THE WORST THING ABOUT THE BIBLE

Is Those Who Read It

 

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,"

Quite the tempest in a teapot over the Bible, here on Xanga.  Is the Holy Bible fraught with discrepancies, inaccuracies, and historical errors?  I don't think that is the right question to ask, at least not the first question I believe we should ask.  Are there discrepancies, inaccuracies, and errors in the humans who wrote the books of the Bible, and are there the same problems with the readers of the Bible?   NOW that is where we should begin.  I had a completely different post prepared, but I received a message from a long time reader, and this was the first line:  "I am surprised to see you supporting an argument against the historical truth of the bible..."

What follows is my response.  I have cleaned it up a bit, and added a bit, for clarification, but this is my response...

I am not arguing against the historicity of the Bible. I am arguing against the misuse and abuse of the Bible, by people who have hijacked Genesis to fit their own human agendas. Genesis was never intended to help a materialistic culture's religious people to fight against evolution. And further abuse God and the Scripture in Genesis by making a groups religious beliefs a litmus test for whether a person is in the "truth". 

Every Ancient Near Eastern people group had a creation story. One said the universe sprang from the blood of a slain god. One story said the universe sprang from the ejaculate of a masturbating god.  God, the only true God, gave Genesis to explain how he created the world as an extension of his temple; his back yard; garden; paradise. The creator God created the universe for his glory and pleasure.  The king's back yard, garden, or paradise, as it was often known, belonged to the king, and was set aside for the exclusive use of the king and those he allowed in his paradise.    God, His Most Majestic Royal Highness, he, in his incredible magnanimity, gracious goodness, and unbelievable kindness deigned; condescended; bowed low, to share this garden; paradise with humankind.  Genesis is the story of how an incredibly loving, stupendously gracious God is betrayed by his creation: humans. When God had created man he said, "Man is good"; complete; lacking nothing; the mirror of God."  Man utterly twisted and destroyed all that was good in himself, and God condemned his own abode; garden; paradise and every living creature... because of man. But in the first sacrifice of Noah, God smelled the burning animal, and he decided, that though man only ever thinks about and does evil continually, he would not destroy his back yard; garden; paradise again, on account of man. God would send a sacrifice which would absolutely blot out the sins of mankind from God's sight, smell, hearing, even from his very memory!

So if you are asking me if I believe in the Genesis which tells God's incredible beginning to the "Story", then I say, "YES!!!" I believe God created the universe and the world, and he created all his creatures, most especially man, to enjoy his beautiful abode; his private (KING'S ONLY ALLOWED!!!) paradise; garden, in an intimate family with him.

If you want me to uphold the standards of a materialistic culture that has to make Genesis into a litmus test for "true" believers, and a proof text against evolution then "NO". God is not a man that he may be manipulate and made to do what religious materialists want. The Scriptures belong to God, and he will avenge himself on all those who twist and abuse his beautiful creation story, and who force his Scriptures to become tools in a culture war he did not start and that he does not sanction.

You know the problem with Christians and homosexuality? The Church has the same problem in her relationship with God that the homosexuals have in their relationships with those of their same sex. One group of homosexuals does it with people of their own sex, while the other abuse God and his Holy Scriptures.

What Jesus said will come back to judge both the liberals and the conservatives.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

"Not so Jesus, we shall be known as those who reject any who do not believe what we say about Genesis. We will be known by our condemnation of others, most especially those who disagree with our version of Christianity.

Jesus says:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

"for everyone born of God overcomes the world."

Jesus came to overcome the world, and to create a Church through which he would overcome the world, but all the Church today can do is condemn or just swallow the worthless filth the world foolishly calls "wealth".

I'm sorry I'm not a member of the "If you don't believe like I do then you're not a real believer" Club. I know the creative and overcoming power of God in Christ, and I'm free because of it.  God created the universe, God created man in his image and likeness. Genesis belongs to God, and he never intended Genesis to become a proof text for prideful religious flesh to fight against prideful atheist flesh.  God wasn't kidding when he told us, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways." God wasn't kidding when he explained to us, "The weapons of your warfare are not carnal..."

Funny, the way Christians use Genesis all God can possibly think about us is the weapons of the Church's warfare are carnal, and only carnal.   

I believe God gave us the Bible to lead us to himself.  God gave us Genesis to show us truths which transcend the material facts.  

  

But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

 

Ha Ha Ha, God that's rich!  What a joker you are!!  I know lots of Christians who know the truth when they see it, and know the truth that they trumpet for any and every ear to here, and their hearts are filled with the knowledge that God is in their religious box.  God you've been figured out, so don't you think it's really time to update that old Bible of yours??