Kicked out of Bible study

I have the unique honor to be the only person I know kicked out of Bible study.

How did this happen?

The Bold Banner said come get your questions answered. A cartoon figure is carrying a question mark to the rectory. I had many well researched dilemmas needing answering.  I soon learned this was not a study per se, but a rally to incite allegiance.  I studied the Bible diligently, examining the era and symbolism of the time period. I read early Church father writings. My trouble was making the Gospels mesh with the writings of Paul and some of Paul’s writings mesh with each other. I approached the Pastor and he encouraged my to join but first he gave me a gift.

The Pastor gave me a book called Seven Reasons You Can Trust the Bible. Linguistically styles and biblical phrases had seemed out of place to me, much later I learned Thomas Jefferson concluded the same thing. I devoured the small book given me to prop up my faith, hoping it would do so. I was tired of feeling like an impostor and fearing I be called upon to offer prayers.

However, I hadn’t yet read the body of the book when I found some disturbing information in the introduction.  The authors admit that the Greek writing of Mark was so poor that it needed correction for translation.  The text assured the reader that the corrections were not arbitrary, in fact, they used Mathew and Luke as a guide. (The last verses were even added as an addendum originally). Eventually the addendum was written into the Gospel itself—not to be discovered until Erasmus did his translation 1000 years later.  Back to bible study.

The Pastor was extolling the virtues of the synoptic Gospels. He said they must be true because three separate individuals wrote them and they are virtually identical. The few discrepancies are to be expected and are of no concern.

I raised my hand and mentioned the book he had given me, a smile of satisfaction lit his face, for the moment. I quoted the introduction which claimed the Gospels had been corrected.  So, I asked wouldn’t that account for the likenesses and isn’t it possible the Gospels aren’t as perfect as we claim?

He stammered but after regaining his composure explained that the content wasn’t altered only the grammar was corrected. Quickly he adverted his eyes and went to another question. I interjected, “if Mark says God is in you and the grammar police change it to the more popular with you, have we not changed the message”?He answered, ” But the saying with you was a popular saying at the time and is reasonable as correction”. “Yes”, I reply, “but a popular gnostic saying was, May God be in you”, It iscommonly found in the Nag Hammadi scrolls of Gnostic origin. None of my fellow students will look at me, many look disgusted. Shouldn’t we be getting all questions answered, not just the affirming ones?

The pastor takes a different tack, authored by the current crop of apologists.  He quotes verses that can be seen as Jesus affirming his divinity, although none are blatantly clear. Jesus claims he is God, the Pastor loudly proclaims, not once but twice for emphasize, only a crazy man or the true son of God would make such a statement.

1 According to the historian Josephus many would be messiahs were making this claim. So is this that unusual?

2. In fact he really didn’t say he was God the father and defers to him on many instances.  The Pastor quotes Jesus when the pharisees question his divinity. Jesus responds, I am. This seems clear in English but what about Hebrew — God is loosely translated as I AM THAT I AM and saying I am is equivalent to announcing a lordship or messiah but not God the father. The Buddha used a similar proclamation. Another possibility exists, we are misinterpreting this exchange or a misspelling has occurred.  With so many possibilities using an either or argument is not valid or convincing.

My goal was to believe like my friends, my support system of 5 years, and the last thing I wanted was alienation. Naively I believed my insights would be accepted and adopted, bringing us closer to the true teachings, but truth was far outweighed by the comfort of blind belief.  I asked few questions after gauging the responses of others, even among my closest friends, and still I got a call from the Pastor at home asking me to not attend Bible study–apparently my questions were too deep and could frighten new or potential converts. WHAT HAPPENED TO TRUTH< PAUL SAID THOSE WHO STUDY SCRIPTURE AND QUESTION WHAT THEY HAVE HEARD ARE NOBLE>

These so called friends didn’t even try to cure me or correct my ways. I couldn’t understand why for the longest time and then I slowly realized that my doubt and illumination of contradictions caused them anxiety they could not bear.

I have found the human support I need and am now without regret or hurt.

Sacrifice Manifested

Barley dotted the dark soil.  Lilith admired her spiral under the ancient sky; lost in the realm of imagination, she was nearly caught wasting food.  But the Gods did not foil her creation in the soil.  A twig snapped as the adult came near.  Lilith covered the seeds, quaking in fear.  The following year the spiral appeared, as bold as mountains towering in the hemisphere.

Lilith was a mere 78 moons old but she knew her discovery was momentous.  She showed her mother how the seeds had grown.

Now, instead of gathering all the seeds and moving camp to a fertile new area, the clan returned to the earth a sacrifice of ten percent of each harvest.  The plumpest seeds were tithed the earth, and she responded with lush crops of the plumpest grains.

… centuries later the sacrifice included all foods and the mystery of its origins were lost to the people.  Greed and fear led those who didn’t understand ….

Martin Luther had it wrong!

Or maybe we have misunderstood Luther.  He fought against Church abuses, scripturally supported in some cases but also allegorical stretches of scripture in other cases.  To combat the corruption he denied nearly all allegory.  The literal reading supported his position that the Church had overstepped its authority.  A popular verse was changed by an English translator, Tyndale, and subsequently adopted by nearly all translations of the Bible.  The word Charity (being the greatest gift of all) became Love in the new translations.  This was adopted to combat the Church who used the Charity verse to extort tithes and indulgences.

Charity became viewed as Works by modern Christians.  Good Works, derided by Luther as not redemptive, were the many rituals of the Old Testament.  Ritual bathing, butchering, lighting candles, would not redeem a soul, however, to deter the Church from selling redemption, the reformation Bible translators changed Jesus’ teachings.  Charity has not gained its royal standing and is not valued as it was intended.

I’ve been told it is better to not ask questions about the Christian faith.  Let the spirit guide me.  However, since I must use my intellect to read scripture and judge whose advice I will accept or reject I see no way to eliminate questions.

Some will disagree with my conclusion (above).  I defend my position with the following argument.  If a child is brought up with no human contact they will be unable to read, speak, and socialize.  As adults they will know nothing of Jesus or any other religion.  It seems only the Apostle Paul received his message spontaneously.  So we are taught how to read, think, socialize and what we should believe.

How do we know what we read or are told is true?  The Bible is said to be inspired and incorruptible.  Yet, the Bible has been corrupted in the past, the Reformation translators found serious mistakes, the Church abused the corruptions for hundreds of years, selling indulgences and torturing.  So if the book is known to be mistranslated and misinterpreted how do we know we have it correct now?  Obviously it is not incorruptible.

It is much easier to accept what those around us accept.  Let’s face it, who wants to be the object of ridicule?  Humans seek a cognitive uniformity, meaning we feel most comfortable when our beliefs match what we see and hear.  Beliefs are opinions formed without first hand evidence and often no evidence, therefore, contradiction (even questioning) causes angst among the believers.  Mystery is also a big component of faith.  Mystery creates a mystique that allows us to belief something beyond ourselves exists and we can let go of our fears of the unknown.  Thus, we don’t want all the answers nor do we want contradictions pointed out.  This works for many, but not for me.  I see that type of faith described by Paul who suggested the following paraphrase, he fed them milk like children, as they were not ready for meat.

Jesus is said to have taught the apostles in private, a deeper message for the spiritually elite, and for the masses they heard his parables and sayings.  Our Bible is written for the masses, with parables sayings and history, why not seek the deeper teachings?

Jude or Judas?

With the coming of Easter, religion has been discussed abundantly.  Some questions I have often wondered about visit me once again.

Is it true that Jude and Judas are really one in the same name?  A linguistics book announces that the name Jude and Judas, in the Koine Greek of the Bible and Hebrew language, are the same spelling, indistinguishable.  The author said they only become different in English and some other translations.  Who was this Judas who was respected enough to make the Christian canon? And why disguise his name in the Bible with a different (new) spelling?

Why was the name Jesus changed when written in Greek?  The name was actually ‘Joshua’ in Hebrew and the early translators knew it.  Even the historian Josephus records Joshua as Jesus or translators did it for him.  In Greek the spelling of Jesus is not phonetically correct, there is no ‘s’ sound at the end of the name, but it does seem to be purposely spelled as it is.  Greek letters also represent numbers and Jesus in Greek represents 880 a number representing dual infinite natures, Male and Female. and Earthly and Spiritual.

Is the number 666 the devil as we are told or is it the number that spells Nero (the Roman ruler)?  Linguists suggest this number can be spelled as the The Roman emperor and 666 was used to evade detection from Roman spies.  Martin Luther, while translating the Bible, said of the Hebrew language, “no other language uses allegory, symbolism and poetry more than the Hebrew”, so would it be surprising they wrote in codes of numbers to tell a story without detection from persecutors?

In a world of shades of gray

The word gray represents ambiguity.  We think our language is clearly understood by those who read it.  Minor differences, when added, equal nearly anything.  Grey can be spelled, grey or gray, and mean mostly the same thing.   Read anything and it means whatever you choose it to mean.”Bullshit!” 

Those who fail to evaluate, are subject to emotional impressions and they accept the impressions rather than consider the possibility they are mistaken.  Choosing to accept the accepted may not offer truth to individuals but does offer comfort of conviction and the strength of the majority. 

But if most people believe it, it must be true!  This seems to make sense, unless, unless the explanation fits the assumption.  We accept the unbelievable if it is regularly accepted.

Fear! we fear being different or one of those who don’t fit in.  This instinct may have been a successful way to assure a productive community in the past, but today we can accept those who are extremely unusual without fear.

A boring thought, but an honest one.   My roommate thinks in terms of black and white.  He sees a simple world that fits into his framework.  When discussing his views he defends his position with no regard to my arguments.  What is important is being right, or winning, not truth.  He is satisfied and happy but ignorant of the truths of the world.  I don’t get it?

The Truth Hurts

We are so simple, but refuse to see it.  Nothing changes and nothing new is said.  We recycle what we already know.  Those who live happily know the least.  The burden of wisdom is the revelation of ignorance.  Some of the greatest thinkers have been accused of insanity.  If the truth is insane how can one not be insane for understanding it?

Only those who “know”  will understand.  Those with humor will make jest of idioms and those who lack the talent of sarcasm will be frowned upon.  Maybe ignorance is a trait that profits our race.  but the ignorant will not even know what I am speaking about.

“Before complaining he is too Small . . .

“Before complaining he is too small, remember size is relative!”  (Brian Drechsel)

He may be small or you may be a gaping hole.