New books on faith: 1-31/2-1-09
January 31, 2009
The books about matters of faith just keep rolling off the presses. There is no way for any single human being to keep up with this onslaught, but I'm going to point you to a few new offerings this weekend.
I remind you that when I write a blog book column (my previous one was Nov. 22-23 last fall), I'm not agreeing with everything each of these authors writes. In some cases, I may vehemently disagree but think you should know of the existence of the book and of the arguments being made.
I also remind you that for every book I mention here, there may well be several dozen more covering similar subject matter that I haven't mentioned and don't have time to get to.
With all that in mind, let's see what's new:
* God in the White House: A History, by Randall Balmer. The author, who teaches religious history at Barnard College, begins with the faith views of John F. Kennedy and ends with those of George W. Bush. Which should give all of us a good foundation to understand how this field may change under Barack Obama. Balmer is fair and insightful. He's that rare combination of a scholar who can write readable prose. Plus, there are some good primary documents in the appendix.
* Opening the Qur'an Introducing Islam's Holy Book, by Water H. Wagner. Anyone -- especially non-Muslims -- who wants to gain a thorough and even nuanced understanding of the Qur'an would do well to start with this helpful new book. It is thorough, appreciative and full of the kinds of detailed facts that are necessary to grasping the significance of the world's second largest religion (Christianity is first). At more than 500 pages, this is not a book for summer beach reading. But the author, who teaches history and biblical studies at Moravian College and Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, helps non-Muslims (but also Muslims) grasp the influence of the Qur'an.
* Red, White, and Muslim: My Story of Belief, by Asma Gull Hasan. A previous version of this book had the title, Why I Am a Muslim. This version will be published Feb. 17. The author, a journalist and a lawyer, grew up in Colorado, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants. She offers here another much-needed voice from Islam, one that is clear, rational and profoundly American. I might suggest this book as good companion to an earlier one by another female Muslim American journalist, Asra Nomani, Standing Alone: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam.
* An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith, by Barbara Brown Taylor. The author, an Episcopal priest, seems to be simply incapable of writing a bad book or a bad anything. Oh, I'm sure she has some terrible sermons somewhere that she hopes never see the light of day again. But Taylor is a great gift to the Christian church. And this volume, which focuses on spiritual practices, simply adds to her growing reputation. She may not identify herself readily as in harmony with Celtic spirituality, but what else but that is this? ". . .there is no spiritual treaure to be foundapart from the bodily expeirences of human life on earth. My life depends on engaging the most ordinary physicial activities with the most exquisiteattention I can give them."
* Questions of Truth: Fifty-one Responses to Questions about God, Science, and Belief, by John Polkinghorne and Nicolas Beale. Anyone familiar with the insightful science-religion writing of Polkinghorne always looks forward to whatever he's got coming next. In this volume, Polkinghorne and his colleage Beale provide their own Christian answers to some of the most-asked questions about faith, from "Is atheism a form of faith?" to "What does it mean to be created 'in the image of God'?" to the old standard, "Where does evil come from?". By the way, did you know, as they write here, that "the sky is not blue on every planet"?
* The Great Awakening: Seven Ways to Change the World, by Jim Wallis. The author, the now-famous "progressive" evangelical writer, editor and speaker, has helped to shape the public discourse about faith and politics in our time. He's now convinced that we have entered a new era in which the so-called "Religious Right" (which means different things to different people) has lost its power, to say nothing of its way. Wallis says President Obama's election signals the end of "an age of narrow and divisive religion." Like most prophets, he tends to put into past tense things he hopes will happen as though they've already happened. But Wallis issues here a consistent call to action to care for souls who need caring. And, in the end, that's all of us.
* Grace for the Afflicted: A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness, by Matthew S. Stanford. This is an effort to understand mental illness from an evangelical Christian perspective. It has some useful insights but seems quite easily to slip into explanations for such illness that involve demonic possession and similar causes. However, the message about loving people with mental illnesses is good and wholesome.
* The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith, by Christopher J. H. Wright. The author, an understudy of the famous Christian leader John R.W. Stott, has written a book that quite frankly acknowledges the difficulty of understanding God's motives and means. Wright's attempts at explanations are drawn from pretty traditional Christian theology, though the real value in the book is not the answers but, rather, a willingness to wrestle with the questions with an acknowledgement that satisfying answers are not always at hand.
* Return to Rome: Confessions of an Evangelical Catholic, by Francis J. Beckwith. This rather well-known evangelical Protestant -- he was president of the Evangelical Theological Society -- describes here his decision to return to Catholicism after 30 years as a Protestant. The engaging thing about the book is that he makes clear that his story and decision will not -- and need not be -- everyone's story and decision.
* The Entity: Five Centuries of Secret Vatican Espionage, by Eric Frattini. This fascinating account, previously published in Spain and France, now is out in English. And it's likely to rattle some of the Catholic faithful. It's the account of the Holy Alliance -- called The Entity since the 1930. The Entity is the Vatican's spy service, created in 1566 by Pope Pius V. In Frattini's introduction, he writes, "Kings have been killed, diplomats poisoned, and one or another among feuding factions supported, all as a norm of papal diplomacy. Blind eyes have been turned to catastrophes and holocausts. Terrorists have been financed, as have been South American dictators, while war criminals have been protected, Mafia money laundered, financial markets manipulated, bank failures provoked, and arms sold to combatants even as their wars have been condemned." And in the final chapter, he describes the decision by Pope Benedict XVI to continue The Entity, suggesting that the newest head of it, "whoever that may be, can expect that the German papacy of Benedict XVI will not be very different from the Polish years of John Paul II. . .He can expect. . .years of enormous activity for the espionage services of the Vatican state."
* Now two together: The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence, by Shimon Gibson, and Jesus, The Final Days: What Really Happened, by Craig A. Evans and N.T. Wright. The publication date for the first book here is not until March, though it can be preordered. It is written by an archaeologist and draws on his work in Jersusalem to offer new insights into the location of Jesus' crucifixion and Jesus' tomb. It's quite a compelling read for any Christian who likes to imagine the historical scenes depicted in the gospels. The second book is drawn from lectures by Craig Evans and Tom Wright, two noted Christian authors who have maintained orthodox (lower-case "o") theology. This volume is just over 100 pages and offers a compact, helpful and updated view of Jesus' trial, crucifixion, burial and resurrection.
* Marpeck: A Life of Dissent and Conformity, by Walter Klaassen and William Klassen. The early years of the 16th Century Protestant Reformation were often chaotic and full of turmoil and much dissent. It's hard to think of a group of whom that is more true than the Anabaptists, from whom the Mennonites and Amish trace their roots. This engaging book shines an important light on that period by focusing on an often-overlooked Anabaptist thinker of the period, Pilgram Marpeck, from Rattenberg, in what is now Austria. As the authors point out, Marpeck "was one of the first to advocate the separation of church and state. He offered articulate explanations of the theology of adult baptism (which is what Anabaptists believed in) and Christian commitment to nonviolence." Anyone interested in good Christian history will benefit from this book.
* Why Faith Matters, by David J. Wolpe. No, this is not a book about why you should read my blog. Rather, it's a lovely book by a prominent rabbi who has reasonable and well-considered things to say about the importance of faith. Wolpe is a fine story teller, and his stories matter. In the end, this is an argument from the heart against what he calls "the narrow certainties that lead to viciousness and violence" as well as "the smugness that often characterizes arguments against faith." In the conversation with the so-called New Atheists, this is a strong word of wisdom.
*Love God, Heal Earth, by the Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham. In recent years, people of all faiths -- and none -- have committed themselves to the work of environmentalism, saving the earth for (and from) ourselves. It's been quite a remarkable movement toward common ground. In a sense, this book provides the theological rationale and marching orders for this movement. Bingham has gathered together nearly two dozen voices from several religious traditions. The result is not a single voice but many distinctive voices singing from the same page.
* The Hero with a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell. Campbell, who died in 1987, first published this book in 1949, and it became something of a classic. It helps all of us understand the "myths" by which we live -- no, the the falsehoods but the overarching stories, the narratives that help us grasp what the human condition is all about. As you may know, Bill Moyers some years ago featured Campbell in a series of interviews that sought to unpack what our religious and other myths have to say about us. In a time of much religious conflict, this book deserves a new audience.
* Hope Endures: Leaving Mother Teresa, Losing Faith, and Searching for Meaning, by Colette Livermore. There aren't many anti-Mother Teresa books in the world, and I'm not sure I'd count this one among them, though it does raise some criticisms of the way Mother Teresa's order was operated. Rather, this is more of a story about a crisis of faith that led a Catholic young woman to go from being part of Mother Teresa's order of nuns to being an agnostic (though she calls herself both an agnostic and a non-believer, which I believe are contradictory). Livermore, who today is a physician in Australia, is quite a good writer. But the story she tells makes me wish she had been much more mature and worldly when she committed herself to work with Mother Teresa when she was just 18. I think she'd have worked her way through her doubts and troubles the way Mother T herself did.
* Conflict & Reconciliation: The Contribution of Religions, by John W. Bowker, editor. In an era when religion gets blamed for many of the conflicts in the world, this important book offers some critical thinking -- meaning some sanity -- about the causes of those conflicts but, more to the point, the ways in which religion can and does contrbute to the solutions to those battles. Writers look at various religious traditions (including Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity) in some detail to give an account of what each brings to the peace table. Would-be peacemakers of any faith or of none would do well to digest what's in this book.
* 365 Prescriptions for the Soul, by Dr. Bernie S. Siegel. This well-known physician and author has produced a volume of daily meditations designed to heal you with inspiration, hope and love. The idea is simple enough and easily could slip into daily sameness. Siegel avoids monotony, however, by drawing on a wide range of sources for the quotes that prompt his musings.
* Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate, by Brad Warner. This is an engaging and personable argument for Buddhist practices even in the midst of personal crises of the kind Warner experienced in 2007, ranging from divorce to family death to job loss. It's an odd little book in that it's not what you might expect from a Zen teachers, but it's a fun read.
* Now two more together: Rumi: In the Arms of the Beloved, tranlsations by Jonathan Star. And The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharoahs, by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy. Both of these small volumes are part of the Tarcher Cornerstone Series from Tarcher/Penguin, which seeks to publish spiritual and philosophical classics. The first book contains some of the 13th century Persian poet's most famous works. (Jalaluddin Rumi, by the way, is the best-selling poet in America even today.) The second book is a new translation of a late-Egyptian classic from which Western artists and writers have drawn inspiration.
* How to Believe in God: Whether You Believe in Religion or Not, by Clark Strand. This is another book that has a March publication date, but can be preordered now. This Buddhist teacher and former Buddhist monk has struggled mightily to make sense of the countless (many of them off-putting) images of God. Finally he has returned to the Bible to try to make some sense of how God is depicted there and whether it's possible to believe in such a God. The result is a book that offers neither traditional Buddhism nor traditional Christianity but, rather, some useful questions for seekers on any path.
* The Secret History of Dreaming, by Robert Moss. Did you ever wonder where the tune to the Beatles' great hit "Yesterday," came from? The author of this intriguing book reports that Paul McCartney dreamed it. The Bible, of course, is full of dreams, including those of Jesus' earthly father Joseph, who heeded what he had dreamed and fled with his family to Egypt to avoid losing his baby boy to Herod's blood thirst. And this volume reports on lots of other people and their dreams -- and how all of that changed history.
* The Unseen War: Winning the Fight for Life, by David K. Kortje. One of the oldest metaphors for understanding life and the troubles it brings is a military one. We are in a battle. We must fight. The struggle is against an enemy we sometimes cannot even name, much less see. The author, a physician and director and founder of Knight Vision Ministries, uses that motif to describe his understanding of the Christian life. There is plenty of Satan talk here, plenty of war language, plenty of admonishments to recognize that we're on a battlefield, whether we want to admit it or not. I've never found that kind of methaphor especially helpful to me, though I recognize it works for some people. If you're one, this book, written by a man from Benton, Kan., (that's northeast of Wichita) may be helpful to you on your spiritual journey.
* Atheists Can Get to 'Heaven', by W. Michael King. Yes, the author had a near-death experience. Yes, he felt himself surrounded by white light. Yes, he came back to write about it. And his conclusion? ". . .one's eternal essence of life being does not depend on deities, religion or faith. Nor must consciousness end upon the death of the body, as die-hard atheists would assert." Perhaps some day all of us we'll know if he's right.
* Soul Currency: Investing Your Inner Wealth for Fulfillment & Abundance, by Ernest D. Chu. This would be classified as a self-help book with spiritual underpinnings. The author is a pastor at the Center for Spiritual Living in Fort Lauderdale, which is part of the United Church or Religious Science. In the book he proposes that you take careful spiritual inventory and use what he calls your soul assets to achieve success and happiness.
* Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance, by R. Albert Mohler Jr. The author is president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a prominent voice among Christians who identify themselves as theologically conservative. So it's no surprise that he devotes several chapters here to providing a theological justification for condemning homosexuality. There is much to be said about the damage done to individuals and society when sexuality is less an expression of commitment than a means of satisfying base desires, but that message can get lost when so much attention is given to maintaining prejudice against gays and lesbians for reasons that I believe cannot, in the end, be biblically justified. But even if you don't agree with Mohler, he represents a widely held (though I believe dwindling) position and it's important to understand his thinking.
* Finally, three novels (I don't read much fiction, religious or otherwise) but these seemed interesting enough to mention and to give you links to check them out further: Eve: A Novel of the First Woman, by Elissa Elliott. This begins with Cain murdering his brother as told through Eve's fascinating voice. Angel of Wrath, by Bill Myers. This has cops and satanic practices and all kinds of strange goings-on. Mark's Story, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Yes, the authors of the "Left Behind" series are back with a fictitious account of the end of Jesus' life. Just so you know: I thought the theology behind the "Left Behind" series was misguided. But if you're a big LaHaye-Jenkins fan, here you go.
* * *
TELLING THE POPE WHAT TO DO
A couple of times here in the last week or so (check the archives) I've written about Pope Benedict XVI rehabilitating a Holocaust-denying bishop. I thought you'd be interested in the views of two rabbis, who suggest the pope should reconfirm the welcome stand Vatican II took to repudiate the church's historic anti-Judaism. For a relatively thorough accounting of that history, see the link to my essay on that subject under the "Check this out" headline on the right side of this page. AND: For an analysis of this whole controversy from John L. Allen Jr. of the National Catholic Reporter, click here.
* * *
P.S.: If you enjoyed "The Note" on the Hallmark Channel in 2007, you will want to see its sequel, "Taking a Chance on Love," on the same channel at 8 p.m. (CST) Saturday.
Speaking of anti Judaism, in his 11:04 post yesterday Iggy relates some stories his father supposedly told about how the Jews behaved in World War II. I hope posters realize that he has given us no grounds to believe that we can rely on any "stories" he was supposedly told to draw any conclusions whatsover about the Jews.
And in his 11:10 posts he speculates as to what would happen if Christians had a gun put to their head.
Well, in the Soviet Union where he came from, that happened plenty of times. When their propaganda failed, violence followed.
And Christianity still survived!!!
And then he gets upset if someone speculates as to what would happen if atheists got political control of our society.
Gulags anyone?
Posted by: adam harrison | January 31, 2009 at 02:18 AM
I do find it amusing, though, that Iggy has his own entire site..but no where on it is there a place to leave comments as with Bill's blog.
I wonder why? LOL!
Posted by: adam harrison | January 31, 2009 at 02:51 AM
Michael King was surrounded by white light. The mind plays funny tricks on you when under extreme conditions. This isn’t any thing new or a religious experience. I believe he might think this, but there is no evidence this appearance of a white light is god or angels.
I was banged in the head once and saw “stars”. Did I really have stars in my head? Was this a revelation? I did have a headache afterwards.
Another time I was almost knocked out and as I lay on my side I watched the world spin and then went to slow motion. Amazing how we get stuck in ancient beliefs.
All these books won’t get you any closer to heaven or learn the secret of the gods. What will get us closer is science. Not pseudo science, but the real stuff with provable method. Religion is for the insecure.
10 - The Scientific Method Made Easy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcavPAFiG14
O.T. verse of the day: Genesis
God says that if Adam eats from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then the day that he does so, he will die. But later Adam eats the forbidden fruit (3:6) and yet lives for
another 930 years (5:5). 2:17
N.T. verse of the day:
Jesus falsely predicts that some of his listeners would live to see him return and establish the kingdom of God. 9:27
Gospel according to Clarence Darrow:
Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt!
Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole
Posted by: memberofKCFreeThinkers.org | January 31, 2009 at 06:41 AM
Bill,
Oh my god! I wonder if your time would be better and more efficiently spent to move the world forward instead of reading all these books?
You have already been on the scene of interfaith collaboration in Kansas City and around the country for so long, that it would be easy peasy for you as a Christian to go out to "crazy Christian ministers" in Kansas City and preaching the gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and Hannibal Lector to them instead of reading all these books?
I don't know how much more can you read as a "normal" Christian secularist/liberal flaming agnostic trapped in Jesus Christ's body? By now, Bill, you are by far the closest to a Unitarian Universalist as I have ever seen. While you have the right to call yoruself a Christian or whatever the hell you want, perhpas, it's time for you to start nudging these religious crazies towards seeing Jesus in a different light? - not what will save you for eternity but rather what would you do with your beliefs in this life that we only know of and other afterlives we can only speculate about?
Maybe it's time for you to move on to more realistic and rational things and join this church http://www.TheChurchOfReality.org instead of counting the angels on a tip of a needle with all these books?
Posted by: Iggy - www.KCFreeThinkers.org | January 31, 2009 at 08:43 AM
Bill,
Gave you wrong web site address - here it is http://www.ChurchOfReality.org
___________________________________
Cole,
It is remarkable that virtually all "visions" are perceived in the context of the time the people live in. In "Dark Ages" of Christianity rule people had visions of Satan and Devil, with the rule of the Catholic church/state hybrid, it was not unusual to have someone seen Mary and even today Jesus is often in visions. It also was reported that ***ADAM'S FIRST WIFE***LILLITH*** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillith visited people in their dreams and even gave young boys wet dreams. Not anymore. UFO visions/sightings did not start happening till 40's when jet propelled planes started appearing every day. On top of that, visions of people in the same "religous" environment almost never show someone from another religion - it is virtually always the same folklore. The only logical conclusion is that people's brains create the visions based on their situation, or (the easiest one to accept that there is some sort of a spirit and he/she/it manifests in the visions so people can easily understand them). I don't even want to go into this fortune telling technique and alchemical nature of Christianity and other faiths.
One thing is clear - humans are moral relativists - check out photos of Nazi Muslims in the 30's and 40's - http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=nazi+muslim&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 .I heard about Nazi Mulsim but did not do too much research. One thing is clear - dogma permeates cultures, times, religions and geogrphic boundaries. As a "sin" dogma travels relatively fast. Without putting a gun to anybody's head Hitler was able to captivate his country's attention, inlcuding Christian leaders. Without putting a gun to anybody's head Jesus was able to entroll his followers with a "magic man did it" story which was different and "better" than the one they all believed just before him.
Posted by: IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org | January 31, 2009 at 09:29 AM
Cole,
I would like to actually run a mental experiment with a game of Russian rulette with a willing Chrisitan. Let us run an experiment with them and tell them that if they (on their own volition) pull a trigger and there is one bullet in chamber they will have an immediate 100% chance of going to heaven and all their family. There maybe a bullet, or not, only god knows. This would be a similar test to the one that Abraham was going through in the OT. Let us tell them that we have had a vision from god about it and god has said that this is what he wants. Let us get someone in a position of authority - like a Bishop or Pope say it. God tells you that the rules have changed and now is your test.
I would like to actually present this to a minister and see if this will rile him up. We agree that god is all powerful and can do anything from the get go. No problems there with the minister. We aslo agree that we cannot know the mind of god 100%. We cannot know even a small % of the mind of god unless you just rely on the Bible which is admittedly by the minister is NOT WRITTEN BY GOD but by fallibable men who could only guess the mind of god. So, is it posssible that something has been missed in "interpreation" of the mind of god? Sure, will answers the minister, but this is not what I beleive. Fine, we proceed further. And then I present him with this gun scenario. This is not the god that the minister knows. I make a statment that presuuming the mind of god as we agreed already is a non sequitor and makes no sense, he has a plan for us and we cannot even presume the full picture of his plan, hence a gun to your temple can be nothing but part of the grand plan. Oh, boy, circular logic of Christianity coming around. I've done it before with a few Christians telling them I am Jesus and they cannot disprove it. They are visibly stressed and angry, offended, disappointed at me, that this proves to them that atheists are immoral and don't want to talk about it. Good for them! I tell them they need to keep their faith private and to themselves, because there will always be someone who will take it personally and it will not get us anywhere. We need to move beyond the private beliefs and being offended, but rather dwell on what needs to be done to make this life better not the afterlife. Jesus already died for you on the cross, so make the best of it.
Posted by: IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org | January 31, 2009 at 09:35 AM
This week's God's Daily promise, 1/31/09: Overcoming discouragement brings great blessing
How do you remind yourself of God's leading in the past?
Joshua said to the people, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: …I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him to the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendents through his son Isaac.… Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought terrible plagues on Egypt; and afterward Ii brought you out as a free people.… With your very own eyes you saw what I did.… Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land.… When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you. There were also many others who fought you. … If was not your swords or bows that brought you victory. I gave you land you had not worked for, and I gave you cities you did not build—the cities in which you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you
did not plant them. Joshua 24:2-13 NLT"
Joshua's story of hope"
Does this Joshua story, remind us of the United Nations, giving Israel land back in the Promised Land area?
Or was this Lord a 'supernatural' Person, that talked face to face with Moses, like Humans. Did God land on the mountain, in smoke, fire, and thunder?
Did 'God' help Israel take over a country already occupied, like Israel was helped in our time?
Was this God a High Tech Society, like we were in WW1/2? Could these events have been during the Noah/Atlantis High Tech Society?
Naw! God is a Spirit Being, not a Human Being. God a Spirit, flies in fiery chariots. and talks, and walks with Humans.
Posted by: Dolores Lear | January 31, 2009 at 09:37 AM
When Christians fight over "Hell" as literal or metaphorical meaning...
You gotta love it - imagine astrologers arguing if stars in the sky govern us through gravity (which there is clearly a gravitational connection of everything in the universe) or through some magic dust? What do Christians think about astrologers? Alchemists? Fortune card readers? Palm readers? Do they think for the most part that those guys are wackos?
Enjoy the video clips
Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMnD4zmLWdM&feature=related
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWfLEjVFL54&feature=related
Then look up comments of the "new theologian" who just participated in this debate above and see that "new Xianity" is being invented again and again and again - http://www.youtube.com/user/tentmaker777
_______________________
George W. Bush has made it clear that he believes in evolution. You can't lump him with Creationists anymore. He's one of evolutionists now. He also says "I quit drinking. I don't hear voices anymore!" :o)
ARN.org - President George W. Bush said his belief that God created the world is not incompatible with the scientific theory of evolution. Asked about creation and evolution, Bush said: "I think you can have both. I think evolution can - you're getting me way out of my lane here. I'm just a simple president. But it's, I think that God created the earth, created the world; I think the creation of the world is so mysterious it requires something as large as an Almighty and I don't think it's incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution."
He added, "I happen to believe that evolution doesn't fully explain the mystery of life."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTa-En4f504&feature=related
________________________
Evangelicals Stunned by Bush's Declaration "Bible Not Literally True". Bush also believes in evolution. Crazy Christians go bonkers! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FlqXIe9w4U&feature=related
Posted by: Iggy - www.KCFreeThinkers.org | January 31, 2009 at 10:17 AM
What is Faith? What are Faith Matters? What Matters, if Humans do, or do not have Faith? In What?
Where did Religion come from? In Genesis, Perfect Humans were Reproduced by The Lord God, a Spirit 'Being', a Higher 'Being'?
What is a Spirit 'Being'? What do Higher Spirit Beings have to do with Physical Human Beings? Be Supernatural Gods?
Were the First Perfect Humans Adam and Eve Spirit Beings, Reproduced in the Image of Spirit Higher 'Beings', the Lord God"
Were Adam and Eve in 'His' Spirit Image, or were they Physical Humans?
How do Spirit Higher 'Beings' Reproduce Purebred Physical Human Males, and Females from the Male Rib?
Human Beings today, do Reproduce Human Fetus', and Clone Animals, by High Tech in the Lab.
High Tech Science Birth is Super'natural', to Natural Heterosexual Body Birth. When did the First Spirit Human 'Beings' Adam and Eve, change to Natural Human Beings?
When they began Reproduction, and started making Fallen Human 'Beings' by Heterosexual Body Birth? Why?
With our High Tech Science, we do Know about the Atom (Body) and ElectroMagnetic Force (Spirit/Soul)of Life Species.
These Elements are Unseen in Space, and Seen in the Stars/Suns that make our Universe.
The Atoms makes Bodies, visible and invisible, and they are held together by the Spirit/Soul.
The Physical Body does not have Life, without the Spirit/Soul. A Body without a Spirit/Soul dies. And the Body decays back to Atoms.
So Why did the Original Equal Perfect Human Clones, made by a Spirit God in our Image, take over with Natural Heterosexual Human Reproduction?
Imperfect Male and Female Humans were the result. Inequality, Inhumanity, and Death began.
And The Seven Deadly Sins began, that are those transgressions fatal to Spiritual Progress.
Continue.
Posted by: Dolores Lear | January 31, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Continued.
Imperfect Male and Female Humans were the result, of the Original Body Birth Sin. Human Inequality, Greed, and Inhumanity resulted.
We are experiencing what Greed in High Places, has done to the USA, and our Home Planet today.
All these examples in Religion and Myth, about Higher and Lower Human 'Beings', can be explained with High Tech Science.
Were All these writings of Humans, seeing, walking, and talking to God face to face, made up religion, or Fact?
Did Humans Really Evolve on Earth up to Today, and our Supernatural High Tech Science, that can Reproduce Humans and Animals in the Lab?
Were Adam and Eve Colony born Supernaturally? Cain, Abel, Seth, and Females were born Naturally?
Humans became Divided, and Humans have Killed Each Other Ever Since.
God, gave Planet Earth to Humans. For 6000 years, Humans were Praying to God to make Peace on Earth.
Or, they take Comfort in Dying and going to Heaven, for Peace and Equality.
Peace is not up to God, on Planets, but up to the Highest Species on Earth: United Purebred Human Caretakers.
What Good does it do to Life on Earth, for the Haves to have Storehouses of 'Things', while other Children of God are Starving and Homeless?
Can we still blame God for Inequality, instead of Fallen Humans?
God made Humans Equal and Gods Resources were Free to All Species on Earth.
Why did God let Adam and Eve start Reproducing Unequal Humans? Free Will?
Why did Humans start selling Gods Resources Unequally as their own? Free Will?
All these questions can be answered with a High Tech Science translation of All Religion and Myth.
All these Books published today do not have the Answers. Religion and Myth do.
Posted by: Dolores Lear | January 31, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Listen up, people!
Iggy has told you you don't need to read all those darn books! Just listen to Iggy! He wouldn't LIE to you!!! (chuckle)
Posted by: Will Graham | January 31, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Hey Iggy, I tried to call this morning!
Darn answering machine is always on! When ya gonna call, buddy?!
Posted by: Will Graham | January 31, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Regarding Iggy's suggestion of a game of Russian Roulette, Jesus already answered that one..."Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."
But seriously, though, since Iggy thinks there are so many crazies here, why is he even suggesting something like that?
I hope no one takes this fool seriously and gets hurt. I can just imagine the lawsuits against not only the parties but the blog that hosted this jive.
Posted by: Will Graham | January 31, 2009 at 11:31 AM
By the way, Iggy, I can't beleive that no ministers have disproved your claim to be Jesus.
It is quite easy.
Call for details.
Posted by: Will Graham | January 31, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Bill,
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus Christ was the Son and he is the way to heaven. Any religion that denies this is in error. If this is anti-judaism as you say, then Jesus was anti-Judaism which is why the Jews of his day murdered him, St. Stephen and a host of others. Christianity is incompatible with Judaism so long as Christianity is understood to be what it always has been, unequivocal belief that Jesus is the messiah. Jews that reject Jesus are just like Muslims, Shinto's or whomever, not one difference even if there is some racial/ethnic heritage that was made insignificant when the temple veil was rent. The Church has always taught that their covenant was superceded by the new covenant which comes through baptism. Also, I'd like to see exactly where the Vatican repudiated its view of Judaism at Vatican II. I'm not sure where it could be since we still pray for the conversion of the Jews and Jews can only be saved through baptism. (Remember in Collossians where Paul says that circumcision is replaced by baptism? Sort of kills the covenant doesn't it?) How does letting them dictate the ways of the Church help to lead them from damnation?
Posted by: SilverSmith | January 31, 2009 at 12:09 PM
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE...
Did you know that nation wide "Americans United for Separation of Church and State" http://www.au.org is headed by an ordained Christian Minister?
Browse through their site to find documentation of countless instances of religious discrimination perpetrated, even encouraged, on religious grounds.
Americans United has a nine-point agenda it is asking Obama to follow. The group is asking him to ban faith-based job bias, restrict faith-based funding and end school vouchers (which are nothing but a federal bonanza for Christian and religious schools.)
Obama just signed into law abolition of "gag order" on talking about abortion for foreign family planning services. Now, these organizations have the same rules as Planned Parenthood in America and can freely talk about abortion.
Obama as a Christian being a moral relativist. He is clearly not a Christian to some Christians, but is a Christian to himself, just like the Christians who claim that he is not a Christian are Christians to themselves. Go figure this conundrum...
Posted by: Iggy - www.KCFreeThinkers.org | January 31, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Oh,
And Malachi Martin was paid by Jewish Groups at the council to push for ultra-liberalization of Catholic dogma in Nostra Aetate. So even though there were no dogmatic changes, excuse the conservatives for not really caring about their flawed interpretation.
Posted by: SilverSmith | January 31, 2009 at 12:30 PM
IGGY!
Call me when you can. I found a place where there are miracles advertised! It says: “Where Miracles happen.” I want to call them and check it out!
Iggy I find your parallel on visions to be right on. What ever is happening in the time period and location is the new vision land.
God on the Brain - 1 of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRM0GOvMbcw
I’m under the belief that President Obama is at least an agnostic. Check out his history. Religion is for the insecure.
Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole
Posted by: memberofKCFreeThinkers.org | January 31, 2009 at 02:48 PM
Interesting point about Obama, Cole.
So what you are saying is that he is lying about being a Christian.
Or, to put it simply, he is a liar.
I wonder what else he will lie to us about?
Posted by: adam harrison | January 31, 2009 at 04:13 PM
Clearly Iggy doesn't consider reading books a worthwhile pursuit judging from his 8.43 a.m. diatribe against Bill's list! Can't help wondering how many contributors to this page are of the same mind set !
Obviously the comments on Obama's religion or lack of were made by non readers of his book Audacity of Hope. Read it people - particularly his chapter on Faith which is very good. Bill gave you a good quote from it a few days ago. Read it.
Red Biddy
Posted by: Red Biddy | January 31, 2009 at 05:39 PM
Spaghetti protested in vain!!!!
YES, The Flying Spaghetti Monster IS PREDICTED IN THE BIBLE! or to be precise in the Bible Code that is hidden in the Bible! Just gotta start from a specific letter in the Pentateuch, crunch some numbers and you got it! The HIDDEN UNCERTAIN QUANTUM MECHANICAL PRINCIPLE OF GOD HIDING IN THE SUBATOMIC LEVE JUST TRANSPONDED INTO MEASURABLE CERTAINTY OF THE BIBLE - Just Thinking, where are you? Can you please, comment? :o)
http://www.KCFreeThinkers.org/trollbiblecode.htm
Also, we are narrowing down on the Will Graham's fate in the Bible! God has a plan for him! Check out the page above.
________________________
Also, updated page on the troll http://www.KCFreeThinkers.org/trollupdate.htm - some lady calling herself Diana called last week claiming he has nothing to do with it (assumabely trolling on many science and atheistic web sites and posting under names of Diana/Diane/Christensen/Christenson). So, clearly, the troll (s) have been using her name without her authorization and posting as if it was her or some other Diane/Diana Christensen/Christenson.
Boy, it is a sin to be a lying Christian and also be a troll at the same time. What a predicament! What a moral relativist this/these troll (s) is/are. Deviating from the Absolute Truth of God! Not good, not good.
______________________________
Cole,
I want to check out the place where these miracles happen. Let's go there. I believe, we can find some people in that place who have been mislead by the miracle claims and perhpas, they would like to file a suit against the minister. Do you think it will go anywhere? A member of a church suing a minister for misleading them and lying to them? However, if miracles happen after you die and all your wishes come true will this be lying in this world? - Just Thinking? We need your advice on the god of the gaps in the quantum world? Let us talk more...
Posted by: Iggy - www.KCFreeThinkers.org | January 31, 2009 at 05:41 PM
We know nothing until we try, Iggy. It is called natural experience. And we do this in a natural world, the real world, I like to think. Of course others like, supernaturalism. And none of these people can give any evidence or formula to prove supernaturalism. Only ancient writings they claim were inspired by a god. Can’t disprove a negative. So once again it’s all on the religious. I wouldn’t be so against crazies if they were doing nice things with their belief.
I think it could go somewhere if someone has the guts and knowledge to do so. God of the gaps? The only gaps I see are between the ears of people like adamh and Will. A little more knowledge and they could be dangerous. I don’t know. I feel sorry for them. Lying in this world and the next? If there is a next, it doesn’t matter. If you lied you are not going to the next.
I think if you pay money and are lied to about a product, suing is a good case.
Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole
Posted by: memberofKCFreeThinkers.org | January 31, 2009 at 06:53 PM
Some lady calling herself Diana called you?
PROVE IT OR CONCEDE YOU ARE LYING!
If that is true though, then in the meantime you continue to smear her on your site?
Sounds like YOU are the one lying about an innocent person.
One thing is a fact, and that is that you had every opportunity to call the people you label trolls, and YET NEVER CALLED BACK!
That goes for you too, Cole, you could have called; all that stuff about calling your info line was just jive!
If not, then PROVE ME WRONG AND RETURN A CALL.
OTHERWISE, YOU HAVE CONCEDED DEFEAT!
And whats this "gaps" stuff, Cole? There aren't gaps, there are sweepong CANYONS regarding the origin of the universe, where even Stephen Hawking admits that the laws of physics breae down, and the origin of life, which can not be demonstrated to be the result of mindless processess.
The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle ALONE demonstrates that you will NEVER be able to close the "gaps", not even in principle.
Posted by: adam harrison | January 31, 2009 at 08:42 PM
Supernatural is High Tech Science which Humans can do, and is more than Natural Humans can do without High Tech. High Tech is not a Natural Human Characteristic.
To Colonize a Planet, Fly up in the air and out into Space, and Reproduce a Female from the Male Rib, are Supernatural High Tech Human Acts.
Natural Humans cannot do these things Naturally.
The Human Mind can do some some mind reading, etc., but most Supernatural Acts of Humans are done by High Tech Science.
High Tech takes a group to accomplish Miracles. It is not a Natural Human Characteristic.
The Lord God, Space Daddy, etc., can be explained as High Tech Science Humans, Real or Imagined. The Lord God was not Imagined.
The Only Supernatural GOD I cannot figure out, is the Source of the Atom and ElectroMagnetic Force. That is really Supernatural and not a Human. Humans cannot make the Atom and EMF.
Supernatural Acts by the Lord God, in our Human Image, did High Tech Colonization and Reproduction in the Lab, similar to like Humans do today. This is not Supernatural like the Source of LIFE.
But they are Acts Supernatural to the Natural Humans, who wrote Scripture and Myth.
How come Humans today do not consider High Tech Supernatural, to Natural Humans? Or did the Lord God do something we cannot do, such as have Peace and Good Will for All in their Society?
We do do something the Lord God Humans did not do, Pollute their Planets and Spaceships, and Kill Each Other.
What do other people on this blog mean by a Supernatural God?
Posted by: Dolores Lear | January 31, 2009 at 09:33 PM
IGOR DYBAL/COLE MORGAN want to sue ministers who make faith based healing claims.
I want to see DOCTORS and SCIENTISTS who make healing claims not only sued but prosecuted for their crimes.
Medical Malpractice kills 195,000 people a year. If you make mistake driving and KILL SOMEONE then you can be tried for Manslaughter.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/11856.php
Why should SCIENTISTS be above the law? Just because they are atheists does not insulate them from Civil and CRIMINAL prosecution.
I had a relative who died at the hands of doctors. His wife was going to be treated for an inoperable tumour, but the hospital wouldn't take her because the insurance would not pay enough! She then turned back to her faith and a year later the tumor was gone.
The sniveling doctors claimed it was a spontanious remission...but one compassionate doctor, who begged me not to name him (and I won't) said it was a miracle but that he would lose his license if he were to admit that.
The atheist mentality has a stranglehold on our society. The totalitarian mind set is demonstrated by posters who who bray and belch that believers must be SILENT and KEEP THEIR BELIEFS TO THEMSELVES.
These totalitarians want SUBMISSION but do not understand that the CONSTITUTION also protects religous expression.
The must be resisted, and we are organizing to expand our efforts.
Posted by: adam harrison | February 01, 2009 at 06:46 AM