk.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">I
realize that most of the selfishness I see is the flesh taking control of the
person rather than the spirit. Divorce, drug abuse, sexual immorality,
abortion, murder, etc. are all as a result of the person giving into their
flesh, not sin. Since we’re all regarded as sinners, that argument is
fallacious. When Christ confronted the Pharisees as to who their father was, he
was not talking to the so-called evil Pharisees, but rather to Pharisees who
were genuinely curious. Still He told them clearly they were children of the
devil. (John 8:42-47) Christ summed it up with this verse, <i>“…He who
belongs to God hears what God says.” </i>My understanding of that verse is
that to the one who has put aside listening to the body (and the god of that
body) they will hear what it is God has to say. More simply put, we must learn
to see with our Spiritual eyes and listen with our spiritual ears rather than
relying on the five senses of the body. The flesh cannot comprehend that which
is eternal and spiritual. Period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">My
hope and continued prayer is that I will come to a greater understanding of God
in the time I have left on this planet. As Christians are to be God’s face to
their fellow man, this understanding MUST include my brothers and sisters in
Christ. This is a difficult prospect for someone like myself who is severely
“relationship challenged.” That having been said, my fellow Christians need to
also look towards others in the same light and not merely hold up those who
have means and letters as the only indicator by which God shows himself. If the
Gospel’s taught us anything, it was that God used the lowliest among men to
spread the truth of who He is. There were none of means or letters amongst
them, not even Paul who was regarded a traitor by those who once embraced him
in the Synagogue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</h2>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-92131491441881077992013-04-29T22:34:00.001-07:002014-10-12T01:34:51.824-07:00<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6m9Qi5RQXz4/VDo9Hw4AuaI/AAAAAAAAAOk/mNOWmZPLWl8/s1600/rapture_1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6m9Qi5RQXz4/VDo9Hw4AuaI/AAAAAAAAAOk/mNOWmZPLWl8/s1600/rapture_1_.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 150%;">The Rapture</span></b></h2>
</div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 150%;">What is it
and where did it come from?</span></b></span></h3>
</div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">All contents copyright © 2013 by M.L. Wilson. All
rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> ~ ~ ~<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Next to the Holy Trinity, there are few other
contentious issues within the interpretations of scripture which rival that of
the theory variously called “The Rapture.” This is a theory that had one
specific meaning to Christians for nearly two millennia until the early
nineteenth century. From approximately 1832 on, this theory began to morph into
something else entirely. My point in writing this commentary is to simply give
my view and opinion as to what caused this change in thought, why we have
cleaved to the latter meaning and what the implications of embracing such a
belief are to us as Christians.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">It is important to outline just what the Rapture
Theory is because the term has come to take on two different essential
meanings. There is the older view which is based upon the scripture found in 1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Thessalonians 4:14-17,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“We believe that God will bring
with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord’s own
word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of
the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord
Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive who are left will be caught up together with
them in the clouds to greet the Lord in the air.”<u1:p></u1:p></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In this older view, the Rapture was the calling
of believers to Christ upon His return to earth to setup His new Kingdom. This
“calling up” came after all of the various judgments and tribulations had
concluded. The newer incarnation came about much, much later and introduced a
new concept which had never been heard of before. Both will be discussed at
length in this commentary.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">First, one must understand that within the Canon
of scripture, there is no such word or term as “Rapture”. The Rapture is a
“shorthand” term used to explain an event; a happening. The actual word
“Rapture” is defined thus: </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">This from the Free Online Dictionary by Farlex (<a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/">www.thefreedictionary.com</a>):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;">rap·ture</span></b><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>n.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>1. </b>The state of being transported by a lofty emotion; ecstasy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>2. </b>An expression of ecstatic feeling. Often used in the plural.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>3. </b>The transporting of a person from one place to another, especially
to heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>tr.v.</i> <b>rap·tured</b>, <b>rap·tur·ing</b>, <b>rap·tures</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To
enrapture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
</span><br />
<hr noshade="" size="1" style="text-align: left; width: 110.9pt;" width="148" />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[Obsolete
French, <i>abduction, carrying off</i>, from <span color:black="" courier="" new="" serif="">rapt</span>, <i>carried away</i>,
from Old French <span color:black="" courier="" new="" serif="">rat</span>, from Latin <span color:black="" courier="" new="" serif="">raptus</span>; see <b>rapt</b>.]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In addition to the dictionary version, it
is also believed the word “Rapture” is derived from the Latin word “rapio”
which means,</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">“to seize, to
take by force.”</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">,</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><i> </i></span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">a</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">nd
interestingly enough, is thought to be the root for the English word for
“Rape”. The Greek word used in scripture is “Harpazo” which is translated as</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">“caught up” or “snatched.”</i><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">One question which can be legitimately
asked if there is no Hebrew word used, and the Greek word used is Harpazo would
be</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">, “Why is it called The Rapture Theory then?”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The answer comes from the fact
that in the late 3</span><sup style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">rd</sup><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Centuries
and early 4</span><sup style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Century,
Jerome of Stridon (a border town between Dalmatia and Pannonia which is located
in modern-day Croatia.) translated the Greek Septuagint into the Latin Vulgate.
(Vulgate essentially means common, ergo</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">“translation
into the common language”</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">.) Hence, the term Harpazo in the Greek was
translated by Jerome into “rapio” or “rapere” or the more common term of
“rapture” depending up the version one read in Latin. There are subtle
differences in each word, yet they all could easily be applied to the usage of
the Greek word “Harpazo” found in the Septuagint.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Once established in its most broad sense,
“Rapture” means,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“To take up”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>or<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><i>“To take away”</i>, we can
proceed into the exploration of the different schools of thought respecting the
application of the term. In order to do that properly, we have to understand cultures and eras have an effect on interpretation of scripture. One cannot view
scripture without understanding the era in which it was written. In the case of
1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Thessalonians, we
are looking at one of the oldest letters written by the Apostle Paul. His
letters to the Church at Thessalonica date back to the early 50’s AD.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Here I must digress somewhat and ask you to bear
with me. I bring this notion of dates and eras up only because there is a
tendency to believe such Biblical giants as Paul, John and Peter , et al,
remained static in their spiritual growth. What I mean by that is as
observers from the 21<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Century,
we tend to look at these early church fathers as somehow already knowing
everything God intended for them to know, and having worked out all of the
problems which could possibly confront them from a spiritual perspective by the
time they wrote what would become the scriptures. Since that is the presumption
we tend to believe as we delve into their works (e.g. The Bible is the inerrant
word of God), we therefore regard such works as infallible. Such notions should
not be considered; Paul, John and Peter were just people who put down on
papyrus, the chronicle of Christ’s trek on earth and the essential teachings
they encompassed. Such work was<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“Divinely
Inspired”</i>, but such works are NOT infallible or inerrant. These are
misconceptions resulting from a misunderstanding of terms. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">It is of interest to note the very thought
of infallibility with respect to the Apostles or their written works is
debunked within the pages of scripture by the Apostles themselves. We see this
when Paul is forced to correct Peter on the subject of circumcision (Galatians
2:11-17) or when both he and Barnabas find themselves at odds with one another.
(Acts 15:36-39) We can look back on the Paul and Peter argument and perhaps make a determination Paul was correct based upon our knowledge of doctrine, but do we know who was correct between Paul and
Barnabas? Both remain silent on the points of disagreement. Can such be construed that neither was wrong, or both? What if it turns out Paul was
wrong in his position? Would that error therefore invalidate all his works? Such a conclusion could only be reached if we impute
a weight to such works which was never intended. Here is where it is important
to remember the very reason these letters were written to begin with; many were
to answer questions that these early churches had with respect to the teaching
they had been given.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">It is important to remember that just as God
works in our lives and allows us to grow and learn, the same held true with
these Apostles. Yes they were Divinely Inspired to write their works and they
have been used to educate scores of people over two millennia, but scripture is
not inerrant; the Word of God is. The misconception is the belief the Word of God is
the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>printed word</i>; the
Bible. However, the Bible as it exists today was not compiled until at least
three hundred years after Christ and continued to be molded and tinkered with
up until the late 19<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Century.
To clarify,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>the Word of God is
Jesus Christ</b>; the Bible is scripture.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">It is in this light we must look at
scripture and take what the individuals say and make certain it aligns
correctly with what Christ taught. Paul was a man and had opinions. If one
looks at the attitude of Paul in the letters he wrote to the Church at
Thessalonica and compares them with the attitude of his later works—his letters
to Timothy thought to have been written in the early to mid-60’s AD, one will
see a change in his language and his concepts. This is reflective in the growth the ten years or more which separates the two letters clearly points out. When we deny these
early church fathers the benefit of that growth, we nullify their lives and the
experiences they had to endure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Thus those who have created an entire theology
around one passage of one letter written very early in his public ministry
without finding harmony within Christ’s teachings, err considerably. I am
cognizant of the fact this will sound somewhat heretical to some, but all
I am really saying is that to regard the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>written
text<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>of the Bible as being
without error is to impute far more into what the Bible is than what was
intended. Scripture was<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Divinely
Inspired,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>not conceived
through<span class="apple-converted-space"> something akin to </span><i>automatic handwriting.</i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">This from Wikipedia:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Automatic writing</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> or <b>psychography</b> is
writing which the writer claims to be produced from a subconscious, and/or
external and/or spiritual source without conscious awareness of the content.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Almighty God did not take possession of the
Apostles and write the Bible for them; He imbued them with His essence through
RELATIONSHIP and these men wrote about the outgrowth of that relationship. The
very presence of a Bible—while common to us today, was an extreme rarity even
after it was compiled in the 3<sup>rd</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and
4<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>centuries and very
few people set eyes upon one and even if they did, most likely would not have
been able to read it; most people were illiterate. The early church had
memorized creeds and used those creeds to guide them in their knowledge of
Christ; the concept of a book which was without error was unknown to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The most common of these creeds, but by no means
the first was introduced somewhere around 390 AD as mentioned by Ambrose,
Archbishop of Milan. The creed reads:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> I believe in God</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">, the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died,
and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the
dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father
almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe
in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">For some three hundred years before Constantine
the Great and many hundreds of years afterward, uncounted numbers of people
lived and died regarding themselves fortunate only to have been able to have
heard a creed such as this one. These were people who were persecuted, and
martyred in horrific ways in attempts to get them to renounce their belief in
Christ. These people had no scriptures to pour over for answers and had only
the Holy Spirit to guide their way. It would be my humble opinion that despite
their lack of scriptures, these people possessed far more faith than any modern
Christian—if only because of the dearth of a Bible.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">It would be a fair statement to say most all
people grow as they learn; tomorrow, most people will know more than they do
today. I would not want to be held to the level of spiritual understanding I
possessed in my youth no matter how erudite I may have felt I was on such
matters. I therefore struggle to make certain I am as accurate on
what I disseminate today, being mindful of the fact that I will know more
tomorrow than I know today.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Paul, Peter, John, et al—no matter how </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">much
regard we hold for these men, were just men and they wrote what they knew in
the context they knew it and in the culture of their day. The Spirit guided
them—just as I believe He guides you or me, but we get to make the final determination
as to what is put on the paper. Thus as a writer, I am divinely inspired in just what it is I write, but
it will remain open to debate as to whether I am correct or incorrect in my conclusions; whether my
words are inerrant. I explain this position with respect to the scriptures only
to place into proper context the scripture passages used to buttress the
Rapture argument.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">There are three basic thoughts on the modern
understanding of The Rapture Theory within the Evangelical Church today. These
break down to:</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: start;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
Pre-Tribulation Rapture<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
Mid-Tribulation Rapture<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
Post-Tribulation Rapture</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Briefly in order, Pre-Trib believers will be
taken at the start of the great Tribulation. Mid-Trib believers will be taken
after the first three and one half years have passed and Post-tribulation
believers will be taken at the end of the Great Tribulation. This latter view
is essentially the view long held by the Church dating back to the time of
Constantine the Great.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In the first and second Rapture theories, the
arrival of Christ is a “secret” coming where He gathers His faithful—believers
in Him—and whisks them off, thus they avoid God’s wrath against the sinners and
unbelievers left behind during the Great Tribulation. Since the situation on
earth does not degrade into violence until after the first forty months of the
Tribulation, Christians can still be “rescued” even though the Tribulation has
begun. Few adherents of The Rapture theory believe in a Post-Tribulation
Rapture as that “misses the point” of the Rapture as they see it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">One would believe that if this was what was going
to occur at the end of the age, Christ would have spoken about it. However the
most those who favor the Rapture theory can come up with is a parable told
by Christ to support their theory. In both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><i>“As it was in the days of Noah, so
it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood,
people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day
Noah entered the Ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the
flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the
Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other
left.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>Matthew 24:37-41<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Two things to be mindful of in this: Firstly,
there is no explicit mention such is a <i>“secret”</i>
coming of Christ. The Patriarch Enoch, Noah's great-great-grandfather, had
first prophesied of the coming deluge more than six hundred years before it
occurred. He preached about this coming cataclysm up to the day he was taken.
Similarly his son, Methuselah was also told about and preached the coming
deluge. Noah's father, Lamech was also made aware as, of course, was Noah. Few
within proximity of the Ark and Noah's family did not know of the story of the
coming cataclysm, but it remained just a story. Of course once it hit, they became aware of the accuracy of the story instantly. They also knew Noah’s strange boat could provide them rescue, but it was already closed
up. Again we see absolutely no secrecy about the arrival of the cataclysm and
only one avenue of deliverance. To reiterate, we see a scenario that
Christ pointed out to us (Matthew 24:37) where upon there was no
"secret" delivery. It was long announced, but the coming abrupt and
only once.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The second point is there was an immediate and
irreversible end to the earth the inhabitants all were familiar with; their world ceased to exist. The antediluvian world
was vastly different from the world we inhabit today. Even archaeologists will
contend the earth has gone through different phases of weather and
conditions resulting in forming the earth we now experience. Few of them will
attach themselves to what is called “The Hydro-Plate Theory” (Conceptualized by
Dr. Walter Brown Ph.D. I have some disagreements on many of Browns attendant
theories, but such is for another commentary.), but they are all in general
agreement that there have been episodes in earth’s history which saw
catastrophic and abrupt changes.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The “Left Behind” scenario held by “Rapturists”
does not follow this Noahic model as outlined by Christ. With the exception of
a small group of Christians suddenly vanishing from the face of the earth,
nothing else would immediately change. Everything else would go on as it always
had after this “secret” taking away of only faithful, believing Christians.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In answering the number of actual people
Raptured, it is important to note such a person can only be Raptured if they
are a Christian and have confessed any overt or secret sins and have not slid
back into the errant behavior. As a result of such parameters, the number of
Christians which would be affected by such a Rapture would actually be rather
small. This is from Dr. Timothy La Haye’s Newsletter entitled <i>“Pre-Trib
Perspectives”. </i>In the May 2003 issue (Volume VIII, Number 1) he
writes the following on page 3:</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many
countries I am sad to say, will hardly notice when Christians are suddenly
missing. For example, would it be ten percent in Germany or France?
Probably not. In such countries the attitude will probably be, "good riddance"!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not
so America. Last month I cited the December 2002 Gallup Poll that
found <b>46 percent of the American people have had a "born again
experience with Jesus Christ</b>." I hope and pray that is
true! If it is, what about the many others who believe Jesus is the Son
of God, that He lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death for our sins and
that He rose again from the dead, but have never been introduced to the term
"born again," which occurs only twice in the Scripture. Would God
reject from His heaven any soul who goes out into eternity believing Jesus is
the only way to God, who trusts Him for his soul's salvation? I think not.<span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>So how many would that make who will be raptured? Only God
knows, of course, but we should not be surprised if it is well over fifty
percent.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Think
about it. <b>If 50 or more percent </b>of the doctors, nurses,
teachers, craftsmen and workers from all walks of life including military
personnel from every branch of service were suddenly missing - that would be a
devastating blow to the American economy and way of life. Into that
leadership vacuum that the rapture may cause, the world would be vulnerable to
domination by Germany and France, both socialist forms of government with weak
leaders or a globalist organization that would propose equality of
nations. A perfect setup for the Man of Sin to move in and take
over.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Many adherents of The Rapture Theory were actually critical of La
Haye's figures as they believed them to be too inflated. So whereas La Haye
believes maybe a bit over 50% in America would be raptured, a good number
of “Christians” believe the percentage will be far, far lower.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">A personal anecdote: My brother was a young Christian when this
incident took place more than thirty years ago in a small Baptist Church. He
noticed the pastor was upset about the reception he received from the
congregation to his sermon. He asked the pastor what the matter was and the
pastor abruptly responded with, “I doubt there are ten saved people in
this congregation!” (The present congregation stood at roughly one hundred.)
This alarmed my brother as he had to wonder if he could possibly be one of
those ten fortunate people. Surely the pastor was included as was his wife and
his child. That left only seven spots remaining for the rest of the
congregation. One would have to wonder that if the pastor truly believed 90% of his congregation—friends, family and acquaintances—were destined to an
eternal torment in Hell, why he wasn't on his knees in a prayerful wail to God,
rending his clothing at his failure to reach these people. Instead we see a man
self-possessed and angry. Thus, the “fruit” of such a theory is to build a wall
between man and God rather than a bridge.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">I tell this only to illustrate that as Christians we are not to
focus on our salvation; such was not part of the Great Commission. We are to
use our energies to introduce others into a relationship with Christ. We can do
this because Christ took care of the salvation part already to free us from
that burden. Consider this passage from Matthew:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble
in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my
burden light.” –<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Matthew 11:28-30</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Here Christ is explaining that unlike being under The Law, which crushed the
people with its awesome burden of rituals and regulations, Christ took the heavy burden from us. There was no longer the restrictions to adhere to and
labyrinth of rules and regulations to surmount in order to find favor with God.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Now consider this from the author of the book of Hebrews:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because
you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over
again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an
infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food
is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish
good from evil.” –<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Hebrews 5:11-14</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">As a Christian, there comes a point where we are free; being
mature means being able to take upon us the responsibilities of adulthood and
NOT go astray. A child must be watched at all times lest they stray into
danger; an adult is supposed to have the ability to discern the danger and
avoid it. The Law was designed to take the discernment from the people whereas
Christ has freed us from the burden—and that gilded cage. God does not desire
a relationship with mindless sheep; He desires an intimate relationship with
those who can empathize with Him. That means we all have to grow up and
growth can sometimes be a painful experience, however it is of note that most
things worthwhile in life usually are.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Christ said that we would encounter trials as His
followers, that we would be persecuted and killed for His namesake. The mere
fact that the Rapture of the Church essentially spares the believer from the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“honor”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>of serving Christ in this manner seems
to be a departure from what it is that Christ said and what it is that the
Christian walk is all about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">* * *</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The Cultural and historical conditions which led
to The Rapture Theory:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">At every step in human history, culture has
played a primary role in how humanity regarded their creator. Since as humans
we tend to need a thread of commonality—a point of reference in order to
comprehend the incomprehensible, we tend to anthropomorphize that which is
intellectually beyond our grasp. I will also hasten to add this is typical
behavior; by anthropomorphizing that which we do not understand, we make a
connection—no matter how tenuous. Through this connection, we feel a semblance
of control and it is this faux foundation upon which most of our theology is
created.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">I do not mean to make it sound as though every
connection we have with God is based upon some vague feeling, but for the most
part, such is in fact the case. The need for humans to control God on an
intellectual level kept humans from being paralyzed with fear over the prospect
of some massively powerful entity invading and controlling their lives. The
ancient “gods” were not prone to kindness and instead demanded much from their
“creation”, the converse of which could mean death—or worse. Thus the gods of
the pre-Christian era were stern, taciturn, and perpetually angry. They did not
suffer fools gladly—or at all. In reality, the gods were unknowable to
mankind—as was their intention.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">It is the god of the Hebrews which is the one most familiar to the West, but there were gods of similar fashion in
other portions of the world who had their own people to tend to as well. I will
not dwell on this bit of theology too much here, but only to mention it as a
point of context. The God of the Universe has to be the God of all or He is not
really God. It is important to note that while the god of the Hebrews was
dealing with Moses and the Jews in the desert, there were other people who
lived and existed in such faraway places as China, Australia and the Americas.
These people all worshiped gods as well and had expected outcomes from their
prayers. When we dismiss their gods as somehow lesser because they are not the
“true god” of the Hebrews, the question one should ask then is, “By what
measure does one so quickly dismiss their god without also dismissing the god
of the Hebrews?” Remember, all gods must be measured against Christ.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“I and the Father are one.”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>–John 10:30.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">So culture played an important role in how each
people saw their god. Each god spoke their native language and understood their
customs; each god knew the terrain and understood the people; each god warned
his people of the danger posed by “the others”. Each god protected his people
from the other gods and from the children of those gods, spelling out just how
these invaders were to be dealt with. In this, the Hebrews were not alone or
unique.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The Judeo-Christian culture we have been raised
in and are familiar with rose out of many years of tumult, wars, bloodshed and
terror. This particular faith was battered both from within and from outside in
order to assume its present shape. Battles between Jews and Christians were
predated by battles between Jews and Gentiles (or pagans if you will). Both
Jews and Christians sometimes found themselves as unlikely allies when the
specter of Islam finally made its way into their midst. Eventually a fashion of
Christianity formed in the guise of the Catholic Church through Constantine the
Great, Roman Emperor in the early fourth century AD. Rules were established
which neither Jews nor Muslims obeyed. Soon it didn't matter as those who swore
allegiance to Christianity found themselves as the power brokers of the Western
world. More bloody battles were fought to establish and maintain this dominance.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The earlier schisms within the Church in the 11<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(the split into the Eastern Orthodox
Church and the Catholic Church in the West.) and 16<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>centuries (The Protestant Reformation)
notwithstanding, by the latter half of the Seventeenth Century, a new way of
viewing God which was held primarily by those of the Protestant faith had
emerged. Deism has been traced as a concept to Lord Herbert Cherbury (1582 –
1648). Though not regarded as a Deist, it was Cherbury who laid much of the
foundation for Deistic thought which was predominate in that time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">So what is Deism and what part does it have to
play in a commentary on the Rapture Theory? Deism is essentially the belief
that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine
the existence of God, accompanied with the rejection of revelation and
authority as a source of religious knowledge. In so defining the means by which
one would quantify God, Deists took much power and authority away from the
established Christian religions of their day. Deism was regarded as a
“reasonable” means by which to view God and became a major influence in the
lives of men who were responsible for the French and American Revolutions. Many
are well familiar with the knowledge that such giants in American History as
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were Deists. The error which is
propagated by some historians is that these men were not Christians.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">There is today a popular misconception the
Forefathers of our Republic were not Christians because they claimed to be
Deists. To dismiss their belief in Christ because they did not hold to the
specific theology of Catholicism or Protestantism is to be both ignorant and
misinformed. Such men came to appreciate the science and philosophies of their day
and found that if much of the untried and tested traditionally held theological
beliefs were brushed aside, another view of God emerged; one which was far more
in keeping with their understanding of their world at that time. To clarify,
these men eschewed the prevailing established religious thought of the day in
favor of a religious thought they found reasonable; that does not negate
their faith and belief in Christ. In interjecting their personal agendas, many
historians are doing a grave disservice to their chosen fields of study and
will be lost to history. People do not long follow liars. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Deism has been also called “The Watchmaker God”
theology. This reasoning was because from all the evidence one had on hand, it
was inarguable an intelligence created the universe and the earth beneath
their feet, but it also seemed inarguable this “god” had long since moved
on to other things, but making certain the natural order of the realm
would continue as designed. Thus, God created the watch, wound it and then set
it down on a table, confident that even in his absence the watch would continue
on as he had designed it to do.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Cherbury’s views were published in his seminal
work in 1624. In his book, he outlines five “Common Notions” which govern
Deistic thought:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There is a Supreme God.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">T</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">his
Sovereign Deity ought to be worshipped.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The connection of Virtue and Piety
is and always has been held to be the most important part of religious
practice.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The minds of men have always been
filled with horror for their wickedness. Their vices and crimes have been
made obvious to them. They must be expiated by repentance.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There is reward and punishment
after this life.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The understanding of Deism is—in my
opinion—necessary in order to understand how we came to believe in
Dispensationalism and the Rapture. One can clearly see the “evolution” of
religious thought as times dictated and men began to contemplate their role on
the earth. George Washington in his inaugural address in 1789 invoked God
Almighty and ceded the fact that this God ruled the Universe, giving this God
the credit for America’s defeat over the British Empire. Though a Deist,
Washington’s level of understanding of God certainly doesn’t sound like a man
who was not Christian. In fact, his writings show quite the contrary
viewpoint.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">As our country began to grow and mature, the defeat of the British allowed them
to grow and mature as well. Suddenly God's ordination didn't seem quite as clear
to the British Crown. What had went wrong? What was going on? Did God not care
what His Chosen People had to endure? The United States struggled to gain its
footing and the British Empire struggled to make sense out of their defeat. In
the midst of all of this, the Bourbon Monarchy in France crumbled and was
replaced by a truly secular dictatorship under General Napoleon Bonaparte. Was
the fall of France just punishment for helping the Americans? The British were
then attacked by the French and the British attacked the Americans.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></span>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">All of this chaos began to give people pause.
Whose side was God on anyway? The French had largely been Catholic, the British
largely Anglican and the Americans an eclectic mix. Clearly something
more was going on here that was not heretofore understood by anyone. Perhaps
God didn't act as people believed He should because people had misunderstood
God’s limitations.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">A Plymouth Brethren preacher named John Nelson
Darby (1800 – 1882) soon changed all of that. Born in Westminster, London,
Darby started out as an Anglican clergyman in Ireland. In this position, Darby
claimed to have converted many Catholics to Anglicanism. As a result of a
contentious issue regarding these converted Irish peasants and the demand for
their sworn allegiance to the British Crown, Darby resigned his position in
protest. Shortly thereafter in 1827, Darby was thrown from a horse and was
seriously injured. During his recovery, Darby began to contemplate God and the
Bible. He began to believe the “Kingdom” described in the Book of Isaiah
and elsewhere in the Old Testament was different than that manifest by the
Christian Church. Given the tumult he had just personally witnessed in Ireland
as well as the religious tumult in recent history, to regard a “better” kingdom
than that populated by the “Christians” he was familiar with was not a great
leap to make.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Over the next five years, Darby developed the
principles which would make up his theology. One of Darby’s revelations is
similar to the revelation which Martin Luther had experienced; that the Spirit can speak
to all men, not just “appointed” individuals. With Luther, the error that the
Spirit spoke only to the Pope was revealed; to Darby, it was that the Spirit
could take to anyone, not just members of the clergy.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">By 1832, Darby had completely split from the
Anglican Church and had formed a new religious congregation along with some
other like-minded people and called themselves the Plymouth Brethren. It was
during this time Darby began to expand his reach by giving lectures in
Ireland and England; writing papers on his beliefs which were also widely
disseminated. Out of this “maturing” of his theological beliefs came the
theology known as Dispensationalism.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Essentially in dispensationalist theology, God is
understood to relate to humans in different ways under different Biblical
covenants or “dispensations” in history. In dispensationalist theology,
Israel is seen as distinct from the Christian Church and that God has yet to
fulfill his promises to Israel. Ergo, Christians and Jews are looked upon and
have different tracks to God under Dispensationalism; the two groups are dealt
with separately.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The theology of Dispensationalism was adopted by
and made popular by American minister and theologian, Cyrus Scofield. Scofield
used Darby’s dispensationalist theology and the attendant Rapture Theory as
part of his Scofield Reference Bible, published in 1909. This was a King James
translation with notes whereupon Scofield explained what the scriptures
actually were saying. The Scofield Reference Bible asserted such beliefs as
latter writing of the Book of Revelation to 96 AD, the “Gap Theory”, and the
date of creation as being set at 4004 BC.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The Scofield’s Reference Bible was then adopted
by the founders of the Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer and
William Henry Griffith Thomas. Their vision was that there be a school where
expository Bible preaching was taught simply. The Dallas Theological Seminary
has become a cornerstone of the modern Fundamentalist movement of the Twentieth
Century with impressive alumni which includes: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Beale" title="Gregory Beale">Gregory
Beale</a>, former president of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Theological_Society" title="Evangelical Theological Society">Evangelical Theological Society</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Easley" title="Michael J. Easley">Michael
J. Easley</a>, former president of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moody_Bible_Institute" title="Moody Bible Institute">Moody Bible Institute</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Evans_(radio)" title="Tony Evans (radio)">Tony Evans</a>, pastor and widely-syndicated radio
broadcaster<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Jeffress" title="Robert Jeffress">Robert
Jeffress</a>, pastor of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Baptist_Church_(Dallas,_Texas)" title="First Baptist Church (Dallas, Texas)">First Baptist Church (Dallas,
Texas)</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Klingler" title="David Klingler">David
Klingler</a>, former NFL player and current director of DTS' Houston extension
campus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Lindsey" title="Hal Lindsey">Hal Lindsey</a>,
author of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Late,_Great_Planet_Earth" title="The Late, Great Planet Earth">The Late, Great Planet Earth</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Litfin" title="Duane Litfin">Duane
Litfin</a>, former president of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheaton_College_(Illinois)" title="Wheaton College (Illinois)">Wheaton College</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Vernon_McGee" title="J. Vernon McGee">J.
Vernon McGee</a>, founder of "Thru the Bible Radio Network" program<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_O%27Grady" title="Scott O'Grady">Scott
O'Grady</a>, pilot whose story formed the basis for <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behind_Enemy_Lines_(2001_film)" title="Behind Enemy Lines (2001 film)">Behind Enemy Lines</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Rayburn" title="Jim Rayburn">Jim Rayburn</a>,
founder of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Life" title="Young Life">Young Life</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_N._Taylor" title="Kenneth N. Taylor">Kenneth
N. Taylor</a>, creator of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Living_Bible" title="The Living Bible">The
Living Bible</a> and the founder of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyndale_House" title="Tyndale House">Tyndale
House</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Townsend_(author)" title="John Townsend (author)"><b>Dr. John Townsend</b></a>, award-winning
co-author of <i>Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control
of Your Life<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Wilkinson" title="Bruce Wilkinson">Bruce
Wilkinson</a>, founder of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walk_Thru_the_Bible" title="Walk Thru the Bible">Walk Thru the Bible</a> and author of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prayer_of_Jabez" title="The Prayer of Jabez">The Prayer of Jabez</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">· <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Dr. Charles Swindoll, Chancellor of
the Dallas Theological Seminary</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">With this array of Christian luminaries, it is
easy to see how a theology which did not exist in any form only one hundred
eighty years ago, dominates the Evangelical landscape today. Do their opinions
matter in light of the tenuous origins of their theology? That is a debate which will not be resolved anytime soon, but further exploration as to what the
Rapture Theory is and its ramifications for not only Christians, but for Israel
will be explored next.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-64347039029506555412013-03-19T21:10:00.001-07:002014-10-12T01:36:33.294-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZnSx69Putc/VDo9g5Sk9kI/AAAAAAAAAOs/WoaEI9ue_hM/s1600/JohnCalvin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZnSx69Putc/VDo9g5Sk9kI/AAAAAAAAAOs/WoaEI9ue_hM/s1600/JohnCalvin.jpg" height="320" width="277" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Five points of Calvinism:</span></b><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What is really going on here?</b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">By M.L. Wilson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">All contents copyright © 2013 by M.L. Wilson. All rights reserved.
No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>~
~ ~<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">n this commentary, I am going to give my analysis of each of the 5
Points which make up the essence of what is regarded as Calvinism. In the
course of this commentary it is important to note that these 5 Points were
actually not penned by John Calvin, a French theologian and philosopher (1509 –
1564) who was instrumental in outlining the theology that gave birth to the
Protestant Reformation. The 5 Points were essentially a rebuttal of the
theology that made up what has been come to be known as Arminianism, named
after Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius (The Latinized name of Jakob
Hermanszoon). Arminius (1560 – 1609) did not even outline his theology until
after Calvin had already died leaving the actual 5 Point rebuttal to one of Calvin’s
disciples who sought to continue his teachings. Regardless the authorship,
people have argued for centuries over why the 5 Points of Calvinism is correct
or incorrect, but here I will give my impressions. Feel free to read up and
compare the scripture quotes I use and offer your feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Before
I begin, I must bring up one very important point that guides my rationale; we
cannot as a people continue to assert that God is love and then turn around and
ladle condemnation on others because they don’t hold to the exact same beliefs.
Christ came to us in a world that was in utter chaos, his country of birth was
under foreign occupation, the leaders were absolutely corrupt and few had any
rights regardless they be Roman or Hebrew. Despite these societal hardships,
Christ did not use His time to march with protest signs or exclude others due
to theological differences. He welcomed all and reached out to those who were
marginalized and forgotten by society, making them aware that while they might
not be regarded very highly by their fellow man at the present, God loved them
and desperately wanted a relationship with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
Calvin and his followers were a product of their times and knowledge base, but
as Christians we are called to more than mere traditions; we are called to
emulate Christ. This becomes the basis of our relationship with Him and without
such emulation, there is no real relationship; it all becomes an academic exercise.
The Apostle Paul said it best, <i>“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but I have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”</i> (1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Corinthians 13:1) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">When one
contemplates Paul’s thought in that passage and then marries it with his
thoughts in Galatians 5:22, a picture of who God is begins to emerge that is
vastly removed from the entity that the Orthodox church—and John Calvin,
among others in his time—are familiar with. In Galatians 5:22, Paul points out
the very character attributes of God. My belief, therefore, is that if one
cannot see God in the example given by Christ or outlined in Galatians 5:22, it
is a reasonable conclusion that such is NOT god.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Below
are each of the 5 Points as were written to directly rebut the points raised in
Arminian Remonstrance. These are my conclusions and the essential errors as I
see them. Arminianism has never had quite the exposure as had Hyper-Calvinism
(What Calvin’s teachings had morphed into upon his death) and therefore if any
are interested in comparing the 5 Points raised by Calvin’s disciples along
with the rebuttal of Arminianism and then with my conclusions, that would make
for an interesting contrast. I may do it myself one day, but for now I will
contain my thoughts to these 5 Points.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">1.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> <b>Original Sin:</b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is a concept not well understood by John Calvin nor the
people who followed him. Many presumptions are made with respect to original
sin based upon who is regarded as the one talking to Adam in the Garden of
Eden. If one assumes that the “god” speaking to Adam and Eve is Creator God
Almighty, then one must also answer this question: What exactly does Jesus mean
in John 6:46 when he states, <i>“No one has seen the Father except the One who is
from God; only He has seen the Father.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Christ
also points out in John 5:37 that, <i>“...you have never heard His voice nor seen His
form.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Paul
also states in 1st Timothy 6:16 that, <i>“…God, the blessed and only Ruler, the
King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in an
unapproachable light whom no one has seen or can see.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
also concurs in 1st John 4: 12 when he states, <i>“No one has ever seen God.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">So
this puts us all in something of a quandary as to exactly what is going on. If
we've never seen God or heard His voice, who is Moses talking to in his Tent of
Meeting where the bible says in Exodus 33:11, <i>“The Lord would speak to Moses
face to face as a man speaks with his friend.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Orthodoxy
came up with a novel approach to answer this question, though it is absolutely
unsupported by scripture. It is called a Theophany. Essentially a Theophany is
defined as the visible manifestation of a deity. The origins of the Theophany
are medieval in conception with the first known usage occurring in 1633.
(Merriam-Webster)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
Theophany is also conflated with the theory of the pre-incarnate Christ. This
is also a belief without a shred of biblical support, but plenty of tradition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What
is actually occurring is something far off the path of orthodox belief, yet
Christ pointed it out, Paul pointed it out, John pointed it out and the Book of
Hebrews was written specifically to debunk the belief that Christ had ever been
to the earth prior to his fleshly incarnation. (Hebrews 9:24-26 for example) Orthodoxy dismisses all of this
because it does not fit in with the traditional model they've come to know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now
if one accepts that the entity which spoke to Adam and Eve in the Garden WAS
NOT Creator God Most High (or Almighty God – whichever is your preference),
then suddenly the concept of Original Sin really does not have the impact which
Calvin gave to it. One no longer has to rely on a “feeling” that it is wrong;
one only has to look to the Gospels to see that it IS wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In
John 8:44, Christ is addressing some Jews who were believers, but were wrestling
with the concept of Christ juxtaposed with the god of the Old Testament. It is
important to understand that in this passage, Christ is not addressing “evil”
Pharisaic Jews, but just Jews who had come to believe Him who never-the-less
had legitimate questions. Christ responds to them by stating, <i>“If God were your
Father (Patri in the Greek), you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come
on my own; but He sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are
unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father (Patros in the Greek), the devil, and you want
to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not
holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his
native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell
you the truth, you do not believe me.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why
would Christ call these people children of the devil? Did we not just read a
few passages earlier that these were Jews who believed him and just had honest
questions? Yes, we did. (John 8:31) What Christ is actually saying here is that
the Jews are following the rules and restrictions set forth by their god who
stands opposed to Christ. In that sense, their god is the devil. But is not
their god also the god of the Old Testament? It certainly seems that in this
context, that is exactly who their god is. Christ is attempting to point out to
these Jews that they now have a choice: Follow the god of the Old Covenant or
recognize that Creator God Most High, Emmanuel, has come to bring them news of
a different direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thus
the </span><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 12.9pt;">very insightful first point of </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 12.9pt;">Calvinisim is both correct and incorrect. The
flesh is an imperfect construct by its very nature which he points out, but
that does not mean that the spirit which imbues that flesh—the spirit that came
from Creator God Almighty—is also corrupt by default. Christ gives us the
admonition to surmount the flesh and follow the spirit within. The Calvinist
merely assumed that the flesh was the sum total of the man, when the flesh is
merely a conveyance - like a car. The Calvinist absolutely does not understand
this and cites a well bred, genteely reared young lady as the least sinful
specimen. Christ tells us that as a man (read person) thinks in their heart, so
are they. A well bred, genteel lady can have some of the darkest thought of
anyone. (E. L. James, author of the uninspired and oversexed “50 Shades of Gray
is one such “well bred, genteel young woman, having attended the University
of Kent in England. Could this be the type of woman the Calvinist here was
alluding to? Hmm...)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.9pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
Calvinist presumes that God looks upon man in the same way that man looks upon
man, yet Christ painted a completely different picture of how God views man. In
Galatians 5:22, Paul outlines the character attributes of God. If one can find
a way to mesh these character attributes with the god portrayed in the Old
Testament that would be a rather neat trick. To aid in your comparative
analysis, I’ll point out a rather benign passage in Deuteronomy 20:10 – 20.
This is merely god giving Moses basic instructions on how he is to deal with
their enemies. When you are done reading that, it might be of some help to you
to read up on how slaves—especially woman and children—were treated by their
captors in those ancient times. It isn't a pretty picture. Keep that in mind
when you then flip over to Galatians and read God’s character in chapter 5,
verse 22.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2. Effectual Calling:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As
was noted in the first of the five points, here with the second, the Calvinist proceeds
upon the false premise that sin is an errant destination or goal for the human
animal that is essentially bad. While it may seem a splitting of hairs, it has
to be understood by all people that we<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>AS</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>people are a duel creation. We enjoy a
fleshly body that we use while here upon this planet and in this spatial,
finite realm. The bodies we inhabit are necessary because without them, there
would be no way to interact with the realm as Almighty God intended for us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In order to fully understand what the
Calvinist is talking about with this <i>“Effectual
Calling”</i>, we have to look at how they saw the world as opposed to how the
world actually exists. The Calvinist looked at the world through the very slim
view to which he was made privy; what Paul called, <i>“Seeing through a glass darkly.”</i> (1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Corinthians 13:12) There is so much
more to God and the “world” which He exists, that words truly cannot do it
justice. Regardless, I will endeavor to try, begging the reader’s indulgence
with the dearth of analogies. Quite plainly when dealing with God as a concept
and seeking to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>not<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>anthropomorphize Him, painting an
image of what is going on from His perspective is not an easy task. I am
instead endeavored to use evidence within the realm of that which is known or
acceptably theorized as a guide pointing to what God really is and where such a
being would exist and how such a being would exist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">An interesting concept which escapes
most people is the concept of eternity. When one thinks of eternity, one is
prone to think of such within the vastness of linear time. Thus while we seem
to grapple with time stretching off into “forever”, we at least can
conceptualize on some level that eternity means that we will never die. We try
not to think about what we will do with all of that time we have on our hands
because we trust that God has something planned that will be fulfilling and not
leave us idle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Bible talks about eternity in a
different way, however. Eternity is not limited to a linear time line. What
that means is that while we as human beings understand the concept of time as a
straight line with a beginning point and an end point, God would more
accurately demonstrate this as a closed circle; there is in effect no beginning
and no end. Thus time within the bounds of eternity does not adhere to the same
laws as chronological time. Think of it in ways of dimensions: The First
dimension is merely a line in space. This line has no width and no depth. This
is difficult for us to conceptualize because every line we see has some width
and depth <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>even if it is
miniscule. Mathematically, however, a first dimension line lacks both width and
depth. A second dimension line now has width, but still lacks depth. However
with a second dimension line, conceptual understanding increases because we can
see 2D represented in Drawings. The third Dimension line is even more familiar
since it has width and depth; it can be an object. We exist in this third
dimension world and are quite familiar with length, width and depth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As we progress beyond the third
dimension, the concepts begin to get fuzzy once again. Mathematically they
work, but if you are not a mathematician, it makes little sense to you. The
fourth dimension was identified by Physicist Albert Einstein as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Time.</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>So upon progression of our spatial
realm, we have a point (the Zero dimension, actually), a line without width or
depth, a line with width, but no depth and then a line with both width and
depth. The fourth dimension introduces us to the concept of that line when it
was first conceptualized and its eventual dissolution. If it exists in this
realm, it is subject to time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The fifth dimension is essentially an
extension of the fourth in that you have an infinite number of these
chronological timelines. Infinite is a big number laden with concepts that can
only be answered in the following dimensions. (Science has theorized ten
dimensions in all while some mathematicians believe that it can range up to
forty or more.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Why bring up dimensions and their effect
to a commentary written by disciples of John Calvin hundreds of years ago? The
answer is that these Calvinists worked with the knowledge they had available to
them in their day. The Calvinist’s knowledge was not just the sciences, but
also their understanding of God. Sadly this understanding was tainted by those
who had come before them and sought to hide the truth. As a result, the concept
of Sin enters into the equation without it being properly understood. Those Calvinists
operated and then proceeded with the 5 Point commentary based upon this flawed
premise and in effect, added to the lie. It was wholly unintentional, but the
end result is the same: The truth of God is hidden from view.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The fleshly body which we are housed in
while on this earth is a construct of this realm. It was not designed to ever
leave this realm, only to be “borrowed” by us humans for a short while. The
human body in this realm absent the spiritual force which inhabit them, are
merely biological machines. As biological machines, they have needs of their
own which are as much a part of their design and this realm as any other living
organism. It is this argument that the Calvinist attempts to tackle and why I
believed that an understanding of the difference in approach was necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">While many of us would accept Calvinism’s
beliefs as truth, one must step back and analyze the structure of humanity as
understood by Calvinism. Exactly what is it that the Calvinist understands
then? Let us explore that just a bit. Calvinists did not look at the human body
and the spirit from God which imbues us as being separate, but rather as one
and the same. Calvinists understood that some human beings upon accepting
Christ were given life eternal by the Most High God and that upon passing from
this earth, would then live forever. This is typical Christian theology, but it
is pregnant with presumption. If we can accept as outlined in point one of my
answer to the Calvinist’s commentary, that “Sin” is an arbitrary line of
demarcation set by an ambassador of God Most High and not by God Most High
Himself, then “Sin” as understood does not carry with it the same meaning as is
taught in the church. It was this concept which Christ was attempting to impart
on his “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew chapter 5. Here Christ is trying to
teach the Jews of his day the difference between their limited concept of “Sin”
and the expansive concept of living through the spirit which is from God Most
High. The Calvinist only marginally get’s this concept because they do not see
humanity in its true duel construct.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In Romans 7:14 – 25, Paul discusses this
duality. In verse 18, he calls it the <i>“sinful nature”</i>, but a more accurate
rendering of the word in Greek is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Sarx</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>which literally means a fleshly
body. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I illustrate this
here because the connotation associated with “Sin nature” is a negative while
the connotation of a fleshly body is not. What Paul is really attempting to
point out here is that our fleshly bodies left to their own devices will lead
us to operate in a fleshly manner. As spirit in essential construct, however,
we are called to surmount the flesh and instead follow the spirit. This is what
Christ was attempting to point out in Matthew 5 and what Paul is attempting to
point out in Romans 7.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The flesh is neither good nor bad; the
flesh is a construct of this realm. If we could separate the two, the body
would do that which was necessary for the body; the body does have sentience
and will do what it desires, but where would be the judgment against what would
be regarded as good as opposed to bad? This is where the Law comes into the
picture.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> The Law dealt
effectively with the body with the hope that the spirit would follow. Christ
painted a picture that was diametrically opposed, believing that through
relationship with Him we would come to understand the duality and follow Christ
using our spiritual ears and spiritual eyes rather than our flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Why is this distinction between the
spirit and the flesh important? Firstly we must know who we are—not just in the
flesh, but who we are before God Almighty. If we believe that we are a
repugnant, lost creature who is essentially hopeless, then for many of us it
becomes difficult to reconcile that wretched creature with a Holy God. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>If, however, we look upon our
construct here in this realm as such that our<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“default
setting”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is the flesh and the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“spiritual setting”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>must actually be turned on, then
suddenly we begin to see ourselves in a different light. The turning on of this
spiritual setting is what is referred to as being born again. As Christ pointed
out in John 3:3,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“…I tell you
the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What does “Born again” actually mean
though? Nicodemus wanted an answer to that question because he thought that
Christ’s statement was foolishness. Christ had to explain what he meant. In so
doing, Christ gives a more expansive answer. When one sees the order and
inclusion of what is necessary to see the Kingdom of God (the salient point
here), one might come to a better understanding of what it is we’re going
through and being taught. (As opposed to angels.) Christ said that we must
first be born of water (physical birth into the temporal, corporeal realm) and
then of the Spirit (knowledge of Christ and that relationship.)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What is curious is that those are both
requirements to see the Kingdom of God. For those who errantly believe that the
Kingdom of God is a place—Heaven, say—then the question can be legitimately
asked as to whether the angels can see the Kingdom of God. My answer to that
question is no. Why would I say that? Actually Paul says that in Ephesians 3:10
when he says,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“His intent was
that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known
to the Rulers and Authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>eternal<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>purpose which He accomplished in
Christ Jesus our Lord.”</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Calvinism’s conclusion is that some
people are taken out of the mire that is humanity by God’s hand and set apart
while the remainder is left to live out their sinful lives. What exactly
prompts God to choose some over others is left unclear. This is from Calvin’s
commentary:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The different effects
of the same preached gospel at the same time and place prove that regeneration
is from sovereign grace: "<u>Some believed the things which were spoken,
and some believed not"</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(Acts
28:24). This is because,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>"As
many as were ordained to eternal life believed"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></u>(Acts 13:48). Often those remain
unchanged whose social virtues, good habits, and amiability should seem to
offer least obstruction to the gospel; while some old, profane, sensual, and
hardened sinners become truly converted, whose wickedness and long confirmed
habits of sinning must have presented the greatest obstruction to gospel truth.
Like causes should produce like effects. Had outward gospel inducements been
the real causes, these results of preaching would be impossible. The facts show
that the gospel inducements were only instruments, and that in the real
conversion the agency was almighty grace.</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As Christians, should
we not be acquainted with who and what we are before God? Is it enough to
simply throw up our hands and say, “I haven’t the slightest idea why I believe
in God and someone else doesn’t?” That is a vexing question when we witness the
absolute evil that pervades our world. How could such people even begin to hope
that they are saved if they lead such depraved lives and never acknowledge
Christ? I suppose such a question has to be asked in light of what Paul said in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Romans 3:10
where he actually quotes from Psalm 51:4,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“There
is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands’ no one who
seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless…”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Christians point this passage out to
underscore what it was that Calvinists believed, but Paul makes it clear that
this was the god of the Old Covenant. He goes on to say in verse 20,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“Therefore no one will be declared
righteous in his sight by observing the Law; rather, through the Law we become
conscious of sin.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>(The word<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>sin<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>here is rendered as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Hamartia<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>in the Greek and it means,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“To miss the mark.”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Harkening back to my point in the
first part of the commentary, one must again ask themselves, “Whose mark?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This brings me to my point on eternity
and it being more accurately representative as a circle rather than a really,
really long line. In Matthew 25:46, “Christ describes us as entering into
eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is from Dictionary.Com:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Eternal<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> (adjective)</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (opposed to <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/temporal">temporal</a> ): <i>eternal life.</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Perpetual; ceaseless; endless: <i>eternal quarreling; eternal chatter.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Enduring; immutable: <i>eternal principles.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Metaphysics. </span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Existing outside all relations of time; not subject to
change.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">noun</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Something that is eternal.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">6.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Eternal, </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/God">God</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Words mean
things and when one does not clearly understand the definition of a word or one
merely presumes an intended meaning based upon prior knowledge or
understanding, one may wind up with a flawed conclusion. If we were to focus
for a moment on the word<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Eternal<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>and then contemplate that it is an
existence without beginning or end, then how can we possibly<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>become</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>eternal. It would be reasonable to
assume based upon the meaning of the word that we already<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>are<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>eternal. So if we all exist and
have been ever existent within this framework, the only real question is one of
our final dispositions before God. (…or ever existent disposition before God,
if you prefer.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This may
seem confusing, but it really is not. How we wish to view it may be what winds
up confusing us, but that is because we are locked in a linear time construct
with all points moving in a chronological order. God does not view it that way
and thus, is not in the least surprised by any of the events of any of our
lives. Calvin only vaguely understood this concept and his followers understood
it even less, perverting his beliefs into what has since become known as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><u>Hyper-Calvinism</u></b>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">From
Wikipedia:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hyper-Calvinism</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, previously known as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>High
Calvinism</b>, is a branch of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_theology" title="Protestant theology"><i>Protestant theology</i></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><i>that denies a general design
in the death of Jesus Christ, the idea of an indiscriminate<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_offer_of_the_gospel" title="Free offer of the gospel"><i>free offer of the gospel</i></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><i>to all persons and a
universal duty to believe the Lord Jesus Christ died for them. It is at times
regarded as a variation of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism" title="Calvinism"><i>Calvinism</i></a><i>,
but critics emphasize its differences to traditional Calvinistic beliefs.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">God made us
to reside in this “bubble” of linear time to teach us more about Him. He placed
his spiritual ambassadors in positions of authority over us to aid in that
teaching. However since the mightiest of the Celestial creation has never been
born first of water, ergo the mightiest of the Celestial creation can never
understand the heart and mind of God in the way that we as human beings can. In
our struggle and in our pain, we surpass those who would seek only to subjugate
us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Consider
James 1:2<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“Consider it pure
joy, my brothers, whenever you face various trials, because you know that the
testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
so that’s you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">* * *</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3. God's Election:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When one tackles the concepts of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>preordination</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>or<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>predestination,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>it is helpful to understand
completely what those terms mean. I will therefore start out this point by
defining these two terms because they play such a major role here.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This from
the Free Online Dictionary by <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Farlex
(www.thefreedictionary.com):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; width: 659px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Noun</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt; width: 56.95pt;" valign="top" width="76"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: -10.55pt; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 24.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: .75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: 12.0pt; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">preordination</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> -
(theology) being determined in advance; especially the doctrine (usually
associated with Calvin) that God has foreordained every event throughout
eternity (including the final salvation of mankind)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This from Wikipedia (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination</a>):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Predestination</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by
God.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin" title="John Calvin"><span style="color: #0b0080;">John Calvin</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>interpreted
biblical predestination to mean that God willed<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damnation" title="Damnation"><span style="color: #0b0080;">eternal damnation</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for some people and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation" title="Salvation"><span style="color: #0b0080;">salvation</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for
others.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination#cite_note-1"><sup><span style="color: #0b0080;">[1]</span></sup></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Explanations
of predestination often seek to address the so-called<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_free_will" title="Argument from free will"><span style="color: #0b0080;">"paradox of
free will,"</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>whereby
God's<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omniscience" title="Omniscience"><span style="color: #0b0080;">omniscience</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>seems
incompatible with human<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will_in_theology" title="Free will in theology"><span style="color: #0b0080;">free will</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">* * *</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Both terms
are similar in meaning and application. What needs to be explored is how Calvinism
applied this thought with respect to the position of mankind before a Holy God.
Thus far we have seen that Calvinism has approached God as a severe being; one
almost entirely bereft of anything approaching compassion. The reason for this
goes into the contemporary thought towards God in his day. Even though Calvin
lived three hundred years before the author of the theology of Dispensationalism, John Nelson Darby(1800 - 1882), there was still a clear
understanding that the God of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ operated quite
differently from one another. God was pure justice while Christ was mercy. I
will hasten to add here that Christ never illustrated any such disparity between
God Most High and Himself; Christ said in John 10:30,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“…I and the Father are one.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Never the
less, Calvin had to address some observational facts of his day with the
limited vision he possessed. The first of these dealt with the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>calling</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>of a Christian. In essence, what is
the role of a Christian? This is where we find that building upon a flawed
premise leads one to a flawed conclusion. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Calvin, though a part of what would
become the Protestant reformation, was still very much inculcated with the teachings
of the Catholic Church and drew from that wealth of knowledge. The essential
divide between the Protestants and the Catholics had more to do with national
(or kingdom) sovereignty than anything else. This encompassed such positions as
Doctrines, rituals, leadership and the ecclesiastical structure of the Roman
Catholic Church. What it did not necessarily call into question was how each
side saw God Most High and Jesus Christ. Both sides, irrespective of the
doctrinal divide, tended to retain the view of God as the stern taskmaster and
Christ as the merciful sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One thing
often overlooked by people of faith when studying the early Protestant
reformers is the politics of the era. It is vitally important that we keep in
mind that in the 16<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century,
politics and religion were inextricably intertwined. Most of Europe was a
collection of monarchies and kingdoms and prior to the Reformation, most all of
these monarchies with few exceptions answered to the Holy See. Ergo, the
greatest push for the reformation wasn’t so much Martin Luther’s realization of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“Justification by faith apart from
works.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>as much as it was a
means by which these monarchies could wrest control of their kingdoms away from
the Holy Roman Empire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But in the
early 16<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century,
Calvin, like Luther, only had their knowledge of God and Jesus as was taught to
them by the Catholic Church. It is in that light that we can see how stilted
Calvin’s view of God truly is. The third point that Calvin makes is how one is
decided to be destined for either Heaven or Hell. It is within the structure of
this third point that Calvin does much to diminish God and Christ without
really realizing it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There
are a few more terms that are necessary to understand when dealing with the
limitations Calvinism has placed upon God here in this third point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The first
of these is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Omniscience</b>.
Briefly, it means to have the capacity to know everything that there is to
know, hence “All Knowing”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The second
of these is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Eternal</b>.
Briefly, to be eternal is to have no beginning and no end; to be everlasting <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and infinite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The third
is<span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span><b>Atemporal</b>.
Briefly, to be free from the limitations of time and causality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is
important to understand here that a man like John Calvin could not
conceptualize a God who existed outside the linear structure of time. He, like
most all of his contemporaries, believed that God being God simply would decide
matters as He saw them. With His infinite wisdom and knowing that no human
would actually seek Him on their own, God had to simply choose whom He would
save.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is
instructive to point out at this juncture that when Jesus was still amongst us
here upon this earth—but<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>after</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>His resurrection (very important!),
His admonition to us as Christians in a relationship was to go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. To make a disciple is to make one a student, to usher one into a
knowledge of Christ. To enter into this new relationship, one is to make a
public declaration—in this case Baptism. It is not unlike taking public vows
for a wedding. The vows themselves do not make you married, but they show your
intent. That brings us to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God Most High,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“…who lives in an unapproachable
light whom no one has seen or can see.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i> (1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Timothy 6:16)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As human
beings, we therefore interact with God Most High in one of two ways: In the
pre-Christian era it was through his angelic agency. Later on, Christ came and we found
ourselves now able to communicate with God Most High in the flesh. (<i>“I and the
Father are one”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>– John 10:30)
Upon Christ taking his leave of this earth, His Spirit (what I like to refer to
as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>“Relational Causality”</b>)
became available to those who have entered into this relationship with
Him. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I highlight these
points because by the time of Constantine the Great and the first of the
Ecumenical Councils in Nicea in 325 AD, God was viewed as three distinct and
disparate beings in what was later called the Holy Trinity. This was a concept
that was utterly foreign to the early church, but had a major impact on how we
came to see God Most High (not Christ or the Holy Spirit) later on.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Calvinism
was able to use God in a way that perverted the very essence of what God Most
High truly is: Love. By introducing a mix of three deities into the equation,
Calvinism reduced God to the role of disciplinarian, a stern ogre bereft of
compassion while Christ was placed into the role of longsuffering grace,
willing to forgive any and all transgressions if only He was believed. If He
was not, the hammer came down, but not by his hand; it came down by the hand of
an angry God who did not suffer fools gladly and “justly” paid back the wicked
with an eternal torment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lastly we
have this ethereal being that no one quite understood then—or even today.
Exactly what or who is the Holy Spirit? Is it God? Is it Christ? Is it
something else entirely? <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Calvinists
didn’t know either. In fact the Holy Spirit did not even become a part of the
Triune Godhead until approximately 186 AD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Calvinism
theorizes that God had worked out who was to be saved and damned before the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“experiment”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>ever began. Such a God by definition
would have to extremely limited in ability, but in an era where so much
misinformation predominated, the fathers of the Protestant Reformation had very
few with the acumen to question them on point. What they said was therefore
accepted as truth and has prevailed to this day.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But Calvinism
raises an interesting point: Who is saved and who is damned and how does that
come about with a sovereign God? As we saw earlier in this commentary, God
operates on a plane vastly superior to what we can see. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Let us try to put it into a
comprehensible comparison. Light is part of what is regarded as the
Electromagnetic Spectrum. This spectrum is essentially infinite. Within this
spectrum is: <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Gamma Rays,
Hard X-Rays, Soft X-Rays, Extreme Ultraviolet Light, Near Ultraviolet Light,
Visible Light, Near Infrared, Far Infrared, Extremely High Frequency
(Microwaves), Super High Frequency (Microwaves), Ultra High Frequency (Radio),
etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Since our
understanding of the Electromagnetic spectrum goes off as far as can be
measured in both the low and high end, it makes the measurable percentage of
visible light essentially zero. Mathematically, the electromagnetic spectrum is
so vast, that visible light cannot be measured as a percentage of the whole.
This is merely one spectrum we’re talking about here and we cannot even measure
visible light placed beside all else that exists within this one spectrum. How
is it that we believe that we know all that there is to know about God Most
High then? Would it not be reasonable to conclude based upon what Christ
Himself told us about God that He is far more vast then we are able to discern?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Calvinist
author of the 5 Points commentary stumbled into his conclusions by not
contemplating the true majesty that is God Most High and all that He is. By
believing that God was sum total of what the Calvinist was able to see and
comprehend, he erred in formulating his conclusions with respect to who is
saved and who is damned. One can reasonably ask whether this default of
damnation makes any rational or logical sense. Again if God desires that all be
saved (1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Timothy
2:3-4), who is there to stop Him? If according to Calvinism no one will seek
God on their own, then God is saving all whom He chooses. How is it any
different if He chooses to save a few or all? Again we see here a human
rationalization to explain that which is God’s alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
theological doctrine that claims that all will be saved is called Universalism.
The study of this would comprise a lesson all of its own, but suffice to say
that many people have already concluded that if God desires something, then
there is little to stand in His way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4.
Particular Redemption:</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There comes a point in the
Calvinist’s 5 Point expository where the question of who can participate in
Christ’s sacrifice is broached. The author seems confused on this point because
as was already established in points two and three, God<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>chose</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>who was to be “saved” making the
question raised in point four irrelevant. Assuming that the Calvinist is merely
asking the question as a stand-alone point; a independent concept, then the
question suddenly becomes very relevant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is of
particular interest to note that in our imperfect humanity, we all feel a sense
of justice that does not seem to be shared by Jesus Christ. As limited and imperfect
humans, we can find a shared<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>feeling<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>of this type of justice with the
god of the Old Testament. When we look back at Calvinism’s first point—that of
Original Sin, we see that the only reason that we find ourselves in this
present predicament is as a result of our failure as a people NOT to do as was
demanded of us by the very <b>One</b> who
created us. This seems to be the perfect definition of a conundrum; we do not
surmount the obstacles placed before us for to have done so would have rendered
the greater good beyond our reach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Calvinism
looks upon humanity’s inability to “obey” god in the garden as a failure that
has dogged us as humans ever since; that by “missing the mark”, we have marred
ourselves beyond the point or ability for God Almighty to conceive of
reconciliation. In taking stock of the situation, God brought forth Jesus
Christ to act as a bridge between He and humanity. But here, orthodox theology
gets even muddier. If Christ is described as an eternal being (John 1:1, 1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>John 5:20), then it would seem that
Christ would have also been on hand to witness the creation of this “Line of
demarcation” established by God Almighty and—if the two are indeed acting in
one accord—should be in complete agreement with this line and its defense.
Clearly, orthodoxy does not view the Triune structure this way. There is a
clear hierarchy implied, with God Almighty as the absolute head, Christ as His
loyal assistant and the Holy Spirit as a ombudsman of sorts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
question remains, however; for whom did Christ die for and why? This is an
important question because according to established orthodoxy and to Calvinism,
God already picked who was to be saved and who was to be damned. There is a
thought in theology that the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross was essentially
meaningless except to serve as an example of living a selfless life. However
such an example would be germane only to those chosen for salvation and would
be meaningless to those already damned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
predominate theory as to why Christ had to die was labeled <i>“The Ransom Theory—Victory Over the Forces of Evil”.</i> This theory
was the one that dominated the orthodox thought from the time of Constantine
until the time of Anselm of Canterbury in the 11<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century. The Ransom theory essentially
explained that Christ had to die as a ransom paid to Satan for the souls of
humans chosen to be saved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In other
words—and I am breaking this down to a simplistic point of view, God walks into
a pawn shop. He picks out only a few items from a large bin of many like
items—say, marbles. Of course Satan owns the pawn shop (earth and the universe)
as well as the marbles (humans). God would like to have all of the marbles, but
he decides to only take a handful (no other explanation as to why God can’t
take all the marbles is offered.) The payment for these few marbles that God
has chosen is His Son, Jesus Christ. So God allows his Son to be used to make
payment for the marbles and He and the marbles are free to go. But God isn't
finished yet, the payment of His Son in the guise of Jesus Christ as the ransom
payment is akin to a check drawn on insufficient funds. Once God leaves with
the marbles, the check written on the Jesus account bounces and Satan is left
with neither the ransom nor the marbles. As ridiculous as this scenario may
sound, it remained the understanding behind Christ’s death upon the cross for
just about 800 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">With Anselm
of Canterbury, a new theory was conceptualized which asserted that rather than
the ransom having to be paid to Satan for the marbles, the actual payment was
made to God. Christ in effect offered Himself freely to God Almighty to act as
a ransom or<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>payment</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for the evil that was manifest in the
human creation. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>As God is
pure Holiness, there was no way for God Almighty to suffer their presence
without there having been made some level of recompense for dishonoring Him in
the very beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In other
words—again I’m making this simplistic for the sake of the analogy—God saw
himself as somehow being ripped off by His creation for choosing to listen to
Satan in the Garden rather than continue to obey God. No allowances are made
for the fact that the entire Garden scenario was created by the very same God
who is now angry and aloof towards His human creation. Put cookies out on the
counter in full view of your young kids and tell them not to eat them and then
leave the room. How many kids will disobey and eat the cookies? How many
parents would then kill their children for eating the cookies? Is there not
some level of responsibility on the part of the parent for acting irresponsibly
by leaving the cookies in proximity of the kids? Would it not have been better
of the parents NOT to have put the cookies in front of the kids to begin with? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I only
highlight the absurdity of these various scenarios to show their absurdity.
However, it must be noted that such beliefs about God and Christ with respect
to their human creation still exist within the church today; orthodoxy is still
not agreed as to why Christ had to die for something that has been long
regarded as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>fait accompli</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In short,
Christ died for all humanity period. In 1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Peter 3:18, this is spelled out quite
clearly,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“For Christ died for
sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>What is it that is accomplished in
this sacrificial act? Is belief in Christ the line that separates those who are
saved from those who are not? If one looks at John 3:16-18, one might come to
that conclusion, but one would also be reading into something that is not
expressly highlighted in scripture. Peter also pointed something else out
regarding those who are “saved” which is usually over-looked by pastors, Sunday
school teachers and theologians; that Christ ALSO died for those,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“… who disobeyed long ago when God
waited patiently in the days of Noah while the Ark was being built.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>1<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Peter 3:19-20. Is it really necessary
to point out that Christ did not exist in the flesh on this planet in the days
of Noah? If those people had lived and died, not being found worthy enough for
salvation aboard the actual Ark, then why is Peter telling us that these same
people are<span class="apple-converted-space"> now </span><i>“saved”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by Christ? And there is the little,
niggling sticking point with orthodox thought that enrages most people; this
inherent injustice which God seems to apply to humans. In essence, some folks
get to take another bite of the apple. Is that fair?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You see, if
Christ died for those who lived millennia before His earthly incarnation, then
clearly hearing about Jesus Christ is not necessarily a prerequisite for being
“saved”. One would only have to take a look at the world in the times of Christ
to see the abject injustice of condemning a person merely because of a
logistical problem. If one found themselves born in New Zealand in the year 8
AD for example, then one would not ever have learned of Christ regardless the
type of life one lead. Ergo, God is thought to have consigned MOST humans to
eternal damnation in a burning, vile Hell because they were born outside of this
proximity. Humans, who tend to be rather limited, judgmental creatures
themselves, do not see the Spiritual flaw with this line of thinking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
ancients believed that the gods appointed certain people to positions of
leadership and to the aristocracy because they were inherently superior to
others and thus, more deserving. This rationale was used to set up empires from
the ancients in Egypt and Asia all the way through to feudal kingdoms in
Europe. The concept of Manifest Destiny which dominated the thoughts of the
settlers of the United States throughout the 19<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century was used to pit them against
the Native peoples. One had to first dehumanize the enemy and then position
themselves as something superior; consigned to a high position by God, in order
to kill. The god of the Old Testament did this very same thing to Joshua when
he commanded them to go into the Land of Canaan and kill or enslave all who
were there and seize the land. (Deuteronomy 20:10-20) This “Manifest Destiny”
scenario sets up a disparity that uses power as a lever. It is interesting to
note that such behavior is NOT sanctioned by Christ<i>. “There is neither Jew
nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus.”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Galatians 3:28. Again, read that and
then read the passage in Deuteronomy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Orthodoxy
is an adherence to established religious norms. Such accepted norms are
conceptualized by people and in the case of Christianity, orthodoxy was put
into place by Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor from 306AD to 337AD (his
death). He was an adherent to the Egyptian Sun God, Amun Ra throughout his life
up until his death whereupon it is part of lore that he had a deathbed
conversion to Christianity. Because most of Christian orthodoxy was established
by a Roman Emperor who was looking more closely at the political opportunity
that could be gained by usurping the faith, the essential tenets were
radically changed into something that is on its face, decidedly<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>UNCHRISTIAN</i>. I will hasten to
add that it is upon this foundation that the 5 Points of Calvinism were built.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">While it is
easy to point out the flaws of man with respect to a relationship with God, it
is far more problematic to codify that relationship with the individual. Calvinism
paints with a very broad, dull brush with respect to mankind and sees it all
through the lens of the Catholic Church and the feudal kingdoms that made up
the bulk of the thinking of the people of the 16<sup>th</sup> Century. It is
not surprising that the Calvinist author of the 5 Point Commentary came to such
conclusions giving the societal climate of his day; what is surprising is that
we as a Christ seeking people continue to adhere to these teachings today when
we can clearly see the inconsistencies. Any one of us today has far more access
to information regarding world history and scripture than Calvin or his
followers could have ever conceived of, yet we will not take the time to learn,
preferring to leave that task to others. Would any regard it as a sign of a
healthy relationship if they witnessed a husband hire an intermediary to learn
all there was to know about his wife and take care of all interactions with
her? We would look upon that relationship and shake our heads, knowing with
certainty that it is doomed. Christ already has a relationship with your pastor
(supposedly); He wants a relationship with YOU and that means that you have to
do your part.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Calvinism
concludes that while Christ certainly<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>could</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>save anyone He wanted, the hard truth
is that He will not. Because of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Free
Will,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>God will not save those
who do not ask to be saved. There is absolutely no thought as to the fact that
any one individual did not have any say into which family they were born, which
country they were born, which sex they were born, which race they were born or
which time frame they were born. For people vastly dependent upon the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Free Will</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>concept for securing salvation, it is
interesting just how much wasn’t within our control which set us up to accept
or not accept. If one were to hold to the <i>Free
Will</i> concept as a determining factor in eternal life or eternal damnation,
would it not be logical to presume that God would have put us all on an even
footing?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>(But God KNEW that
those people would be sinners and reject Him!)<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>Well then there is no real component
of Free Will at play here; we cannot have it both ways.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As
Christians we need to be cognizant of the fact that Christ gave us one basic directive:
<i>“…Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing then in the name
of the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you.”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Matthew
28:19-20. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When we
overcomplicate what we are supposed to do because we impute some skewed sense
of justice, we stray from what it is that God has commanded. God seeks to be<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>reconciled</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>with His creation and accomplished
this feat through His coming to earth in the flesh and surmounting the barriers
put into place by His angelic ambassadors. We see this clearly in Romans 5:10<i>.
“For while we were enemies,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>we
were reconciled to God<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>through
the death of His Son,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>much more,
having been reconciled,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>we shall
be saved by His life.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The word<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“reconciled”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>used here translates into the word<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>katallage<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>in the Greek. This is a clean translation
of the Greek word that is used to convey His intents.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This from
The Free Dictionary by Farlex: (<a href="http://www.%2Cthefreedictionary.com/">www.,thefreedictionary.com</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="hw"><b><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">rec·on·cile</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">v.</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">rec·on·ciled</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>rec·on·cil·ing</b>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>rec·on·ciles</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">v.tr.</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To reestablish a close relationship between.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To settle or resolve.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To bring (oneself) to accept:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="illustration"><i><span style="color: #226699; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He finally reconciled
himself to the change in management.</span></i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To make compatible or consistent:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="illustration"><i><span style="color: #226699; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">reconcile my way of thinking with yours.</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">See Synonyms at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/adapt"><span style="color: #645e7d;">adapt</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">v.intr.</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To reestablish a close relationship, as in marriage:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="illustration"><i><span style="color: #226699; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The estranged couple reconciled after a year.</span></i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To become compatible or consistent:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="illustration"><i><span style="color: #226699; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The figures would not reconcile.</span></i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is of
note that the two first definitions talk about<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>reestablishing</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>relationship. You cannot reestablish
what has never been. One would need to ask when the earlier relationship
existed if it has:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Been broken before most of us existed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Is
irrelevant if God has chosen just a handful of His creation only and is
discarding the rest.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Seemed
to have already mended this “broken” relationship by intimately interacting
with His human creation throughout the Old Testament. (see Exodus 33:11)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In fact it
appears as though the structure of the God/Man relationship enjoyed no such<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>“brokenness”</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>as is explained through orthodoxy nor
was it ever actually broken at all if God has already chosen those who are to
be saved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">While it is
an unpopular position and is regarded as the height of heretical thinking
within the Orthodox Church today, it seems that from Christ’s perspective, <b>all</b> human beings are indeed saved from the Spiritual separation from God
Almighty which is what is referred to as death. If that is true, then what is
the point of being a Christian? Why can’t we just carry on like anyone else and
not get caught up in such restrictive practices that the Church demands? The
answer to that question begs a question of its own. That question is: How many
enter into a relationship with any other merely as a means to get something
without giving back? If there are those who comport themselves in such a
manner, I would submit that such people are NOT in the type of Love
relationship that Christ desires with all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When we
take wedding vows, we promise to love, honor and cherish, in sickness and in
health; good times and bad. The breadth of a love relationship is designed to
cover over the deficits that occasionally occur so that the relationship
itself—the union as a construct—is preserved. This is the greater good that
Christ is attempting to impart to all of us. We must be careful, therefore, NOT
to impute our limited and shallow understanding of relationships upon God
Almighty. We will never be able to capture to true beauty of such a Spiritual
construct in the flesh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">* * *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<div style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt;">5. Perseverance of
the Saints:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The
Author of the 5 Points summates with the good news that once God has chosen
those who are to be saved, they can be secure in their salvation. This would
seem to be an axiomatic statement, but when dealing with religious doctrine it
is best to never presume. What is evidently meant here is that while God has
chosen an individual and that individual can rest in the knowledge that their
eternal disposition is secure, there is no special <i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“message”</span></i> or <i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“communiqué”</span></i> which explicitly spells that out. In other words, the
individual’s actions will bespeak whether or not one is truly saved.<br />
<br />
There are passages within scripture that speak of the Fruit of the Spirit
(Galatians 5:22 is a primary source) and that when one does not exemplify these
fruits, one most likely is not saved. If one is saved, one will exemplify the
fruits of that salvation. This is a circular argument that becomes quite
convoluted within the narrow corridor of Hyper-Calvinism. What I mean by that
is simply this: If God chooses who is to be saved—in effect, picking certain
people out of the mire that holds most of humanity in its grip to live
eternally with Him—then the question must be asked upon which point in the
individual’s life did God decide to save? Was it at conception? Was it at
birth? Was it at some point in childhood? Was it at a point in adolescence
whereupon the individual was able to contemplate their actions before a Holy
God? The reason I ask such questions with respect to chronology is that
from a “GOD” perspective, such is absolutely irrelevant. If God has chosen
select people to be saved from damnation, then in effect, those people were
never condemned to begin with; they were, in effect, born sinless since sin has
had absolutely no impact on their eventual disposition. This may seem like a
parsing of language, but think the logic through for a moment.<br />
<br />
Before we go on, however, it is important to explore the belief that one will
know that he is saved based upon the <i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“fruits of the Spirit”</span></i> exemplified
by them. The primary passage used to buttress this claim is found in Matthew,
chapter 7. <i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Watch out for false
prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious
wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.”</span></i>Matthew 7:15-16<br />
<br />
So what exactly is Christ saying here? He is talking about how a person behaves
and that by their behavior, you can see pretty clearly—especially if you
already have an intimate relationship with Christ yourself and can tell the
difference—that they are not behaving like people in a like relationship.
Because Christ goes on to say a few verses later that, <i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in
heaven.”</span></i> Matthew 7:21,we assume
that the “Kingdom of Heaven” is a physical place whereas it would more
accurately be described as a condition of being. Let me explain: Think of the
Kingdom of Heaven as akin to the place occupied by <b><i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“Wedded Bliss.”</span></i></b> Absent an intimate, loving and mutually caring
relationship, few people are going to be able to enter into this place called
Wedded Bliss no matter how many times they say to their spouse, “Dear, Dear!”;
asserting that they've done everything that was required of them when in fact,
they have not—and their spouse knows it. Does the dearth of intimacy end the
marriage? Not necessarily; the marriage is still intact, if not frayed, but it
can also still be restored.<br />
<br />
What we as human beings have done here, is equate the Kingdom of Heaven—spoken
of in this passage by Christ—with “Heaven” proper; our eventual destination. I
would submit that given our eternal disposition before God, upon His rescue of
humanity from the Celestial rulers, we have already entered into that state of
final disposition and are now merely dealing with a logistical problem. This
may sound convoluted, but again the larger battle here is breaking humans free
from the bondage of rules and regulations ladled upon them by these same
Celestial rulers who have a vested interest in keeping all of us ignorant of
the truth of God. If we can step away from our preconceived notion that what
Christ is talking about here is the difference between eternal life and eternal
death and is instead addressing those who have succeeded in establishing that
intimate relationship and those who are still in the dark about that
relationship, the picture changes dramatically.<br />
<br />
Cause and effect is a very powerful and immutable condition. Physicist Isaac
Newton explained in his "Laws of Motion" that every action has an
opposite and equal reaction. This would be no less true when dealing with God.
Consider that to those who were chosen by a Holy God to avoid the agonizing
taste of the flames of Hell, their sin literally was of no consequence for in
all reality, these were people immune from the causality of sin; no cause, no
effect. Contrasted with those who find themselves outside of God’s favor, these
beings also find themselves immune from the causality of Grace; again no cause,
no effect. When one looks at the relationship that God has thus established
with His creation given these Calvinistic parameters, one must ask the question
as to why life as we have experienced it was even necessary to begin with; God
already made all our choices for us. In such a situation, can any one of us be
found guilty or worthy since there is no ultimate cause and effect, but only a
determined outcome. Cause and effect becomes irrelevant.<br />
<br />
The question of why we are here has dogged philosophers, theologians and people
in general since the inception of mankind. For those who eschew any belief of a
Creator God or a higher life-force which is greater than themselves, the
question becomes largely irrelevant; they exist and that is all that really
matters for the moment. One can then decide how they wish to fill their days
until life escapes from their bodies and they return to the “nothingness” from
which they came. However for those who possess a belief in God or a <i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“higher power”</span></i>,
this question becomes very important. Most people of faith tend to believe that
life in the flesh is but a brief sojourn on a much longer voyage. Thus, the
purpose of their lives—the reason they exist at all—is very relevant.<br />
<br />
Hyper-Calvinism tends to blunt the impact of their doctrinal belief to
unbelievers by asserting that those who are not chosen for salvation by God are
left unaware and thus, will not suffer the torment of knowing that they are not
those so chosen. If such are not chosen for salvation and were created to be
condemned from the start by God, why would He concern Himself with their
thoughts or feelings on the matter? These are essentially sentient beings that
were created for an unknown reason who are destined to be punished eternally
for actions beyond their control. It would seem, therefore, a useless exercise
for God to then concern Himself with their feelings on the matter unless God
was trying to “keep the peace” or “maintain a level of order” so as not to harm
the over-all “human experiment”. I am not attempting to be flippant here;
rather I am trying to illustrate the absurd conclusions that are drawn when the
Calvinist does not think through the logic of their doctrine.<br />
<br />
Humans tend to anthropomorphize that which they do not understand in an effort
to find threads of commonality. As humans, we all do this to a greater or
lesser degree every day. How many have held just a slight pang of sorrow for a
beloved possession like a car or a pair of shoes or whatever? We think about
the old car or old pair of shoes feeling badly that they have been replaced by
a new car and a new pair of shoes. When we find ourselves doing that, we are
anthropomorphizing an inanimate object and imputing our feelings into the
object. The object, of course, is inanimate and cares not whether they are used
or discarded; they are inanimate objects, not living and sentient.<br />
<br />
Nowhere is the affect of anthropomorphizing more evident than in the
conceptualization of God. Since we are humans existing in a limited scope of
experience and awareness, the first resort is to bring God down to our level in
an effort to understand Him. This is a mistake as God is not a human being and
does not exist in the stilted, limited realm that we do. Despite knowing this
on an intellectual level, we all tend to continue to anthropomorphize and
impute our sense of justice and morality—as well as our reactions—into the
image of God we have conceptualized on an emotional level. Thus, Calvin had an
image of who he believed God to be in his mind and created a doctrine that
encompassed this image. Calvin’s followers continued this trend and skewed
Calvin’s teachings to more closely align with their modified beliefs. This
trend continues on and on and misses the point that Christ was attempting to
make to all of us.<br />
<br />
If God is as we have already established: Not a human being; all knowing,
eternal, atemporal, then is it reasonable to continue on with a thought process
that limits God to that of a human being? Would it not be logical to assume
that given what we do know about God that He would not create a sentient being
to be extraneous? Additionally, if we concede that God did create all humans
with purpose, then if He were to mark one for salvation, then He would mark all
for salvation. What would be the logic in doing otherwise?<br />
<br />
Hyper-Calvinism asserts that God chooses only a few who will be saved from
eternal damnation, but it does not explain why there are only a few chosen and
not all. In their skewed sense of justice and parity, human beings tend to need
a loser in order to make winning meaningful. While that mindset works perfectly
in our corporeal, temporal world with limited space and resources, it does not
work in the eternal majesty that is God. Such a thought presumes that God is
working from a finite trove of resources and must choose only those who are of
benefit to Him. Suffice to say that this is the result of human reasoning and
is in no way supported by Christ’s teaching.<br /><br />
In 1st Timothy chapter two, the Apostle Paul states that, <i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and those in
authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and
holiness, This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be
saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”</span></i>Saved in the Greek used here is<b> </b></span><b>σωζω </b>(sṓzō) which means to be saved; to heal; to restore. (Strongs 4982) Why would Paul contradict God by <span style="font-size: small;">contradict God by lying to Timothy
about God’s desires towards humanity? If it is as the Hyper-Calvinist
believes—only a few that God has chosen are to be saved, then Paul’s claim to
Timothy is a blatant lie; clearly God does not desire all to be saved or He
would have chosen to save them. One cannot simply respond to such observations
with, “Well God really does want all men to be saved, but not all men will
choose Him.” in light of the established Calvinistic doctrine that asserts that
God had to choose the very ones that are saved because</span><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">NONE</span> </span></b><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt;">would choose Him otherwise. Again, we
cannot have it both ways.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
<br />
All of the above merely highlights what many have already come to conclude:
Orthodoxy is woefully short in describing the totality that is God Almighty. By
attempting to understand Him on our terms, we first had to diminish Him to our
level of understanding. We seem to ignore the fact that God already reached
across the divide by presenting Himself to us in the guise of a man who could
speak to us in our language, who could feel what we feel, who could understand
our concerns and our fears. God did this for us because He is not an aloof,
distant spiritual being who is more comfortable in the master/slave
relationship dynamic that is favored by the Celestial angels; rather God
desires that intimacy that comes from a parent/child relationship and is asking
each one of us to trust Him—just as a child will trust the parent—to protect
and teach and allow that relationship to grow.</span><br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
So as we near the end of this Hyper-Calvinistic response to the Arminian
argument, we must be mindful of the fact that we are dealing with people of
great thought and intellect who were never-the-less hampered by their dearth of
knowledge and mightily influenced by their culture. I believe that both
sides—Calvinists and Arminians—are just as desirous of what they believe to be
God’s wishes, but too much of the flesh creeps through pitting them against one
another—and by extension, also those who disagree with their theology. These
were tumultuous times in world history—especially in Europe—and taking a type
of position with respect to God such that I have outlined here in my commentary
would have most likely resulted in the offender being branded a heretic,
tortured into recanting and then burned at the stake. To the orthodox teachings
of that day, such torture and execution would have been regarded as a “Godly”
response to something so abjectly sinful. We can still see the marks of such
unyielding, stilted and bunkered doctrine within the Christian church today—as
well as in most other faiths such as Islam.</span><br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
When we categorize humans as being in either one of two groups, we set up an
“us and them” mentality. In the case of “the saved” and “the unsaved”, it is
interesting that the aggressor always place themselves into the more favored of
the two categories, giving them the “upper hand” as it were. When the subject
is eternal life or eternal damnation, those who believe they are going to share
in eternal life can sometimes regard themselves as something better than those
who God has already marked for eternal damnation. As we have already seen in
other examples in this commentary, this type of thinking has resulted in the
butchering of tens of millions of people over the years—all in the name of God;
people who were discarded for no other reason than an “accident of
birth”. This is not what Christ came to this earth to do and regardless
our biases, as Christians we need to start focusing on the truth that salvation
IS NOT our task here; introducing Christ to our fellow man is. Were both the
Calvinists and the Arminians to have focused on that “Great Commission” instead
of bickering over who was or was not going to Hell, it is my contention that
our world would have been made much better for it.</span><br /><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 12pt;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Tradition is a bit like being
addicted to Crystal Meth; it may seem nice at first, but it is rarely good for
you and is a hard habit to break.”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622662895764064264.post-71203094714046494002012-11-11T11:23:00.000-08:002014-10-12T01:41:14.827-07:00Barack Obama, Conservatives and the 2012 Election<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3L2Wq5SQnY/VDo-nQ-713I/AAAAAAAAAO0/z5x16n7Nee0/s1600/ObamaSad2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V3L2Wq5SQnY/VDo-nQ-713I/AAAAAAAAAO0/z5x16n7Nee0/s1600/ObamaSad2.png" height="197" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Barack Obama, Conservatives and the 2012
Election</span></h2>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By M.L. Wilson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All contents copyright © 2012 by M.L. Wilson. All rights
reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * * <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This commentary is a bit off the typical topic
that I place here, but I feel strongly about the events of last night (Election
day, November 6<sup>th</sup>) so I decided to relate my thoughts as to what
happened. I spent most of last evening contemplating just exactly what happened
with the re-election of Barack Obama; a sleepless, restless night asking God
what it is supposed to mean. There are too many unknowns with respect to God
and His will that make watching such a man like Obama be re-elected to go
down easy for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are many of you out there reading this
that believe that I am overwrought and making much ado about nothing. I respect
that, but I would also point out that were the outcome to have been
differently, many Obama supporters promised to riot, create mayhem and one
pro-Obama campaign ad even had a sweet looking ninety-seven year old lady
threaten to, “Burn this Motherf***ker down” should he lose. Given this toxic
atmosphere, I do not find it at all out of line to point out my disappointment
at the outcome, but also why I believe we had this outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It is without a doubt that the present
state of the economy of the United States is in tatters. Unemployment remains
high and prospects for a positive change just evaporated with Obama’s unskilled
hand guiding our ship of state. Notwithstanding the constant reconfiguring of
unemployment figures by the Administration, actual unemployment in this country
is near Depression era figures of 21% The reason for such a dramatic
variance from what the Administration reports and what actually exists is simple:
We do not track unemployment the same way as we did in years past. We now place
those out of work in sub-categories – or simply do not count them at all. I
presently fall into that latter group. So while I am out of work and still
looking, there is no official record of that fact; I don’t exist for this
administration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now with Obama’s re-election, we see one of
the first reactions taking place with a dramatic Stock Exchange crash of over
300 points. Additionally we see business after business, both large and small,
indicating that they are implementing hiring freezes and perhaps contemplating
having to close altogether. Since these are the people who actually run
businesses and do not operate on the theoretical plane, one needs to ask what
it is that they know which the majority of the voting public most evidently
does not? I would say that in a word: finances. As a people, the majority of
United States citizens – evidenced by this election - are financially
illiterate. We cannot continue to borrow and spend and not expect a day of
reckoning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But let us step outside of the realm of the
economy for a moment and look at other factors which I believe are certain to
lead a good number of the people who voted for Barack Obama on Tuesday,
November 6<sup>th</sup> to soon rue that choice. Despite his claims of
desiring unity, Barack Obama has instead succeeded in dividing this country
more than it has been since the Civil War. Not even the era of Civil Rights in
the 1950’s and 1960’s saw such division. This president won re-election by
running the most divisive, dirty campaign in modern history. He lied about
conditions in this country and fomented anger and hatred amongst his most
likely voters. There was never a “War on Women” by the Conservatives; there is
no institutionalized racism on the part of Conservatives; there are
no moves by Conservatives to put “Granny out on the street”; nor are there any
plans to ship jobs to China. All of these were straw-men arguments
designed to distract from the fact that Barack Obama had failed on every
objective he had set out to accomplish. Even his heralded “Obamacare” is not
what he really wanted (single payer), yet despite controlling the House, Senate
and Executive branch, he blamed all of his deficiencies on his predecessor and
Republicans which enabled him to successfully got a slim majority to agree and
hand him another term in office.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most obscenely, Barack Obama lied about the
character of his opponent worse than he lied about the qualities of himself.
Mitt Romney was portrayed as having murdered a woman, abusing animals, being
raised in a family dripping with multiple wives engaged in orgiastic ecstasy
with oppressive husbands. As over-the-top as these lies were, a willing people
sopped it up like a dry sponge. In the end it really didn’t matter if any of it
was true; it did the job in painting Romney as something different; something alien.
That was Obama’s real tactic and it unfortunately succeeded on an ill-informed,
pliable public.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By contrast, Conservatives were pilloried by
asking legitimate questions about Obama as though to even think about making
such inquiries was un-American. But never-the-less, one must ask if any of
these question honestly answered would have altered the outcome of the
election. I contend that given the present ignorant siege-mentality of the
American Public that it would not have; Obama could have disclosed all and not
lost a single vote. Some of those questions yet to be answered are: Is
Obama’s father really Barack Obama Sr. of Kenya or is it Frank Marshal Davis of
Chicago? Does this somehow play into why he will not release his birth
certificate? Did Obama enter Occidental College under a foreign student grant?
How did he get into Harvard when it has been hinted that he did not do well
academically and clearly had no money to pay for tuition? Why won’t he release
his college transcripts? At the end of the day, Obama distracted his followers
with enough rumor and innuendo that he didn’t have to answer any of these
legitimate questions. He knew that his constituency did not have the intellect
to understand the ramifications in any event. Instead of answering his critics,
Obama rested on the old tried and true Roman tactic of Bread and Circuses. MTV,
“Honey Boo Boo” and “The Jersey Shore” are thrown out to mask the truth and a
more than gullible electorate accepted it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite all of these patently transparent
moves to hide who and what he is, more people in this country voted to continue
with Barack Obama rather than demand true change. Now do I believe that Mitt
Romney would have “fixed” everything had he been elected? No and no thinking
person ever did. The real question that need be asked is: Would Mitt Romney
have rescued us from the fiscal mire we find ourselves in and begun to steer
the ship of state in a better direction? To that question I give an
overwhelming yes. Romney has actually created and run multiple businesses all
over the world. This gives him financial experience as well as foreign policy
experience. When you are negotiating across the table from some Chinese or
Middle Eastern leader in business, you learn how to negotiate anything. Romney
has shown far greater character as a husband and a father than Barack Obama
has. To Romney, grandchildren are not a punishment. This was an opportunity
that Romney did not take advantage of. Still I see his loss as a
result of even more than than these lost opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I believe that there were two essential
factors in play which has led us to a second Obama term. The first is that the
Democratic Party has for decades been carefully cultivating a populous that is
by its very nature, dependent and ignorant. These are people who are told from
birth that they are victims and are entitled. When a child is taught from their
earliest moments that they are owed everything based upon inequities from
“those people”, they will grow into adults expecting just that and they will
expect it from “those people”. For another person to come alongside them later
in their life and attempt to explain that the world doesn’t quite work that way
simply does not register with these people; it is a foreign language to them and
they do not understand. As such, these conditioned people have no capacity of
discernment. They do not believe when they are told for example that all Unions
are not good and can be easily corrupted. A Union must work with the employer
for the relationship to work to everyone’s best interest; they do not
understand the very basics of finance and insist that there are large stashes
of money hidden by “those people” because they have been conditioned to live on
a government stipend. Endless borrowing and spending by the government has no
impact on them because they have been told since birth that the government will
“fix it” when it gets too bad. These are people who cannot correlate the intact
family structure with the health of our country because once again, from birth
they have been taught that family is essentially ancillary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadly during this period of cultivation which
begun in earnest with FDR, opportunists within the Democratic Party took
advantage of the struggles of families due to the tough economy to plant the
seeds of familial disconnect and discord. By the time of LBJ and his “Great
Society”, the final nail had been driven into the family coffin. For
individuals struggling to support their families, the government made it
monetarily advantageous to have a broken family rather than one that remained
intact. This move on behalf of the Johnson Administration succeeded in creating
the dependency constituency that the Democratic Party so desired and all it
cost them was a small taxpayer supplied subsistence check once a month. A
pretty sweet deal to ensure their place of power considering the monies for
these subsistence checks were from taxpayers and not their own pockets. Once
the family bonds were broken by such fiscal policies, the children of those
families were conditioned to always look towards the government to fulfill
their needs - both financial and social. Of course the Democratic leaders were
more than happy to oblige – providing that the votes of this dependency class
continued to be for solely for Democrats. The threats of the money flow being
cut off could now be used as an effective weapon for voting against the
Progressive Liberals movement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As obscene and horrific as this one side of
the equation is, it is balanced by an equal obscenity on the other side. That
part of the equation is just as inured with false teaching and belief as is the
dependent Progressive Liberal constituency. The other half has more to do with
how religious Conservatives view themselves and their principles. Unlike the
Democrats, religious Conservatives tend to “cut off their nose to spite their
face” time and time again. The great failing of religious Conservatives is
their inability to be shrewd when dealing with their opponents. The essential
problem with these religious Conservatives is that they tend to equate a
compromise on any level with an opponent as an offense against God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I will take this moment to point out a passage
in the Gospel of Luke chapter 16. In it, Jesus recounts the tale of
a manager of a rich man who was accused of wasting the rich man’s possessions.
The rich man was upset and demanded an accounting from the manager before he
was fired. The manager realizing that he was too old to go back to a manual
labor position went out and collected what debt that he could to not only repay
the rich man, but engender good will amongst those people to whom money had
been lent. The manager cut many of the debts in half to the delight of the
debtors and returned enough money to the rich man that the rich man commended
him. On the surface, this seems to be something of a slight of hand on the part
of the manager; he was the one who gave the loans, he was the one who did not
administer those loans properly. It seems as though this manager stuck his boss
with the bill while securing for himself a cushion of goodwill with the
debtors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.9pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christ goes on to point out that the people of
the world are shrewder in dealing with their own kind than with the people of
the light (read Christians). Money lending in those days was such
that even with the truncated payments, the rich man made money on his loans and
lost nothing. Despite the rigidity of the loan contract, the manager made a
smarter choice that benefited all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I point this out because the other factor that
led to the loss of Mitt Romney in this election had to do with some Christian
Conservatives refusing to vote at all because Mitt Romney identifies himself as
a Mormon. Since Mormonism has been identified as a cult, too many Christians
regarded a vote for Mitt Romney as a vote for Satan. These people truly
believed that God would gaze down upon them at the Great White Throne judgment
and cast them into the Lake of Fire for their “compromise vote.” I will not go
into the gross theological errors rife with such thinking here; it is a debate
without end. Such thinking on the part of well intentioned Christians is as
much a result of ideological cultivation and conditioning as is the tragically
infantile Progressive Liberal mindset. Both sides reacted to the teaching they
had been given from infancy and their unwillingness to look at any other view
has resulted in the split that now exists in this country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As God is God, I realize that He is in
complete control over this situation. “All things work together for good for
those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” The Apostle
Paul pointed out in Romans 8:28. It should also be pointed out, however, that
that “good” does not necessarily translate into “good” as we might be familiar.
The Apostle Paul thought it would be good for him to go home to be with Christ,
but remained because that was better for the rest of us. The passage in Romans
above concerns our battles in this world as Christians. We, as Christians – as
Lights to the world – are going to undergo struggles, persecutions, slanders,
etc. The “good” is what is eventually born from such work. Too many
Evangelicals misconstrue Paul’s words and errantly believe that “good” will
manifest now, here in this realm. While we are to be hopeful of such an
outcome, the promise we are to hope for is in Christ and the world to come; not
this one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a Christian, I am also well aware that it
will become dark in this world before the end. But I also know that as a
Christian, I am not to court such an outcome nor hasten its arrival. I am to be
a Light to those within my sphere of influence; I am to reflect Christ.
Additionally, I am to be a good steward to that which I have been given. As a
result of my fellow Christian’s holding to some misplaced rigid ideology and
opting to sit out this election, a man who will most likely appoint three (or
more) Supreme Court judges, many Superior and Appellate Court judges has been
re-elected. This same man will also continue his march upon our rights and
freedoms – freedoms of worship which will result in the hastening the darkness
that is to come. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If there was some unspoken strategy on the
part of Christians to hasten the end of the age by abstaining from voting and
thereby allowing Barack Obama to be re-elected, these folks need to understand
that they have not exemplified good stewardship. They have instead placed their
Light under the peck-measure. Similarly, these same Christians, believing that
we AS Christians are not to engage in any matters political, fail to recognize
one very salient point: God put each and every one of us here in this realm, in
this country, at this point in time. He gave each and every one of us the
opportunity to have an effect upon our government and when we ignore that responsibility,
we are in effect telling Almighty God that we do not care about anything He has
given to us; that we know better. The Old saying of one being so Heavenly
minded that they are no Earthly good comes to mind. Again, we are to be a Light
to the world without getting caught up in the things of the world. These
Christians don’t vote citing all manner of “spiritual” reasons, but the truth
of the matter is that most of them are more afraid of being held accountable to
their choice and winding up in Hell. This bespeaks a level of selfishness that
is not of God. I’ll point out once again that God judges the intents of the
heart. Mitt Romney – as will Barack Obama – will both have to account for their
choices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To buttress this claim of mine, I would direct
such Conservatives to learn history. If one is not familiar with history, I
eagerly encourage learning how we came to be where we are as a country. Our
Founding Fathers also identified themselves as Christians despite what the
secular press might try to get you to believe. In an age before modern
Evangelicalism, however, what they believed and how they understood God was
somewhat different than what we’re familiar with. They despite their
theological differences, the end result was too important to not come together
and create a bastion of freedom for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Understanding history frees one up to see the
blatant errors that are promulgated by both ends of the ideological spectrum.
For either side, I would recommend reading “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” to get a
feel for just how bad government can be towards its people. Read about a world
that has fallen into darkness and just what those people had to endure. Move on
towards the persecutions of Christians and Jews under not only Nero, but later
emperors such as Diocletian. This isn’t the “flowery” stuff you’ll find in the
pages of Dr. Tim LaHaye’s “Left Behind” series; this is a harsh, brutal
persecution of the type you’ll find in the Holocaust or the Killing Fields. How
many of you Christians believe you could endure such brutality at the hands of
your former friends and neighbors – in some cases, even family? When you work
to hasten the end, there are consequences. In an example in Foxe’s Martyrs,
that resulted in a mother watching her 7 year old boy roasted alive on the Hot
Iron Seat. If you are unfamiliar with that method of execution, look it up.
Part of the consequences of hastening the coming darkness is to also hasten the
coming of such despicable acts as outlined in that book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do I believe that Barack Obama is capable of
such brutality against his own people? I'll answer that question this way:
Barack Obama is a man in power and as Lord Acton once famously stated, “Power
corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” History has proved Lord
Acton’s words to be deadly accurate. From my observation, Barack Obama is not
guided by Jesus Christ any more than my Christians friends believe that Mitt
Romney is guided by who they believe to be Jesus Christ. That leaves us with
the character of each man. Barack Obama has encouraged revenge against his
opponents while Romney sought to heal the nation. The individual will have to
be the judge of who is the more trustworthy based upon character. I don’t
believe that this election satisfied that question based upon the
aforementioned chicanery employed by Mr. Obama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> At best, the next four years will be a
standstill for our country. There is a Republican controlled House of
Representatives that Obama has been unwilling to compromise with during his
first term and he has cultivated much enmity there by his sheer arrogance. I
see no reason to believe that the relationship will change with a second term
as he will simply appoint czars to do the work he wants done and ignore congress
altogether. The House will hopefully do the job it was elected to do and stop
this president’s attempts to subvert the Constitution. None of those Supreme,
Superior and Appellate court judges can make it to the bench without the
consent of the House. These are the people that have to now be held to account.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now at worst, the entitlement mindset on the
Left and the unyielding mindset on the Right will result in the Democrats
fomenting enough added criticism towards Conservatives that they will reclaim
the House in 2014. Should that happen, there will be no way to make up the lost
ground and you will see the end of our once great Republic. This is not
hyperbole; it is a historical fact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Keep Christ in the forefront of your thoughts
and do all things to His glory, but do not turn a blind eye when a brother is
being abused. Be shrewd in your approach towards your opponents. Most of all,
however, do not let your dogma and doctrine rule over you to the detriment of
this great, grand country. The United States of America is the last great hope
on the face of this earth and rigidity and ignorance are not going to help it
to survive. Once it is gone, there will be nothing else to replace it until
Christ. Unless some of you know something I don’t, Christ may not return for
another thousand years. Be good and shrewd stewards, people. Start now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
M.L. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10675983231336990614noreply@blogger.com0