Common Misconceptions of Christianity
I’d like to burn some very typical straw men. Hopefully, in the debate over Christianity, these unnecessary issues can be avoided.
Creation - Neither Genesis nor any of the scriptures demands that the earth and universe is only 6- to 10- thousand years old. The Hebrew word for “day” (yom) could mean long periods of time. The words “there was morning and there was evening, the first day” could be translated “there was beginning and ending, the first (yom)”.
(BTW, the narrative moves to the surface of the earth in Genesis 1:2. While stars were certainly already in existence, their light was not visible on the surface of the earth until the opaque early atmosphere cleared).
Adam and Eve – While scripture does indicate they were specially created, there are gaps in the biblical genealogies that could place Adam and Eve back 60- to 90-thousand years. This would also predict increasing discovery of a common DNA originating between east Africa and the Mesopotamia.
(BTW, the word for “rib” means “side”. The story of Eve’s creation could mean God created her from Adam for symbolic purposes. I speculate a biopsy, of sorts, from the side, with a few million variations to the DNA producing a female. )
Talking Snakes - A boa constrictor with vocal cords is not in view here. That image comes largely from medieval art. The “serpent” in the garden was intelligent and used for evil. One can only speculate what sort of being it was (perhaps one no longer extant).
The Flood – The fact that a great flood is found in various cultures indicates that it happened. Two questions emerge: which account is most accurate and whether the flood was global or local.
I’m of the opinion that the flood was regional rather than global for several reasons. First, while the flood was universal in effect, it was only regional in extent due to human’s not having moved much beyond the Mesopotamia at the time. A global flood was unnecessary.
Secondly, language like “under all the heavens”, “all the earth”, etc. are most likely from the perspective of the observer, i.e. a flood from horizon to horizon. “Mountains” could be translated “hills” with rain and water “covering” (or running over) them rather than submerging them.
Thirdly, this would mean there were not polar bears and penguins, etc. on the ark, but only animals indigenous to the region and of special relation to man.
Fourthly, a global flood would have torn the ark to pieces, no matter how well built. And it certainly would not have landed anywhere near its original location.
Fifthly, the scripture itself said a “large wind” was used in the evaporation process. Such a wind would have virtually no effect in a global flood.
Finally, if the flood were only regional why not just have Noah, his family, and whatever animals needed, hike out of the area and be safe? Why a big specifically-built ark? I think because God often operates via symbols teaching important truths or significance, i.e. salvation in Christ or deliverance through troubled waters (trials).
Use of Metaphor – The scriptures use metaphor and other literary devices. One need only utilize common exegetical analysis and context to determine what any author meant as literal or metaphorical (and on a case-by-case basis).
Inerrancy – If there are consequential or factual errors in the Bible that does not mean Christianity is false. However, I find it remarkable how well the Bible holds up to scrutiny and that there are plausible answers to discrepancies. Personally, I hold to the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy.
Hell – is not a place of torture (external) but of torment (internal). There are many descriptions of hell in the scriptures. The “fire” is most likely not the chemical combustion we’re familiar with. It, combined with all the other descriptions, reduces to separation from God and the judgment of God.
This does not make hell more tolerable (that’s not possible). But it does dispel hillbilly theology that has poor souls swatting flames for eternity! Christ depicted conversation taking place “in the flames”. No person could have a conversation while on fire! On our familiar planet, one is in mindless torture if burning.
It is, however, a profound tragedy to be eternally separated from God. It is a “spiritual chaos” one enters when the intact “self” survives the physical body. There are indications that some kind of body could exist in hell.
Heaven – is a remarkably physical place. It is not ethereal or immaterial. It is a combination of a “new heaven and new earth”. We will live on earth in physical bodies that are “spiritual” which nonetheless have access to one another and continued exploration of the universe without many of the limits of current bodies affected by entropy, etc. Christ’s resurrected body could be touched and he ate food, etc. This describes the redeemed, resurrected body.
This is not to be confused with an intermediary state which is not physical. At death, one goes either into the very presence of God to await the resurrection of the body, or in a state of chaos to await final judgment.
“God will not allow anything to happen in your life that you can’t handle” – False! Scripturally, there are plenty of things that happen that one cannot handle! Devastating things! The accurate teaching is that nothing will happen that God’s grace will not get one through.
“You must become like children” - Christ said to “humble yourself like a little child”. It does not mean to be naïve, ignorant, gullible, or irrational.
Pascal’s Wager – This is not an argument for God nor necessarily addressed to atheists. Pascal used a popular gambling motif to shake the French laity out of spiritual complacency and to at least move them in the direction of God.
Further, the Wager, as it is commonly used, is not allowed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. He said if Christ was not risen, then the jig is up! Christianity is false! He did not say believe it anyway “just in case” or because it provides a positive way of life.
I hope these internal considerations provide food for thought.
Tags: Pascal's, Wager, adam, and, creation, eve, flood, heaven, hell, inerrancy, More…
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on -
RE: "You can understand about the word unity now."
I do indeed understand the word, "unity," by virtue of its antithesis - there is no unity to your discourses.
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Permalink Reply by The Wholely TV Set on -
The antithesis of life at unity is life that is cut and dried.
If there is someone in your existence that you have experienced agreement with while having emotion that is "saying something extra special", then you can go over and see what was the interest. Use yourself that way and you are doing what you can continue to do and will know complete about those interests.
"We were cut and dried trying to tell and give someone something that we could not continue to tell ourselves never understanding that what we were giving was something we could understand to receive."
Relating to: "I do indeed understand the word, "unity," by virtue of its antithesis"
Yes, you understand to you activity and informational communication that is purposed for separation. Separating life under too much pressure where they are misunderstanding how they exist and how to go about in their lives understanding from human beings information that can not be used by them within what is continuable.
There is no unity to the divided information that you are understanding to you, because that is not its purpose. You are understanding a lower broken rhythm of meaning and divided nervous system information from the communication of life around you, human and non human, that is not interesting for you to see or experience.
If in this existence, you reach a place where you understand that you can no longer be used this way, you can use what has been written here to move over to an activity existence that can understand a complete conduction that is not about pressure and separation.
All communication that you are understanding to your awareness is to your circumstances and it is possible that at some point in what is your experience of your existence here that you will have a useful and continuable orientation.
Unity: There is nothing little about what is always happening and what is always happening is conducted to complete knowing, appreciating activity and saying that is a perfect accompaniment.
Unity of knowing is not able to be understanding to anyone. When an area of life is not understanding to anyone, we as an existence area populace at activity interested with what God is causing to be seen, known, done and said about now are doing together what we will always do.
When what you are doing and saying is understood as unacceptable, you also are not allowed to be understanding to anyone and it is not about unity, but about a placement in a location that is cut and dry so that you do not interfere with what the united area of your existence where you are interested with understanding a continuous state of united interest known about complete. When moved outside of understanding ability at an "activity play point" that is unacceptable, the experience would be that, "There is nothing I can understand" and you are not allowed to know exactly how long you are in a state of physical and mental paralysis. There is activity life in this existence area now that will be moved there permanently relating exactly to unacceptable activity and communication in prior eras. You can think of it as extinction of certain activity life if you understand that that life will always exists, but in container environments according to preoccupations back and forth from a consciousness that is called a separated circumstance purposeful for separation of activity life in the environment where there is a causation of the environment to do something different. The life that gets moved to these divided containers (a divided one dimensional layer) has been written about before at this area and it is not interesting or necessary to communicate it again now.
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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Not that it really matters, but I'm curious - in what institution are you currently being held?
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Permalink Reply by The Wholely TV Set on
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Arch: For over a year in chronological time there is no aware life in institutions. Understand about consciousness completely within what is known now. In order to write about "institutions", you are receiving them to you first as a living image (backwards idea bank). Backwards ideas coming in moving images are given behind you in a way you are not seeing most of the time (some refer to this a unconscious or subliminal). Good ideas can be seen directly and that is how you understand complete about your interests. Go over to a good idea and then you can say about it when you have the feeling that you would love to.
You are not being caused to say anything interesting for the last two communications. That will change...this way or that way and what is a true THIS way is able to be had continuously forever.
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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RE: "For over a year in chronological time there is no aware life in institutions."
I've never accused you of possessing awareness --
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Permalink Reply by The Wholely TV Set on
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Archardway: Relating to "Awareness".
You do not understand awareness sitting down like a nick-nack that is caused to a knocking communication relating just like an emission that you are caused to suck in like with a straw. Understanding integrations with uninteresting communication by way of a separated awareness who is caused to do "readings" (like some might do with palm reading session) of the different communication coming to you from a "pixel-like" living, but non aware image, who is "riding" this vessel that is you now...does not allow you to understand anything completely.
Having a continuous state of awareness caused to know about what you are seeing directly immediately is something you would uplight with.
Down and tight is not interesting and you can say what is interesting. On a computer, you will only be understood as a terrorist. Who was it that initially understood to "give" you and "explain" to you what they only know a part of. You were given and explained something you can not use together as you are known always whole. That life is with you when ever you are aware at this activity place to come together around what is continuable for them. When that is finished if it is interesting to someone here who knows you united with what God is doing advancing knowing and activity to this experiencing area, you will be able to be seen doing and saying what is complete and united with what is interesting now across both positions of activity and the always occurring three united process places of God.
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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Those meds really wear off quickly, don't they? Maybe you should ask for time-release capsules --
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Permalink Reply by The Wholely TV Set on
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ArchisAlei on holiday: A release from time is what you can have, however, you would have to be able to be conducted non temporally over to an activity that is interesting while saying nothing during the moments that knowing is being placed to everyone and everything understanding complete continuously aware.
You do not understand the computer area and why you are here. Look into what is happening that has moved an area of life into a low level "sophisticated" criminal justice mobile home incarceration program. What time is it anyway? What do you think you would be doing if you were not doing this? Hmmm? It is not even possible to contemplate, because there is nothing else you can do until you can be conducted to a united interest. That is the truth of the matter.
"WEl?come to my nervous system," says the area of FBI. It is no secret anymore and you can know how you are using yourselves.
"GodIGotcha, give me interest!"
You can understand that to a question and it can be done.
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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PLEASE take your meds --!
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Permalink Reply by The Wholely TV Set on
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Relating to: "You can only light a Roman candle once"
What is done "Once is for All" and "What is All is good and understandable".
The Lighting of a Roman Candle.
Life that is caused to be doing what is interesting to see understands a complete conduction of light together with a rhythmic communication that never ends, interrupts or requires a start again resulting in complete knowing and the continuous experience with the always celebration that united circumstances appreciate being provided. Life that is standing up doing and caused to be provided to a communication that is interesting to see never falls, lies down, peters out and is being provided to a true rhythm that is the upper experience that some are investigating with each other through sex and orgasm.
For some a Roman Candle is called "interesting nervous system life of the environment". This means that it is able to be caused as whole provided to a non audible circumlocutio communication that results in arranged meaning about this interest relating to others.
When the interesting life at areas of your body or the environment around you (you always knowing pathway) is caused as whole they is not doing anything different related to entropy (a conduction of movement and emotion from loose and restless liquid hydrogen) and instead are participating with a conduction of movement and communication that gives meaning that is complete seen and known about together with other interests. When this happens the result is a feeling at sight that is appreciated and not aversive.
ONCE is perfect and more than perfect can not be done.
You can use yourself to understand a lot of related meanings as well as activity that can be done that are about ONE and the always act of uniting life with their interest pathway. Life united with their interest pathway for knowing that will be provided again and again forever is only done ONCE never being added to or changed. Everything you are caused to see and know again and again will come through a relating to those images coming our of your existence area when you were coming together around the Entity some understand to call God and what is an always happening process. The Entity that some temporarily understand to call God requires no name and does not supply one to life at unity as this Entity is known immediately at sight with the presentation never always the same being based on what is interesting to look around as now.
Human beings looking into this area can sit and see what God is doing with Arch able to say something necessary as God's causation of interest span coming through liquid hydrogen when it is still. That is the experience of peace.
Doing what you know how to do within the experience that is peace allows you to be understandable for an "upgrade" to the experience that is love and from there united related interests are moved into your existence area and you are knowing about your always knowing pathway. When there is not another interest to be placed and your pathway is complete together with the life of your existence area, you are picked up and moved out of the area that is purposeful for the causation of something different to occur. There is an area for something different to occur purposeful for placing your interests and uniting life with you as an area of knowing and continuable activity life set up at unity with all that has been united before and participating again and again with all that will be united to come.
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Permalink Reply by archaeopteryx on
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Water makes the best rain.
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Permalink Reply by The Wholely TV Set on
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To rain is also to have an aneurism explode. Rain is not activity life that appreciates and is only occurring where there is life mis-understanding their continuable interests. In order for rain to be useful it must be turned with the life it is with understanding it together (the reverse rotation to gravity) and also caused to no movement again and again uniting that life with knowing. In areas where this is not occurring, rain is acid eating the life around that is not allowed to be seen anymore at an area of someones existence. Rain eats away at certain areas of life (dilapidating it, relaxing it to little pieces of paper) because that area of life is no longer being placed as necessary to go over to in order to cause it's opposite to be known about complete.
There is something about urine that you can know about within what is whole truth about activity and it's communication. Your urine is having a nervous breakdown saying, "We are not able to understand something together" and "I am not allowed to take someone to the TV set."
Take a radio and see if there is something happening there that everyone can understand completely.
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