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Archive for the ‘Books’ Category

Does God Kill Babies and Hate Women?

In Bible, Books, God, People, Theology on February 24, 2010 at 9:12 pm

by Elizabeth K

Did the God of the Bible, like the god Molech, demand the sacrifice of babies? And does God have a very low disregard for women? One would certainly think so after reading the Bible:

‘When you are living in the towns that the LORD your God gives you, you may hear that some worthless men of your nation have misled the people of their town to worship gods that you have never worshipped before. If you hear such a rumour, investigate it thoroughly; and if it is true that this evil thing did happen, then kill all the people in that town and all their cattle too. Destroy that town completely. Bring together all the possessions of the people who live there and pile them up in the town square. Then burn the town and everything in it as an offering to the LORD your God. It must be left in ruins for ever and never again be rebuilt’ (Deuteronomy 13:12-16).

‘[W]e captured and destroyed every town, and put everyone to death, men, women, and children. We took the cattle and plundered the towns’ (Deuteronomy 2:34-35).

‘We destroyed all the towns and put to death all the men, women, and children, just as we did in the towns that belonged to King Sihon of Heshbon. We took the cattle and plundered the towns’ (Deuteronomy 3:6-7).

‘When the LORD you God gives you victory in battle and you take prisoners, you may see among them a beautiful woman that you like and want to marry. Take her to your home … Later, if you no longer want her, you are to let her go free. Since you forced her to have intercourse with you, you cannot treat her as a slave and sell her’ (Deuteronomy 21:10-14).

‘So the assembly sent twelve thousand of their bravest men with the orders, “Go and kill everyone in Jabesh, including the women and children. Kill all the males, and also any woman who is not a virgin”‘ (Judges 21:10-11).

‘Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy is the man who pays you back for what you have done to us – who takes your babies and smashes them against a rock’ (Psalm 137:8-9). Read the rest of this entry »

Is President Obama More Of A Christian Than Many Church Leaders?

In Bible, Books, Church, Life, People, Politics on October 7, 2009 at 6:42 pm

by Elizabeth K   :)

According to the Bible, true religion is love for one another, and the evidence of this love plays out in caring for the poor, orphans, widows, sick, prisoners, and strangers.  It will not be the religious who enter heaven, but those who showed mercy to their fellow human beings and who, like the Good Samaritan, took care of those who were needy.  The Bible also says that by not helping the needy, we are actually oppressing them.

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.  “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.  ~ Malachi 3:8-10

Many a church teacher has used this verse to compel members to give financially to the church, but, who benefited from these tithes and offerings in Bible history?  Malachi 3:5 tells us that the tithe was instituted by God for the wage earner, the widow, the orphan and the alien.  Cheerful, free-will offerings in the New Testament church were also used for this ends.  God desired for his people to support church workers, single women (who have no financial support), children without fathers, and the immigrant.  And if we do not support them, one day Jesus will tell us to depart from Him, for He never knew us.  That’s a pretty serious warning.

Churches today rightfully use financial offerings to support the workers of the gospel, but many (not all) then fail to help the poor.  In fact, some churches pressure their members so much to give of their finances in order to make the church budget, that they create more poverty.  Where is this money from and for the poor designated?  Church overhead costs, or in other words, the money it takes to buy, maintain and expand a building and the church itself.  Basically, the money is going to the church instead of the poor. Read the rest of this entry »

THE SHACK: It Contains Much More Truth Than What Some Perceive

In Bible, Books on March 26, 2009 at 12:52 am

by Elizabeth K

Note:  This post is a partial spoiler.

So, I am now one of the 6 million reader statistics of the New York Times #1 bestseller book, 36 weeks running, with a plan to be printed in 30 different languages, The Shack.  While I do not usually engage myself with Christian fiction, I was excited to delve into the controversial hooplah concerning such a popular book.  Yeah, okay, so I love a good debate.  What caught me by surprise was that I would appreciate the book much more than I expected.

Because of the theological liberties used in the book, not a few Christian leaders such as Dr. Norman Geisler, Chuck Colson and Pastor Mark Driscoll warn their followers against even reading it.  The author is accused of promoting universal-unitarianism, pantheism and the New Age philosophy, among other criticisms.

I have to admit that this book asks the average Christian to step beyond the traditionally accepted security of church teaching today.  This step can be risky, especially for those who are not too familiar with the Bible.  But, although the book definitely borders some contradictions to Scripture, I believe that it does not actually cross that line.  Allow me to expound. Read the rest of this entry »