#he has a class on scripture taught by an atheist

[emeraldcreeper]

God I hate family functions they’re so loud and annoying and crowded and why the fuck are baptists so obnoxious?

#my cousin is having his own gods not dead #he has a class on scripture taught by an atheist #which to me (agnostic/spiritual and not religious) was thinking wow that sounds cool #he should drop the class he’s not a leftist the prof is a leftist who said objective truths and he giggled during the class #a class of 8 students and he giggled at the idea of a dictatorship #so really what’s a birthday without dunking on science #vent #I’m just bitchy I have a migraine and there’s a screaming baby/toddler running around and terrorizing the cats #the cousin is a freshman in college btw #freshly fucking college and went yeah my secular college would have a scripture class I agree with wholeheartedly #he’s a bratty idiot

[serpentstole]

Luciferian Challenge: Day 12+13 (And 22)

A few of these prompts ended up being very similar in theme, so I’ve combined them into a bit of a long reply.

Dogma is something we throw about…that we reject it. Where do you think we may fall short as Luciferians/Satanists when it comes to dogma? Do you think dogma has a certain value?

I don’t think dogma has any value really, no, as I don’t like the idea of rules or ideas that cannot be questioned on principle. Even as a child, I took issue with blind obedience. My mother once called me downstairs, and I asked why, and my father got angry and said that I shouldn’t bother to ask why and just do it, and that even if one of them told me to jump out of a window they probably had a good reason for it.

That memory is seared into my brain and still irks me.

I do think rules themselves can be important, but when we speak of rejecting dogma it’s typically in the sense of it being some authoritative status quo that cannot be discussed or challenged. I think my example above is a good example of that, as petty as it may seem: that parents should be obeyed without question and with the assumption they have our best interests at heart.

I do not believe there’s room for that sort of attitude in an empathetic and respectful society, even towards children. Respecting their natural curiosity and teaching them about bodily autonomy is something I think can only be a net good. The only thing growing up in a strict household taught me, where there was little room for negotiation or challenging of the way things were, was how to be a decent liar.

It harmed me in far more ways than it helped instill any positive values, and while I would not want to belittle the experiences of anyone in a similar boat, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. There are some families where a dogmatic stance, whether based in politics or religion, can lead to the alienation or outright abandonment of LGBT youth, of young women who wish control over their own bodies, of those with views that differ from their parents’, or any other black sheep.

I feel like this question and my thoughts on it really go hand in hand with the next one, so I’m going to actually combine them into one post and make up the difference later.

Do you think it’s dogma or silly to say what Luciferianism/Satanism is not?

I do not think it’s dogmatic to say what Luciferianism or Satanism is or isn’t. The reason I’ve kept both labels in these two prompts, when I’ve removed them in every other post, is because I spent a lot of time in a mixed Luciferian and Satanist community during the beginning of my religious journey. Despite our differences, especially in the case of Atheist Satanism versus Theistic Luciferianism, I saw a great deal of overlap in a lot of the values/ideals, inspirations, and talking points. 

I think outlining those ideals and values is important to just… having a label. Words mean things. Religious affiliations and ideas mean things. Even saying you belong to or adhere to a school of thought typically has some manner of definition or parameters. While Luciferianism and Satanism can be incredibly diverse when it comes to the details of one’s ethics and morals, practices, views of the divinity or lack there of, and other suck points, there’s a good deal that does unite us that’s reflected in the archetypal figures our religions are named after. I also believe that certain aspects of what is seen as the Standard Luciferian should be weighed more or less heavily. For example, I don’t see my irritation with hostility towards Christianity as something that makes me less of a Luciferian.

However, I want to combine these two prompts with one more to round out my view of this topic. 

What do you disagree with Luciferians/Satanists most?

In the goddamn dogma they cling to and perpetuate while claiming to be adversarial to or enlightened above such ideas. It’s become almost a meaningless buzzword. It barely still looks like a real word to me anymore. This is honestly where my post goes completely off the rails into a mini essay, so it’s under the cut.

The idea that all “Abrahamic” religions should be treated as inherently harmful and oppressive is a bad take. 

That Christianity, Judaism, and Islam should even be lumped together when discussing such issues betrays a shallow understanding of these religions that’s been regurgitated from one person to another, typically through a culturally Christian lens.

The idea that “only LaVeyan Satanism should be called Satanism because nothing else that calls itself Satanism is actually Satanism” is exhausting, and I will fist fight Anton myself in hell.

The principles of Might Makes Right and Social Darwanism that some Satanists perpetuate is dumb and bad and wrong, sorry, that’s the only rebuttal I’m dignifying that school of thought with. Once again, I will be fist fighting Anton in hell.

And that’s to say nothing of the Satanists and Luciferians out there that regurgitate the same racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other assorted bigotries that they’ll condemn religions like Christanity for while perpetuating it with a coat of black paint. Because I have absolutely seen this first hand, both as an observer and as the target of it.

Like... I can’t speak on Islam at all, because I have very very limited experience with it from both a research and real life experience point of view, and thus I’m not comfortable making any claims. On the other hand, I do know that to list all the ways that Judaism is not a dogmatic religion would deserve its own post written by someone far more knowledgeable than me, and it somehow still gets lumped into the Problematic n’ Dogmatic category of AbRaHaMiC ReLiGiOnS. For that reason, in the case of Islam, I can’t help but wonder if the assumption that it’s also dogmatic comes from the harmful assumption that it’s a religion that’s strict to the point of harshness that a lot of people have.

Even in the case of Christianity, which I would argue (as someone who I’d say was raised within the church) is hands down the most seemingly dogmatic of the three (particularly in North America), this is just not universally true. If it was, there probably wouldn’t be so many branches and denominations, many of which cannot stand each other and think the rest are misguided at best and heretical at worst. This is something that’s even brought up in the Satanic Bible; I’ve read the miserable thing. Have you ever seen someone say “Christians and Catholics”? That’s a pretty loaded example of how much disagreement exists within the religion when an entire core branch of it is considered tangentially related.

Not to mention, I was raised Lutheran. That came about because a German Catholic got incredibly steamed at his own religion so he made a more boring different version of it. While the existence of dogma has led to these schisms, historically speaking, the end result has been a religion so varied that it’s hard to say what is and isn’t treated as inarguable law. If you don’t believe me, try talking to a Protestant pastor about the Seven Deadly Sins and see how far you get. I tried during confirmation class and got shut down immediately... but on the flip side, my church was pretty accepting of LGBT folks, which I think some people would claim Christianity is dogmatically against by default.

Is there dogmatic thinking within specific churches or branches or communities? Absolutely, I wouldn’t argue that. I think it can arise in any community, religious or not, but that some religious communities seem to be particularly vulnerable to it. But the harm those specific cases could do should be where our focus goes, not the condemnation of these religions or the concept of religion as a whole, which I touched on in a previous prompt. 

I’m not some glorious enlightened mind. I would not want to give the impression that I think I hold in my hands the One True Way to do Luciferianism, or that I think the majority of this religious community are uncritical edgelords. This is, after all, my answer to the thing I take issue with the most, not my thoughts on Luciferianism or Satanism as a whole. I just don’t think it should be a particularly hot take that Religious Discrimination Is Bad Actually, or that maybe you can be rebellious and adversarial and hedonistic and enlightened while still genuinely giving a shit about people. Because otherwise what’s the point?

If we are hostile and rebellious with no actual end goal, no greater cause or purpose, we are simply being contrarian for the sake of it. If we blame the idea of organized religion instead of those who manipulate and abuse faith and scripture for selfish and malicious ends, we’ve missed the point, as I said in the aforementioned previous post. Not all of us have the ability to become an activist, obviously, and I would not ask you to. But I think as those who would claim to reject dogmatic thinking and strive to embody either the ideals of enlightenment or the adversary would do well to be ever questioning their preconceptions of the world around them, of other religions, and of less obvious unjust structures of power.

I don’t know why a community that believes in illumination and free thinking sees the world in such black and white ways.

While I will always strive for a greater understanding of the world, and I hold the concept of enlightenment very dear to my heart, I think it’s something that one spends a lifetime working towards. Alongside my favourite quotes from Paradise Lost, I hold the Socratic Paradox of “I know that I know nothing” as a personal motto, and I wish more people who I share this label with would do the same.

#luciferianism #theistic luciferianism #satanism #theistic satanism #witchblr #left hand path #lhp #30 Day Luciferian Challenge #30dayluciferianchallenge #illumine

[christianstevefinnell]

THE EXACT TRUTH    BY STEVE FINNELL

If you were looking for the exact truth where would you look? Would you look in books written from oral man-made tradition? Would you look in the books of opinions aka, as Bible commentaries? Would you look in man-made creed books that voice their opinions as to the meaning of Scripture? Would look in books written about the Bible? Would you consult extra-Biblical books to learn God's truth?

The exact truth is found in Scripture and Scripture alone.

Luke 1:1-4......3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

Luke did not write down man-made traditions.

Mark 12:10 Have you not read this Scripture: 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDER REJECTED BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER STONE;

Jesus taught from Scripture. He did not teach from made-made tradition, oral nor written.

Matthew 12:5 Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent?

Jesus did not asked the Pharisees if they had read in the man-made traditions of the elders.

Mark 12:24 Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?

Jesus did not tell the Sadducees that they were mistaken because they did not understand the writings of the early church fathers.

John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, it is these that testify about Me,

Jesus did not say you search the man-made church catechism.

Matthew 26:54 How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?"

Jesus did not asked Peter how will the words of the Bible commentaries be fulfilled?

John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water!"

Jesus did not say as the books written about the Scripture said.

John 19:24 So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be"; this was to fulfill the Scripture: "They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."

This did not happen in order to fulfill what was written in creed books.

Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from the Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

Philip did not open some extra-Biblical book and preach Jesus to the eunuch.

Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

It is not the church catechism, the Bible commentary, or any other extra-Biblical book that should be doing the talking. It is the Scripture that says.

Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

There is no promise given because of man-made writings. It is the Scripture and the Scripture alone.

Acts 17:2 And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Paul did not use the man-made church catechisms of the elders as a teaching tool.

1 Timothy 4:13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.

The apostle Paul did not tell Timothy to publicly read from a man-made creed book, Bible commentaries, church statements of faith, writings of the early church fathers, nor the denominational book of the month.  Paul said read from the Scripture. Did Paul, simply not understand that the Scriptures were not sufficient to teach the truth about God' plan for mankind?

Acts 18:28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Apollos did not need nor did he use extra-Scriptural references to refute the Jews. He used the Scriptures and the Scriptures alone.

Acts 20:20-27 how I did not shrink from declaring to you  anything that was profitable,......27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

The apostle Paul declared the whole purpose of God. The so-called modern day prophets. The ones who contend they are still receiving new revelations from God, and all other extra-Biblical creed book writers are in fact denying that Paul declared the whole purpose of God. Who are you going to believe?  

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

The Scriptures give hope. Extra-Biblical writings give the opinions of men.

2 Peter 3:15-16 .... brother Paul , according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

The words and letters of Paul and the rest of the apostles were Scriptures. The words of man-made creed books, man-made church catechisms, Bible commentaries, books written by the gospel preacher of the month, writings of the early church fathers, Greek dictionaries and all other extra-Biblical writings are not Scriptures.

There has been no new Scripture since A.D 100 nor is there any need for more instruction from God. WE HAVE THE BIBLE.

THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE ALONE IS WHERE YOU CAN FINED THE EXACT TRUTH!

(Scripture from: NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)

    What's Going On In The World?

GEORGE L. FAULL

Antony Flew, world’s most respected atheist has changed his mind.  He is now an admitted deist (one who believes God created the world and went off and left it to run on its own with no revelation of His will to His creatures.).  The thing that convinced him was the design of DNA.  He reminded journalists that even Darwin required a creator to start it all.  He also says that the resurrection of Jesus has more evidential support than any other miracle.  His stumblingblock is the problem of evil in the world.  He regards Islam with horror and fear due to their desire to conquer the world.

Robert Schuller, of the Glass Cathedral.

Two of Schuller’s students are Bill Hybels and Rick Warren.  Schuller says we do wrong in making people aware that they are sinners.  He stresses mans value instead of mans unworthiness.  The boys have learned well.  Hybel, Warren, and Schuller have had more input in our Churches in the last 10 years than Paul or Peter.  Incidentally, Schuller said it would not disturb him to come back in 200 years and find his descendants Muslims.  That will never happen simply because he isn’t coming back.

Fuller Theological Seminary President speaks to Mormons.

In speaking to them in Salt Lake, Richard Moun apologized that evangelicals “have often misrepresented the faith and beliefs of the Latter Day Saints.  We evangelicals have sinned against you.”  Better think twice before you send your Preacher to a Fuller Church growth meeting.  Our preachers are attending in droves to Rick Warren, Jack Hayford and other such gurus  who espouse the Fuller attitude.  They invite in every hue of sectarianism to these Church growth meetings including Mormons.

TBN’s Paul CrouchThe charismatic Paul Crouch of TBN attempted to conceal the fact that he was gay by paying $425,000.00 to Laverne Ford who eventually exposed him.  Crouch also said, “I have come to the conviction that Martin Luther made a mistake, he should have never left the Catholic Church.  I am eradicating the word Protestant from my vocabulary.  I am not protesting anything.  It’s time for Catholics and Non-Catholics to come together as one in the spirit and one in the Lord.”  TBN is an apostate network that some of our men appear on for interviews.

Max Lucado

Max Lucado, the new darling of the North American Christian Convention, used to be a Church of Christ preacher.  In October, he changed the name of Oak Hills Church of Christ.  He dropped the “Church of Christ” name in an effort to reach people hesitant to attend a Church of Christ.  His Church jumped from 3,300 to 4,500 in 6 months.  At a Charismatic Promise Keepers rally he said, “It does not matter about your denomination, it’s all about God.”  Oak Hills has a booklet called, “

The Purpose of a Teaching Position

”.  It says,

“A teaching position serves to articulate the convictions of the Oak Hills leadership on a particular doctrine or practice.  This paper on the topic of baptism is useful for:

1.      

Those who have never been baptized.

 If you want to become a member of Oak Hills and have not been baptized, we ask you to do so.

2.      

Those who have been baptized

, but not by immersion.  We have many potential members who were baptized by sprinkling, usually as infants.  This paper will help you see why we baptize by immersion.  It also explains why we don’t baptize infants.  We urge you to read the paper and consider adult baptism.  If you choose not to be immersed at this time, we still welcome you as a member.  We ask only that you respect this position and not be divisive.  Members serving in instructional capacities (such as Bible class teachers, small group leaders, and ministry leaders, elders and staff ministers) need to be in agreement and compliance with the teaching position.

3.      

Those who have been baptized by immersion.

 It is our prayer that this study will give you new insights into the beauty, simplicity, and significance of this demonstration of devotion.

Open membership was the hottest debated issue in the Restoration Movement in the last century.  Today, the Brethren heading up our Colleges and conventions and camps have no conscience at all of bringing in apostates like Max Lucado, David Reagan and others of that persuasion.

Tony Compolo

They even bring in Tony Compolo, who even many denominational Churches will not use because of his stating that homosexuals were born that way.  He has socialist agendas.  He was brought to a heresy trial in 1985 for saying that Christ is in every human being. His wife promotes homosexual marriages.  He often uses vulgarisms in the pulpit to shock and shame his listeners.  His defense, “what’s worse, is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said [vulgarism] than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night!”  This was repeated at one of our schools.

John Hagee

John Hagee of TV fame believes that the spiritual gifts still continues today is getting a larger following.  He has raised thousands of dollars to move Jews to the Holy Land, uprooting Palestinian Christians in the process.  He believes Christians should have no duty to evangelize Jews since eventually.  “All Israel will be saved.”  He is a Christian Zionist.  He pals around with Benny Hinn and other Charismatic charlatans.  He is best known for his pushing of the Jewish agenda, thinking they have a spiritual relationship with God that will bring about their redemption without Christ but by living only in the light of the Torah.  He says,

“I’m not out to convert the Jewish people to the Christian faith.”  He adds, “In fact, trying to convert Jews is a waste of time.  The Jewish person who has his roots in Judaism is not going to convert to Christianity.  There is no form of Christian evangelism that has failed so miserably as evangelizing the Jewish people.  They (already) have a faith structure.  Everyone else, whether Buddhist or Baha’i, needs to believe in Jesus.  But not Jews.  Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced by Christianity”.

Hagee is renown for taking on anti-Semetics but he is in reality, the true anti-Semetic for he will not evangelize the Jew and give them what they need for eternal salvation.

Rick Warren

Rich Warren, of “The Purpose Driven Church”, and “The Purpose Driven Life” fame has changed the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ more than any fad for the past century due to gullibility of our preachers.  He has been fellowshipping with John Templeton of the John Templeton Foundation.  Templeton awards a million dollars to different persons who further the cause of harmonizing world religions.  These have been awarded Agnostics, Pantheists, Hindu’s, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews as well as Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, Bill Bright, and Mother Teresa.

Is Rick after such?

Who knows?  Having sold millions of books, he certainly does not need the money.  He is now one of the judges for a written essay contest that Templeton is holding.  He will serve as judge in the contest with renowned left-wing radicals.

TV Attention Deficit DisorderPortland (Oregon) Life found that for every hour per day preschoolers watch TV, then chance of developing attention deficit disorders later in life has boosted 10%.  This is an alarming fact.  You need more than control.  Abstinence may be easier than temperance.

Billy GrahamRobert Schuller asked Billy Graham this question, “Tell me, what do you think is the future of Christianity?”

Graham’s reply was:

“Well, Christianity and being a true believer you know, I think there’s the Body of Christ.  This comes from all the Christian groups around the world.  Outside the Christian groups, I think everybody who knows Christ, whether they are conscious of it or not, they’re members of the Body of Christ.  I don’t think that we’re going to see a great sweeping revival that will turn the whole word to Christ at any time.  I think James answered that.  The Apostle James in the first council in Jerusalem, when he said that God’s purposes for this age is to call out a people for His name whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ, because they’ve been called by God.  They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have, and I think they turn to the only light they have, and I think that they are saved, and that they are going to be in heaven with us”  (Billy Graham, televised interview with Robert Schuller, May 13, 1997).

In response to Graham’s totally unscriptural statement, Schuller explained, “What, what I hear you saying is that it’s possible for Jesus Christ to come into human hearts and soul and life even if they’ve been born in darkness and never had an exposure to the Bible.  Is that a correct interpretation of what you are saying?”Graham answered, “Yes, it is because I believe that.  I’ve met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations, that they have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, and never heard of Jesus, but they’ve believed in their hearts that there was a God, and they’ve tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived.”  This was 1997.  But even as far back as 1961 Graham said of infant baptism,

“ I have some difficulty in accepting the indiscriminate baptism of infants without a careful regard as to whether the parents have any intention of fulfilling the promise they make.  But I do believe that something happens at the baptism of an infant, particularly if the parents are Christians and teach their children Christian truths from childhood.  We cannot fully understand the miracles of God, but I believe that a miracle can happen in these children so that they are regenerated, that is, made Christians, through infant baptism.  If you want to call that baptismal regeneration, that’s all right with me.”  

(Lutheran Standard October 10

th

, 1961)

Graham has for years turned over the names of those who came forward at his rallies to the Churches from which they came.  In 1957 Graham said, “Anyone who makes a decision at our meetings is seen later and referred to local clergymen, Protestant, Catholic or Jewish.”  (San Francisco news)

Yet many of our top leaders in our own Churches appear with Graham and support his crusades...SHAME!

“KINSEY” Movie,

You need to know that Alfred Kinsey, the hero of the movie, was a pervert, pedophile, wife swapper, bi-sexual and the one who deceived America with his false

Kinsey Report

.  He is the one who made up the lie that 10% of Americans are homosexual.  He used for his own survey prison inmates and prostitutes.  He made his staff perform lewd sex acts on film.  He employed no trained statistician.  He himself should have been imprisoned as a pedophile.  The American Legislative Exchange Council (2400 State Legislators) recently concluded the

Kinsey Report

was “illegal and criminal acts masquerading as science.”  See proof of all this in a book by Judith Rusmar and another by Susan Brinkmann or contact the eagleforum.org website.

The above news information has been gleaned from

The Calvary Contender

,

The Sword of the Lord

,

O Timothy

,

Christian News

,

The Eagle Forum

, and

The Way of Life

magazines.  These groups do a great service in marking those who teach contrary to what the Christian has learned from the Holy Apostles.Posted by

S

INHERITED SIN, SIN NATURE, AND TOTALLY DEPRAVITY?  BY STEVE FINNELL

According to those who believe in the doctrine of original sin, because Adam sinned, all men are born guilty of sin, with a sin nature, and totally depraved, and void of free-will to do good or resist evil.

If all men are born guilty of sin, then the 57,000,000 million babies who have been killed by abortion are on their way to hell. Babies are babies before they are born. Unborn babies have no chance to believe and be baptized in order to be saved. The truth is babies are not guilty of Adam's sin. People who sin are guilty of sin. Adam was guilty of his sin. Men are not guilty of sin until they reach an age of accountability. Babies born nor babies unborn do not know right from wrong. They are not sinners.

Are all people born with a sinful nature and totally depraved? Do men have the ability to choose right from wrong?

Can men choose good and resist evil? Do men have free-will?

Luke 1:5-6 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.(NKJV)

If all people are born with a sin nature and are totally depraved, then how could Zacharias and Elizabeth be righteous and blameless before the Lord?

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.(NKJV)

How was it possible for Job to be blameless, upright, and resist evil, if he was born with a sin nature, totally depraved, and without free-will?

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him." But the people answered him not a word.(NKJV)

Why did Elijah offer the people a choice to follow God or Baal if the all the people were born with a sin nature, totally depraved, and unable to choose between good and evil?

The truth is men do not inherit the guilt Adam's sin. Men are not born with a sin nature and totally depraved. Men have free-will.

        MAN-MADE CLIMATE?  BY STEVE FINNELL

Man-made climate control? Really?

Matthew 5:45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.(NKJV)

Following the logic of  man-made climate change and global warming advocates, man-made CO2 emissions sends and prevents the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

Satan is the great deceiver!  

PRO-CHOICE CHRISTIAN---REALLY? BY STEVE FINNELL

What is a pro-choice Christian? Their message is, "I am personally opposed to abortion, however, a women should have the right to kill her unborn baby." That is a self-contradiction. You can be against abortion or for abortion, but cannot have it both ways.

Can you imagine a person stating, "I am personally opposed to slavery, however, slave owners should have the right to choose." Who would be pro-choice concerning slavery?

What about being pro-choice on theft? Can you be personally against theft, but support a person's right to steal?

There are absolutes. There is right and wrong. There is no middle ground when it comes to sin.  

#read more at steve-finnell.blogspot.com

[imuybemovoko]

My beliefs now

I set this blog up for a bunch of different purposes including conlangs/worldbuilding stuff, my writing, and my views on religion and maybe also politics. So far, mostly, I’ve ranted a lot about the beliefs I left behind. Now that I’ve let that particular sketchy brand of Christianity, now that I’ve discovered the ways it and my conservative family background were probably turning me into a fascist while I was still in all that, I figure I might as well try to hash out where I stand now. I’m around eleven months out from my deconversion, and a lot has already changed. I might try to attempt a before and after thing but there’s a lot to unpack about how I used to think and I’m not sure I’ve understood everything yet. I think I made the mistake of thinking that not very long before that repressed memory about “Sharon” and her Jonah display came crashing back in March. This is current to late July 2020 and may not include everything. 

So without any further ado, let’s talk background. First, some things I’ve already either mentioned or given more than enough evidence for. I used to be a Christian fundamentalist. (Clearly. I rant about it a lot.) I got into that because I was raised religious, then let myself fall right the fuck into what I’ll call “deep end lite” shortly before senior year in high school. Some local churches in my small town arranged a missions trip thing and the way I agreed to go along felt in the moment like surrendering to a voice that’s been speaking to me all along. In ...a way, it was. Just not the voice I thought. I’m pretty sure I didn’t want this god, at any point like ever, until that little part of me whispered that it would be easier to accept him. I have a megathread document that I’ve stored a lot of my “God stories” from my time as a Christian in. Unfortunately I didn’t remember many specific details of this experience to write down in there, but I did write a bit of a “life-story” thing that reminds me that, chronologically, that happened after a period of focused attempts by the church to indoctrinate me, some traumatic things my family did, social struggles, and feeling like an asshole because of things I’d done in the past. I remember having this growing sense over the previous year that I was approaching some kind of very dangerous breaking point, to the point where (trigger warning: mental instability, school shooter mention. Please either stop here or skip to where it says “in other words” in the next paragraph after this if that’s going to be an issue. It also keeps getting dark from there for a minute. Please, please tread with care if you need to. There is no shame at all if this becomes too much. Take care of yourself first and foremost.) 

when discussing how I came to accept the faith, I told some of my Christian friends that I felt like there was a scary chance of me becoming a school shooter. I think this may have been a post-hoc projection, but I can’t quite be sure of that. I was in a bad place for a bit there in high school. I had a wild temper and some sketchy intrusive thoughts.

In other words, it hit at a perfect moment of weakness. That’s how oppressive forms of spirituality function, it’s how hate groups function... it’s a massive shit cocktail and I found a pretty bad influence in the form of people who promote that whole “born again experience” thing in Christianity. I’d say I’m glad I missed out on being dragged into a fascist ideology this way, but uh... I’m no longer convinced I didn’t grow up around something like that. More later. 

From there I spiraled my way through my first attempts at college through the university’s chapter of the Chi Alpha campus ministry and, peripherally through that, Assemblies of God (holy shit those guys are wild), then through a local Baptist church (more peripherally) and Calvary Chapel (I was a worship guitarist here for like 18 months and helped with their youth ministry for almost as long) closer to home and a CRU chapter at my community college. With each passing year I slipped further and further into this weird shame-induced funk where I got like... addicted to Jesus and hated myself or something. It’s a bit hard to find words that don’t take multiple entire extra pages and I want to be concise, so I’ll simply call it “Jesus-flavored depression” for brevity and because that was enough of a genuinely bad time (and I’m still fucked up enough) that I might need some fairly serious therapy.

Near the end of 2018 I was reaching a breaking point, wondering why nothing ever seemed to change in my life from “sexual sin” (...which in my case literally consisted of being attracted to women and occasional self-pleasure, but they literally teach you to hate yourself for less than that in the spicier churches rip) to my direction in life to how trapped I felt by my family. I also started to have more questions about the violence in the Bible and some of the sketchier doctrines, and that was strongly reinforced by some of the things I saw in a creative writing class I took, including an atheist who shared a story of a profoundly negative experience involving being taught about hell at a very young age. All that led to the absolute disaster that was December 2018. It was my last semester at the community college I went to. Finals week was a fucking disaster, and the week before that too, and my grades were really good but at great cost. I won’t go into a ton of detail because 1. space concerns and 2. this time is still damn painful to discuss, but just know that I’m unconvinced I’d have survived that month without this song. (Yes, that’s Paramore. Shut up xD they’re still good.) I looped it for like three days straight and I think it was just enough to keep me going through what was the third time I had any suicidal kind of thoughts ever and by far the worst and longest period of it so far.

So the next several months (and I won’t go into a ton of detail about this, I intended this post more to describe my current position and I don’t wanna get too in the weeds with background) were a confusing period of questioning, starting with, of all things, my family dynamic. The spiral after the week before finals was ...considerably worsened by some comments my dad made, and between that and some experiences in the past that the creative writing class I took that fall reminded me of, I was exposed to a bit of a deeply toxic pattern. I might discuss that more deeply in another post, but for now suffice it to say that extensive youtube binges and some other research between about January and March told me the situation is probably adjacent to pathological narcissism in some way. I brought some of this up to the church I was attending at the time (a small town Calvary Chapel, if I haven’t mentioned that already) and their responses were ...inconsistent. Some people blamed me, some people said “oh dang your dad is abusive”, and some people took the “your parents are trying their best” tack. In retrospect I think that made me doubt if God’s messaging to these people could really be trusted. Then, in about April, the question of hell came up again. I was helping in the church’s budding youth ministry at the time and we had about four regular attendees between the ages of 12 and 18. There were about three weeks in a row when one of the other adults (I’ll call her Kelly for the purposes of not doxxing; also more on her later) talked at length about how unbelief leads to hell. I remembered that atheist from creative writing, made the connection to these four kids, and thought, “what the hell are we doing?” (Pun not intended but rather convenient.) I immediately backed down from my role in the youth ministry, citing other equally valid but less pressing reasons involving stress from the issues with my dad, and tried to go on with life. But the floodgates were open. 

In late May or early June, I was staring out a window one morning and suddenly a question crossed my mind unbidden: “Is God a narcissist?” I thought back to a relatively recent sermon by the associate pastor in which he explained that the purpose of the world was “for God’s glory”, to some apparent sudden flights of rage, and some other factors in the scriptures, and thought, “holy shit, I need to investigate this, because God is also very adjacent to narcissism.” It took a hot minute for the ball to really get rolling with that, but once it did... I came to a point by late June or early July where I delivered an ultimatum to God, something to the tune of “Ok, either show me how all these questions I have can be answered beyond a doubt or I’m done.” 

There was no answer. 

God was silent during this time, and the people in the church were shocked that I had the questions I did and either concerned or ...rather spicy. I joined an ex-Christian discord server to aid in a proper, thorough investigation. I aired my questions both there and on a Christian discord server. The Christian server was toxic as fuck and the ex-Christians started making a crazy amount of sense. I watched some videos from Cosmic Skeptic and TheraminTrees (most notably the latter’s deconversion story) for new perspectives and, by mid-August, had crashed out of the faith altogether.

So the last time I ever stepped into a church with the intent of attending service (I showed up after once in January of 2020 to kinda let them know and that went pretty badly lol) was about two weeks before I started college again in the fall. I burned all but one of my Bibles and a collection of gospel tracts I never did anything else with and stylized it like my limited understanding of what a satanic/pagan ritual looked like, complete with a chant in my conlang Aylaan for a more personal twist because of course, to feel edgy. (I did a lot of kind of weird shit to feel edgy; that’s one of two of them I’m sure I don’t regret.) And after that, things got ...ah, confusing?

Because of course when the linchpin of your understanding of the world gives way, everything becomes fucked for a hot minute. 

So the first thing that happened was a couple months of anxiety and confusion. I slowly started to deconstruct my inherited political views too. (More on that later.) Then I had this really beautiful interesting moment in late September where I walked past a tree on the way to a class and had a sudden realization that I didn’t have to force the tree into a Christian framework anymore, it was just a beautiful mass of green shit and cellulose. I could appreciate it in whatever way I felt was best. I damn near broke down crying in the bathroom before class, it hit me that hard. So that’s fun xD

Since then I’ve kinda gone through a bunch of funky phases with this, including a couple of months of fairly salty atheism. Along with that process, I started questioning my sexuality in December (more on that in another post in a minute lmao it’s a trip) and literally shredding my politics in the face of Trump being a crackhead in a dangerous position getting away with confirmed illegal shit, COVID-19 and the ...dehumanizing responses of corporations and their sponsored politicians, and then what I noticed about the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd and the fallout from that. (In a nutshell, holy FUCK there’s a huge problem and it’s messed up that people don’t see it.) At this point, I’m socially progressive and pretty left leaning. I don’t know what the hell to do about it or how either other than some of the tense discussions I’ve been having, but I’d like to work against racism and discrimination too. So that’s cool and a lot better than where I was... 

which... I regret deeply.

I don’t know exactly how to define my old political views, and they were marked by considerable cognitive dissonance. I’ll try to illustrate this as best I can but I don’t know what label I can use. Here goes. 

Cursed images aside, I think the best way to explain this is through some background, i.e. what my parents believe, because my beliefs were largely inherited. 

This might be majorly over-simplified and based on what I remember of my own pre-deconstruction views and what I hear them say lately. I’m doing my best, but take it with a grain of salt. Basically, it seems like they walk this weird line between constitutionalist and very authoritarian that I see a hell of a lot of in rural America. Kinda like the Republic party used to before they yeeted into Trump’s mindfuck wholeheartedly. They’re homophobic to a rather alarming degree (more on that in another post soon) and not ...overtly Christian-supremacist but you can tell that their ethics are dripping with it and they’re terrified of Islam and they’d like to legislate some aspects of Christian morality. They also support the second amendment, which is the one thing I still agree with them on that I’m aware of, but they take it to more of an extreme than I’m willing to. For further ...flavor, they also reject the premise that parts of our society are systemically racist (and maybe also the idea that such a thing is even possible because of course), subscribe to the “bootstrap theory” for everything they can think to apply it to, reject climate science, and have been extremely conspiratorial about COVID-19. Also they like making it out like everything is a Democrat conspiracy theory, compare the Democrats to Hitler and Stalin to a weird degree, have on at least one occasion called Fox Motherfucking News left-leaning, and think Alex Jones is wacky but sometimes raises valid points. 

So that’s, in a nutshell, a bit of a look at my past political views, except I think I was a bit more Christian-dominionist than them and I think I had moments of “...does this really make any sense?” for years before I crashed out of everything. The first domino was my Christianity, but once that fell, my entire approach to the world went some places. 

So ...yeah. Oof. I was sketchy as shit. Glad that’s changed. 

So uh... I’ve already mentioned a vague (read: as much detail as I feel confident providing) description of my political views now, but after all this bullshit let’s finally get to the other half of my titular current beliefs. This ...isn’t going to be easy to explain either, but I feel more confident going into more detail. Buckle up :^)

Alright. So except for a couple of months where I was like “there is no god reeee” half because I was sOmE hYpErInTeLlEcTuAl SkEpTiC and half because of trauma from the toxic flavor of Christianity I left and some shitty developments in both politics and my social circles (I’ll talk at some length about “Kelly” in a sec here I think), since leaving Christianity I’ve always been what I’ll call “hopeful agnostic” (I think I stole this term from Rhett and/or Link lol). In a nutshell, what that means to me is “there may or may not be a god, but I hope there is at least one and they’re nice, or like, at least some spiritual thing that has a good aspect that can help me”. I also dabble in shitty rituals where I burn dead plants and occasionally also hate literature like gospel tracts (and, that one time, a couple of bibles) and basically call on “anyone who is listening and gives a fuck, else the placebo effect” for whatever my goal is. Like... witchy-adjacent but I don’t think about it very much at this stage. I kind of enjoy it, and I think for one reason or another it can be good for my mental health, but I’m wary of any kind of commitment or even more serious experimentation, even as I hope to find something good, because ...trauma, and maybe even absent that a desire to not be wrong in a way that’s dangerous to anyone else again. So that’s fun :^)

So if you’ve made it this far through this weird bullshit, thanks, this story is kind of important to me xD and if you couldn’t, and you’re not reading this ending thingy because it got too dark or it pissed you off or something, that’s cool too and you’re beautiful and valid. Whoever you are, I hope you find whatever healing you need. :)

#ex christian #spirituality #politics

[chrisdannspain]

My journey from Christianity to Atheism

The story of a non believer.

Chris Dann  B Ed (Hons)

My personal journey to the wonderful realization that there is no God or afterlife began at the age of eleven and took nearly twenty years. From five years old to eleven years old I was a pupil at Christ Church School Hastings, Sussex, England UK.  My school was a ‘church school’ and we were taught the scriptures every day. I was an alter boy, I sung in the choir, I assisted at communion, I attended Bible class, I read the Bible every day, I prayed every day, I went to confession once a week but, most importantly, I firmly believed that there was a God. I believed and I had faith that God was good and loving and that he took care of me.  I had complete faith. My faith could never be challenged. My faith led me on a pathway to believe that there was a heaven and that, when I died, I would magically arrive in heaven and meet God for the first time.  All my family and friends would be there.  

 Years later I realized that faith is not a pathway to truth.

Think about that for a moment.

Stop reading and think.

Now read the following and think about it;

“Just because we believe that something is true does not mean that it is actually true”. 

While I was at Christ Church I spent many happy times in the church. I was friends with all the priests and around the age of ten I began to seriously consider becoming a priest in later life. I would spread the word of God. Work for him and try and repay some of the love that he had shown me.

On my eleventh birthday I started Bible class.  I studied the Bible. I read the Bible from cover to cover. Every single word. I’m guessing that there are not that many believers who have done the same. In later life I once jokingly said to someone that if they were ever thinking of destroying their faith and becoming an Atheist, then just read the Bible.  All of it.  Every page. Every word. I maintain, even today, that this method will destroy any believer’s faith.

It was Bible class that began the gradual process of destroying my faith and leading me to the wonderful freedom that Atheism brings. The one thing that should have cemented the foundations of my faith actually had the opposite effect.

I can remember so clearly, as if it were ten minutes ago, the first Bible class meeting when I raised my hand for the first time. I remember explaining to the class that a miracle is an unexplained event. It is, and always will be, an unexplained event.  Unexplained. Moreover, it does not mean that it actually happened. Just because we rush off to the ‘label making machine’ and print the word ‘miracle’ and then assign that word to an unexplained event does not mean it happened.

My innocent explanation was not greeted very kindly by the priest in charge of Bible class and I was angrily asked to sit back down so that we could move on to discuss another ‘miracle’   Now, I should explain that my intention was not to disrupt the class. It was to add to it.  My natural ability to think about things in a critical way was already beginning to come to the fore.  I was simply raising a point for discussion.  

                       The point was; did it actually happen ?

Of course, a believer will have faith that it did actually happen. My question was,and still is, what evidence do we have to demonstrate that it  happened. It’s no good using the Bible for evidence. We don’t even know who wrote the Bible. We weren’t there while it was being written so we cannot possibly know. Our best guess is that the New Testament was written sometime towards the end of the first century. Let’s say around the year seventy to seventy five. Two thousand years ago the average life expectancy is estimated to have been around thirty five. That means that whoever wrote the Bible would have been relying on second hand testament or word of mouth stories.

Straight away we can see that this book cannot be used as evidence. In a modern court of law it would be thrown out if it were presented as evidence. For example, if a person was accused of a crime and the only evidence  was something written in an old book then that person would be found not guilty and they would walk free.  That does not mean that they were innocent.  It simply means that there was not enough evidence to find them guilty.

The same applies to the Bible.  It is evidence of nothing. It proves nothing.

It was around this time that I began to realize that humans have a natural ability to invent a question and then create their own answer.

For example, if I tell a group of people that I was coming in to land at Heathrow airport last night and I looked out the window and saw a round light travelling at the same speed as the plane and then it suddenly shot off at an angle and disappeared they will automatically jump to UFO. Then they will jump to space craft. Then they will jump to aliens. Finally they will assume that because my story was not reported on TV then it must be a government conspiracy.

However, my story was about a round light in the sky.  A light. Nothing more nothing less. It was a light. I’ve already given them the question and the answer. 

“What was it?” 

 “It was a light”    

At no point did I mention spaceships or aliens.  I simply reported seeing a light.  That’s it.  The discussion should stop right there.  But humans don’t do that. We search for answers where no answer exists.  Consequently we ‘invent’ our own answers and then believe them.  Our invented answers become the truth.

It would be so easy just to say “I don’t know” but instead we come up with possible scenarios and then believe them. The invented scenario becomes the truth.

Except it’s not the truth. It’s still just an invented scenario.

Remember that just because we believe something is true does not mean it is actually true.

In order to believe that the light I saw was a spaceship we would actually have to see the spaceship. We would need to see it, touch it, examine it, take samples, take HD photos and videos of it and post them on Youtube for the world to see.  Then, and only then, do we have empirical evidence of the existence of a spaceship.  Until that point it is just a story of a light.  

                        That’s all.            A light in the sky.    

                              Guilty or not guilty

For a moment let’s return to the courtroom scenario.  When someone is on trial for a crime the evidence is presented to the jury.  The jury then discuss the evidence and they find the defendant guilty or not guilty.  

Remember,  not guilty does not mean innocent.  If the defendant was innocent they would not be in court in the first place.

If the jury is presented with insufficient evidence to find the defendant guilty then they only have one option and that is to find the defendant not guilty.

Imagine that the only evidence was a witness who said that they were absolutely convinced that the defendant was guilty.  Furthermore, the witness had complete faith that the witness was guilty. 

This ‘faith based evidence’ would, of course, be thrown out.   Consequently, the only possible verdict would be ‘not guilty’

Or, imagine that the only evidence was something written in an old book. Again, this would be thrown out and, once again, the only possible verdict has to be ‘not guilty.

Now imagine that God is in the dock.  The charge against him is that he exists.

If he is found guilty then he exists.

If he is found not guilty then that simply means that there was not enough evidence to find him guilty.  That does not mean that he does not exist i.e. innocent.  It means that there was not enough evidence to find him guilty.

The only evidence that could possibly be presented to the jury would be an old book, thoughts in witnesses heads and, of course, the inevitable “look at nature’ look at the trees,  there must be a God ! ”

None of this would be accepted as evidence and the prosecution would be laughed out of court. Literally.

Hence, the only possible verdict that the jury could arrive at would have to be ‘not guilty’ and that is exactly where I am as an Atheist.

My position is quite clear.   I doubt the existence of a God or an afterlife based on insufficient evidence.   i.e. ‘not guilty’ 

It’s actually the only position that any human being on this planet can take. However, an estimated 73% of the population choose to completely ignore the rules of logic and evidence and, instead, take the faith based route to believing in any one of over a thousand different Gods.

Why?

Why do so many humans convince themselves that something they can’t see or touch actually exists. 

I maintain that it is a fear of the unknown.  Humans are afraid of the unknown. We hear a noise in the dark and we immediately go into a state of alert. The same noise during the day and we dismiss it.

What happens when we die.  It is so difficult for humans to come to terms with the simple basic fact that nothing happens and we simply cease to exist that we invent an afterlife. Once we have the concept of an afterlife we are able to deal with our own mortality. 

                  An assertion requires evidence.  

                An extraordinary assertion requires extraordinary evidence.

                A lack of evidence automatically leads to ‘not guilty’  i.e. doubt.

 So if someone makes an extraordinary assertion that a miracle took place they would need to present extraordinary evidence before we could be expected to believe them or that this unexplained event actually happened. Failure to provide such evidence means that all we have is a story in an old book.

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” was a phrase made popular by Carl Sagan

 However, humans have a propensity to make an answer fit simply because of a natural desire to believe in something.

If we imagine an irregular shaped pothole in the road and then it begins to rain and the pothole fills with water all we have is a pothole filled with water.  However, many people will stare at the water filled pothole and say “wow, look at that, the pothole is exactly the same shape as the water.” They will go on to assume that such an incredible event must have been designed by a higher power.

                                  This is more commonly known as ;

                      ‘the argument from personal incredulity.’

       At a very early age I slowly began to realise that humans had the capability to invent their own faith, and to believe that their own invented faith was actually true.

The more I thought about it the more I questioned everything about my life.

 Why was I here ?  

Was there a reason or was I just a simple product of evolution ?  i.e. natural selection.

 The more that I thought about my faith and my belief in God the more questions I had.  The massive problem I had was that no one was able to answer my questions.  

 So, I realised that I would have to find my own answers.    In order to find my own answers to my own questions I would need to leave religion behind.  There was, and still is, no place for membership of a group when you are trying to find the truth.

 By the statement  no place for membership of a group I mean that all the while we are members of a church or group of people who think the same as us we will never be able to seek the truth.  We will always be pulled back into the security of like minded people.

 Consequently, in order to search for the truth, the very first step is to detach ourselves from the security of any form of church or group of like minded  people and therein lies the massive, almost insurmountable, problem for most of us.

 Atheists are not part of a group.  We arrive at our world view on our own. We remain on our own. We are individuals who doubt the existence of a God.

 It takes a massive commitment to leave the security of a church.  Massive.   It means hurting family members. It means hurting members of our church or group or organisation.  However, it is the only way forward. The only way.

 Furthermore, it has to be undertaken at a solitary level. The journey to find the truth cannot be a journey which is undertaken with fellow travellers or like minded people.

 And so, around the age of fourteen I asked for a meeting with the priests in my church.  I explained that my life in the church was about to end and that I was about to undertake a personal journey of discovery and to try and find out if there actually was a God or an afterlife.  I told them that I doubted that there was a God and that in order to put my thoughts in order.  I needed space and distance from the church.

 I explained that my journey might possibly lead me right back to religion and a belief in a God.  I had no idea where I would end up but my aim was to seek out evidence of a God. I needed to believe in something that I knew was true rather than something that I just simply believed was true.

  The church elders wished me well and asked me to close the door on my way out.

    That was it. With the sound of a door closing, my journey had begun.  

                                                                       THE JOURNEY BEGINS

It was actually about 10 years later that I started my journey.  From the age of about fourteen to my mid twenties I spent my time consciously not thinking about religion. There were far more pressing matters to attend to.

i.e. marriage, education,  a career, paying the bills   etc etc.  

 Around the age of twenty five I began to put my thoughts in order and find some sort of organised direction in which to travel in my search for the truth.

 Looking back it is quite clear to me that my journey had three resting points. These points were where I paused and thought about what I had learnt up to that point.

 The first was age fourteen and I stayed there for about ten years.

 The second was about the age of thirty and I stayed there for about five years

 The third was about the age of forty and I stayed there for about five years.

 Each of these three points were resting areas. Time to reflect. Time to consider my next move.

 I like to call these three points in my life ‘stepping stones’   I visualise them as three large white stones spanning a river.  The southernmost riverbank I  call Religion.   The northernmost riverbank I call Truth.

The stepping stones were the steps I took to arrive at the truth.

 Try to imagine a river with three large white stepping stones spanning and connecting the south bank to the north bank.

  The south bank is a clear representation of what my life was like inside religion. It is full of dichotomy, noise, confusion and chaos. There is no peace to be found here. There you will find endless  groups of humans who believe in different Gods.

However, their shared belief is contingent on where they were born in the world.  The one thing that unites them is that they are convinced that their particular god is the only one true god.   Everyone else is wrong.  Sometimes they will believe so strongly that what is written in their particular holy book is so obviously true that they will argue with everyone else.  Argue, with anyone who does not share their belief that their particular god is the one true god.

We all know that in certain extreme offshoots of certain religions they will even resort to physical violence or even kill anyone who does not ‘believe’ in their god.  Imagine that. Believing in a god who tells you to kill other humans.

That’s a very strange interpretation of the words ‘good’ ‘loving’ and ‘kind’ isn’t it ?

A god who is so kind and loving that he tells you to murder innocent humans .

A god who is so kind and loving that he flooded an entire planet and murdered all the innocent humans who once resided there.

A god who is so ‘kind and loving’ that he watches a small four year old child in Syria die in agony for want of clean drinking water.  A god who is so kind and loving that he watches that child die and chooses to do nothing to help.

A god who chooses to do nothing is not the sort of god that I want to spend any time worshipping.

 Or maybe he can’t do anything ?   Maybe he doesn’t have the power to help that small child. If that were true it would make prayer a complete waste of time.

Or maybe there’s no god there at all ?

In order for him to murder every human being on the planet (humans that he created) he floods it with enough water to drown the entire population of earth but he can’t provide a cupful of clean water to save a dying child in the Sudan?

No, no, no, no.  Not for me.   Even if that god was proven to be true I still wouldn’t worship him.  Any deity who demands that I worship him immediately excludes himself from my worship.        

                                                   I’m off on my journey.

                                           My journey to find the truth.

                                             The First Stepping Stone

 Any journey begins with a single step.   My journey actually started when I was fourteen. When I took a single step and turned my back on the church.   However, at that point in my life I didn’t really take any further steps.  As I said before, I got on with life itself.  Any thoughts or personal worldview that I had  on the existence of a god or an afterlife could wait.

 Consequently, it was when I got to the age of about twenty that I realised that I would probably never return to the church and the only direction for me was forward.  Put the church firmly behind me. Destroy my faith and move forward in my search for the truth.    

[john1513kjv-blog]

My Testimony: How Jesus saved my life (multiple times)

I was born and raised in a religious family (notably Catholic). Growing up I went to mass every Sunday, believing in God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary (not really as much); or so I thought I did. In my middle school and high school years, I was like everyone else. I thought that everything was fine and that there was nothing wrong with the things I did (like lying, stealing things behind my parents’ back, cussing, saying rude things behind my parents’ back when they told me things I didn’t like.)

Though I didn’t realize somewhere down the line; things were about to change for me and my family. 2011 was the year that my grandma died and it affected everyone in my family, including my mom. Life hasn’t been the same for her. Once a happy soul eager to have people around, now is always suspicious of others, not wanting to go out or visit anyone, claiming people are out to get her. I didn’t understand much of what was happening. I just simply thought my mom was crazy. But at the same time, I wondered why God let this happen? Again, I didn’t thought much of it, I simply did more things things that were considering wrong in God’s eyes (like lying to my mom that my aunt called me and cursed my mom when I only called a local gamestop store to get a game I wanted, looking up porn due to a dare from a so-called “friend” and looking up fetish art)

In high school I dated this japanese-american guy who was an atheist, he was the one who proposed to me. At the time, I didn’t know much about what love was. It wasn’t until my parents found and got angry, not for the fact he was an atheist, but for the fact that I was texting him many times in class and it raised the price on the phone bill. My dad furiously told me to end the relationship immediately. I was really upset about it, yet I did as I was told. It hurt my now ex boyfriend and I was mad at what my parent’s said to me. So what I did was told him to just pretend to be friends but to keep the relationship a secret. It worked for only a month until my now ex told me that what I was doing was wrong to lie to my parent’s behind their backs. I didn’t understand at first until he wanted to end our relationship. Without question, I did what he told me and again I was upset. Little did I know that Jesus was doing me a favor. Had he not intervene, I would have ended up a homeless teen mom.

After breaking ties with the Catholic Church (due to my mom’s irrational, mental instability), my dad sought help elsewhere. We went to this Christian Church that supposedly teaches from the Bible but something about it was missing. My dad told me that he felt that there was something wrong in that church. Was it due to the fact it held church services on Sunday instead of the seventh day (Saturday) as the Bible said? Again, I didin’t think much of it. I went to this “revival”, not because I wanted to look for Christ, but for worldly pleasures.

Come 2014, and my dad was searching something on the TV (something to watch or perhaps something related to the Bible). That wasn’t until He found a channel called “El Evangelio Eterno” (in English: The Everlasting Gospel). Namely this Pastor (who’s the head pastor of this ministry) was preaching something that none of us has ever heard, the three angels’ message.

REVELATION 14:6-12

  6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,                                                                         7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.                                                                                  8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:                                                                                        11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.                                                         12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.                                                    

From then on, my dad wanted to know more of what they were preaching and that’s when they announced that they were opening a church a few miles away to where we live.The first one who went there was my dad. I didn’t pay that much attention to my dad when he watched the channel nor what they were saying or teaching. But one day (it was a Saturday), out of curiousity, I asked my dad if I wanted to come with him and he said yes. From there I always went with him to church, but at the same time, I was missing something. I learned about all the prophecies of the end times, that Jesus was coming real soon, about God’s real day of rest (Saturday), learned about the health reform that God can heal us, not just spiritually, but also from our physical illnesses too. I learned all these things, yet something was still missing. In September 2, 2017, our pastor preached to us (in a sermon of the end times) that Donald Trump signed the executive order to make Sunday, National Day of Prayer as a response to for the victims of hurricane Harvey.

At that moment, I was scared. I felt my heart racing. I thought to myself, “If I don’t get baptized soon, I might get left behind and receive the mark of the beast”. So I was one of the few people that got baptized that day, and that’s when I gave my life to Jesus. I studied more of God’s word, made a YouTube Channel to teach end-time prophecies, used my old social media accounts to spread the gospel (or so I thought I did) and I let go some of the things that I used to like (like stealing, secular music, looking up things that were not centered around God, video games [mostly because I was addicted to them and were the main reason I lied to my mom to get me a game]) and I thought I was saved. 2 years went by, I gave gospel tracts (but only at the front door because I was a little bit shy on what to say), and made posters that show the pagan origins of every holiday celebrated (except for thanksgiving).

Every Sabbath became dull, and everytime a sermon on end time prophecy is preached, I always listen yet feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and I end up crying because I felt like I haven’t done much for the Lord. Everyday I always had a nagging feeling inside that something was wrong. It was until then I started developing a small legalistic mindset (meaning that if I didn’t do enough of what I was taught, I wasn’t gonna make it. Let me tell you, it affected my character greatly. I tried confronting people (including my old church friends) that what they were believing in was wrong and I used Scripture to convince them that they were wrong (instead of using it in a correct and humble manner) and they would fight back and I couldn’t be able to respond either because I didn’t know much of something or I didn’t want to risk embarassing myself. I became self righteous, but in the inside (I was good at masking my character) I started watching conspiracy videos and things involving the New World Order and the Illuminati and thought that God wanted me to tell people about it. I only told a few people about it, little by little, with a little bit of bible prophecy, yet I was still scared.

Overtime, I was interested in learning a little bit about the health reform that I signed up to be a medical missionary, so I can learn how God can heal people physically and spiritually (like how Jesus preached and healed people as well). I remember signing up and was super exciting about it. It was very interesting to learn at first, but just like church, it became very dull. Along with my legalistic mindset, I developed some minor depression, anxieties, which didn’t help that I suffer from a mild case of ADHD (a mental disorder I had since birth).

These things filled my soul with even more but I didn’t want to admit it. Come May 24, 2019, I went to this church retreat center in the mountain, where they were going to do seminars on the art of apologetics. The third day, I was there and I got up early to attend church service in the main audience hall. I didn’t remember much about what the pastor was preaching but I remember hearing something along the lines of the pastor saying, “God has given us all this light to share to the world” “What exactly are we doing with that light?” The sermon hit me hard that day and my anxieties rised up again and I felt extreme fear inside, that God didn’t want me anymore because I didn’t do enough. After the service ended, a sister from the service stopped me as I was leaving. She told me, “What is wrong? Why were you crying?” I told her my problems and I mentioned to her that I haven’t brought a soul to Christ for 2 years and felt like I wasn’t good enough. She responded kindly with: “Everyone in the church feels like that, including myself. That’s why we come to learn how to do these things. God knows your heart, and knows that you want to serve Him, but you just have to be patient and He will let you know when it’s the right time to do it. You don’t have to do everything at once because God didn’t call you to do any of that. The reason is that you’re not completely ready yet and He is still teaching you His word. He won’t let you carry more than you can handle. Just keep your eyes on Him and you’ll be fine.” I listened to her and thanked her.

The last thing I remember I ran to my cabin and I went down on my knees crying with all my heart, “Thank you God, Thank Jesus, Thank you for saving me, for sending me this sister to comfort me. If it wasn’t for you, I would have called it quits. Forgive me Lord, for losing sight of why I am here. Forgive me for having this legalistic mindset, for being decieved to think that works saved me when you did it all for me through the sacrifice of your only Begotten Son. If I have to wait 5, 10, or even 20 years for me to be where you want me to be Lord, I’ll wait. All I ask is to never let you go and to never lose sight of you.” After that, I felt like the weight of my chest was lifted off. I understood God’s grace and mercy on someone like me. A 23-year-old woman with ADHD, a quirky sense of humor, artistic talent, yet always tries her best to love others. Jesus saved my life many times in my past, even now. All because He loved me enough to die for not only for me but for you who’s reading this.

That’s right, He loves you also. He loves you enough that He died so that you and I could be free from your sins and reconnect with God. All it takes to turn away from your sinful lifestyle (whether it be drugs, prostitution, masturbation, homosexuality, theft, hatred, alcoholism, addiction of any kind), and learn to live for Jesus. <3

JOHN 3:16-20

 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.            17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.                                                                                           19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.                         

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither* cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.                                                                       21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.                                                                                                        

#my testimony #testimony #how jesus saved my life #christianity #god is real #god is love #god is good

[humansofhds]

Juliana Cohen, MDiv ’19

“A few months after my daughter was born, we moved to Colombia. My plan was to work part time, to take advantage of having my family around to help out with my daughter. But rather than working for pay, I ended up doing volunteer work. That year in Colombia informed and shaped the experience I would eventually have at HDS.”

Juliana is a mom and a football-soccer fan who loves listening and dancing to any type of music. She was born and raised in Colombia and studies women’s religious history in the Americas at HDS.

Revelation and Awakening

I started my undergrad degree in Bogotá, Colombia—that’s where I’m from. Halfway through my studies, I moved to Montreal to finish my degree in anthropology at Concordia University. There I realized I could study religion without enrolling in a seminary, which wasn’t an option in Colombia. When I started taking classes in religion, I became intrigued by the world of possibilities that had opened before my eyes. I felt extremely lucky to have the opportunity to ask questions about religion in a secular context and to study with people from different religious backgrounds. In Colombia, most people I knew were Catholic. Apart from a very few Jewish friends from childhood, I had never really been in an educational environment where I got to ask existential questions and discuss issues of religious identity with people from different religious backgrounds. I enjoyed every moment of it.

By the time I ended my program at Concordia, I knew I wanted to study religion for the rest of my life, and I wanted to go to a top tier university. But I didn’t have the discipline or the GPA. I also needed a break, because between the time I spent in college in Colombia, and my time at Concordia, it took me seven years to complete my undergraduate studies. Back then I never imagined that I would end up at a place like Harvard.

My interest in the academic study of religion coincided with an awakening in my spiritual life. I was raised Catholic but never really understood Catholicism. At a young age, I began asking questions about God and about what happened before we were born or after we died. By the age of 12, I declared myself an atheist.

While studying religion at Concordia, I took a class on the Hebrew Bible. My professor had a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and had also been ordained as a Rabbi. Looking back, I realize that his training as a scientist and as a theologian shaped the way he taught the Bible. I started reading the Bible for the first time, and everything about it felt like a revelation to me. My professor’s perspective was something I never expected to encounter in a scripture class. While studying for that class, I had many moments where I thought: “God exists. I just hadn’t understood before.”

Back then I was not thinking of converting to Judaism, but studying the Hebrew Bible changed the way I saw the world and God. One day I read a commentary that said that when God created the universe, God retreated and left creation contained in a vessel of darkness. Right now creation exists in the dark, and God is in exile until the time comes for God’s return. This explains why there is so much evil and suffering in our world. But there are cracks in this vessel, and through these cracks the light of God enters our world with the help of human agency. When humans act from a place of love, or show compassion toward all forms of life, or act selflessly and generously, we are contributing to God’s return. When I read this, I felt that many questions had been answered. I could reconcile the belief in a Higher Power and human suffering, and the cosmic obligation of human beings to be agents of loving-kindness and do good.

A New Direction

Around the year 2010, my personal life and intellectual life came together. Eventually I converted to Judaism and married my husband Mike, who is Jewish. That year I moved to New York where I worked as a teacher for a while. I taught English, Spanish, and French. The diversity of people I taught presented some of the most exciting challenges I have encountered, because I had to assess the needs of each student. I taught performers from the Cirque du Soleil, who would come to my class dressed as clowns. I taught teenagers from different countries, women who worked as nannies and cleaners for expat families, a female member of the Saudi Royal family. I taught all kinds of people, and it was fun!

But after a while I felt that I needed more intellectually, so I decided to go to graduate school. I had taken some classes at the New School and I had loved their faculty and the classes I took there, so I applied to the MA in Liberal Studies at the New School for Social Research. During my time there, I focused my research on women’s intellectual history and on the study of women’s religious experiences. I took most of my classes in anthropology and philosophy. In a class on mysticism, I met a man who had served as the head bishop of Pennsylvania for several years and had a degree from HDS. He became a great mentor and a friend. He was the servant of God who directed me to HDS. When he suggested I apply to HDS, I just laughed because I thought, “There’s no way they’re going to take me.”

But I started looking into the programs at HDS and I came to visit in the spring of 2014. I attended a service led by a non-religious student organization (the “Nones”) and realized that here people could have religious experiences without believing in God. That experience made me really want to study at HDS. I went back to New York determined to apply and get accepted.

Working in Bogotá

I got pregnant in the process of applying to HDS, and my daughter was born on December 31, 2014. Our plan had been to stay in New York City, but it was tough. It was too hard for me to be a first-time mom in New York while finishing my master’s degree at the New School. My family wasn’t around to help, and it was the winter of the polar vortex. I thought I could do everything myself because so many moms seem to be able to do everything by themselves. But then I realized I couldn’t. We needed support and warmer weather.

A few months after my daughter was born, we moved to Colombia. My plan was to work part time, to take advantage of having my family around to help out with my daughter. But rather than working for pay, I ended up doing volunteer work. That year in Colombia informed and shaped the experience I would eventually have at HDS.

I worked to help the men and women who are in charge of recycling most of the waste produced by the people of Bogotá. In Colombia, like in other developing countries, we lack infrastructure to treat recyclable waste, so most of the recycling is done by hand by people who walk the streets of our cities, usually at night, sorting through the garbage. They remove recyclable items and sell what they can for a small amount of money. In addition, the government pays them a tiny salary, about $15 USD a month. Fifteen dollars!

These workers used to have horses that pulled the carts that hold the recyclables, but because of animal rights activists, they no longer use horses to pull their carts. Now they have to pull the carts themselves. Most of these people are elderly. They walk for hours in the streets of Bogotá, a cold city where it rains all the time, in the middle of the night, pulling these carts with 250 kilos of recyclable material. We owe them so much.

A friend of mine has a consulting company for waste management in Bogotá and he had been in touch with Thiago Mundano, a street artist from Brazil who does graffiti work and leads a movement to give visibility to the important work of recycling workers. One day in 2007, the artist was doing graffiti work in Sao Paulo when he met a recycler worker. He asked him if it would be okay for him to paint his cart. The man said yes, so the artist painted his cart and they parted ways. A month later they happened to run into each other, and the worker told the artist, “You changed my life. After you painted my cart, my life got better. People seem to be more conscious about recycling, they see me, and they say hello to me.” Since then, the movement has reached different parts of the world.

My friend and his business partner had been working on bringing Mundano to Bogota. They were trying to put together an event to benefit some of the recycler workers in our city. I joined the project in an early stage and we ended up hosting an event for 50 recycler workers and their families. Initially, my role was mainly to help with fundraising, but as the project grew there were more things to take care of and I ended up doing a little bit of everything.

A group of street artists and industrial designers came together and fixed and painted over 50 carts while the recycling workers and their families enjoyed different activities we had organized for them. There were circus performers and a hip hop concert. Students from medical and dental schools came to give the workers medical and dental assistance. We also had a hairstyling station. There was even a veterinary station for the workers’ dogs and cats. It was amazing. I will always be very grateful to my friend for allowing me to be part of their project. Looking back, I realize that in addition to seeking my family’s support with motherhood, this was the reason I was supposed to spend that year in Colombia.

The year I spent in Bogotá was fulfilling. I could connect to my daughter in a positive way because I wasn’t stressed out living in New York, I had a support network, and I was doing this amazing volunteer work. But at the same time I was anxious because that year I realized I was not ready to settle down in Colombia and I still wanted to come to HDS. In the end, it worked out. I applied and got accepted, and in the summer of 2016, I moved to Cambridge with my husband, daughter, and dog.

WomenCircle

One of the reasons I came to HDS was to study what a spiritual home for women might look like. I also came to study the history of female religiosity and spirituality – how women have managed to have a relationship with God within the confines of institutionalized religion but without the intervention of male mediators. My long-term dream is to build a shelter for domestic violence survivors, a shelter co-housed with a retreat center for women who want to take a break from life but don’t want to go to a psychiatric institution. I came here hoping that I could learn some skills to apply later to my long-term dream.

During orientation week I saw there was a student organization at HDS called WomenCircle. I immediately knew I wanted to be part of it. I attended their gatherings during my first year, and toward the end of the spring semester 2017 one of the former leaders asked me if I wanted to be part of the leadership. I had never led a student organization and I had no idea what I was supposed to do. But even though I knew it was going to be challenging to juggle the leadership of WomenCircle with everything else, there was no way I could turn down this opportunity.

I reached out to Sophia Wolman (MDiv ‘19) and asked her if she would be willing to co-lead the circle with me, and she said yes. I trusted her intuition and knew that we would make a good team.

The premise of the group is that when women come together with an open heart and good intentions, magical things happen. The only rule we have is that cross talking is not allowed. Our gatherings are about bearing witness to others’ experiences rather than about giving advice. It’s beautiful. It’s also highly therapeutic. People share things that are difficult to talk about in other contexts.

The gatherings end, we leave, we run into each other throughout the week and say hello but we don’t talk about what happened at the gathering. We don’t have to make confidentiality a rule; it’s tacit. We all know that what happens in the Circle stays in the Circle.

The most amazing part is the diversity of the Circle. We have members from various religious traditions and we have atheists. That’s how it should be. Race, nationality, class, religious identity, sexual orientation—those don’t divide us. We are part of the Circle because we’re women and we know what it is to walk the world as a woman.

Being part of WomenCircle has been one the most life giving experiences at HDS, in part because of the moment in history that we are living right now. Co-leading this student organization the year that #metoo and #timesup exploded has been beyond inspiring, because I got to see how the power of these movements bled into small female spaces like our Circle. #Metoo and #timesup are not only about speaking up against sexual assault. These movements are about speaking up against all forms of silencing. It has been exciting to see that younger women are not afraid to raise their voices when they feel objectified, silenced, or diminished. Ten years ago it was not like that at all. We still have a very long way to go, but being part of WomenCircle this year was a daily reminder that every time we choose to speak up, we move a step forward.  

Photos by Jenna Alatriste

#Harvard #Harvard Divinity School #colombia #judaism #Religion #Religious Studies #metoo #timesup

[zaracoolstra]

FN.05.21.20

Thursday, May 21, 2020

11:51 AM

I want to make it clear, I don't have a PhD in the subject matter, I find it financially ignorant to follow my dreams of doing so because I would have to undertake a LOT of debt for no return on investment. The intrinsic ROI (return on investment) is not worth it for me.

Growing up we are taught what to believe and what to not believe. What is the truth and what to belief to be false? In a conservative Christian home, watching Bill O'rilley and Hannity and Colmes every night at 9:00 pm there were segments on the show where I recall where they categorized each person on the show an idiot or a patriot, something like that. Anyway, when we grow up we are brought up with some measure of indoctrination in how and what we are to believe. Nietzsche calls the belief "something one holds to be true" (Will to Power). Defining a belief is one of the fundamental processes that philosophers encounter within the philosophizing process. The aim of this blog is to document knowledge and perspectives within 19th century, also considered continental philosophy by one of the most controversial philosophers of the 19th century, Friedrich Nietzsche. Since I have been reading N's (Nietzsche's) work, I have learned a great deal of philosophy, why people do what they do, and the documentation of how historical norms and values were developed through history -- and much more. If you are reading this, bear with me, if you want to add onto or comment on what I discuss about even if it is refinements, I encourage all such suggestions. I will not tolerate unprofessional or degrading remarks in any way shape or form, take that somewhere else, people like that are not welcome here (you will not be acknowledge as you exist). As I take on the journey of becoming a father, husband, worker, and writer I find uses of N's work for my life, more than I have with any religious text. I consistently questioned pastors, youth pastors and other priests alike and I always asked them deep questions and I always received responses like "God is all powerful and his ways are beyond our capabilities". This is a tactic that many people, still today use to answer over-complex processes and knowledge and over-simplify some of the most demanding disciplines. I find myself asking myself what the purpose of this blog is because Nietzsche once said, "There are no facts, only interpretations" (Will to Power).

What is the purpose of this blog? Honestly, I have no clue, I have been debating on starting a blog, so I guess I am documenting my thought processes and deliberating what I have learned over the years of reading Friedrich Nietzsche when I first heard of him in my political theory class in community college. Now, I am not an atheist or agnostic but I feel there must be someone beyond any one's interpretation of who God is, especially if he is unknowable (according to Scripture of the bible). Through this blog I will make sure (at least to do my best) to offer the different perspectives while presenting ideas and thoughts. This entry is simply an introduction as to how my development and upbringing contributed to my current ideas, thoughts, and concerns that I have today. I apologize in advance if I go off on a tangent -- I write as ideas come to me.

The very first idea that struck me when taking my first political theory class, I was like, "Who the hell is Nietzsche" -- my professor at the time, Dr. Morrione, would always tell us I can teach Nietzsche and political theory because "I have a PhD in this shit". He will always be remembered as the one who introduced me to a major influence that has changed my whole perception of life itself. Here I am four years later, still reading Nietzsche and studying him as if I was still in his class.

That moment I started reading Nietzsche and understanding his work opened up a whole new realm of understanding and really, a journey -- the aim of this blog is to document that journey. The first concept that I remember from reading Nietzsche was his attack on faith. Which was the first concept that truly made me question the values that I was brought up with -- Christianity. Christianity's cornerstone is faith. Let's begin.

[faithfulnews]

Why do so many atheist historians think that 1 Corinthians 15 is reliable history?

Investigation in progress

Which passage of the Bible is the favorite of Christians who like to defend the Christian worldview? I don’t mean which one is most inspirational… I mean “which one is the most useful for winning arguments?” Well, when it comes to the historical Jesus, the most important passage has to be 1 Corinthians 15:3-7.

The tradition in 1 Corinthians 15 is an early creed that was received from the eyewitnesses Peter and John when Paul visited them several times in Jerusalem, as documented in Galatians 1 and 2, where Paul meets the eyewitnesses. And of course, Paul records his own eyewitness experience, documented in 1 Cor 15:8.

So, is this passage accepted as historically reliable by all ancient historians? Or only by the Bible-believing ones?

Here’s something posted by Dr. William Lane Craig about the 1 Corinthians 15 passage:

The evidence that Paul is not writing in his own hand in I Cor. 15.3-5 is so powerful that all New Testament scholars recognize that Paul is here passing on a prior tradition. In addition to the fact that Paul explicitly says as much, the passage is replete with non-Pauline characteristics, including, in order of appearance: (i) the phrase “for our sins” using the genitive case and plural noun is unusual for Paul; (ii) the phrase “according to the Scriptures” is unparalleled in Paul, who introduces Scriptural citations by “as it is written”; (iii) the perfect passive verb “has been raised” appears only in this chapter and in a pre-Pauline confessional formula in II Tim. 2.8; (iv) the phrase “on the third day” with its ordinal number following the noun in Greek is non-Pauline; (v) the word “appeared” is found only here and in the confessional formula in I Tim. 3.16; and (vi) “the Twelve” is not Paul’s nomenclature, for he always speaks of the twelve disciples as “the apostles.”

Now the visit during which Paul may have received this tradition is the visit you mention three years after his conversion on the road to Damascus (Gal. 1.18). This puts the tradition back to within the first five years after Jesus’ death in AD 30. So there’s not even an apparent inconsistency with Paul’s appropriating the language of the formula to encapsulate the Gospel he was already preaching during those first three years in Damascus.

Ancient historian Gary Habermas loves to read non-Christian scholars… and then he writes about what THEY think about Jesus in peer-reviewed articles, published in academic journals. Let’s look at this one: Dialog: A Journal of Theology, Vol. 45; No. 3 (Fall, 2006), pp. 288-297; published by Blackwell Publishing, UK.

He writes:

(1) Contemporary critical scholars agree that the apostle Paul is the primary witness to the early resurrection experiences. A former opponent (1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13-14; Phil. 3:4-7), Paul states that the risen Jesus appeared personally to him (1 Cor. 9:1; 15:8; Gal. 1:16). The scholarly consensus here is attested by atheist Michael Martin, who avers: “However, we have only one contemporary eyewitness account of a postresurrection appearance of Jesus, namely Paul’s.”[3]

(2) In addition to Paul’s own experience, few conclusions are more widely recognized than that, in 1 Corinthians 15:3ff., Paul records an ancient oral tradition(s). This pre-Pauline report summarizes the early Gospel content, that Christ died for human sin, was buried, rose from the dead, and then appeared to many witnesses, both individuals and groups.

Paul is clear that this material was not his own but that he had passed on to others what he had received earlier, as the center of his message (15:3). There are many textual indications that the material pre-dates Paul. Most directly, the apostle employs paredoka and parelabon, the equivalent Greek terms for delivering and receiving rabbinic tradition (cf. 1 Cor. 11:23). Indirect indications of a traditional text(s) include the sentence structure and verbal parallelism, diction, and the triple sequence of kai hoti Further, several non-Pauline words, the proper names of Cephas (cf. Lk. 24:34) and James, and the possibility of an Aramaic original are all significant. Fuller attests to the unanimity of scholarship here: “It is almost universally agreed today that Paul is here citing tradition.”[4] Critical scholars agree that Paul received the material well before this book was written.[5]

This is important:

The most popular view is that Paul received this material during his trip to Jerusalem just three years after his conversion, to visit Peter and James, the brother of Jesus (Gal. 1:18-19), both of whose names appear in the appearance list (1 Cor. 15:5; 7). An important hint here is Paul’s use of the verb historesai (1:18), a term that indicates the investigation of a topic.[6] The immediate context both before and after reveals this subject matter: Paul was inquiring concerning the nature of the Gospel proclamation (Gal. 1:11-2:10), of which Jesus’ resurrection was the center (1 Cor. 15:3-4, 14, 17; Gal. 1:11, 16).

He’s an eyewitness (verse 8), and he met with the other eyewitnesses, James and Peter. 1 Corinthians is early. Galatians is early. The creed is extremely early – right after the events occurred. There was no time for legends to develop.

And atheistic / critical historians agree, the creed is reliable:

Critical scholars generally agree that this pre-Pauline creed(s) may be the earliest in the New Testament. Ulrich Wilckens asserts that it “indubitably goes back to the oldest phase of all in the history of primitive Christianity.”[7] Joachim Jeremias agrees that it is, “the earliest tradition of all.”[8] Perhaps a bit too optimistically, Walter Kasper even thinks that it was possibly even “in use by the end of 30 AD . . . .”[9]

Indicating the wide approval on this subject, even more skeptical scholars frequently agree. Gerd Ludemann maintains that “the elements in the tradition are to be dated to the first two years after the crucifixion of Jesus. . . . not later than three years. . . . the formation of the appearance traditions mentioned in I Cor.15.3-8 falls into the time between 30 and 33 CE. . . .”[10] Similarly, Michael Goulder thinks that it “goes back at least to what Paul was taught when he was converted, a couple of years after the crucifixion.”[11] Thomas Sheehan agrees that this tradition “probably goes back to at least 32-34 C.E., that is, to within two to four years of the crucifixion.”[12] Others clearly consent.[13]

Overall, my recent overview of critical sources mentioned above indicates that those who provide a date generally opt for Paul’s reception of this report relatively soon after Jesus’ death, by the early to mid-30s A.D.[14] This provides an additional source that appears just a half step removed from eyewitness testimony.

(3) Paul was so careful to assure the content of his Gospel message, that he made a second trip to Jerusalem (Gal. 2:1-10) specifically to be absolutely sure that he had not been mistaken (2:2). The first time he met with Peter and James (Gal. 1:18-20). On this occasion, the same two men were there, plus the apostle John (2:9). Paul was clearly doing his research by seeking out the chief apostles. As Martin Hengel notes, “Evidently the tradition of I Cor. 15.3 had been subjected to many tests” by Paul.[15]

These four apostles were the chief authorities in the early church, and each is represented in the list of those who had seen the resurrected Jesus (1 Cor. 15:5-7). So their confirmation of Paul’s Gospel preaching (Gal. 2:9), especially given the apostolic concern to insure doctrinal truth in the early church, is certainly significant. On Paul’s word, we are again just a short distance from a firsthand report.

(4) Not only do we have Paul’s account that the other major apostles confirmed his Gospel message, but he provides the reverse testimony, too. After listing Jesus’ resurrection appearances, Paul tells us he also knew what the other apostles were preaching regarding Jesus’ appearances, and it was the same as his own teaching on this subject (1 Cor. 15:11). As one, they proclaimed that Jesus was raised from the dead (15:12, 15). So Paul narrates both the more indirect confirmation of his Gospel message by the apostolic leaders, plus his firsthand, direct approval of their resurrection message.

Now, some of the people he lists are really biased against the supernatural, and they really hate the idea that the claims of Christianity exclude other religions. And yet they don’t deny the historical reliability of 1 Corinthians 15, or that it is based on eyewitness testimony.

That’s why when you watch debates about the historical Jesus, you see skeptical historians like Bart Ehrman, Gerd Ludemann, James Crossley, Michael Goulder, etc. accepting that the disciples thought they saw Jesus after his death. They’re not just being nice to Dr. Craig when they give him that. They are forced to accept it, because it passes the historical tests. Every Christian ought to be aware of which passages of the New Testament are seen by the broad spectrum of ancient historians as “historical”, regardless of their various biases. You can believe everything in the Bible. But when you debate non-Christians, you have to use the historical core of Christianity which successfully passes historical analysis.

You can see the creed used as evidence in the debate between James Crossley and William Lane Craig.

Go to the article

[someoneandthewhale]

I believed anything they said at church when I was in high school. Then I graduated and went to college to be a theology major. I took a class on the New Testament and the professor encouraged us to leave behind everything we learned in church and read the scriptures with fresh eyes, open to what the Bible said instead of how we had been taught to interpret it. As I read the New Testament, I saw in it not only a theological message, but a social gospel weaved in seamlessly with the theology. I read the stories of Jesus rejecting the rich ruler who wanted to follow him because he loved money too much, pulling out a whip and overturning tables as he condemned merchants seeking profits, being a friend of sinners and those who are despised by society, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, calling out the pride of the self righteous, promoting peace, claiming that those who live by the sword shall die by the sword, turning the other cheek, and loving his neighbor as himself. Jesus never mentioned abortion or gay marriage, but I could imagine him befriending the people who had abortions and were gay and condemning those who stood in self righteous judgement over them. I could not imagine it the other way around. I wrestled with my beliefs for the longest time. In the end, I could not reconcile being a Republican with being a Christian. Others perhaps could be both, but I could not. In 2002, I joined the Green Party because it most closely resembled my beliefs. I suddenly began getting so much judgement from the people at church. "George Bush is the Christian candidate" and "Christians vote Republican", and even "God spoke to Moses through a burning Bush just like he is speaking to us through the Bush that is in the White House today!" By 2007, more due to the fact that the Green Party couldn't win than any other reason, I became a democrat. Barack Obama was running for president. He was a man who not only held a political philosophy very close to the teachings of Jesus, but he talked openly about how he walked down the aisle of a church and gave his heart to Jesus, how he got baptized, how he prays for our nation, and so forth. I expected the church to be happy, but instead, they called him the anti-Christ, they said he was a closet Muslim, they hated him and everything about him and his family. They made up lies all the time to try and make him look bad. There came a point where I couldn't handle it anymore. I stopped going to church. There was a time when I wanted to be a Christian minister, but my understanding of the words of Jesus contradicted what I was told by people in the church so often, that I felt there was no use. Not only was there no use trying to be a minister, but there was no use even going. My masters degree focuses on American Christian history and I have studied the sermons and religious culture of a lot of people throughout history. I realized that I could get more out of reading historical documents, reading the Bible myself, and maybe watching old videos of preachers who were less political (usually who were dead by this point) than I could going to church, so I stopped. By 2016, Donald Trump, a selfish and egotistical billionaire who once kicked a woman out of her home, who felt that the fact that he was rich allowed him to grab women's bodies in ways they didn't like, who objectified women in the most un-Christian ways, who once proudly stated that he doesn't ask anyone for forgiveness, not even God, was running for president. I quickly learned that Christians loved this man. They trusted every word he said no matter how far fetch or big of a lie it might be. They talked about how its a Christian duty to vote for him. They brought him into the fold and made him their new leader. At this point, I couldn't help but realize that the church isn't the church anymore. Back in 1998, I walked into a church called Lakewood, and a little man named John Osteen stood down in the front and talked about how we have the power to help other people. He called his church an oasis of love in a troubled world. I remember him once saying that the church was not supposed to be a "museum to display perfect people, but a hospital to help hurting people." I don't know that the church world I was part of in 1998 still exists in 2017. I don't know if there are any oasises of love out there. There may be places that pretend to be. There may be places that say "Become who we want you to be and we will accept you because you will be like us," but I can't for the life of me find churches that seek to be Christlike. Instead of the church being the church, it feels that the church has mostly become a tool of the Republican Party to help it get votes. It seems that, for them, the ends justify the means. They are willing to lie, cheat, overlook stuff, and do whatever it takes to put a Republican in power. That is the top priority. It doesn't serve them well. Since I left the church, I have ran into numerous people I used to go to church with. Some still go, but they ignore anything said about politics in the church because they don't agree with the pastor or the older people. Some have become atheists, renounce all things associated with Christianity, and reject that hypocrisy. Others are like me. They still claim to be Christians, but don't see the utility in returning to a place where people like us are not welcome or wanted unless we fall into their mold. Its not just me and my old church friends though. Statistics show church attendance has tanked over the last decade. It seems that people who went to youth group faithfully like I did have stopped having anything to do with the church. I can't help but believe their reasoning is similar to that of myself and others I know. Sadly, I often come across people who are fairly new to the church and they eat up the propoganda. They love Trump and they feel like deporting immigrants, cutting people off welfare, building a wall and making Mexico pay for it are all just as important Christian duties as loving thy neighbor, turning the other cheek, and carrying the fruit of the spirit. I don't include all churches in this. I have attended numerous Episcopal churches and a few Methodist churches who are quite different, who follow the teachings of the Bible, who seek to be Christlike, and who reject the Republican Party. While I am not Catholic, I often find great hope for the church in the teachings of Pope Francis. He is one of the closest models of Christ I have seen. I wish more people were like him. I think the church is at a turning point. They can either choose Christianity or the Republican Party, but they cannot have it both ways. If they choose Republican politics over Christianity, I can't help but believe the decline will continue, church attendance will dry up, and the frozen chosen will be all that is left. If they choose to reject politics, reevaluate their theology, see the Bible with fresh eyes, and learn how to be the hands and feet of Jesus again, I believe we will see the biggest revival of Christianity the world has seen because people are hurting for love, for kindness, and for hope.

Cody Pogue, political science professor

#Christianity #republican #republicans #USA #america #church #politics

[automatismoateo]

My theology teacher failed me because she didn't like my truthful answers on the semester exam via /r/atheism

Submitted May 23, 2019 at 11:00PM by -SENDHELP- (Via reddit http://bit.ly/2WmPacH) My theology teacher failed me because she didn't like my truthful answers on the semester exam

This is going to be a LONG post, guys. It's pretty juicy tho. Names and stuff replaced with [REMOVED] for privacy.

​

My theology teacher emailed my parents and principal (sadly, I go to a private, Catholic school) and these are the contents of the email. I was pretty blunt, to be fair, but she wanted honesty and to be fair, the 9th commandment is to not lie, so what does she want me to do, bReAk tHe NiNtH cOmMaNdMeNt?

​

Mr. and Mrs. [REMOVED], I am writing you let you know that [REMOVED] made a 62.5 out of a 100 on his Theology exam, however, he could have passed had he answered his essay questions appropriately.  I know you would want to know that on the exam, students were asked to write three 500 word essays about different aspects of faith and Scripture based on concepts taught in this class.  Instead, [REMOVED] chose to write a 1500 word essay stating his opinions against every aspect of faith and Scripture that I have taught, including comparing the Bible to a book about "Mr. Rainbow Fish."  While I believe students are entitled to an opinion, I feel he has taken this too far and in a manner that is disrespectful and somewhat defiant.  I have made [REMOVED] aware, and I hope this will allow an opportunity for discussion at home.  I appreciate you support and encouragement.  Please let me know if you would like to discuss this further.   Here is the first essay that he wrote: The following should include a well-formed essay which includes at least 500 words about God's love for us as told through Scripture.  Answer all of the below questions in your essay.  The Bible is often referred to as "a love story from God."        (a)  What do we learn about real love, sacrificial love from Scripture.  Use specific examples.         (b)  How do we know we can trust the words in Scripture?  Weren't these men just fishermen?       (c)  Retell the story of Salvation History in your own words.  Your Answer:"Before writing this, I would like to make it clear that I am going to answer this question from an atheist's point of view. It is the last day in your class, and I figured at this point I might as well be completely honest about what I think about Christianity and the Bible etcetera. You probably want a certain answer, but I am going to answer honestly and with my own opinions.

A: Reading through the Bible, I do not see very many examples of true love. God apparently loves all of his creations equally, but he is perfectly fine kicking regular people out of their homes to make room for someone that he "equally" loves to move in. By this I am talking about when the Jews finished wandering in the desert for 40 years and God kicked the people living in the promised land already out. Also, let's talk about God making his people that he loves (more, apparently) walk in the desert for 40 years. In class, I've heard it explained that he did this in order to remove their egyptian ideals and gods and stuff from them so that they would trust him. He's omnipotent and omniscient, yes? He can always create the best situation possible with the least amount of harm to his creations that he loves, yes? Then why did force his people to wander in a desert for 40 years and basically just kill off (with old age) all of the ones that remembered things about egypt and still thought that thosegods might be real? Why couldn't he just wipe their memories, or something? He's God. He can do it. I've heard the excuse that it removes their free will, too. I don't believe that. If that's removing their free will, then forcing them to wander in the desert instead of letting them make their own decisions and forcing them to live in the "promised land" instead of letting them make their own decisions is removal of free will, too- much more so, in fact. There are endless situations just like this one in the Bible that make me doubt that God knows much about real love.

B: That's the thing actually. You can't trust the word in scripture. "well that's stupid, of course we can! It was written by God!" is probably what your immediate response to that statement was. That's the thing though: how do you know that it was God/ the holy spirit that inspired it? "Because it says so in the Bible" Is probably your answer for that one. Basically, this means that you read a book, the book says that it was written by God, therefore God wrote it and everything in it is undeniably true. Let's try a hypothetical situation, shall we? An archaeologist 2000 years in the future finds a book inside of a house that he dug up. He sees that it is titles "Mr. Rainbow Fish's Undeniable Guide to Get to the True Fish Tank" and opens it up to read it. He reads everything in it, the story of Mr. Rainbow Fish, what he did for his people, and what the archaeologist himselfhas to to in order to get to the True Fish Tank. The book also states that it was written by Mr. Rainbow Fish. The archaeologist sees this and thinks "everything in there must be true! Fish really must be intelligent and created people to be like guinea pigs in an experiment on earth! We have to worship the fish otherwise we won't find our way to the True Fish Tank!" He goes back home and tells all of his friends. Every single time he gets told that he can't trust what's written in it and it doesn't make sense anyways. His response is usually something like "Of course I can! It was written by Mr. Rainbow Fish!" His friends always ask him, "how do you know that Mr. rainbow Fish actually wrote it though?" and the response is always "because it says so right there in the book!" Do you see the similarities between the Bible and "Mr. Rainbow Fish's Undeniable Guide to Get to the True Fish Tank?" They're scarily similar. Moral of the story? Don't believe everything that you read. Things that affect your entire life and that you base your whole existence off of actually need proof. 

C: Salvation history. I'm guessing that you mean the whole Jesus thing, by this. Here's my retelling of it and (afterwards) an explanation about it: God saw Mary, a human, who was perfect because he made her this way (which apparently didn't affect her free will.) He sends an angel to approach her and tell her what is essentially, "My boss wants you to have his baby and there isn't really anything that you can do about it." (which apparently didn't affect her free will either) Mary basically has to agree to this happening, and gives birth to Jesus, who was father by Himself, who was ordered to Father Himself by the other Himself. I'm talking about the holy trinity, if it wasn't obvious. Jesus wanders around for a while, being human, growing up, and eventually gets older and starts a whole preaching thing. He gains a lot of followers, spreads a pretty decent message (even in my own opinion) and generally is a cool dude. Eventually though, because other people (the Jews of the time) were so wrapped up in their own religious values, they decided that it was perfectly morally right to murder someone because they said a few words that they didn't like ("I am God") or didn't relax on the sabbath. To me, neither of these things is worth murder, like, at all. But they did it anyway, and basically Jesus died for our sins, rose again, apostles spread the word, etcetera etcetera. Christians are all super thankful that he did that stuff for them, sacrificing his life and all. Except there are some serious issues with that. First of all, he didn't sacrifice his life. He was only planning on staying on Earth for a good 30 years or so anyways Even though he did die on the cross, he basically just took a 3 day long nap. Sure, it hurt being on the cross, but to him, a literal timelesscosmic being that created the universe, it was nothing and not even any real amount of time. It wasn't a sacrifice, it was just a show to make himself look good. There was no real need for Jesus to die on the cross anyways! God is all powerful, all knowing, and all other stuff etcetera. There was no actual reason for Jesus to have died on the cross when God was perfectly capable of essentially (for lack of a better metaphor) pulling a Thanos and snapping our sins away, then popping up in front of everyone globally at the same time and saying something along the lines of "Yo, dudes. I'm God, nice to meet you. I just saved your life because I removed your sins, and also you can stay with me in heaven forever and have fun and stuff. Cool, right?" It probably would have worked much better than trusting literally the most important message in the world to a few dudes who ran around the middle east trying to convince people that they weren't crazy. That leads me to my next can of worms. If the message was so important? Why just leave, like, literally every single thing that ever happened in the Bible in just the middle east? What about the other continents around the earth? What about even just the same continent but in other parts of it? According to the Bible (the church sort of says differently now, but the Bible also says you aren't allowed to give interpretive meaning- everything is literal and unchanging) those who don't worship God go to hell, even if they were unlucky enough to ever find out about him. What about the people below northern africa? What about Europe pre-Christianity-spreading-there? What about the aborigines? What about east Asian empires? What about native north americans? The list goes on and on and on. God condemned all of these people to suffer in hell for eternity just because he decided he didn't want to spread his message anywhere but the middle east.That's all for that one." *In his second essay, he refers to God as "selfish" and faith as being "all fake."  See below: The following should include a well-formed essay (which includes at least 500 words) about the early church comparing or contrasting it with your church today.  Answer all of the below questions in your essay.  (a) Why was the Temple important to the Jerusalem community after the exile? Give some of specific examples of how we know this. (b) What is the importance of worship spaces today?  Describe your church or a church where you have visited.  In what ways could you tell that this worship space is important to you or to the community.  (c) How might looking to "other gods" in our culture result in a spiritual exile from God?  How can our church building and church community help strengthen our spiritual identity?Your Answer:I've already written almost 1500 words and am tired of writing, so I'm just going to keep it simple here even if you take points off for it. Besides, these aren't as interesting to answer as the previous question anyways.

A: It was so important to them because it was a central unifying force for the Jewish people. They rebuilt it for the same reason that they stopped worshipping all of their other gods and limited it to just Yahweh (not even his wife!) You might not believe me, but look it up, it's a real thing. There is legitimate historical proof that "God" was only one of many ancient Jewish gods.

B: It's pretty much the same thing. It unifies people of said religion and is also basically a big advertisement for the religion. I don't go to church, but I've visited many and used to be forced to go to one. They all follow the same format- pews, altar, everything on it, etcetera. They were never important to me, but it was important to the people that went because it was pretty much their whole life. Even if (my personal opinion) they're wrong and it's all fake, it still matters to them.

C: God is selfish (aside from being perfect and all) and doesn't like when your life does anything but revolve completely around him (isn't that a pretty good example of limiting your free will? lol) so he will "exile" you. I can't answer that question as I don't believe in spirits, souls, etc. The answer you probably want is something like "come together, blah blah blah, etc etc"

Edit: parents are home, we haven't talked about it yet.

#reddit

[joshuamshea84]

7 Ways Holy Land Tours Will Refresh Your Faith

View of Jerusalem’s Old City in Israel

Join us on a journey of a lifetime on a Holy Land tour to refresh your faith in Jesus and the Bible!

Is deepening your understanding of an authentic Christian lifestyle by experiencing Biblical history with your own eyes one of your lifelong dreams? Is your imagination longing to see what the apostles saw, traveling through a Holy Land tour with Jesus, filled with awe and wonder as the passages you’ve studied suddenly come alive in front of you?

Experiencing God’s Word come alive in the Holy Land of Israel and the surrounding Mediterranean is a beautiful way revitalize your walk with the Lord and enhance your vision as you study the Bible with leading scholars & archaeologists! Even if you’ve been to Israel before, our assurance is that our stunning Christian cruises and life-changing Christian tours are truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunities!

Here are seven ways our one-of-a-kind Holy Land tours will refresh your Christian faith:

1. Follow the Footsteps of Jesus

Be filled with awestruck wonder as you walk where Jesus walked! Visit incredible destinations made famous by the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, including the Mount of Olives, the Sea of Galilee, the site of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, the remains of the ancient city of Jericho, the Garden tomb where we believe Jesus was buried, the classic city of Jerusalem, and many more!

Journey through the biblical narrative in the remains of the Galilean towns where Jesus taught and performed his miracles. Follow the Gospel accounts with your own eyes and feet. Study the Words of Jesus on the Mount of Beatitudes, imagining yourself listening to the Messiah give His Sermon on the Mount. Make your way through the streets of Jerusalem and reflect on the sacrifice He gave in this city that changed the world. You will visit countless amazing places where Jesus walked, was baptized, hung on a cross, convicted and born.

Literally following the footsteps of Jesus was incredibly eye-opening for Shari! Here is what she experienced:

“Thank you for making this trip to Israel an enlightening experience. Not only did the trip increase my knowledge of the Bible and ancient history, it had a profound impact on my beliefs about and understanding of Christianity. Prior to the trip, my beliefs were primarily based on blind faith. However, I’ve returned with a softened heart and sharpened mind, both of which have opened the door to Christ.” – Shari D.

2. Visit Authentic Biblical Locations

We are blessed to have exclusive access to many cutting-edge discoveries and locations which further prove the inerrancy of many Biblical text accounts! Now you will have opportunities to witness intriguing locations first-hand, including the Temple of Tel-Arad, the real Mount Zion with our exclusive archaeologist guide Eli Shukron who recently discovered the Pool of Siloam, helped excavate the Temple drainage tunnels, area G of the City of David, and discovered “Temple Zero” with the standing stone where we believe Melchizedek and Abraham offered sacrifices to God. All of our locations are verified genuine and authenticated by Israel’s leading archaeologists and international Biblical scholars – not just the usual “traditional” sites created by man as a visual representation of the text.

Our Christian tours of Jordan and Israel bring life and meaning to your favorite Bible passages! Experience marvelous destinations, monuments, attractions, and natural wonders including thousands-of-years of history, culture, religions, and civilizations.

Monica was thrilled with the authentic historic locations she experienced on her journey through Israel’s Holy Land:

“It’s been about a month since I returned from Israel, so it is way past time to thank you for putting together a true trip of a lifetime! It was all and more than I expected … and I have about 500 photos to prove it. And Roman was a fantastic guide! He was a wealth of knowledge — biblical, messianic, archaeological, historical, cultural…he gave us all some new and exciting perspectives!” ~ Monica H.

3. Enjoy Unique Experiences in the Holy Land

Explore the Holy Land in a unique and hands-on way with adventures such as our Dig-for-a-Day program where we dig, sift, and examine pottery. The more adventurous among us can do some exciting exploration of unexcavated cave systems that are accessed through leather straps. Would you enjoy a helicopter ride over unique vistas, affording fantastic views of the rare crater-like landscape? We also visit Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. How about a dip in the mud? Enjoy a nice float and coat yourself in the natural mud at the bottom of the mineral rich lake.

Christian visitors on one of our Holy Land tours will not be disappointed with the continual wellspring of extraordinary activities – both physical and spiritual all around!

4. On-Site Bible Study with Renowned Scholars

One incredible perk of traveling with Living Passages is our collective of highly qualified Bible teachers and world-renowned scholars which will provide incredible insight and scriptural teaching as you travel through the Holy Land. We guarantee our speakers will bring a fresh perspective to your existing insight of both the Old and New Testament.

Here are just a few of our exceptional guides, speakers, and teachers:

Dr. Craig A Evans is a distinguished scholar, author and speaker who has extensively studied the Gospels, Dead Sea scrolls and archaeology of the New Testament. He is a Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University in Texas, and the author and editor of more than 70 books and hundreds of peer-reviewed articles, Professor Evans has given lectures at locations such as Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Yale, and distinguished museums worldwide. He is a Fox News opinion contributor and also regularly lectures at popular conferences and retreats on the historical Jesus, archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Bible.

Eli Shukron is the chief archaeologist in the City of David and a leading expert on the archaeology of Jerusalem for the Israeli government and Israel Antiquities Authority. Shukron first discovered and directed the excavation of the Pool of Siloam, the ancient city of Bethlehem, the Jerusalem Pilgrim Road from the Second Temple Period, and numerous other historical artifacts which continuously prove the inerrancy of the Bible.

Dr. Adolfo Roitman is the curator of the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, which houses the remarkable Dead Sea Scroll collection in Jerusalem, one of the world’s leading archaeological museums. Dr. Roitman is a senior lecturer at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Dr. Roitman lectures widely on early Jewish literature, the history and significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and biblical interpretation.

Dr. Frank Turek is a dynamic speaker and award-winning author & coauthor of many books, including: Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case. As the President of CrossExamined.org, Frank presents powerful and entertaining evidence for Christianity at churches, high schools and at secular college campuses that often begin hostile to his message.

5. Christian Fellowship on a Holy Land Adventure

You will share inspiring fellowship along your journey with other Christian believers. Many of our travelers who meet along their adventure become life-long friends after their Holy Land tour ends. You may choose to visit Bethany, where we end our day at the quiet and reflective Garden Tomb to share communion together. Review the fantastic testimonials of our past travelers and join the ranks of our seasoned Biblical adventurers!

As with all of our tours and cruises, the unparalleled spiritual gathering of fellow Christian believers who travel and study together, will make this an unforgettable life-changing and faith-shaping adventure.

“I also want to thank you for the prayer time we had together.  That was very special for me and I have no doubt God heard our prayers. I enjoyed this tour so much, that I’d like to do it again sometime, maybe in the Spring season. Our group enjoyed each others’ company so much that we are having a reunion party coming up on Monday the 21st!” ~ Janet

6. Luxurious Holy Land Accommodations

Along your adventure, stop and relax in Israel’s most prestigious beach-side hotels with spectacular views. Every detail is carefully considered when making your stay as memorable as possible. The hotels are pristine and modern, clean and beautifully appointed. Your experience has been designed in impressive detail, with every item carefully selected to provide maximum pampering and comfort, fulfilling the needs and desires of all guests. Look for spas, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, saunas, fitness rooms, and massages. Enjoy rich regional gourmet food in each location.

“I travel frequently – but this tour was the adventure of a lifetime! Everything was first class: the hotels, the ship, the food, the guides and the teaching!” ~ Anonymous

7. Exclusively Designed and Operated

Don’t take an ordinary Holy Land tour or cruise! Living Passages luxury Christian cruises and inspirational biblical tours are intended to educate and uplift as you uncover and explore the history of the Bible first-hand. Our Holy Land tours are expertly planned, down to the finest detail. With over 20 years of experience, owner and founder Rhonda Sand arranges exclusive tours and elite excursions that are not typically offered on ordinary Israel tours. A Living Passages representative will travel with your group to quickly handle any issues, should they arise.

Be Spiritually Refreshed on an Adventure of a Lifetime in the Holy Land of Israel!

Is this your season to be spiritually refreshed! Will you join us on one of our in-depth Christian Israel tours?

There is sure to be the perfect tour that will will leave you feeling invigorated in your faith. Join others in fulfilling the dream of walking where Jesus walked. Bring life and meaning to your favorite passages by experiencing first-hand historic Bible locations as you journey through Israel’s Holy Land. Take a look at all our available tours and cruises!

Join us on the Christian trip of a lifetime today! Please call us for more information at 1-888-771-8717 or write us at [email protected].

The post 7 Ways Holy Land Tours Will Refresh Your Faith appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/7-ways-holy-land-tour-will-refresh-faith/ from Living Passages https://livingpassages.blogspot.com/2019/03/7-ways-holy-land-tours-will-refresh.html

[marymperezga]

7 Ways Holy Land Tours Will Refresh Your Faith

View of Jerusalem’s Old City in Israel

Join us on a journey of a lifetime on a Holy Land tour to refresh your faith in Jesus and the Bible!

Is deepening your understanding of an authentic Christian lifestyle by experiencing Biblical history with your own eyes one of your lifelong dreams? Is your imagination longing to see what the apostles saw, traveling through a Holy Land tour with Jesus, filled with awe and wonder as the passages you’ve studied suddenly come alive in front of you?

Experiencing God’s Word come alive in the Holy Land of Israel and the surrounding Mediterranean is a beautiful way revitalize your walk with the Lord and enhance your vision as you study the Bible with leading scholars & archaeologists! Even if you’ve been to Israel before, our assurance is that our stunning Christian cruises and life-changing Christian tours are truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunities!

Here are seven ways our one-of-a-kind Holy Land tours will refresh your Christian faith:

1. Follow the Footsteps of Jesus

Be filled with awestruck wonder as you walk where Jesus walked! Visit incredible destinations made famous by the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, including the Mount of Olives, the Sea of Galilee, the site of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, the remains of the ancient city of Jericho, the Garden tomb where we believe Jesus was buried, the classic city of Jerusalem, and many more!

Journey through the biblical narrative in the remains of the Galilean towns where Jesus taught and performed his miracles. Follow the Gospel accounts with your own eyes and feet. Study the Words of Jesus on the Mount of Beatitudes, imagining yourself listening to the Messiah give His Sermon on the Mount. Make your way through the streets of Jerusalem and reflect on the sacrifice He gave in this city that changed the world. You will visit countless amazing places where Jesus walked, was baptized, hung on a cross, convicted and born.

Literally following the footsteps of Jesus was incredibly eye-opening for Shari! Here is what she experienced:

“Thank you for making this trip to Israel an enlightening experience. Not only did the trip increase my knowledge of the Bible and ancient history, it had a profound impact on my beliefs about and understanding of Christianity. Prior to the trip, my beliefs were primarily based on blind faith. However, I’ve returned with a softened heart and sharpened mind, both of which have opened the door to Christ.” – Shari D.

2. Visit Authentic Biblical Locations

We are blessed to have exclusive access to many cutting-edge discoveries and locations which further prove the inerrancy of many Biblical text accounts! Now you will have opportunities to witness intriguing locations first-hand, including the Temple of Tel-Arad, the real Mount Zion with our exclusive archaeologist guide Eli Shukron who recently discovered the Pool of Siloam, helped excavate the Temple drainage tunnels, area G of the City of David, and discovered “Temple Zero” with the standing stone where we believe Melchizedek and Abraham offered sacrifices to God. All of our locations are verified genuine and authenticated by Israel’s leading archaeologists and international Biblical scholars – not just the usual “traditional” sites created by man as a visual representation of the text.

Our Christian tours of Jordan and Israel bring life and meaning to your favorite Bible passages! Experience marvelous destinations, monuments, attractions, and natural wonders including thousands-of-years of history, culture, religions, and civilizations.

Monica was thrilled with the authentic historic locations she experienced on her journey through Israel’s Holy Land:

“It’s been about a month since I returned from Israel, so it is way past time to thank you for putting together a true trip of a lifetime! It was all and more than I expected … and I have about 500 photos to prove it. And Roman was a fantastic guide! He was a wealth of knowledge — biblical, messianic, archaeological, historical, cultural…he gave us all some new and exciting perspectives!” ~ Monica H.

3. Enjoy Unique Experiences in the Holy Land

Explore the Holy Land in a unique and hands-on way with adventures such as our Dig-for-a-Day program where we dig, sift, and examine pottery. The more adventurous among us can do some exciting exploration of unexcavated cave systems that are accessed through leather straps. Would you enjoy a helicopter ride over unique vistas, affording fantastic views of the rare crater-like landscape? We also visit Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. How about a dip in the mud? Enjoy a nice float and coat yourself in the natural mud at the bottom of the mineral rich lake.

Christian visitors on one of our Holy Land tours will not be disappointed with the continual wellspring of extraordinary activities – both physical and spiritual all around!

4. On-Site Bible Study with Renowned Scholars

One incredible perk of traveling with Living Passages is our collective of highly qualified Bible teachers and world-renowned scholars which will provide incredible insight and scriptural teaching as you travel through the Holy Land. We guarantee our speakers will bring a fresh perspective to your existing insight of both the Old and New Testament.

Here are just a few of our exceptional guides, speakers, and teachers:

Dr. Craig A Evans is a distinguished scholar, author and speaker who has extensively studied the Gospels, Dead Sea scrolls and archaeology of the New Testament. He is a Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University in Texas, and the author and editor of more than 70 books and hundreds of peer-reviewed articles, Professor Evans has given lectures at locations such as Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Yale, and distinguished museums worldwide. He is a Fox News opinion contributor and also regularly lectures at popular conferences and retreats on the historical Jesus, archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Bible.

Eli Shukron is the chief archaeologist in the City of David and a leading expert on the archaeology of Jerusalem for the Israeli government and Israel Antiquities Authority. Shukron first discovered and directed the excavation of the Pool of Siloam, the ancient city of Bethlehem, the Jerusalem Pilgrim Road from the Second Temple Period, and numerous other historical artifacts which continuously prove the inerrancy of the Bible.

Dr. Adolfo Roitman is the curator of the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, which houses the remarkable Dead Sea Scroll collection in Jerusalem, one of the world’s leading archaeological museums. Dr. Roitman is a senior lecturer at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Dr. Roitman lectures widely on early Jewish literature, the history and significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and biblical interpretation.

Dr. Frank Turek is a dynamic speaker and award-winning author & coauthor of many books, including: Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case. As the President of CrossExamined.org, Frank presents powerful and entertaining evidence for Christianity at churches, high schools and at secular college campuses that often begin hostile to his message.

5. Christian Fellowship on a Holy Land Adventure

You will share inspiring fellowship along your journey with other Christian believers. Many of our travelers who meet along their adventure become life-long friends after their Holy Land tour ends. You may choose to visit Bethany, where we end our day at the quiet and reflective Garden Tomb to share communion together. Review the fantastic testimonials of our past travelers and join the ranks of our seasoned Biblical adventurers!

As with all of our tours and cruises, the unparalleled spiritual gathering of fellow Christian believers who travel and study together, will make this an unforgettable life-changing and faith-shaping adventure.

“I also want to thank you for the prayer time we had together.  That was very special for me and I have no doubt God heard our prayers. I enjoyed this tour so much, that I’d like to do it again sometime, maybe in the Spring season. Our group enjoyed each others’ company so much that we are having a reunion party coming up on Monday the 21st!” ~ Janet

6. Luxurious Holy Land Accommodations

Along your adventure, stop and relax in Israel’s most prestigious beach-side hotels with spectacular views. Every detail is carefully considered when making your stay as memorable as possible. The hotels are pristine and modern, clean and beautifully appointed. Your experience has been designed in impressive detail, with every item carefully selected to provide maximum pampering and comfort, fulfilling the needs and desires of all guests. Look for spas, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, saunas, fitness rooms, and massages. Enjoy rich regional gourmet food in each location.

“I travel frequently – but this tour was the adventure of a lifetime! Everything was first class: the hotels, the ship, the food, the guides and the teaching!” ~ Anonymous

7. Exclusively Designed and Operated

Don’t take an ordinary Holy Land tour or cruise! Living Passages luxury Christian cruises and inspirational biblical tours are intended to educate and uplift as you uncover and explore the history of the Bible first-hand. Our Holy Land tours are expertly planned, down to the finest detail. With over 20 years of experience, owner and founder Rhonda Sand arranges exclusive tours and elite excursions that are not typically offered on ordinary Israel tours. A Living Passages representative will travel with your group to quickly handle any issues, should they arise.

Be Spiritually Refreshed on an Adventure of a Lifetime in the Holy Land of Israel!

Is this your season to be spiritually refreshed! Will you join us on one of our in-depth Christian Israel tours?

There is sure to be the perfect tour that will will leave you feeling invigorated in your faith. Join others in fulfilling the dream of walking where Jesus walked. Bring life and meaning to your favorite passages by experiencing first-hand historic Bible locations as you journey through Israel’s Holy Land. Take a look at all our available tours and cruises!

Join us on the Christian trip of a lifetime today! Please call us for more information at 1-888-771-8717 or write us at [email protected].

The post 7 Ways Holy Land Tours Will Refresh Your Faith appeared first on Living Passages.

from Living Passages https://livingpassages.com/7-ways-holy-land-tour-will-refresh-faith/ from Living Passages https://livingpassages.tumblr.com/post/183774630140

[christianstevefinnell]

NOVICE BELIEVERS BY STEVE FINNELL

There are many believers in Christ that remain novice believers their entire life. If believers never take the time to prayerfully search the Scriptures to find out if what they have been told is the truth they remain in fact, "novice believers."

If you accept at face value everything you have been taught, then you are subject to every false doctrine known to man.

BE LIKE THE JEWS AT BEREA. They were examining the Scriptures daily to see if Paul and Silas were telling them the truth about Jesus The Christ.(Acts 17:10-11)

It would impossible to have hundreds of denominations teaching different ways of being saved, without lifelong novice believers. Those in Berea did not accept multiple interpretations of essential Scriptures.

Novice believers are easy converts for those who pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Those who subject themselves to denominational doctrines, church catechisms, Bible commentaries, or opinions of church leaders without prayerfully searching the Scriptures, will fall prey to false teaching.

God's word is found in the Bible and the Bible alone.

If everyone followed the Scriptures, alone, there be just one church; THE CHURCH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  

 P

THE BATTLE OF THE BIBLE TRANSLATIONS  BY STEVE FINNELL

Are there translations of the Bible that are not trustworthy? I know of one or two translations out of sixty-plus English  translations that are not trustworthy. Many take the position that the King James Bible is the only dependable translation of God's word.

A TRANSLATION COMPARISON.

KING JAMES BIBLE (KJV)

THE LIVING BIBLE-Paraphrased (TLB)

NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (NASB)

John 3:16 For God so loved world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.(KJV)

John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (TLB-P)

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, the He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (NASB)

You will notice in the KJV and the TLB-P use lower case when translating, he and him. The NASB uses He and Him when talking about God and Jesus. Should God and Jesus be capitalized? Of course. Does that mean that the KJV and TLB-P are not trustworthy translations? NO IT DOES NOT. All three translations say the same thing.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

Acts 2:38 And Peter replied, "Each one of you must turn from sin, return to God, and be baptized in the name Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; then you also shall receive this gift, the Holy Spirit. (TLB-P)

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NASB)

Notice all three translation say that in order to have your sins forgiven you must repent and be baptized. Some deny that repentance and baptism are essential for sins to be forgiven. MEN DENY THIS, NOT BECAUSE OF INACCURATE TRANSLATIONS. THEY SIMPLY CHOSE NOT TO BELIEVE IT.

Men are not going to be lost because of faulty translations. Men are lost because they refuse to believe in the translations they trust.

99% of all translation are trustworthy. My translation, of choice, is the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE. You can get to heaven by reading the KJV, TLB-P, the NIV and many other translations.

JUST PICK A TRANSLATION AND BELIEVE WHAT GOD SAYS.  

    IS POPE FRANCIS THE VICAR OF CHRIST?  BY STEVE FINNELL

Is Pope Francis the vicar of Christ? The Roman Catholic Church teaches that to be true. A vicar is someone acting in the place of another.

Catholic doctrine says the pope is the chief shepherd of the church of Christ.

The Roman Catholic Church claims that the pope is the head of the church of Christ on earth.

What does the Bible say?

1. Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (NKJV)

Jesus has all authority.

2. Colossians 1:13-13  ...the kingdom of the Son of His love,.....18 And He is the head of the body, the church...(NKJV)

Jesus is the head of the church.

3. 1 Peter 5:4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. (NKJV)

Jesus is the Chief Shepherd.

QUOTE FROM THE THE ROMAN CATHOLIC VICAR OF CHRIST, POPE FRANCIS.

"The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! "Father, the atheists? Even the atheist. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class. We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all. And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently. little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: We need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. 'But I don't believe , Father, I am an atheist!' But do good: We will meet one another there."

What does the Bible say about unrepentant atheists?  2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (NKJV)

Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)[Jesus understands His gospel.]

Obeying the gospel is simply believing and being immersed in water. You must know God and obey the gospel of Christ.

Good works cannot save anyone, including atheists.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.(NKJV)

Salvation is a free gift of God. No good works are required. Obeying the gospel of Christ by believing and being immersed in water (baptized) obtains that free gift.

No man can take the place of Jesus Christ on earth or in heaven.  

        WHO IS IN CHARGE?  by steve finnell

Who is responsible for oversight of the church of Christ?

First let us establish that Jesus Christ is head of His church.

Colossians 1:13-18.....18 He is also head of the body, the church......

Ephesians 5:23...as Christ also is the head of the church....

The question remains who are the men responsible for the oversight of the Lord's church?

Did God put a pastor, a bishop, an elder, or an overseer in charge of shepherding His church?

Pastor, bishop, elder and overseer are the same office.

Men were given the oversight of each, local, church of Christ.

Acts 14:23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they believed.

Elders (plural) were appointed in each church congregation.

Titus 1:5-7 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.....7 For the overseer must be above reproach....

Elders were appointed in every city where there was a church of Christ. Elders were also referred to as overseers (some translations use the word bishops).

Acts 20:17-28 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.......28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Notice: Elders (plural), and overseers (plural). Elders and overseers are used interchangeably and are told to shepherd the church.

1 Peter 5:1-2 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you exercising oversight...

Note: Elders (plural), were told to shepherd the flock of God.  Peter said he was one of the elders. Peter did not say he was the Pope or the Head Elder.

Ephesians 4:11 And He gave some......as pastors.....

The word pastor means shepherd.

Elder, bishop, overseer and pastor are all the same office and they are to shepherd the local churches of Christ.

The oversight of the local church is to be a plurality of ELDERS (overseers, bishops, pastors).

There is no mention in the Bible of one pastor ruling a single church. There is no Scripture indicating one man should rule a world wide church. There is nothing in the Bible that tells us to set up a church board to oversee the local church. God never set up different denominations to be ruled by groups of men. There is no office of Pope or priest mentioned under the New Covenant church of Christ.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF HIS CHURCH! A PLURALITY OF ELDERS ARE TO HAVE OVERSIGHT OF EACH LOCAL CONGREGATION.

(All Scripture quotes from: NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE)  

#read more at steve-finnell.blogspot.com

[livingpassages]

7 Ways Holy Land Tours Will Refresh Your Faith

View of Jerusalem’s Old City in Israel

Join us on a journey of a lifetime on a Holy Land tour to refresh your faith in Jesus and the Bible!

Is deepening your understanding of an authentic Christian lifestyle by experiencing Biblical history with your own eyes one of your lifelong dreams? Is your imagination longing to see what the apostles saw, traveling through a Holy Land tour with Jesus, filled with awe and wonder as the passages you’ve studied suddenly come alive in front of you?

Experiencing God’s Word come alive in the Holy Land of Israel and the surrounding Mediterranean is a beautiful way revitalize your walk with the Lord and enhance your vision as you study the Bible with leading scholars & archaeologists! Even if you’ve been to Israel before, our assurance is that our stunning Christian cruises and life-changing Christian tours are truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunities!

Here are seven ways our one-of-a-kind Holy Land tours will refresh your Christian faith:

1. Follow the Footsteps of Jesus

Be filled with awestruck wonder as you walk where Jesus walked! Visit incredible destinations made famous by the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, including the Mount of Olives, the Sea of Galilee, the site of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, the remains of the ancient city of Jericho, the Garden tomb where we believe Jesus was buried, the classic city of Jerusalem, and many more!

Journey through the biblical narrative in the remains of the Galilean towns where Jesus taught and performed his miracles. Follow the Gospel accounts with your own eyes and feet. Study the Words of Jesus on the Mount of Beatitudes, imagining yourself listening to the Messiah give His Sermon on the Mount. Make your way through the streets of Jerusalem and reflect on the sacrifice He gave in this city that changed the world. You will visit countless amazing places where Jesus walked, was baptized, hung on a cross, convicted and born.

Literally following the footsteps of Jesus was incredibly eye-opening for Shari! Here is what she experienced:

“Thank you for making this trip to Israel an enlightening experience. Not only did the trip increase my knowledge of the Bible and ancient history, it had a profound impact on my beliefs about and understanding of Christianity. Prior to the trip, my beliefs were primarily based on blind faith. However, I’ve returned with a softened heart and sharpened mind, both of which have opened the door to Christ.” – Shari D.

2. Visit Authentic Biblical Locations

We are blessed to have exclusive access to many cutting-edge discoveries and locations which further prove the inerrancy of many Biblical text accounts! Now you will have opportunities to witness intriguing locations first-hand, including the Temple of Tel-Arad, the real Mount Zion with our exclusive archaeologist guide Eli Shukron who recently discovered the Pool of Siloam, helped excavate the Temple drainage tunnels, area G of the City of David, and discovered “Temple Zero” with the standing stone where we believe Melchizedek and Abraham offered sacrifices to God. All of our locations are verified genuine and authenticated by Israel’s leading archaeologists and international Biblical scholars – not just the usual “traditional” sites created by man as a visual representation of the text.

Our Christian tours of Jordan and Israel bring life and meaning to your favorite Bible passages! Experience marvelous destinations, monuments, attractions, and natural wonders including thousands-of-years of history, culture, religions, and civilizations.

Monica was thrilled with the authentic historic locations she experienced on her journey through Israel’s Holy Land:

“It’s been about a month since I returned from Israel, so it is way past time to thank you for putting together a true trip of a lifetime! It was all and more than I expected … and I have about 500 photos to prove it. And Roman was a fantastic guide! He was a wealth of knowledge — biblical, messianic, archaeological, historical, cultural…he gave us all some new and exciting perspectives!” ~ Monica H.

3. Enjoy Unique Experiences in the Holy Land

Explore the Holy Land in a unique and hands-on way with adventures such as our Dig-for-a-Day program where we dig, sift, and examine pottery. The more adventurous among us can do some exciting exploration of unexcavated cave systems that are accessed through leather straps. Would you enjoy a helicopter ride over unique vistas, affording fantastic views of the rare crater-like landscape? We also visit Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea. How about a dip in the mud? Enjoy a nice float and coat yourself in the natural mud at the bottom of the mineral rich lake.

Christian visitors on one of our Holy Land tours will not be disappointed with the continual wellspring of extraordinary activities – both physical and spiritual all around!

4. On-Site Bible Study with Renowned Scholars

One incredible perk of traveling with Living Passages is our collective of highly qualified Bible teachers and world-renowned scholars which will provide incredible insight and scriptural teaching as you travel through the Holy Land. We guarantee our speakers will bring a fresh perspective to your existing insight of both the Old and New Testament.

Here are just a few of our exceptional guides, speakers, and teachers:

Dr. Craig A Evans is a distinguished scholar, author and speaker who has extensively studied the Gospels, Dead Sea scrolls and archaeology of the New Testament. He is a Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University in Texas, and the author and editor of more than 70 books and hundreds of peer-reviewed articles, Professor Evans has given lectures at locations such as Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Yale, and distinguished museums worldwide. He is a Fox News opinion contributor and also regularly lectures at popular conferences and retreats on the historical Jesus, archaeology, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Bible.

Eli Shukron is the chief archaeologist in the City of David and a leading expert on the archaeology of Jerusalem for the Israeli government and Israel Antiquities Authority. Shukron first discovered and directed the excavation of the Pool of Siloam, the ancient city of Bethlehem, the Jerusalem Pilgrim Road from the Second Temple Period, and numerous other historical artifacts which continuously prove the inerrancy of the Bible.

Dr. Adolfo Roitman is the curator of the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, which houses the remarkable Dead Sea Scroll collection in Jerusalem, one of the world’s leading archaeological museums. Dr. Roitman is a senior lecturer at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Dr. Roitman lectures widely on early Jewish literature, the history and significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and biblical interpretation.

Dr. Frank Turek is a dynamic speaker and award-winning author & coauthor of many books, including: Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case. As the President of CrossExamined.org, Frank presents powerful and entertaining evidence for Christianity at churches, high schools and at secular college campuses that often begin hostile to his message.

5. Christian Fellowship on a Holy Land Adventure

You will share inspiring fellowship along your journey with other Christian believers. Many of our travelers who meet along their adventure become life-long friends after their Holy Land tour ends. You may choose to visit Bethany, where we end our day at the quiet and reflective Garden Tomb to share communion together. Review the fantastic testimonials of our past travelers and join the ranks of our seasoned Biblical adventurers!

As with all of our tours and cruises, the unparalleled spiritual gathering of fellow Christian believers who travel and study together, will make this an unforgettable life-changing and faith-shaping adventure.

“I also want to thank you for the prayer time we had together.  That was very special for me and I have no doubt God heard our prayers. I enjoyed this tour so much, that I’d like to do it again sometime, maybe in the Spring season. Our group enjoyed each others’ company so much that we are having a reunion party coming up on Monday the 21st!” ~ Janet

6. Luxurious Holy Land Accommodations

Along your adventure, stop and relax in Israel’s most prestigious beach-side hotels with spectacular views. Every detail is carefully considered when making your stay as memorable as possible. The hotels are pristine and modern, clean and beautifully appointed. Your experience has been designed in impressive detail, with every item carefully selected to provide maximum pampering and comfort, fulfilling the needs and desires of all guests. Look for spas, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, saunas, fitness rooms, and massages. Enjoy rich regional gourmet food in each location.

“I travel frequently – but this tour was the adventure of a lifetime! Everything was first class: the hotels, the ship, the food, the guides and the teaching!” ~ Anonymous

7. Exclusively Designed and Operated

Don’t take an ordinary Holy Land tour or cruise! Living Passages luxury Christian cruises and inspirational biblical tours are intended to educate and uplift as you uncover and explore the history of the Bible first-hand. Our Holy Land tours are expertly planned, down to the finest detail. With over 20 years of experience, owner and founder Rhonda Sand arranges exclusive tours and elite excursions that are not typically offered on ordinary Israel tours. A Living Passages representative will travel with your group to quickly handle any issues, should they arise.

Be Spiritually Refreshed on an Adventure of a Lifetime in the Holy Land of Israel!

Is this your season to be spiritually refreshed! Will you join us on one of our in-depth Christian Israel tours?

There is sure to be the perfect tour that will will leave you feeling invigorated in your faith. Join others in fulfilling the dream of walking where Jesus walked. Bring life and meaning to your favorite passages by experiencing first-hand historic Bible locations as you journey through Israel’s Holy Land. Take a look at all our available tours and cruises!

Join us on the Christian trip of a lifetime today! Please call us for more information at 1-888-771-8717 or write us at [email protected].

The post 7 Ways Holy Land Tours Will Refresh Your Faith appeared first on Living Passages.

from Living Passages https://livingpassages.com/7-ways-holy-land-tour-will-refresh-faith/

[thejoydaily-blog]

NOVEMBER 22, 2016 Made for Another World

Remembering C.S. Lewis

Article by David Mathis

Executive Editor, desiringGod.org

He went quietly. It was very British.

While the Americans rocked and reeled, and the world’s attention turned to Dallas and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, one Clive Staples Lewis breathed his last in Oxford just a week shy of his 65th birthday. Strangely enough, science-fictionist Aldous Huxley passed the same day, and in one calendar square, three of the twentieth-century’s most influential figures were gone.

It was November 22, 1963.

C.S. Lewis is known best for his series of seven short fiction books, “The Chronicles of Narnia,” which have sold over 100 million copies in 40 languages. With three of the stories already becoming major motion pictures, and the fourth in the making, Lewis is as popular today as he’s ever been. But even before he published Narnia in the early 1950s, he distinguished himself as a professor at Oxford and Cambridge, the world’s foremost expert in Medieval and Renaissance English literature, and one of the great lay thinkers and writers in two millennia of the Christian church.

Discovering Truth and Joy

Lewis was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1898. He became an atheist in his teens, and stridently such in his twenties, before slowly warming to theism in his early thirties, and finally being fully converted to Christianity at age 33. And he would prove to be for many, as he was for his friend Owen Barfield, the “most thoroughly converted man I have ever known.”

What catches the eye about Lewis’s star in the constellation of Christian thinkers and writers is his utter commitment to the life of the mind and the life of the heart. He both thinks and feels with the best. Lewis insisted that rigorous thought and deep affections were not at odds, but mutually supportive. And as impressive as he was in arguing for it, he was even more convincing in his demonstration.

What eventually led Lewis to theism, and finally to Christianity, was Longing— an ache for Joy with a capital J. He had learned all too well that relentless rationality could not adequately explain the depth and complexity of human life, or the textures and hues of the world in which we find ourselves. From early on, an angst gnawed at him which one day he would express so memorably in his most well-known single book, Mere Christianity: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

This World and the Other

Such is the heart of his genius, his spiritual genius. So few treat the world in all its detail and contour like he does, and yet so few tirelessly point us beyond this world, with all its concreteness and color and taste, with the aggression and ardor of C.S. Lewis.

And so for many his impact has been so personal. For me, it was a six-word sentence in Lewis — “we are far too easily pleased” — that popped the hood on a massive remodeling of my soul.

If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Does Jesus really find our desires not too strong, but too weak? I had long professed Christianity, but this tasted so different than what I knew. It tasted good! This affirmation of happiness and pleasure and desire and delight was, to me, so new in the context of the Christian faith. And Lewis was the chef.

My notions about God and the Christian life were exposed as mere duty-driven, and my soul was thrilling at the possibility that Christianity might not mean muting my desires, but being encouraged (even commanded!) to turn them up — up to God.

Feel the Weight of Glory

As a layman, Lewis didn’t preach often, but occasionally had his chance at a pulpit. His most remembered sermon is one he preached under the title “The Weight of Glory.”

When he breathed his last and quietly slipped from this life more than fifty years ago now, he took one big step toward becoming the kind of glorious creature in the coming new creation he speaks about in that sermon.

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare.

All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations — these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit — immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.

This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously.

For a growing number of us, Lewis occupies a class to himself. Few, if any, have taught us so much about this world, and the next, save the Scriptures. If you’d like to take him seriously, and with the smile and warmth he requests, start with his Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Abolition of Man, “The Chronicles of Narnia,” or just about anything you can find with his name as author. His writings are pervasively thoughtful, engaging, provoking, and rewarding. He will not disappoint.