Why is the Bible out of date?

Okay, I know I haven't written in a while. The election and all. But I am getting over my PED (Post Election Depression--Look it up, it is a real disease) and I am ready to talk about life again.

So, I was at Toastmasters yesterday and had a fascinatingly disturbing discussion. A friend indicated that his problem with the Bible is that it does not transcend time. I asked him to expand on this thought. He said that the Bible is in stilted language. I asked him if he is referring to the Original Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, etc or was he referring to a particular translation? He did indicate that he is not fluent in the ancient languages in which the Bible was written. Thus, he was relying upon translations. We went on for some time discussing the problems with translations and the fact that we could not truly comment on the language used in the Bible unless we could read the original. This discussion was interesting and included discussion as to which translation is best. However, that is not the point of this posting.

The point that I would like to open up for discussion is this. Ultimately, my friend's argument boils down to this: The Bible was written in languages known only to a portion of the population, therefore it does not transcend the time/language barrier--Were G-D truly all-powerful, would He not have written it in such a way that it could be understood by all.

Please remember when discussing:
1. This friend of mine believes the Tower of Babel story is just a simplified childish story to explain what we now know to have much deeper roots.
2. This friend of mine does not buy the argument that translators are G-D's method of crossing the language and time barriers due to the imperfections of the translations.
3. This friend does not feel the argument extends to render all foreign language texts as not transcending time because they were not ostensibly written by G-D.

Charlie--If I have unfairly stated your position, please let us all know.

Have at it y'all and have fun.

G-D bless,

Jeff

Sarah Palin

I don't need to add anything. Please go to www.gopconvention.com/videos/ and click on the link to hear Sarah Palin's speech. Finally we have a candidate in whom we can believe. Please help me in supporting, donating, and voting for the only voice of Truth and Reason.

Praise Him daily and He will bless you abundantly. G-D bless.

Ask not for Whom the Bell Tolls...

August 18, 2008 will go down in history as a milestone for the ethical crumbling of this once great nation of ours. On this date, the California Supreme Court stated that a doctor cannot elect not to perform an elective procedure on purely moral or religious grounds!!!!!

A lesbian woman asked to be artificially inseminated. A doctors' office (two doctors involved) refused on moral and religious grounds but referred the woman to a different doctor who would perform the procedure. The woman sued the doctors claiming that they had discriminated against her on the basis of her orientation.

on August 18, 2008, the California Supreme Court made a ruling in Benitez extending a rule which essentially states that if a statute is not discriminatory on its face, the fact that it causes discrimination is irrelevant. For example, a statute which says hats can not be worn in public does not on its face discriminate against any group. Therefore, the fact that it discriminates against religious Jews is irrelevant and the statute stands.

First we took the language of the First Amendment and said that it created a "Wall of Separation" between state and religion. Of course no such language is in there. Now we learn that "Congress shall make no law" respecting the free exercise of religion doesn't really mean no law. It means no law that doesn't offend the gay lobbiest. It means no law that doesn't specifically state, "This law is being passed to infringe on the rights of ______ religion." So long as it doesn't in so many words spell out that it applies only to a particular religion, it passes muster. In fact, we can extend the concept to state that if the law discriminates against multiple religions, then it does not single out a particular religion and is thus a non-discriminatory law. (By the way, please don't correct me by stating that the First Amendment is Federal and this was a state case. Per the fourteenth amendment and the cases interpreting it, the Bill of Rights applies to the state governments as well.)

Now take this scenario. A woman "finds out/decides" she is lesbian and leaves her husband, then fights for custody. Am I, as an attorney, now required to take this case because I am not allowed to decide which cases not to take on a religious or moral objection. Now let's take the man that beats his wife and threatens her with a weapon. Am I required to take his custody case, because my objection is based on moral or religious grounds. How far does our degradation of society have to go before we call out to Heaven and cry, "How much longer, Oh Lord, before you do justice to this world?"

Praise Him daily (although the day approaches when this too will become illegal) and He will bless you abundantly. G-D Bless.

Gas Prices Revisited

Why are gas prices so high? And who or what is causing the prices to continue to be so high?

Please see my previous post regarding gas prices. I posited a sinister force behind the gas prices. I addressed this question due to a friend's failure to attend Church and his excuse that he simply could not afford the gas to travel to Church.

As you may be aware, there is a simply amazing annual event called, "Spirit West Coast." This is a three day Christian Music Festival in which people, G-D, and His artists get together to praise His name. Every year, He attends and spends time with His people. This year was no exception.

However, this year had one problem. Lack of people. Generally the event is so crowded that it is difficult to walk between the stages in the evening. This year, the event was marked with emptiness. It was even easy to leave the main stage after the headliner, rather than contend with the usual horde of people. In fact, according to the festival officials, the turnout was the lowest it has been since the first two years of the event.

The official reason cited for the low turnout--high gas prices!

Somehow people make it to work. They make it to the supermarkets. Las Vegas tourism bureau officially states that there has been no decrease in tourism this year. There has been no decrease in rush hour traffic. But when it comes to getting together with G-D, that is expendable. That visit can wait until gas prices come down.

The Enemy's chief weapon is the excuse. All people have the ability to do what is right. All people have the temptation to do what is wrong. Since most people know what is right and all are able to do it, the biggest obstacle the Enemy has to overcome in order to sway people to his side is the natural guilt felt when going his way. Therefore, he supplies excuses. This allows the person to say, I would like to do that which is right, but I can't because...

Am I saying that a low turnout at one Christian festival demonstrates that Satan is behind the gas prices? No. Am I saying that all those who did not attend a Christian festival this year are ruled by Satan? No.

What I am saying is that Satan has a hand in allowing the gas prices to increase, because he knows that this will translate into excuses used by people to avoid the meeting with G-D that might otherwise transform them and render them unreachable to the Enemy.

Praise Him daily and He will bless you abundantly. G-D Bless.

Fact vs. Opinion: A Refresher Course

It has come to my attention that people have serious problems with the difference between fact and opinion. Please refer to this as a guide.

Fact:
A statement which is empirically provable. Such a statement can be shown to be true or false. No amount of disbelieving will change a fact. For example, blog starts with the letter, "b." You may believe that blog starts with the letter, "w." However, that will not change the spelling of blog, nor make your incorrect spelling any more correct.

Opinion:
A statement of belief. Such a statement is neither true nor false. Such a statement is a personal expression. For example, Pizza is delicious. I happen to feel that statement is accurate. However, if you disagree, then it would be quite accurate for you to say that Pizza is not delicious.

Seen in this way, whether a particular person is good or bad would be an opinion based on the subject standards of goodness or badness in the same way that the quality of music is subjective. Thus, no matter how much I might protest, my posts regarding Hussein Obama are opinions.

However, someone's existence is not an opinion, but a fact. One either is real or is imaginary. There simply is no middle ground. Thus, G-D's existence is a fact, and not an opinion at all.

Therefore, if two people are debating on the relative aspects of a particular organization. It is quite proper to say that whether the organization's methods are an unfair scheme is matter of opinion. However, it is not accurate to say that whether the organization's methods fit the legal definition of a particular brand of fraud is a matter of opinion--this is a fact, either false or accurate.

Praise Him daily and He will bless you abundantly. Good night and G-D bless.

It is better to hate then love

Love is a many splendored thing, but is it positive. Love is primarily selfish. Although we disguise it with the claim that love is focused on the aim of our affections rather than on ourselves, the truth is quite the opposite. The reason, primarily, that we focus at al on the object of our affections is the feeling and results created within ourselves. Thus, love is focussed not on another person, but on ourselves. Love is essentially selfish. The purpose, the doings and the end goals are focussed upon the person who is loving rather than the person being loved.

Hate, however, is selfless. One who hates thinks first about the person he is hating rather than himself. He is willing to go to extraordinary lengths, even to his own detriment to diminish the object of his hatred. The end goal is not an improvement or change in himself, but simply destruction of the one he hates. Hatred, thus, is consumed entirely with the person being hated and not the person who is hating.

Machiavelli said it is better to be feared than loved. In truth, one is most selfless if one hates, not if one loves.

This is not inconsistent with a religious outlook. G-D is well aware of this truth in Man. Think you not it strange that there are more negative injunctions in the Bible than positive commandments.

Praise Him daily and He will bless you abundantly. G-D bless.

Going to the Holy Land?!!

So Hussein Obama has announced his current campaign schedule. It includes what every candidate for American President does?, a tour of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. How very appropriate for creating a global government?

Mr. Obama, our President is our representative. The only people eligible to vote are citizens of the United States of America. This is not sinister, negative, or in any way discriminatory. The President of the United States of America represents the United States of America and is its leader. Now, of course, it is necessary to develop some international relations, in that such advances the ideals, goals and security of the United States of Americans. But it is not necessary or advisable to mount a global campaign.

First, a global campaign indicates to the world that there is something inferior within the nation which requires us to seek global approval. For those that seek to conquer, it implies weakness. As any of you who have studied animal behavior would know, when faced with an attacking animal, the safest behavior is to show confidence and strength. Once you show weakness, you invite attack.

Second, a global campaign simply makes no sense, as it is engaging those that are, literally, irrelevant to the political process.

Third, the Social Contract theory states that we enter into a relationship with government whereby Government agrees to provide us with certain protections and benefits and we agree to provide obedience to laws and regulations, as well as providing payment for the protections and benefits. If our proposed leader panders to those who have not entered into the contract, he is, in effect, using our funds to divert our benefits and protections.

Finally, the Beast will proclaim the need for an international government. One world government--the New World Order. No, I am not one of those crazys who thinks there is a conspiracy afloat to create a North American Union. Instead, what I am proposing is that we should be leery of one whose actions could result in a diminution of the sovereignty of our nation, especially when, in my opinion, Revelations predicts a one world government, under the direction of the Beast.

Mr. Obama, we wish for you to consider your electorate and constituent. Don't sell your message abroad and simply assume we will follow along. Conduct your campaign in the nation you wish to lead.

Remember to whom your praise must be directed and praise Him daily and He will bless you abundantly. G-D bless.