March 8, 2009, 1:33 pm by dc-agape.

Geniza A Col 15-16

I am separating these two columns out from the rest of Geniza A because the 1951 publication of the “A and B” documents does not have these two columns.  Both these columns and, in fact, the rest of the Damascus Document (CD) continues with the regulations that are required to remain within the covenant with YHWH.  It would seem from reading and studying other points of view that the communities that these regulations refer to as the Yahad are the greater sect that the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls are loosely affiliated with.  Very similar to individual churches in a single protestant denomination having slightly different rules than the denomination they belong to.

These two columns are about the Yahad requirements.  Most of these two columns also refer to taking the oaths and vows of the larger sect.  They begin with the difference between taking an oath on the Laws of Moses verse an oath taken on the covenant of the Yahad.  With a striking warning:  by vowing to the Laws of Moses any breach in the vow is a defilement of the name of YHWH.  In this case, the person will bear the burden of sin and die.  A vow on the covenant a breach of the vow will only require confession of sin and restitution for that sin.  Does this sound familiar?  Where in the Old Testament does it make commandments for the confession of sin?  In fact, in the OT, confession of sin usually brought stoning or banishment.  So this is definitely a new wrinkle on Judaism.  It seems very similar to the teachings of Christianity.  Since these sects were active within a century of Jesus’ time, there is no doubt that they influenced his teachings.  The more I read the Dead Sea Scrolls it becomes evident that Jesus was not making up new things but was using the best of the religious doctrine of the time between the many Jewish sects (Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and this Yahad group to name a few).

This covenant that they can make an oath on without penalty of death is actually an oath to return to the Laws of Moses.  A new member of the Yahad must be examined by the “Overseer” (much later in the CD). Interestingly, the new member cannot be instructed about what the Overseer will examine!  The new member must come before the Overseer without any knowledge of what to expect.  It would seem the purpose of this was to test if the new member would return to the Laws of Moses with “a whole heart and with a whole soul”. 

If the new member passes this examination, he is required to study for one full year any area of the Law that he was weak in understanding.  But the Yahad were picky about who could be tested.  They required that “no simpleton, ignoramus, weak of sight, lame, crippled, deaf, or below the age of accountability could join the congregation.  There was the promise that the day the new member took the oath the “Angel of Obstruction” would leave him.  In other words, this sect whole heartedly believed that YHWH obstructed his chosen from understanding the Laws of Moses.  Freewill shattered once again!

Oaths are important to this sect.  Any promise made would have to be carried out, even if the promise required the death of the oath maker.  Worse was that any oath made that violated the Laws of Moses could not be carried out, even if by doing so the oath taker died.  Fathers and husbands could annul a woman’s oath if it violated the oath to follow the Laws of Moses.  Obviously, this sect did not give equal rights to woman as to men.  If they did the women would know when a vow was in violation of the Law of Moses.

The last sections of Column 16 rows 13-20 are very fragmented.  They describe the rule of freewill offerings.  It seems that these freewill offerings must not come from stolen goods or gained by extortion.  Anyone doing such a thing would be punished.  But the punishment seemed to be in the form of a “fair evaluation” in retribution, most likely in a monetary amount.  That seems very odd to me.  First, how do they determine how much was stolen or extorted to begin with?  Second, the stolen or extorted goods had a monetary value.  This seems very similar to today’s punishment of multimillion dollar companies or athletes by requiring them to pay a percent or two of their net income.   It does not punish them nor does it make them stop doing the exact same thing again.

And that is the crux of the problem with religion in the first place.  Religion gives no one a good enough reason to stop the “sin” that they have committed.   They pay a little price (maybe it is a little extra tithe or a small amount of guilt) and continue to do the exact same thing.  Religion does not teach the full value of the action people take that harms others.  Yet in Humanistic Atheism we recognize that our actions do hurt other people.  It is that recognition that inhibits us from doing what we know will hurt our fellow humans.  For example, almost all Atheists recognize the harm caused by bigotry (Life Without Faith) and discrimination (National Institute of Health). 

Posted in Damascus Document, Dead Sea Scroll, Atheism, Freewill, Readings | Print | 4 Comments »

March 8, 2009, 12:05 pm by dc-agape.

I want to continue the topic of what the Word of God as to say about its self.  In this case I want to cover what the Word has to say about what must be given up to follow the Word.  Most “Christians” know these things but they do not actually obey the Word of God when it comes to doing it, so it is worth repeating.  The act of not following the Word of God is another proof that these people are not Christians and the fact that no Christian sect actually obeys these commandments means that there is no Church on earth.  As I have pointed out before, if there is no Church, there is no Holy Spirit, and if there is no Holy Spirit then there is no Jesus, and without Jesus there is no YHWH.  Obeying the Word of God is the only proof that YHWH exists and since no one obeys the following verses that is proof that YHWH does not exist!

So what are these all so difficult verses to obey?  They are the ones that tell the disciples of Jesus what they must give up to be his followers.  The message in the Gospel of Matthew is giving up your family.  The message in Gospel of Mark is giving up your wealth and life.  The message in the Book of James is giving up your pride.  Barnabas or Apollos wrote in the Book of Hebrews that one must follow and imitate the leaders who taught the Gospel.  Paul’s message is giving up payment for your services in teaching the Gospel.  But Paul goes even further in his letter to the Philippians, he requires them to act a certain way.

To take a closer look at these verses from the Word of God, the Gospel of Matthew has three verses.  In the first:

Matt 8:21-22 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Many “Christians” use this verse to say that Jesus was in a hurry to complete his ministry and did not have time to wait.  But that is the lamest excuse possible for not following the commands of the Word of God.  Two reasons can be used to make that distinction.  First, when this story occurred Jesus had barely started his ministry and he knew when it was going to end.  Second, in the story of the Rich Young Man (Matt 19:16-24) Jesus tells the young man to follow all the commandments, including “honor your mother and father”.  In fact, even though it is slightly off topic for what I wanted to cover in the Gospel of Matthew, here are the exact requirements from Jesus:

Matt 19:18-21 “Which ones?” the man inquires.  Jesus replies, “’Do not murder’, ‘do not commit adultery’, ‘do not steal’, ‘do not give false witness’, ‘honor your father and mother’, and ‘love your neighbor as yourself’.”  “All these I have kept,” the young man said.  “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell you possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven.  Then come, follow me.”

You see, to be a disciple of Jesus, you must obey the OT laws, including honoring you parents; but to be perfect you must sell your possession and follow Jesus.  So Jesus would not have commanded the young man to dishonor his father unless he meant that to be a requirement for being a disciple.

And that is exactly the case:

Matt 10:21-22 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.  All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

This did occur in the early Church, but when in the last 1000 years has it happened?  It happened in the US’s civil war (Fredericksburg.com), but not because of religion.  Do all men hate you?  Would your own family betray you?  Of course not, Christianity is the majority in the US and most of Europe.  In fact what is ironic is that the Christian is no longer hated (yes in small pockets of the world they still are).  But Jesus said “All men”, he did not say “a few here and there”.  It is the Atheist, the Muslim, and the gay people that are the ones hated by the world.  Christians have sold out.  Their doctrine so watered down that it cannot fulfill the commandments in the Word of God.

I will finish this post with one last verse from the Gospel of Matthew:

Matt 10:37-39 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Putting these four sets of verses together, it is clear that the Church is not fulfilling the requirements that the Word of God has commanded.  These commandments and prophecies were not just for the early Church!  These are for anyone who would follow Jesus and be his disciple.  These are the directions that must be followed to be saved.  If you cannot obey them, Jesus clearly states in that last set of verses you are not worthy of him! 

The Gospel of Matthew’s message is that to follow Jesus a person must give up their family, their property, their love of this world, and their life.  If a “christian” cannot do this then all the praying and all the church attendance, and all the “good works” are for nothing, they are still “not worthy of Jesus”.  And you all know what that means:

Mark 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my word in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Are you too ashamed of the Son of Man to follow his commandments?

Posted in Word of God, kingdom of God, Disciples | Print | 3 Comments »