Q: What about the Bible?

A: The Bible is the world's greatest scripture, not because it is unchanged since it was written, but rather, because it HAS been changed. The best minds of all times have edited it, polished it, corrected it and amended it to give us this excellent volume. But the Bible is still far from perfect (see Bible Errors).  In fact, it is blasphemy to say that God wrote it, or dictated it, for it is so imperfect.  If God has given us the New Testament, wouldn't he have included a clear statement of beliefs and doctrines, instead of letting us wander through the book trying to figure them out?  If, as the fundamentalist Christians claim, the Bible is the perfect word of God, why do they have to publish so many books explaining to us what the Bible is saying?

Q. What is the true resurrection (in New Age terms) that we supposedly will experience one day? Will everyone inevitably experience it eventually?

A. New Agers adhere pretty closely to Bible teachings.  And so it is with resurrection.  The problem is that there has been an erroneous translation of the Greek word anastasis. Traditionally it has been translated resurrection, to be restored to one's body after death, when actually it means to rise up or ascend.. The word anastasis should be translated ascension, not resurrection.  It refers to one's getting off the "wheel of karma" and rising to the divine state. And, yes, God is not mocked, everyone will eventually experience ascension.

Q Who was Job and why did God see a good man in him?

A. The book of Job is a moral tale, not necessarily about any real person or event.  The purpose of the book is to teach us the purpose of life.  Which is to love God and have faith in him.

Q: What is apostacy?

A: Apostasy: (from the Greek apostasis, meaning "rebellion or falling away," ) refers to a renunciation of the Christian faith. The Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons and others, apply the label apostate to former members, who are then shunned by all followers in good standing. The word also applies to a period in the middle of the first century during which many prophesied that many Christians would >"fall away" from the truth. 

Q: What does the bible say about homosexuality, and is it wrong?

A: The Old Testament is totally one acting like a member of the other sex, whether it be wearing their clothes or having sex. The Old Testament makes no distinction. Anyone acting out the role of the opposite sex was condemned.  The New Testament, at best, seems to look down on men who were effeminate in any way.  There is one passage in Romans that condemns homosexual acts, but that passage was added long after Paul died.  Is it wrong?  God doesn't care what  you do with your genitals, that is the concern of Christian ministers.

Q: Why didn't God stop Jephthah from carrying out his vow?  Judges 11:30-40

A: The text does NOT say that God agreed to this vow. This is merely a story of a man keeping his word, no matter what.  

Q: How many books in the Bible?

A. The Bible contains 66 books, not counting the Apochrypha or the other books taken out of the scripture or never place in it.

Q: Who betrayed Jesus?

A. The expected answer would be Judas, for the New Testament tells us that Judas identified Jesus to the soldiers.  But another answer might be the Apostles, who refused to stand up for him -- Peter denied him three times.  But a further answer might be God who sent Jesus to a time and place where he was certain to be killed, God who refused to save Jesus from the cross when he asked.  Remember, when, on the cross,  he finally realized that God was not going to rescue him, Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me"

Q How did paganism shape the bible?:

A. You have to understand that, before Jesus' time, all religions were, what modern Christianity would call Pagan.  In other words, all religions, except Judeo/Christianity were Pagan.  Contrary to what many Christian theologians may claim, Christianity did not emerge full-grown in the middle of the first century AD.  Rather, it was the gradual evolution resulting from the impact of Eastern mysticism and Greek philosophy in the first few centuries before Jesus. All the stories in the New Testament were first told about Pagan gods and heroes. Even Jesus dying on the cross was first told in Pagan writings.  About 4 or 5 centuries later, the Christians "forgot" where they came from and began making their modern claims of uniqueness. 

Q: If  Moses wrote Genesis, where did Moses get the information?

A: Actually, we do not know that Moses wrote Genesis.  This is a Jewish tradition. But he was certainly qualified to do so. Being the heir to the throne of Egypt, he likely had access to all their ancient records. Too, he was likely taught the history of the world  as part of his training to be Pharoah.  In other words, if Moses wrote Genesis, he based it on ancient records and traditions that he had access to.

Q: Why are there two creation stories in Genesis?

A: There are two explanations: 1) that Moses (or whoever) combined several documents together to make Genesis and that there was an overlap. 2) Moses deliberately combined several documents together to show us a) How we get from nothing to something (the first creation) and b) how the astral gave birth to the physical (the second creation).  I like 2)

Q: In the Bible, what does the word 'submit' mean?

A: It means to yield, humble one's self, or to put one's self under the control of someone else.

Q: Who is Yahweh?

A: Yahweh is one attempt to pronounce the four letters YHVH which are translated either LORD or Jehovah in English translations of the Bible.  See Jehovah in the New Age Dictionary

Q: What is the interpretation of the book of Revelation?

A: The Book of Revelation is a hodgepodge of various scriptures that have been melded together into the present form.  At the base is a letter written by Judas Iscariot to the seven major Jewish synagogues in Asia in the beginning of the first century, asking for their financial and moral support for his Zealot movement in its attempt to overthrow the Roman control of Jerusalem. The rest is a bunch of Gnostic and Zealot preachings.

Q: The Bible has been both scientifically and archaeologically proven to be correct and in-line with other historical documentations. How can you Quantify the Bible as "hodgepodge?"  

A: I said the Book of Revelation is a hodgepodge. But you are right. The entire New Testament is a hodgepodge of writings.  It is not a statement of believe or doctrine.  Luke & Acts are a clear outline of the supposed history of the Church, but nowhere in the New Testament will you find a clear statement of beliefs.  However the complete outline of Church rules are declared in Acts 15:28-29, but of course very few Christians understand these prohibitions. Actually few of them apply to us today because those "sins" are no longer available.  Clearly, if God had written or dictated the New Testament, it would be much clearer and there would be fewer Christian sects based on the varying interpretations of the confusing text.

Q: What does the Bible say about reincarnation?

A: See Reincarnation.

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