A BIBLE REVIEW
leslie:
Friday 26th December 2003
Trinidad Newsday
A Bible review
By Kevin Baldeosingh
If you are a parent, you may not want to leave this book lying around the house. Much of the material is not suitable for children. The very first chapter has nudity, fratricide, incest, genocide, and more incest. Not even the most lurid soap operas would dare go so far. The book is undoubtedly well-written. In many parts, the prose soars, although the long lists of names do make it dangerous to read while operating heavy machinery. Also, would any sane parent really name their child Meschech or Togarmah? It is this which first raises doubts about this book, which claims to be true both factually and morally.
Indeed, the name of the book’s author is itself problematical. Although believers call the book God’s Word, it is not really clear who God is. In Genesis chapter 32 verse 29, God simply refuses to reveal his name to Jacob, but later he tells Jacob to call him El Shaddai (Gen. 35:11). Later still, he introduces himself simply as El (Gen. 46:3) – presumably because by then he felt comfortable enough with Jacob to be informal. However, Jacob ignores both these names and prays to God as Abaoth, Abrathiaoth, Sabaoth, Adonai, and Astra. Obviously, Jacob didn’t feel he knew God well enough to address him by one name, let alone one syllable. In Hosea 2:16, God instructs Hosea to stop calling him Baali and address him as Ishi, though this reviewer does not believe that this would have stopped the giggling. In Exodus 6:2, God calls himself Yahweh but pronounces it YHWH, which is why so many of the prophets had twisted tongues.
Nobody knows what was behind all these name changes, but some theologians speculate that God may have owed people money.
Additionally, God did not choose to write his own Word, but employed ghost-writers instead. Maybe he was too busy sending plagues or maybe God writes like Lloyd Best. Theologians believe that it is this plenitude of scribes which has led to the Bible being so contradictory, but those contradictions lead to a deeper problem: for if all these writers were inspired by God, and if God is omnipotent and omniscient, then surely it was within his power to ensure that the Bible was error-free.
Far from being factually accurate, however, the Bible is riddled with mistakes. Indeed, God’s writers even get their history wrong. For example, one of the most famous Biblical stories is that of Joshua bringing down the walls of Jericho. However, although it is true that walls of Jericho did fall, archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon, by dating Mycanaean pottery shards found in the ruins, found that the destruction had occurred no later than 1300 BC. This was 70 or more years before Joshua could have learnt to blow a trumpet.
The Bible writers also seem to have invented key events and personalities in the book. Evidence uncovered by archaeologists after the Six-Day War of 1967 reveal that the account of the Israelites’ flight from Egypt in Exodus was made up out of whole cloth. Archaeologists also now believe that Abraham, Isaac and other Biblical patriarchs didn’t even exist but were created out of local lore. Even the famous King Solomon, if he existed at all, never built a fabulous city at Jerusalem.
It seems that the Bible writers were using details of their own time, round about the middle of the first millennium, to tell stories of events that happened – only they didn’t, really — at the beginning of the early second millennium. And God didn’t even call down to his prophets and say, “Hey, bub, get your facts straight or I’ll give you boils!” Perhaps the hotline from Heaven wasn’t working that day, and it seems the divine phone wasn’t fixed till the Catholic Church came to foot the bill, in return for which God made all Popes infallible.
But the wrong history is not the worst error in the book. Far more egregious are the scientific ones. Indeed, for an omniscient being, God is astonishingly ill-informed. He believes the Earth is flat (Revelations 7:1 speaks of the “four corners of the Earth” and Job 9:6 of the Earth’s pillars) and that the sun moves (Joshua 9:12 and Job 9:7). But the most glaring errors are at the very start of the book, since the Biblical account of creation contradicts the facts of both astronomy and evolution. And here, factual error is exacerbated by ethical transgression, for the creation story in Genesis is plagiarised wholesale from another book, the Enuma elish of the Babylonians.
This is where the Bible really falls down. Factual errors are not fatal to a book, even if what is essentially a work of fiction claims to be absolute truth. But if a book is presented as a moral guide, then the very least it should do is promote moral behaviour. Instead, what do we find? At the very start of his book, God lies to Adam and Eve, telling them they would die if they ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge (Gen. 2:17-18). Not only did they not die, but Adam lived to the ripe old age of 930 years. Later, God admits, “I form the light and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7). This verse underlies many of God’s actions, such as his promotion of genocide (1Sam 15:18), his using two she-bears to kill the 42 small children who mocked the prophet Elisha (2Kings2:23-5), as well as his insistence that death is the proper punishment for defying one’s parents, adultery, homosexuality (Leviticus 9:9-11, 13) blasp hemy (Lev. 24:15) and a woman not being a virgin on her wedding night (Deuteronomy 22:21).
Such laws account for the moral narrow-mindedness of people like Anglican archbishop Calvin Bess, while God’s Word also explains religious leaders like pastors Winston Cuffie, Clive Dottin, Vishnu Lutchmansingh, and Terrence Browne: “The Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets” (1Kings 22:23).
All this is not to say that the Bible isn’t a good read. But it is to say that you shouldn’t believe everything – in this case, most things – that you will find between its covers. This Good Book is available at all leading bookstores, as well as bookstores which only follow.
Bantu_Kelani:
Interesting piece, Sister. Thank you. If one is intelligent, and study the symbolism and philosophy behind the Bible, instead of believing sexist and racist stereotypes then one may become enlightened.
B.K
ILovGod:
God, His words and Christian I love.
As a parent I would in deed have my child read the Bible for in it is truth and life .
1. You claim that the Bible in the first chapters have in it nudity, fratricide, incest, genocide, and more incest, but if you were not blind you would have seen that God created men and women naked and without shame it was perfectly normal until sin came by disobeying God, and now we have dirty, perverted minds in this world. If kids read the bible they will see a perfect world without sin, and they will see when you disobey God what sin does and how dirty and ugly it really is to disobey God and His words. God give His commandments in Leviticus 18, 19 & 20 against incest, murders, and other sins, and here you will fine the perfect capital punishment from God, unlike today where you have corrupt lawyers and judges sending innocent men to prison and death.
2. God is the arthur of His words and He moved men to write without error what He wanted us to know. There's no contradictions in the bible for the bible interprets itself what a person may not understand in one chapter it will be clearer in another part of the book example Daniel & Revelation, and the whole bible.
God name is both Holy and Sacred and this is why the jews used other names to discribe God for example Jehovah.
You and others like you should never use Yahweh. There is a great meaning to this name, but you shall never know it unless you are change.
3. You do not understand what God was saying in Hosea 2:16 this has nothing to do with the name of God, but a meaning that you do not understand.
4. You said that the walls of Jericho did fall, but not in Joshua's time, because an archaeologist by dating Mycanaean pottery shards found that the destruction had occurred no later than 1300BC which is 70 or more years before Joshua could of learnt to blow a trumpet.
If so then Joshua could of seen into the future, and since Joshua could see into the future he knew the name of the town would be Jericho, and he could see that the walls and the city would not be destroy by fire from fighting an invading army, but the walls would of fallen down instead am I right you Judge.
5.You claim that by these archaeologists evidence from the six-day war in 1967 that the Exodus from Egypt was made up, Abraham, Isaac and other Biblical Patriarchs didn't exist even King Solomon then if King Solomon did not exist then why is there this very day in Jerusalem part of King Solomon temple existing, If Abraham and Isaac did not exsit then where did the Isrealite came from, Why are they still here, and many more questions I can ask. even more to prove God is real and His words true in the very first chapter of the bible God created the world and man in six days ok how long did the war lasted in 1967 with the Isrealite? six days, what is the war known by? the Six-Day War. and God rested on the Seventh day so seven is known as perfect, how many days in a week, is it not true that most people work from Mon-Fri or Mon-Sat and rest one day.
6.You claim that there is error in the bible and that God is ill- informed He believes the earth is flat and you Quoted Revelation 7:1 the four corners of the earth any child could tell you that this is talking about east, west, north and south the four corners of the earth, Job 9:6 the earths pillars which is its mountains, and foundations of coures, Joshua 9:12 has nothing to do with the sun and Job9:7 God commanded the sun not to rise does it not look as if the sun rises to us then this is the example God give to us in His words, so that we can understand what God meant, and this is in history where the whole day was without light; the one day of darkness.
If you read the book of Job it explains to us how rain begins with condensation and evaporation which you will learn in science classes of science book but back then there was no study of science, science classes or science books read Job 26:7.
7. You said God lied to Adam and Eve, telling them they would did if they ate of the fruit from the tree of knowledge (Gen.2:17-18) then you went on and said that they did not die Adam lived for 930 years, but yet you did not understand what God meant. When God meant is a death spiritually seperated from God, before they ate from that tree of knowledge they had a perfect relationship with God, they could talk to God and God would talk to them, but when they disobey and sin they lost that relationship and closeness with God until the second Adam Jesus came who did no sin, took the punishment of our sins upon Him on the cross and rose 3 days later that we may be reconcile back to God if we believe in Jesus as our Lord and savior.Nor did God create evil but he allows evil for a time this is a bad translation from the Hebrew word
God you claim is a God who promotes genocide and you give examples, well this is Gods perfect way of getting rid of evil people so they will not corrupt the nation of Isreal which is God chosen people if we let people continue to do evil, murder, rape, and so on without punishment will they stop? and if they are getting away with such crimes will not others do the same, or commit other crimes thinking they also will get away with it. dont we have punishment in prisonment and death for crimes?, dont we see evil getting worse and worse.
The Bible is the only book that have prophecies fulfilled, being fulfilled, and will be fulfilled 100% correct read Danial 2. the statue representing nations that will come and go the head was babylon and so on, and history proves that just as the bible says so it happened, Matthew 24. shows us the things that will happen just before Christ returns, and it is happening right now. Read Matthew 24. in the bible, and compare it to todays news, and read Revelation to see what is to come all this is prove that the bible is accurate and true
Please read Psalm 14, and Romans 1. This is for people who dont believe, who eyes, and hearts are blinded to the truth.
How can anyone believe in evolution unless they have a small mind, a big bang and the world was formed and life began. There's no prove of such foolihness, sicentist cannot prove it, but made up lies, how can man evolve from monkeys this is all to excape reality of a God who created and judges. Add a hundred years to your life where would you be? There is a God and a hope in Heaven and a fear of Hell it's all real look at ancient time, look at uncivilized people in the jungle; we all worship a God, or many Gods it's in our heart to worship God, God puts it in our heart to worship Him, but we have corrupted ourselves and worship people, sports, TV, Movie stars, Money, Cars, Houses, Nature and all other forms of Idolatry Romans 1:21-32
It is not moral narrow-mindedness, but a just way to deal with evil people who love wrong doing, but today we have become tolerant as so we have kids commiting serious crimes, crimes on the up rise, because we want to accept peoples sin and then say there's no right or wrong, there's no true moral standards because their's no God. and so the world is not getting better by tolerance and acceptance, but is getting worse and worse, the only true peace and hope of peace is from the Prince of Peace Christ Jesus our hope and Savior to those who believe.
The bible is not a good book, but a book of truth and life a book on how to love and to do to others as you will want them to do to you, it is a book of true fulfillment with God in our lives no matter the struggles in this life there is happiness with our Savior by our side. What hope do you have when you die?
Bantu_Kelani:
Quote
author=ILovGod
What hope do you have when you die?
We have to demand our full human rights as fully evolved human beings HERE and NOW, regardless of where we came from, and whether we will experience a better existence after death. Life comes from life!! Life does not come from lifelessness speculations and dialectical materialists beliefs. We need to redefine religious concepts, for we are looking outside of ourselves to find a God that does not represent our true selves spiritually. The Creator Source (the garden of Eden) is therein, where it reaches down in love to draw humans toward it. This is but a source of peace, wisdom and POWER therein and NOW!!
Bantu Kelani.
ILovGod:
As beatiful as you may sound, yet you are in error we need to forgive and move on from the pass, we must not blame whites of today who has nothing to do with pass. We see whites marrying blacks, and although there are a few whites who are prejudice we have the majority on our side.
We see in the bush Adminstration blacks in high positions like Collin Powel, and Sis. rice, and also we have many sucessful black own buisnessmen and women; it has been a big change from slavery to now.
Life does not come from life, but from God who gives life babies are a blessing from God. We are full of dead mens bones there's nothing good within us we are all sinners and within us are full of hatred, anger, fornication, adultry, thefts, murders and many more evil as hard as we try to be better people we all have fail, this is why we need a Savior to change us from within by His Spirit.
God do represent our true spiritual selves in His words we are sinners who need Gods saving Grace.
We must stop confusing the Christian religion with white people this is Jewish history not Eroupean, we see people just as in Islam religion extremist who go to far, and so we have people like the kkk who think that what they do is in the name of God, but God will Judge these people into everlasting punishment.
There is no source of peace, wisdom or POWER therein and now not without God For God is the only source of peace no matter how hard man try to get along and have peace without God man cannot, and this is why God in his words wants us to live with love, and peace to everyone not in the flesh for we will fail, but by his spirit once we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.
We as black people must stop following false religions which is idolitry, and look to the one true God who created us we hate white people which is not right, but yet we believe there lies when it comes to science and evolution. When it comes to humans we did not evolve, but was created by an Almighty God open your eyes and hearts to see the truth and come out from amoung lies blessed is the Lords name forever therein is our hope and glory.
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