Never Ending Arguments About the Bible

The Internet is a treasure trove of opinions about the Bible, as it is on many other subjects.  Everyone who writes or speaks attempts to convince others that their view is right.  Naturally that is life.  Most of the arguments about the Bible are in my view, just opinions.  College degrees, such as PhD or whatever are no more a guarantee of truth than having no formal Bible schooling at all.  None of us lived thousands of years ago and everything we believe about the past is simply what we read that others said, sometime in the past, or what someone today thinks is truth based upon their own studies.  We all interpret what we read from different perspectives.  Many think God is a myth, because they believe the Bible is a fraud.  Granted the Bible is full of holes, but that does not disprove God.  I don't consider science as God either.

Humans assign their own beliefs or agendas to God and lying scribes have always attributed words to God, which the gullible and naive have never been able to discern as fraud.  Just because some author or liar long ago said "thus saith the Lord", does not mean that God Almighty is the author of whatever the lying scribe penned.  It is more than frustrating that so many people are so programmed and indoctrinated that their thinking cannot be penetrated.  Try telling a Mormon that his beliefs are bull.  Try telling a Jehovah Witness that her beliefs are far off the beaten path.  I have even tried to tell some splinter group people of the Worldwide Church of God that what they espouse has nothing to do with the truth in Christ, only to be told that I am so far removed from what they believe, why waste their time or mine?  What does it take to awake people from their stupor?

The human mind generally does not want to hear anything that challenges the comfort zone of its built in censorship.  Don't tell me anything that differs with what I am use to believing.  Indeed it can be very unsettling to learn that most of what one believes about the Bible, God, Jesus Christ and "truth" has amazing alternatives.  "Christians" always think that what they believe is an "exception" to what all others in the world believe.  Of course all others in the world have the same view about their beliefs.  Small world!

Most likely humans will be arguing about the Bible for as long as there is human life on earth.  Absolute TRUTH is only known by God Almighty, no matter what human beings think.  What we all think is simply personal opinion. Is there really such a thing as "proof of truth?"  You can say science proves this or that and many will counter that and say something different.  Of course gravity is true and not hard to prove, but when it comes to religion, God, the Bible and "spiritual" matters, is there really any proof of what people believe or teach?  I seriously doubt many things I have read in the Bible, such as the book of "Revelation", but many others think it is true.  Many think the "rapture" is true, but with time, it appears that millions have lived and died who believed in the rapture theory and they were never raptured(?).  I suppose only time will tell what really is and what is not truth.  Should there be another 10,000 years of life on earth, what then will church goers think?  Will they lose faith in the Bible and the self-appointed gurus who stand in pulpits?


Van Robison

Concubines, Purchased Women, and Women Who Are Worth Less Than Men

Apostle Malm has been giving HIS interpretation of what HE thinks Exodus is all about.  Women are worth less monetarily than men, and slaves and concubines are normal parts of society (in his world to come.)

Here is what he starts of with to prove everything in Exodus is necessary for a secure society:

The foundations of a successful society are: 1.  security of our person from harm  and security for our lives,  2. Security of our families, 3.  Security of our property,  and 4.  Security of our livelihood, or ability to make a living.

God’s judgments and statutes, many of which [such as divorce] are for a physical unconverted people, to maintain peace and order among a hardhearted people; fulfill the foundational principles on which successful societies can be built.. 

The commandments represent the whole law gelled down to the very basic principles of the nature of God.  These Statutes define the commandments a little further, by explaining how we should keep the commandments under various circumstances.  The Statutes are also principles by which we may make other judgments; for example if an ox gore a person is directly applicable to if our dog or any other [owned animal] animal attack a person.

Then he gets to the roll of women.  Women in Malmism, and in the world he thinks is coming, will be worth less than men in all accounts.

Women sold into servitude are not to go free on the seventh year. 

Concubinage  

Many of these are cases where a family is very poor and deep ion debt an da rich neighbour offers to pay off the debts or pay the family if they will agree to give their daughter in marriage to him or his son etc. 

This is about concubinage, where the lady is forced by circumstances into a relationship, as opposed to entering a marriage at her own full free will.

The sale of a female; not outright sale on the block, but the giving to wife in exchange for debt relief or a sum, is considered to be as a concubine; and the woman is to have some security from being sold to others as chattel as she has been united with her master as a wife.  However if she is rejected by her husband, she may be redeemed by her father back to his family as a divorcee would return to her father’s house, but she may not be sold to another.

This is a common practice even today in our western world, where often wealthy families unite in marriage for political or financial gain.

Robin Webber: "We’re humbled to be custodians of such devoted tithes and offerings..."

I find the following comment by Robin Webber, in his "Letter From The President" April 28, 2014, to be appalling in its arrogance.

One of the main reasons Webber and others plotted and schemed to start UCG in the mid 1990's was to keep their salaries in tact. While it was partially doctrinal, it was more about money than anything else.  All of them sat there taking salaries till they had enough money ready so they could continue their comfortable lifestyles. As they were plotting this new church, they were stealing tithe money from members of the WCG.  If they were not "good stewards of devoted tithes and offerings" at that time, why is today any different?

Any plans approved and implemented at this conference are only made possible by your faith-filled generosity that attests to your understanding of God’s spiritual blessings having touched your lives and your outgoing and out-flowing desire that others might be recipients of God’s calling. We’re humbled to be custodians of such devoted tithes and offerings and will strive our best with God’s guidance to boldly, yet humbly, preach the gospel, make disciples and care for you, the flock of God given in our charge.