You are currently browsing the Dear Canonist weblog archives for December, 2008.
- Apocryphon of James (9)
- Atheism (8)
- Becoming an atheist (28)
- Biblical Hotties (3)
- Biblical Marriage (11)
- Biblical topics (27)
- Comment Policies (7)
- Contradictions (21)
- correcting (3)
- Damascus Document (12)
- Dead Sea Scroll (42)
- Disciples (10)
- Exodus (57)
- Family Values? (31)
- Freewill (60)
- Genesis (71)
- Genesis Material (15)
- Gospel of John (33)
- Gospel of Mark (33)
- Gospel of Matthew (2)
- Gospel of Truth (1)
- Hell (6)
- Holy Qur'an (42)
- Holy Spirit (4)
- Important Questions (12)
- Inerrancy - My Ass (57)
- Introduction (38)
- Joseph (12)
- kingdom of God (13)
- Love (10)
- My Beliefs (9)
- Pascal's Wager (4)
- Personal Responsibility (14)
- Readings (261)
- Resurrection (1)
- State of Mind (57)
- Tales of the Patriarchs (9)
- Tall Tales (25)
- Ten Commandments (5)
- The Book of Secrets (1)
- The Coming of Melchizedek (1)
- The Last Words… (10)
- The Nag Hammadi (13)
- The Usual Suspects (8)
- Traditions of Men (46)
- Treatise on the Resurrection (1)
- Tree of Knowledge (2)
- Vision of a New Jerusalem (1)
- War of the Messiah (1)
- Word of God (27)
- YHWH & slavery (10)
- December 27, 2009, 11:39 am: Now for Some Observations
- December 20, 2009, 8:10 am: The Resurrection
- December 18, 2009, 8:38 am: A Heavy Implication
- December 8, 2009, 7:55 am: Old Testament False Prophecy
- December 2, 2009, 9:24 am: False Prophecy and Religion
- November 21, 2009, 3:18 pm: An Introduction to the Gospel of Truth
- October 25, 2009, 1:20 pm: The End is Near!!!
- October 24, 2009, 4:58 pm: Just a few glitches!
- October 17, 2009, 9:10 am: The Book of Secrets
- October 16, 2009, 9:51 am: Introduction to the Jewish Sectarian Association
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Archive for December 2008
Conversations with a Christian (Part 2)
December 31, 2008, 8:47 am by dc-agape.
From recent experience, I realize that I have forgotten a very important Biblical topic. I am not really ready to tackle the concept of being a Disciple of Jesus; it is very complex and different than being a “Christian”. I believe that it is time to bring up the topic of changing the Bible.
Numerous verses are involved and numerous examples of the punishment are given in the Word. What is odd is that none of the punishments have occurred to those who have changed the Bible. For example Dante Alighieri ‘s Divine Comedy may not have been the source of the Christian Hell, but we know that the Bible is also not the source of the concept. Hell will be a Biblical Topic in future posts. Another example is the fruit of knowledge has been changed into an apple. The Seven Deadly Sins is the greatest addition to the Christian faith that has no foundation in the Bible.
If the Bible and the Christian faith cannot be trusted to show humanity the “Truth” about “God” where does this leave us poor, helpless mortals? If an unchanging “God” has allowed the Word of God and the Church to change, even due to human sin, where does this leave us unenlightened heathens? With little consensus between denominations and translations of the Word, how can we “find” this unknowable all-powerful creator? How can there even be more than one denomination or one translation of the Word of God if there is only one God, one Son, and one Holy Spirit?
These questions must be answered. And” just have faith” is not an acceptable answer. Using that phrase is different from Blind Faith, it is ignorant faith based on sloth. That type of faith is the sloth of not demanding an answer, the sloth of not looking for an answer. Blind Faith is trust that what you know about “God” is true and is based on study and experience. Blind Faith is a bias, and it can still hinder learning the “Truth”, but Slothful Faith is unacceptable.
If humans have anything hard wired into them it is the sense of curiosity and exploration. When Faith, either Blind or Slothful, inhibits curiosity or the desire to explore we cease to be human. We become herd animals that can be controlled by anyone in authority. The numerous scandals in the Church, in government, and in public schools are proof of this. We must stop being herded like cattle to the slaughter!
We must be free to search for answers. We must throw off the chains of religious tradition to search for the “Truth”. At this point in time, Christians are no better than the Pharisees of Jesus’ time. They believe that they have the “Truth” and nothing will change their minds. Yet it is obvious, looking in from the outside, that the Christian faith is just tradition,
Mark 7:5-8 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the traditions of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” He replied, “Isaiah was when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”
Posted in Biblical topics, State of Mind, Becoming an atheist, Introduction | Print | No Comments »
Deceitfulness (Part 2)
December 30, 2008, 8:24 am by dc-agape.
Genesis 33
As Jacob meets his brother he continues to treat Esau as a “lord” throughout this chapter. Jacob goes so far as to bow before his brother seven times, a sign of complete submission. But to say the least, the “gifts” to Esau were unnecessary. Esau had already forgiven Jacob long before the “gifts”. Esau brought the 400 men to help, not to harm, his brother. Esau was as rich and powerful as Jacob. This is easy to see, because if he could meet Jacob with 400 men, imagine how many men he had back in Seir! The entire account of Esau, recorded in the Word, will be covered in Genesis chapter 36.
Esau immediately receives Jacob with open arms. If only Esau knew what would happen between the Israelites and Esau’s offspring the Edomites. Even though YHWH tells the Israelites to leave the Edomites alone, there are many battles between the descendants of these two brothers even to this today! Only in 1994 did the nations of Jordan (where Seir is located) and Israel sign a peace treaty.
Esau believing that everything is settled between himself and Jacob refuses the “gifts”. Jacob continues to push the livestock on Esau until Esau accepts. Esau offers to help protect Jacob’s family and livestock, but Jacob declines the offer, claiming that his children and livestock require a slower pace. Esau even offers to leave only a small number of men, but Jacob does not trust even this little amount of help from his own brother. In the end they separate and Jacob promises to head to Seir. But this is a complete lie! Jacob could not tell the truth if he had to, he is a complete liar.
Instead, Jacob continues on towards Shechem. He returns to Canaan, but he does not honor the conditional prayer that he made to YHWH 20 years earlier. So he even lies to YHWH. Man, what a total loser Jacob is! Jacob buys a plot of land for his tents and an alter in Shechem. He pays 100 pieces of silver. The smallest piece of silver in the previous link is 30g. That would be about 3 kilograms of silver. Using a different relationship, the very minimum that Jacob paid was 300 grams of silver. In comparison, Abraham bought a field and grave from Ephron the Hittite for about 4.5 kilograms. Even our US 50 cent silver half-dollar weighs 12.5 grams (100 shekels would be 1.25 kilograms). Since we cannot be certain about the true weight of the shekel, nor the size of either Abraham’s or Jacob’s plot of land, it would be good bet that both men paid about the same relative value for the land they possessed.
From a gay atheist point of view, I interpret the character of Jacob as both fearful of men and a liar. Neither quality is something I want to use as guide on how to live my life. As a result, the Word of God does not present a “Manual for Life”.
Posted in Family Values?, Genesis, Readings | Print | No Comments »
Jacob and YHWH
December 29, 2008, 11:12 am by dc-agape.
Genesis 32:22-32
The relationship between Jacob and YHWH has been strained at best. The relationship starts with a conditional prayer. During the 20 years with Laban, Jacob does not talk to YHWH until the end, when he is fearful that Laban might hurt him. So it is not surprising that he would wrestle with YHWH the night before meeting Esau.
Jacob wrestles with an unknown man the entire night. When YHWH sees that he cannot win, he cheats. He damages the socket of Jacob’s hip. Jacob is still winning because YHWH has to beg Jacob to release him. Jacob demands a blessing before he will release YHWH. Since YHWH does not know that this is Jacob he has to ask for Jacob’s name. YHWH then renames Jacob to Israel. What a fitting name for the children of Israel. Israel means “to struggle with YHWH and men and overcome”. Throughout the Old Testament they struggled with YHWH and with men, but survived. Even to this day the struggle with men continues, the recent attacks in Gaza are a perfect example.
Jacob does not know that he has been wrestling with YHWH and also has to ask for a name. YHWH avoids the question by giving his blessing. So Jacob names the place after the experience and limps onward to meet his brother, Esau. Great way to start a possible bloody confrontation: lack of sleep, lack of mobility, and exhausted from wrestling!
From a gay Atheist interpretation of this event YHWH is a wimp! He cannot beat the weaker of the two sons of Isaac. YHWH is also not omnipotent, he does not know the name of Jacob! The whole concept of the Christian god being all-powerful and all-knowing is just a bunch of bunk.
Posted in Genesis, Readings | Print | 1 Comment »
Disciples of Jesus (Part 1)
December 28, 2008, 8:43 am by dc-agape.
I am starting the Biblical Topic of what a Disciple of Jesus acts like. The first part of this topic must include the word “christian”. The Word only uses this word 3 times, at all other times in the New Testament the word “disciple” is used to describe the followers of Jesus.
The definition of the noun “christian” is a person who exemplifies in life the teachings of Jesus Christ. The definition of the noun “disciple” is one who is an active adherent and embraces, assists in spreading the teachings of another person. The first word only serves as an example; the second word is an active adherent. There is a difference between being a “christian” and being a disciple of Christ.
The first time the word “christian” was used is in the Word is here:
Acts 11-25-26 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
What this verse says to both Atheists and Christians is: the church was already very strong before the words to describe a disciple changed. The Church in Antioch was already in full steam before the word “christian” was ever used. This means that Jesus never used the word himself! What this verse says to an Atheist is that the words “christian” and “disciple” should mean the exact same thing!
The next use of the word “christian” is also in Acts:
Act 26:28 The Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
You must read the entire section of Acts 25:23 – 26:32 to fully understand what Agrippa is saying to Paul, but I will put it in a small nutshell. First, Agrippa’s use of the word “Christian” is not a positive one. Agrippa, and the other men who were to judge Paul, thought that Paul was crazy with “great learning”. Christian was not a compliment nor was it a thing that Agrippa was interested in becoming. It was basically a slur! But there is another meaning to this verse. Even Agrippa knew that it was not a short process to become a Christian. Agrippa knew that it would take great persuasion to make anyone be a Disciple of Jesus.
In the Word of God the word “Christian” only appears one more time.
1Peter 4:16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
I, as an Atheist, wish that all Christians would take this verse to heart and follow it! As an Atheist and a Gay man I relish that I suffer. It means that I am not like everyone else in the world. In fact, it means that I have used my brain and made decisions in my life that are significant. Can most Christian say the same thing? The little suffering that Christians in the US suffer is minor when compared to that of the Atheist or the Gay person here in the US! What does that tell you about being a Christian? The whole concept of being a Christian is so watered down that it is meaningless! I will explain as continue with the Biblical Topic of Discipleship.
Posted in Disciples, Biblical topics | Print | 1 Comment »
Fear of Man
December 27, 2008, 9:15 am by dc-agape.
Genesis 32:1-21
After 20 years of living with Laban, Jacob is now arriving close to his home. He left home with an enemy, and then he left Paddan Aram with enemies. He just made up with Laban, after correcting his sin of deception. Now he must face his brother, which he also sinned against with deception. I must say from an Atheist point of view Jacob was a humdinger of a great man! I’m glad even most TrueChristiansTM don’t emulate this guy.
The first thing that is noticeable about this passage is that Jacob does not trust in YHWH. He is so fearful of a man that he prepares to meet his brother like Esau has already beaten him. Now I will admit that 400 men would be overwhelming, but Jacob has YHWH on his side. He should show some confidence!
Jacob attempts to protect his family by separating them into two groups. He then sends messengers with gifts to his brother. I like tables when the numbers get this large so:
| 200 female Goats |
| 20 male Goats |
| 200 Ewes |
| 20 male Rams |
| 30 female Camels with young |
| 40 Cows |
| 10 Bulls |
| 20 female Donkeys |
| 10 male Donkeys |
If this is what Jacob can give to Esau as a pacification gift, Jacob is filthy rich! To ensure that these gifts are truly appreciated Jacob sends them one at a time (each of their kind own kind) to Esau. Can you imagine what Esau though when he had received each of these gifts? The only thought would be “My little brother has done well! He is a powerful man and I respect what he has accomplished”. But I will wait till the next post to see what happens. Most of do know, there have been tons of movies made of this part of the Word.
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Posted in Genesis, Readings | Print | 2 Comments »
Laban and his Grandchildren
December 26, 2008, 10:05 am by dc-agape.
Genesis 31:22-55
I want to recap what happened in the last post. I am doing this so that Laban’s point of view is very clear. Jacob has left Laban in the middle of the night. In the process he has left without saying goodbye, and taken Laban’s daughters and grandsons with him. Worst of all, Jacob is Laban’s best laborer and has earned most of Laban’s herds. Laban has lost everything when Jacob leaves, because we also know that Rachel stole Laban’s family idols. Laban does not know where Jacob is taking his family, Laban does not know where his idols are, and Laban does know that all his chances to recover any livestock have disappeared.
So after 20 years, Jacob will live for 147 years, was a small price to pay for 4 wives, 13 children, and all the herds of goat and sheep. But he is still afraid of Laban, and he still does not trust YHWH to keep him safe. After 3 days Laban finds out that Jacob has left and races after Jacob. The most important thing to Laban is:
Gen 31:26-28 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war. Why did you run of secretly and deceived me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-by. You have done a foolish thing.
This is Laban’s reason for chasing after Jacob, but the missing household idols were important as well. Rachel hides them by using deception, which causes more uneasy between Jacob and Laban. Then Jacob goes into a diatribe about how hard he has worked for Laban. He also repeats the lie about his wages changing 10 times. From chapter 29, we know that his wages for marriage to Rachel was changed from 7 years to 14 years. But his wages for the livestock was negotiated from the moment the 14 years was complete.
They end the meeting with making a covenant that will protect each others property and family. With the addition that Laban requests that YHWH make sure that Jacob does not remarry or mistreat either of Laban’s daughters.
From an atheist point of view, this story has a few morals. First, deception causes more harm than it protects the person doing the deceiving. The deception that Jacob did to Laban was painful to Laban. He almost did not get to say good-bye to his family. The deception that Rachel did to both Jacob and Laban nearly started the feuding again between the two men. A second moral is the value of family. No matter how much Laban was unhappy about the loss of his livestock to Jacob, he still loved his daughters and grandchildren and wanted to see them one last time. It even leaves a bad taste in my mouth that the patriarch of the chosen people did not recognize this fact! But the most important moral to an atheist is the ridiculousness of religious traditions. Rachel was able to deceive her own father by using his religious fear of his daughter’s menstrual period! If that superstitions was not so powerful, Laban would have check the saddle that Rachel was sitting on and the story would have been very different. Jacob would have to decide if his promise to kill the violator would be honored! Rachel is no better a role model than Abraham or Jacob. She lies, dishonors her father, and worships household idols!
Posted in Genesis, Readings | Print | No Comments »
Have a Wonderful NewtonMas
December 25, 2008, 9:12 am by dc-agape.
‘Tis the season to be wishing everyone a happy holiday. WE know that Hanukkah finishes on Dec 29th; we know that the winter solstice was the 21st of Dec. But of course we can’t forget that it is also a TrueChristianTM holiday. So I am wishing happy holiday to everyone.
I use NewtonMas personally. I have a number of reasons to celebrate NewtonMas. The most important reason is that Sir Isaac Newton was actually born on this day! Sir Isaac was very important to science and math, I certainly could not be getting my PhD without some of the knowledge that Sir Newton brought to us! Unlike that Jesus fellow, who was most likely born sometime around April 12, 6BC, we know that Sir Newton was born on this day in 1642. But I also celebrate NewtonMas for the exact same reasons that the first Christians celebrated Christmas on Dec 25th way back nearly 2000 years ago: Because everyone is celebrating something. Back then, the Pagans were party hard because the winter solstice was over and the sun was returning. If the Christians didn’t celebrate as well, things could go very badly for them. First, everyone would know they were Christians and be imprisoned. Horrors! No one wants to be imprisoned and feed to lions for a religion! But worst still, how can you make a Pagan convert to Christianity if you don’t party? Of course, Christmas had to fall on the exact same dates as the Pagan and Jewish holidays!
This is why I celebrate NewtonMas and wish everyone a very special NewtonMas. Give a little knowledge to someone you know today!
Posted in Genesis, Readings | Print | 2 Comments »
Jacob leaves Laban
December 24, 2008, 10:09 am by dc-agape.
Genesis 31:1-21
An unknown number of breeding seasons have passed since Jacob and Laban made the contract for the spotted livestock as pay. Jacob’s use of heredity has caused almost all the sheep, lambs, and goats to be spotted. Remember, Jacob never calls on YHWH in the previous chapter for assistance; Jacob is responsible for the outcome. Well, of course, both Laban and his son’s would have noticed this by now. YHWH finally chimes in with “go back to your father”.
Jacob makes plans with his wives to leave Paddan Aram. He explains to his wives how he feels that Laban does not treat Jacob the same. Jacob admits that he has put all his strength into the work that he has done of Laban, but then the lies to his wives:
Gen 31:6-7 You know I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God had not allowed him to harm me,
This is, if we can take the Word of God literally, a flat out over exaggerated lie! Only once did Laban change the wage, and in that process Jacob got 4 wives. Up to this point Laban has treated Jacob with complete respect. Remember in the last chapter, when Jacob wanted to leave and Laban asked:
Gen 30:31 “What shall I give you?” he asked. “Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied, “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them:”
In verse 32 he makes the deal with Laban about the streaked and spotted livestock. Laban has treated Jacob excellently in everything except the wife switch more than 14 years earlier. Not one recorded violation has been recorded.
YHWH finally speaks up and tells Jacob that it is time for Jacob to honor the conditional prayer that was made back in chapter 28:
Gen 28:20-21 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be by God
So here is YHWH making good on the vow that Jacob made.
Both Rachel and Leah have seen that all the wealth now belongs to Jacob as well. In fact, they compare their marriage to Jacob as slavery:
Gen 31:15 Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.
So it would seem from the wives point of view that Jacob actually has 4 slave wives. But they agree that it is time to leave their father’s home. They tell Jacob to go wherever YHWH has told him to go.
Jacob packs up everything that he has earned in the long stay with Laban. This includes the 4 wives, the 13 children, all the sheep and goats, and heads for his father in Canaan. The two things have been done that are contemptible. First, Jacob runs away without telling Laban that he is leaving. Jacob is taking the daughters and grandchildren of Laban away without tell the man, without letting the man say goodbye to his family, or letting Laban know where his grandchildren will be! How would your grandparents feel if this occurred to them? But Rachel does something just as bad. Remember that Laban is an idolater; well it seems that Rachel is still an idolater, she steals the family idols from her father. Here we have Rachel taking the most precious item left to her father and she is still not a believer in YHWH. It’s a good thing that only the men count. Rachel is certainly not a good example of how to be faithful to YHWH!
As a gay atheist this story only reinforces two observations that I have about our society. First, that the concept of marriage has drastically changed over the millennia, TrueChirstiansTM who do not like the idea of gay marriage should look more closely at their holy book. In the Word of God there is slave marriage and polygamy. Since YHWH sees nothing wrong with that, why is that not the norm for marriage now? Second, as an atheist, I see nothing in this book that I want to use as an example of how to be a better person. These people were corrupt, they lied, they stole, and they manipulated. The whole concept that these were the chosen ones of YHWH only makes me know that YHWH does not exist!
Posted in Biblical Marriage, Family Values?, Genesis, Readings | Print | No Comments »
Freewill (Part 6)
December 23, 2008, 7:27 am by dc-agape.
It is time to end the topical series on Freewill. All six of these posts will be available under Freewill in the archives. In the previous posts I have looked at what the Old Testament and Jesus have had to say about freewill. I have also used examples from both the Old and New Testament. I have included how both YHWH and the Holy Spirit are responsible for control over our “freewill”.
To end this series I want to look at what the father’s of the 1st century church had to say about freewill. Luke, Paul, and James have all chimed in. I will start with what all three authors have to say about how YHWH has chosen those who will live with him forever in heaven. I will finish with two verses that will be the finishing touch to freewill.
In Acts, Luke talks about the appointed:
Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
By this time the Apostles in Jerusalem had already heard from Paul. They were in agreement that all people, Jews and Gentiles, were to be “saved”. But Luke also knew that only some of the people were chosen by YHWH to be “appointed”. Divine intervention is required before anyone becomes a TrueChirstiansTM.
In Romans, Paul tells of predestination:
Rom 8:28-30 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
YHWH has a purpose for those he called to love him, isn’t that sweet? It is his call, not ours. We have no choice in the matter. What is interesting here, other than the freewill part, is how those he foreknew were to be conformed to be like Jesus. “Conform” is a powerful word. It means that if someone has been chosen by YHWH to love him they will act in accordance or harmony with Jesus. Today, as an Atheist, the christians I see do not act in harmony with Jesus. If anything, what I see are people filled with traditions just like the Sanhedrin in Jesus’ time. All I see is lip-service! Where is the love that Jesus commanded? Where is the love that Jesus showed to the tax collectors, the prostitutes, and the lepers?
So just how early did YHWH chose those to be “saved”? Paul answers that question in Ephesians:
Eph 1:4-5 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise and grace, which he has freely given us in the Ones he loves.
So here we have the answer, before the world was created YHWH knew who would be “saved” and who would not be. And it is in accordance with YHWH’s pleasure! It is his pleasure to see his creation in hell! He freely gives it arbitrarily to some, but to many he condemns them to hell at his pleasure. What a loving creature!
But the Word of God is not finished yet, here is what Jesus’ own half-brother had to say about freewill:
Jam 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Even James, the leader of the Jerusalem council, agreed that YHWH chose who would be “born again”. Many hundreds of millions of people have died and are in hell, because of a loving YHWH which choose who would have eternal life and who would not.
I am getting close to finishing, but I want to bring up one more passage from Paul:
2nd Co 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Those that are perishing have been blinded; we could not see the gospel even if we wanted to! There is no such thing as freewill in the Christian religion. If YHWH chose who would be saved before the creation of the world, and Satan blinds all the rest of the people, the game is over. It never even started in the first place. We have no choice, we have no freewill, and we have no control!
I will end with a verse that has confused me since long before I began to see through the façade called YHWH. In fact, this one verse may have been the starting point:
Luke 19:9-10 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Everyone in Jesus’ time was lost! How can the Son of Man have to seek for those who are lost when everyone is lost? We aren’t talking about “bobbing for apples”; we are talking about draining the water out and picking up the entire crate of apples. But when we apply the concept of YHWH choosing certain people out of the multitude to be saved, then Jesus has something to seek.
Boys and girls, if your god exists, we don’t have freewill!
Posted in Freewill, Biblical topics | Print | No Comments »
Biotechnology
December 22, 2008, 7:50 am by dc-agape.
Chapter 30:25-43
Jacob has finished his 14 years of labor for his now father-in-law uncle. He has 4 wives, and 13 children to think about. Laban is desperate for Jacob to stay. Here we read again that Laban is not a believer in YHWH. We know this because he has used divination to find out that Jacob is blessed. So they hash out another deal of unspecified duration for Jacob’s work. The pay that Jacob will receive this time is the imperfect offspring of the sheep, lambs, and goats owned by Laban. Jacob uses good old evolution to create speckled sheep, dark-colored lamb, and spotted goats. Looking through the web I found an interesting site on the Rainbow Biology Project. It is an excellent primer in biotechnology (man-made evolution), and near the bottom it explains how Jacob purposely breeds for specific phenotypes (the speckled, dark and spotted animals). Since Jacob had worked with breeding these animals for 14 years, there can be no doubt that he recognized the patterns of birthing. To make sure, Jacob uses superstition instead of calling upon YHWH. In the end Jacob becomes very rich with many sheep, lambs, and goats.
Look closely at the section about using poplar, almond, and plane tree stripes (Gen 37-39). No once did he call upon YHWH to bless this tactic. Today we know that the use of wood strips in the water would not work. But we do know that breeding the stronger animals together is a wise practice. From a biological point of view, it is obvious that by mating the speckled animals with the pure white animals Jacob was able to increase the number of imperfect offspring. He did the opposite thing with the pure ones. He only mated them together. As a result, he minimized the pure white population because he was mating the speckled ones into the pure white population. He was not mating the pure white population into the speckled.
From an Atheist’s point of view, and noticing that this entire section of Genesis 30 does not call upon YHWH, it is obvious that the precursors to the Israelites knew something about the world around them. They also knew that YHWH was not required for miracles to occur.
Posted in Genesis, Readings | Print | 1 Comment »
