There are several passages in the Old and New Testaments which directly and indirectly speak on the issue of homosexuality.  The Old Testaments passages include the specific “Man shall not lie with another man as with a woman,”  Which is found in the very long and extensive list of rules that were in place to make the Israelites “holy” or to show them how much they could not be Holy. According to Hebrews, chapter seven, it was useless anyways and made no one perfect, but only faith in Jesus Christ is one made perfect.  (There is also an interesting phrase in that chapter that states: “For when here is a change in the priesthood [Christ] there is a change in the law as well.)

 The other most famous passage is Sodom and Gomorrah, in Genesis Chapter 19, where God had already proclaimed destruction and judgment on the cities for their sin.  Abraham’s brother Lot had moved into the city, and two angels in human form came into the city.  Lot quickly welcomed them into his home for protection, knowing the city was full of scoundrels who would treat them wrongly.  Not long after welcoming them into his house, men and woman from all over the city came to his door, after finding out about his guests; they desired to mistreat them in the most horrible of ways.  Sodomy and rape was a form of humiliating your enemy or foreign people in that culture, and it still is today.  The city was not a homosexual or gay city; it was simply a sinful city willing to be violent rapists towards newcomers.   Being gay was not the reason the city was destroyed.  It was an excess of the sins of the heart: Pride, selfishness, gluttony, laziness, inhospitality, and they did not take care of those in need within their own city.  (Ezekiel 16: 47-51)  Compare this to James 1:27.

 Obviously the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were not gay cities, but their sinful choices and lifestyles lead them to want to mistreat others in the most degrading of ways.  Being gay does not mean you have this desire automatically, or that you have to follow all the stereotypes of gay people.  The majority of gay people are regular everyday people like you and me, we have jobs, not gay jobs, and we have hobbies, not gay hobbies. We have talents and gifts that can be used for God’s glory.  God does not look upon you and say “what a beautiful voice… too bad I can’t use it since it’s a gay voice.”   No, God looks to see if we are prideful, kind, loving, selfless, and obedient.  If we are not these things, whether gay or straight, we are liable to experience the same consequences of judgment laid out by God to Sodom and Gomorrah.

The New Testament warns against the “sexually immoral” and “men who practice homosexuality” as not being able to receive the kingdom of God.  We will take the words literally here for arguments sake, but do know that there are great big issues with the translations of that word “homosexuality.” I challenge you to find those details; it’s easily findable via our good friend Google.

 If we take these literally, I think we can define both sins from each other through context.  Obviously sex is not a sin in itself, but when does it become a sin?  If we take King David for an example, he was rewarded by God with great success, treasures, multiple wives and concubines because of his faithful heart to God.   God never mentions anything negative about David’s sexual relations with more than one wife, or those who were not his wives, Why? He did not steal them, or rape them, take them against their will, but he earned the status of being able to have or acquire these things, because he was a righteous king.  Yet a day came when God did punish him for a sexual sin, with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11.)  Why would God suddenly punish him for this sex? If you read the story, you see that David lusted, stole, lied, lied some more, committed murder, and lied to cover it up.  These kinds of “from the heart” are what determine God’s judgment.  

 So according to the context of David and the context of the New Testament passages what is living “sexually immoral?” mean?  It must be sexual acts committed in the lust of those heart sins.  Can a gay person commit sexual sin?  Absolutely, just like straight men can.   So what are the “Practicing homosexuals?”  They must be men having sex with each other according to their lustful heart sins, fueled by pride, lust, lies, addictions, etc.

  So if a homosexual man is not practicing these things, does it still make him a candidate for God’s Holy wrath?

 What we’ve done here in our church culture is separate the church from the gays, which is a dangerous unloving decision.  By defining “gay” as a sin, regardless of a man’s actions and character, you have committed the sin of Sodom, unloving the people whom you should welcome and take care of.  Gay people will not cease to be gay, but they are in need of fellowship, love, bible learning, friendships, spiritual growth, and when someone refuses to offer these because they are attracted to the members of the same sex, that person or that church is in danger of the wrath of God, because these are the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.   Accepting gay people does not mean you have accept the truly sinful lifestyles, but think about how much more willing Christians are to put up with the sinful lifestyles of straight people.  Separation of church and gay cannot exist if Christians wish to be known by their love.  The longer the separation exists, the harder it will be to claim gay people for Christ. 

 Take a moment to Read 1 Corinthians 7:17-23, specifically verse 20 that says “Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.”  

 What we should separate is the gay from the sin.  You can be gay and not give in to sin; you can have loving relationships not based on idol worship, promiscuity, and lustful desire.  You can have family values and serve Christ and be gay.  If this is true, then there is hope for you straight people too! You also can be straight and have real loving lasting relationships, family values, and serve Christ.

Within the book lies yet another social element, courtship. This is a continuous conversation, consultation and conclusive exchange of emotions and understanding between the souls that seek enlightenment and the creation spirit that seeks restoration. Through courtship in Genesis man understand his need for companionship, he stands the needs of his companion and the underlying core, he realises the emotion between him and the creator. He takes his time before getting in the relationship to understand his companion, takes the time to think rationally be it during the first love affair to the actual marriage between himself and Eve.

Contractual obligations are also imposed, consequences to the breaches are stated expressly in that in the beginning God made out the rules of living within the Garden of Eden, and in agreeing to stay man was obligated to do which God imposed but in a state of weakness, he finds himself between the entanglement of the trickery of the serpent, the persuasion of the wife and God who wishes to find him out. In this bit the story speaks from a legal perspective, through sin the death penalty is imposed on man. Further ahead, during the first murder/ homicide, legal interpretation of the action are used, and due to circumstantial evidence, meaning the fact that Cane killed Abel but no body so him, and because he was with Abel at the time, it is assumed tat he is the one that committed. On this, life imprisonment is the judgement in that Cane is made to wonder the world without the fear of any body taking his own life.

Another element that brings itself to clarity within Genesis is betrayal, this might be perhaps the biggest flawed of the human kind given its constant presence within the book. Firstly, man in eating the fruit at the centre of the garden which to some people say was sex, betrayed his vow on God that he would not Touch the fruit. On another instance man perceives the woman as the betrayer given that she is the one (according to him) that lured him to eating the fruit. The greatest betrayal that was shed light is the betrayal of the brother by killing his own flesh and blood.

Disownment. God out of anger sends the now “open minded” man out of the Garden after his sin, this theme goes tandem with sentencing given that all who went contrary to his word which he gave to them was given punishment equal to his own sin. On an interesting platform the only sentenced passed to joint of offences, in that all the individuals acting together or conspired to eat the fruit at the centre of the garden (the serpent tricking Eve, Eve convincing Adam and thus all of them committing) were given the death penalty. Another human element brought within the book is forgiveness. This human element is given out after man has already been send away from the garden, but God in his mercy still watches over man. They still pray to him, and even offer sacrifice which he accepts. Note that if forgiveness had not been their, then non of the sacrifices would have been accepted.

The final connection in the book of genesis, a human trait at that and the most poignant is the element of contradiction. This has been the pillar of most debates within religious fraternities. One, the question of the first sin. To some the first sin was committed when Adam disobeyed God and ate of the fruit at the centre of the tree. In reality shaded light by the book, the first sin accrued when Lucifer gathered his men and tried to over throw the kingdom of God. The book also goes ahead to say in the beginning the world was without form and order. In this area it is the teachers of the doctrine that have gone ahead to confuse the reader, the world must have been created long before the creation of the first man. Proof, for Lucifer and the other fallen angels had to be thrown some where from heaven. Another contradictory reading is to the nature of the second sin, no one seem to shed light on what exactly the  first parents did. Some scholars say that eating the fruit is a figurative speech that means something else. The other contradiction and persistently hanging over is the issue on incest. Genesis is full of incest. for some reason this s not at all deemed to be a sin within the context of the early lives

What profound presence that Genesis has to offer is simply over rule Darwin’s theory of evolution. For according to the book to present time, man has not done any thing different from genesis. From love, betrayal, sin (murder) sentencing to forgiveness, what he did then he still does it today. If we should follow, which we are, the traits of our first parents then genesis also sheds light on science. For is it not clear to say our actions are as a result of genetic predisposition.

    Apocolypse means a veil lifting, giving clarity to anyone who chooses awareness. The prophecies have given us ideas of world plaques, global disasters, and a sense of unrest. Mass starvation and chaos has been prophecied to be rampant among todays people. The prophecies have warned of massive wars and destruction, and the idea of human anialation is real. There is major unrest among the people today, many of whom have been reduced to poverty due to economic downfall. There are families that have lost their jobs and their homes. The number of hungry and homeless people has increased considerably over the last few years. Homicide and suicide rates are up, the cause seems to be economic deterioration. There are many who prophesized a fall of the people around the 21st century. Native Americans to this day live by the sacred beliefs of their ancestors. People from many countries also live by their beliefs. It seems that the American people are among the very few that have given up their religious and ancestral backgrounds. This can be devastating to the future of our children.

    Revelations is a prophecy that appears in the last chapter of the Bible. It was written as a warning for what is to come, and what is to be. 
The signs are numerous among us today. Outbreaks of disease has been seen worldwide throughout the years. Only recently have we seen the impact of how serious this has become. Immunizations helped keep deadly diseases at their minimum, but suddenly many have reappeared. There are several flu viruses that are spreading all over the world. The problem with this is that they are mutating stronger than ever. Soon, there could be panic even among the scientists and doctors, who will be frantically searching for a cure. There may be massive numbers of deaths before a cure can be found, if ever one is. Bacteria strains change with each occurance, so finding a cure is becoming harder and harder. The fear of past strains of smallpox and measles reappearing is very real. The time of the apocolypse could be near.

    Recently, we have seen natural disasters that seem to be concurrent. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and global warming has been in the news constantly over the last few years. In 2009 and 2010 there were many earth shattering disasters that took thousands of lives and caused major devastation. The new millenium seems to have brought with it a change that could very possibly be the end of time as we know it. The most devastating of all could be the religious war that is being fought around the world. As of now, the earth is going through changes of her own. Earthquakes are nothing new to us. There have been natural disasters since the beginning of time. Maybe it just seems more devastating now because the population has risen to dramatic numbers. And with higher populated areas comes higher number of deaths and destruction. Or it could be that the earth is sending us a warning to change our way of living. 

    Not only do we have earth wreaking havoc, but humanity is also showing signs of destroying itself. The threat of nuclear war is very real. The feeling of vulnerability has become an uncomfortable reality. There is no longer a sense of normality among the people. Stress and anxiety seems to be taking its toll on everyone. Once upon a time, a child’s worst fear was a horror movie in the dead of night. Now, it appears the child’s fear is the horror of death at night. Our worst nightmares are being played out as each day dawns a new light. Sleep no longer comes in an instant. Every waking hour is filled with the chaos that is our life.
 
    Where there was a positive aspect of life, has now turned negative as our mental status slowly deteriorates in the wake of the turning of the century and all that has followed. You can avert your eyes from the dark truth, never seeing what lies ahead; or you can become aware of the danger and join forces to help make this world a better place. The new millenium, how we were excited to be part of this historic coming about. Little did we know what would bring us to this point. There are no promises that the world will be a wonderful place to exist, but there are also no absolute signs that we are at the end. Where there is smoke, there must be fire, right? Wrong! There is still hope and faith among us and we must be prepared. Wisdom is the weapon of choice among those of us that still believe in something. A religious war is on the horizon of our spiritual plane.
 
    The reasoning for alerting the public is not to bring fear, but to bring awareness to the possibilities of a new age problem. We are in a different age of living, and with that begins a new stage of life. The world has become a place of paranoia. The long awaited nuclear promise has become a real threat to our society. The media makes sure that we have part knowledge of what is happening around the world. The real story is covered up to prevent the spread of world panic. But most of the population will read between the lines. This is where the story gets confusing and complex. Reports are garbled, which causes enough speculation to start rumors and vaque facts to become reality in our minds. This is the scariest fact of all. That is why we must put forth the effort to uncover the real truth and leave speculation behind. We must not let panic and paranoia take over our thought process. The dawning of a new era has begun. This we know as a truth. What we do not know is what will happen in the near future. The prophecies of the Maya people and others is just that. But December 21, 2012 looms right in front of us. We are soon to discover exactly what and if those prophesies are to bring.

    Also, there is the fall of government throughout the world. Our rights as citizens are in danger as changes are being made. The right to travel has been shadowed in leiu of terrorist attacks on American citizens, both on American soil and in other countries. The turn of the century was one of death and sadness as terrorists attacked the trade centers in New York City. This was only one attack of many, but with the most to date devastation from terrorism. It seems that our country has become an anti-religious sect, with Christianity moving to the rear of the line. This country was built upon beliefs and strong Christian foundations, but this is slowly being taken away. With the coming of many people of different religions and race to America, our foundations have weakened, which was built by our Christian fore-fathers. This knowledge puts a stronghold on our freedom of speech and our right to practice Christianity. One of the prophecies was that God would be forgotten and the land would become barren. This is a matter that has come to our attention lately. As God is removed from most public and all government buildings, His name will slowly be forgotten. This must not happen, lest we become puppets on this stage we call Earth.

    The rise of Americans has brought about strange, new political pictures. The recent gathering of Tea Party followers is proof that changes have already occured. In the past, there have been religious and political differences. Today, it seems to be more widespread considering the highest population of different races and religions ever. Millions of people thrown together with different outlooks on life and worship can almost certainly have a bad outcome.The fact that different religious beliefs is what makes the world we live in, putting them together under one roof, so to speak, can not have a happy ending. Since the seperation of church and government, America has been spiraling out of control. America’s children are socially and spiritually lost in light of this.

    There has been a shift in personal gratification where worship is concerned. In the wake of violence and non-believers, the country has taken a turn for the worse. The need for material gain has taken hold of society. Parents are too busy making a dollar to worry about teaching the children right from wrong. Mankind is on the verge of destruction, and we are the culprits. Love, happiness and the right to worship starts in the home, with a strong foundation to lean on. Without that strength to hold communities together, there can be a backlash that will haunt generations to come. The realization of a godless people is too overwhelming to imagine. The most important substance within the lives of Americans is turning to dust, day by day. It is a priviledge to be able to worship and to receive God’s grace. That priviledge is slowly being taken away, leaving those that have faith to keep a private vigil within their homes. Hopefully, fear will not take over our spirit and our soul. We must not allow non-believers to sway us from all that is good and right.

    Our children depend on us to keep them safe, yet who will be there to save them if we allow the suffering and violence to continue? An awakening has been coming for a long time, the spiritual awakening that the Mayans and the Hopis prophesied so many years ago. The long count calendar of the Mayan population tells the story of a people who believed in a god and the works of heaven. They counted the days and watched the skies at night so that they could help future generations. The lessons of the ancient people is well documented knowledge, warning us of disasters that are not of God but of mankind. Take hold of your faith and keep it close to your heart. When war is thought of, a picture of weapons and destruction comes to mind. There is coming a different kind of war, one that is just as threatening to the human race. There will be no visual weapons to be seen. This will be a sneak attack, a quiet war that devastates its victims emotionally, spiritually and mentally   
   

    In the last part of Revelation, chapter 21,  tells of a new world that has no pain and no sorrow. Paragraphs 5 through 8 says all: And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said, unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.
   

    This is the revelation of a new world, which tells me that life will not end, it will only end as we know it. The startling truth is that mankind has made a mess of what has been given us. The story of Noah’s Ark is one reckoning of the wrath of a civilization that destroyed the beliefs and loyalty of God. He promised us life, but to no extreme should we take advantage of His love and the gift that has been given us. God’s love is unconditional, but mankind has chosen to destroy all that which makes life desirable through Him. The connection between ancient beliefs and prophesies and the writings of the Holy Bible are similar. Though the thought process may be slightly different, the end remains the same. The ancient indians believed that war and destruction of the earth, along with lost faith, would be the downfall of humanity. Christians, too, believe this will be the end of a civilization as we know it. An awareness has taken hold of many. A spiritual awakening has been a long time coming, maybe December 21, 2012 will bring the answer that the world has been searching for. 
   
   
   
   
   

            In the early 1900’s, the expansion of public schools and the popularity of the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association influenced the passing of anti-evolution bills.  One of the laws in the Progressive era of American history forced all teenagers to attend school, where the teachers taught evolution.  From the teachers teaching to the spread of this knowledge to families, the idea of evolution extended into many American families.  The World’s Christian Fundamentals Association saw Darwinian evolution as a threat to their faith in the Bible, especially because of the contradiction between Darwinian evolution and the Book of Genesis.  Because families and many people in American society were followers of the word of the Bible, many joined the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association.  During the formation of this association, “fundamentalist” was coined to describe those who are turning away from dangerous trends, such as believing in evolution (PBS).  Because Darwinian evolution was a threat to their beliefs, the World’s Christian Fundamentals Association looked for a way to draw people away from modernist trends.

            In the early 1920s, with the help of William Jennings Bryan, who was very influential in the politics of America, the fundamentalist movement turned into a popular battle against the teaching of evolution in classes.  William Jennings Bryan used is political power as Democratic candidate for president to campaign against the teaching of evolution in schools.  As a reaction to Bryan’s campaign, the first anti-evolution bills pass in 1923.  Starting with Oklahoma where textbooks were banned from teaching evolution, Florida and later Tennessee followed in suit.  The Tennessee law banning the teaching of human evolution sparked controversy as the American Civil Liberties Union disagreed with the law, leading to The Scopes Trial in 1925.  In this trial, the Tennessee Supreme Court threw out the decision to convicted Scopes of violating the anti-evolution law.  This case did not address the constitutionality of the law, but gained wide attention through its media coverage.  The teaching of evolution in classes became such a controversy that it was eliminated from the curriculum in most schools due to the anti-evolution laws in place.

            However, when the Soviets successfully launched Sputnik into outer space in 1957, the Americans feared that the Soviets would beat them in the space race.  In response to Sputnik, the National Science Foundation funds the printing of textbooks written by biologists that cover evolution.  The government began to push for advancements in science education, so more and more schools began to teach evolution.  The teachers also started to rally against the anti-evolution laws that were put into place in response to William Jennings Bryan.  In Epperson v. Arkansas, the Supreme Court ruled that the Missouri law banning the teaching of evolution in biology was unconstitutional.  The Supreme Court decided that it was illegal to ban evolution on the basis that it contradicted “‘a particular religious doctrine’” (NOVA).  Anti-evolution laws were overturned by this Supreme Court ruling, but led to the emergence of “creation science” in the late 1900’s.

            In 1972, Henry Morris, the author of Genesis Flood, funds the Creation Research Institute in response to the overturning of laws banning the teaching of evolution in schools.  Morris wrote a second book, Scientific Creationism, which became the basis of the movement rallying for the teaching of “creation science” (PBS).  In 1981, the Louisiana Balanced Treatment Act called for the teaching of “creation science” along with evolution in science classes (NOVA).  The purpose of these laws was to give creationism the same amount of attention as evolution in science classes.  The Supreme Court ruled that “creation science” violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.  This clause prohibits Congress to establish a national religion and forbids the “support of a religious idea with no identifiable secular purpose” (Wikipedia).  Any attempt to teach creationism in science classes was now squandered because the Supreme Court ruled that requiring the teaching creationism in science classes was unconstitutional.

            In response to the overturning of creationist “equal-time” laws spurred the emergence of “intelligent design” and warning disclaimers in the 1990’s and the early 2000’s.  Intelligent design proponents concluded that there was “irreducible complexity” in the living world that evolution fails to explain (PBS).  To avoid the religious debates, the replaced “Creator” with “intelligent designer” so that the proponents of intelligent design could demand these ideas to be taught in classes. Intelligent design proponents attempted to teach intelligent design in classes by claiming “that they just want to ‘teach controversy’ of evolution in public schools” (Smith).  In 1994, requirements are passed where textbooks must have disclaimers that portray the fact that evolution is “‘controversial’ and ‘a theory, not a fact.’” (PBS).  Instead of proposing the teaching of creationism in schools, those who disagree with the concept of the theory of evolution suggested the teaching of intelligent design, which is essentially creationism but replacing “Creator” with a more vague term.

            Intelligent design proponents take advantage of the fact that the general public is fairly uneducated in the sense of the definition of a theory and the mechanics of how evolution and natural selection work.  They claim that some biological organs are too complex to exist by being “formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications” (Darwinism Refuted) as proposed by evolutionary theory.  Intelligent design proponents believe that there is an error in the theory of evolution based on the misconception that the mutations the created the stages from one point to another are always advantageous.  However, the theory of evolution highlights that there are mutations that are detrimental to the organism and other mutations that are beneficial.

            In the Alabama disclaimer, the misconception that some living structures are irreducibly complex so all parts of the structure must have been created at once in order for them to be functional is inherent.  With respect to the evolution of the camera-type eye, intelligent design proponents believe that because the eye requires all parts to develop in the same organism at the same time to function properly.  The intelligent design website, http://www.harunyahya.com/refuted13.php, proposes that since “‘the simultaneous development of all the structures for sight is unavoidable…their development all together requires the coming together of unimaginably small probabilities’” (Darwinism Refuted).  Intelligent design proponents failed to recognize that the camera-type eye did arise in stages where a clearer image was favored in natural selection.  If a camera-type eye were to be designed, a designer would have had all the blood vessels and nerves behind the cones and rods in the retina, but a complex eye that we see today in nature has blood vessels in front of the photoreceptors.  Intelligent design proponents proposed that if one of the parts were to be missing, the eye cannot function, which is a misconception.  According to Kenneth Miller, “every improvement in vision, no matter how slight, would be favored – and favored dramatically – by natural selection” (Miller).  This statement points out the fact that simple photoreceptors that can tell the difference between light and dark is better than not having any sort of way to “see.”  The camera eye may not function without all it part in the sense that it cannot produce a sharp image, but a simpler version of the eye, such as a simple dip in the skin that can from shadows of other organisms helps that organism avoid obstacles and possibly avoid predators.  Complexity comes from the extra copies of genes that mutate.  The original copies function as the basis of the organism that is necessary for survival while the extra copies “change and come to perform new but related functions” (Smith).  The duplicated genes can mutate, but they can also combine together.  The structures, which were initially not essential to the survival of the organism but gave it an advantage, can become necessary for survival.  Intelligent design proponents fail to realize that although there seem to be flaws or gaps in the theory of evolution at the surface, the evidence can be a basic idea that a slight modification of a structure can be very beneficial to the organism.  Intelligent design has its own flaws: its biggest being that it is not a “genuine science because it offers no scientific evidence in its support and has no coherent scientific methods or mechanisms.” (Smith).

            In 2005, intelligent design was put to the test in Kitzimiller v. Dover Area School District when the school board ordered that classes that taught evolution had to begin with a two-minute announcement supporting the study of intelligent design.  In this ruling, the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania federal district court determined that intelligent design was not a science.  It was also determined to be a “‘religious view, a mere relabeling of creationism’” (NOVA).  While intelligent design and creationism are no longer taught in schools and evolution is taught everywhere, the debate still continues today.

            The controversy of teaching evolution or creationism in schools may seem to have reached a close, but it is still going on today.  With the general American public still confused about evolution and the scientific meaning of theory, many misconceptions have sprung up.  These misconceptions cause people to refute evolution on the basis of flawed information.  Once the general American truly understands the mechanics of evolution and the definition of a scientific theory, this controversy will finally end.

This is how I have been acting on the monitor all along. I read and think sometimes, although some of writings were not sober. Like they say, alcohol make a loose of any person as an actor. There are also others that skillfully control their emotions; whether if it is a ventiliation of “warm-goers” or “thinker-analytical method”. The above is probably the most fitting criteria that described my under-the-wing “laughingstock” and satirical photo. 

The truth was, that picture was one of repeated attempts. I never had a great smile, only rare do I find happiness of bonds in relationships (family, friends, and couple of failed relationships). How was that laughter a great shot? My good friend took a picture after telling me a joke, and my big laughter was a perfect take. 

Due to changes in evaluation of portfolio, I realized that I needed to change my self-description up-to-date, rather than extensive outdated madness inward of thinking on writings. To those misunderstandings, as is typical among Asians, I repeat: look up to the sky and decide whether if your eyes wince at the twilight of fools that you are, and upload the uplink to your little puny green basil pesto sauce.

This is the second attempt:

This was updated only less than twenty-hours ago. I noted that predictable Teresa of Stariceland, wrote in reaction for profits. I shot back in every words that I seem to find myself at much of Triond and other bloggers in density usage of English language. I was so tired and bored long ago after the read of A Philosophy of Boredom by Lars Svendsen, I have nothing except bashing and ranting the vibration of cyberspace in my own equilbrium of analysis on body language, genesis of faces and feces of trolley, and so forth. It could be said that it’s easier for me to identify some ethnicities, though not always so easy on American landscape of some 300 million that is factually based on mere one million of cousins, composing of fifty states in its limited geopolitics standpoint view. It could be as far as low as forty thousands of common cousins.

Thereby, in respond to Her Mongolia branch of family, I soon changed the simple Communist interpretation to deconstruct her master in linguistics to this simple notation of psychology breakdown:

This is probably what I look like most of time when I’m not around people. Europeans can clearly perceive that as a thinker, whereas Chinese population probably do not in a long run. If one take a hard look at Indic scriptures, it can be very laughable, yet perceived psycholinguistic racist respond by people of India subcontenient that is destined to forever trapped in its own sphere of killing measures at the top of Tibetan scriptures.

There, I can only stand on the above looking at bottom, and think for myself. It does not give me goosebumps; for there is no one to be afraid of in its cyberspace deconstructionism of scholars and writers deem uppity and/or for profits.

Image by mirjoran via Flickr

Lilith, a John Collier Painting

            The earliest written mention of Lilith appears in Gilgamesh and the Huluppu-Tree, a Sumerian epic poem found on a tablet at Ur, dated 2000 B.C.E. One of the villains in this epic is Lilith. She had built her house in the nest of a dragon, where a Zu-bird had placed it’s young. Gilgamesh slays the dragon, causing the Zu-bird to fly to the mountains and the terrified Lilith to “flee to the desert.” The ancient name “Lilith” derives from a Sumerian word for female demons or wind spirits, Lilitu.

            It is known in ancient lore that Lilith is supposed to have been the first wife of Adam. The Alphabet of Ben Sira shows her to be a destructive, winged creature, sexually lustful, and again, was the first wife of Adam, before Eve. She was said to created as he was, from the dust of the earth, as an equal. But, like many couples, a power struggle erupted. She refused to be subservient and submissive, and lie beneath him during sexual intercourse. (Was this account ever written by a man!) He tried to tell her that he was her Lord and Master and it was her duty to obey him. She of course replied “we are both equal, as we were both created from the dust of the earth and I will not be submissive to you.” And, as in many unions, they could not agree, calling on her creator, she soared up into the air or disappeared. Adam, got kind upset in all of this, and complained to God, the Creator, and cried “the woman thou has given me has fled from me.”

            Then God, or the Holy one, sent out three angels to bring her back to Adam. But she refused, and they wanted to drown her in the midst of the Red Sea, but she talked them out of it. (Oh how weak men are from the wiles of a woman.) She told them that she was created to weaken and punish children, infants and babes. She swore that whenever she came upon the names or images or faces of the three angles on an amulet or cameo on the rooms of the babes, she would not punish them. So they let her live, but every day a hundred of her own children, or spirits and demons would die. Now, according to some texts, only when Lilith had rebelled and abandoned Adam did God create Eve.

            According to earlier legend sof Sumero-Babylonian origin dating from around 3,500 BCE, she was a winged female demon who kills infants and endangers women in childbirth. She was closely related to Lamashtu whose particular evil also included killing children, drinking the blood of man, and eating their flesh. Lamashtu also caused pregnant women to miscarry, disturbed sleep and caused nightmares. There is another Libyan serpent goddess, Lamia who also killed children. She too was beautiful and seduced young men. Lamia is given also as a translation of the Hebrew Lilith, as well as screech owl or monster. All of these demonic women were thought to be the cause of sudden infant death syndrome, for which there was no explanation then or even now. Because of her beauty and lustfulness, these night demons were also useful as an explanation for wet dreams. Lilith was considered a whore. It was also said that she first was the mate of Samuel. But it is also written that she was mate of Samael (satan) and therefore was the Queen of the demons. Eve was portrayed as naïve and sexless and Lilith as a calculating seductress and evil.

            The Old Testament mentioned Lilith only once as in the Darby version of Isaiah 34:14, “after the land had turned into a wilderness, there shall the beasts of the desert meet with the jackals and the wild goat shall cry to his fellow, the Lilith also shall settle there and find for herself a place there.” The Isaiah verse locates her in desolate places. The Bible verse thus links Lilith directly to the demon of the Gilgamesh epic who flees “to the desert.” Some sources state that after her desert stay near the red sea, she returned to Adam and had children, but before doing so, she attaches herself to Cain and bears him numerous spirits and demons. She also has a place in the Dead Sea Scrolls, in the poem “Song for a Sage” as a demon who strikes without warning, and “leads astray the spirit of understanding, and to make desolate their heart.” Again, this could be reference to the cause of sudden death in infants.

            The word Lilith is also translated as screech owl, a bird of prey that flies at night. Although not recognized in the Christian tradition, she has been identified with the serpent in Genesis, and is portrayed in many images with Adam and Eve as the serpent/woman, the seductress who beguiled Eve to eat the apple from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Although Lilith has figured in writings and art of the ancient Hittites, ancient Egypt, Israel and Greece for over 4000 years, she only makes the one solitary appearance in the Bible.

            From being portrayed as a female night demon, a seductress, and evil throughout all the ancient folklore of the earth, over the centuries, the name Lilith is now being celebrated as the ideal of female fighting courage and strength, allowing women the ability  to survive, and be independent in today’s complicated and troubled World.

Adam, Eve and Lilith  A 15th Century Illuminated Manuscript

The categorisation of one book, the Bible, is a matter of intense debate between Christians, for whom it is their central religious text, and non-Christians, for whom it is simply a centuries old collection of fables. For those who identify themselves as Bible-believing Christians, both the New and Old Testament are regarded as the undiluted Word of God; spoken by God and written down in its perfect form by humans. As such, it should be regarded as an instruction manual for life; a reference book containing historically accurate, factual information. For non-believers, it is a hypocritical, error-riddled work of pure fantasy; a medieval Mills and Boons example of trash fiction.

It is not difficult to criticise the Bible, quoting verses which have fallen into the public domain, many easily mocked in more enlightened times. But how does the text as a whole stand up to analysis and critique? I intend to find out the hard way – by reading it cover to cover and documenting my journey. I have purchased a Bible (King James version) – from a charity store I may add, so that the funds may be well used – and will be looking at each page therein to determine, the Bible – fact or fiction? I will post all questions that are raised, and look forward to answers from believers and non-believers alike. The experiment is designed to be as interactive as possible, so please feel free to post any (on topic) comments below.

Genesis 1

1.1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The earth and heaven, by which common consensus is that we’re talking the universe, rather than the place with clouds and harps, are created together. Current scientific estimates have the earth at about 4 1/2 billion years old, whilst the universe has been around for about 13 1/2 billion years. Is this an error, or is there another explanation? Would it to be fair to say that this is a mistake made due to the limited scientific understanding of the time; a mistake that what not have been made if this was dictated by God?

1.1 In the beginning… to 1.24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature

The story of creation, as told in the Bible, follows this path – earth, light, sun and stars, birds and whales, reptiles and insects, flowering plants, then animals. Why does science, common sense, and the fossil record, suggest that these things could not have occurred in the order stated?

1.3 And God said, Let there be light… to 1.16 And God made two great lights…

In Genesis 1.3, God creates light and separates it from darkness – day from night – on the very first day of creation. But it is not until the fourth day that he creates the sun, moon and stars. How could there be ‘the evening and the morning’ on the first day if there was no sun?

1.11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass

Genesis 1.11 takes place on the third day of creation, a day before the sun and the stars. How did plants survive on that day (which is also generally understood to be something considerably larger than a 24hr period) without the sun? Is this a mistake, caused by authors who were unaware of the process of photosynthesis?

1.16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night

The lesser light – the moon – is not technically a light, merely reflecting the sun’s light from it’s surface. Perhaps a petty issue, but an issue nonetheless.

1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Looking at the Bible as a manual, I’m concerned about the lack of explicit instruction here. God’s suggestion is that we (as the ancestors of Adam) can go out and eat whatever we like - but would you go be happy to go out into the world and eat anything which grew? A good proportion of plants are pretty toxic; fatally so. On top of that, what about the Cannabis plant? Opium poppy? The coca plant? Are these okay for consumption according to God?

The Heathen’s Analysis of the Bible will continue shortly with Genesis 2.1…

1. Imitation is a thing produced as a copy of the real thing.
2. Imitation is defined as the action of copying somebody or something.
3. Imitation is taken as the act of copying a person’s speech or behaviour; an impersonation.

The definitions given are different but similar. From the first definition, the essence of reproducing the original in a substandard measure or size is for the sake of maximizing profits from sells of these fake products. If a genuine brand of product is sold at $250 per item, the fake products may be sold at 15% discount (-37.5 i.e. $212.5) of the stipulated prize of the original; by so doing consumers buy more of fake say 1000 against 200 and thus the original losses its values to the fake. Because people like cheap things, the imitation is rather promoted than the original in some cases. This case is easily handled by laws of the nations, but in some developing nations of the world, it’s still popular.

In other remark, the second and third definition from the Advance Learners Oxford Dictionary warns about imitating character or individuals. A lot of people do that to impress people while others do it make a living from it. In this case, two sets of people are involved; those who imitate for good and those who imitate evil. But I warn you beware of any of these people for they are neither hot nor cold. They are those sitting on the fence or even be regarded as chameleons that reflects any colour around them. If for instance I imitate Christ Jesus in my style of speech and gestures but do not subject myself to his will then I gain noting out from it. Please get me right here. One can become a follower of Christ Jesus and not an imitation of Jesus. Again, if I imitate those who hate the laws of the nation like the suicide bombers and terrorists whereas I was not trained for such by my parents or guidance then I gain hell at last which means noting. There is no law here because one is free to do what he or she likes.

Today, lots of people are in the business to deceive others with their charms and impersonate styles. The claim they are God or Jesus or even the devil just to achieve and satisfy their selfish and wicked desires. A typical example here is the church business. Religion for instance has become commercialised and bastardised. These traitors devour their victims before the sanctuary of God. This case is terrible in black nations like Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon and others. These business minded people in question go to the extent of advertising miracles, signs and wonders on the media. Some have their private media networks. They are not identified by their quoting Genesis to Revelation but I tell you, watch how pride most self ordained pastors are compare to the humility of Christ Jesus. Watch them on TVs preaching prosperity and not salvation, and then you can conclude this story. God takes care of these wolves at the judgment day.

In the beginning, according to the Bible, God created the universe, within the space of 6 days, and took a rest on the seventh. Creating Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, he sent them to Earth into a garden of paradise, where ripe fruit was not a rarity. Yet, one fruit in this divine garden was not to be touched. So, a serpent came from a tree and told Eve to take a bite from the fruit, despite God’s clear orders not to even touch the fruit in question. She took a bite, then she and Adam were cast out of paradise.

Now, Christians believe that all humans are born with a harsh curse known as “original sin”. It can be removed via the ritual of baptism. Yet, only two “people” thus far have been free from this common courtesy : one being their lord and ’saviour’ Jesus Christ, and his ‘blessed’ virgin mother, Mary. The two cornerstones of the Christian faith, both of which did not receive this mandatory mark of life.

Now, here’s the question : if this God the Christians speak of is all-knowing, and all-powerful and did have a plan, then how come the concept of original sin occured? God knowingly gave people free will, according to the Bible, and yet, seeing as he knows ALL, he would of known what Eve’s decision would of been, regarding the fruit from the tree in the Garden of Eden. He would of been able to save beyond billions of people from this unholy mark that a woman, created from the rib of her husband, bestowed upon humanity. And in addition; the “serpent” involved in this story is usually believed to have been Satan, God’s most beautiful angel, whom was cast out of heaven after attempting to seize power in Heaven, being jealous of God himself.

Creating Satan (or Lucifer, as he was then known), God must have known what he would do. He must of known that he would become jealous of him, and that he would be cast from heaven, to become ‘Satan’. He must of known he would of taken the form of a serpent and convinced Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. He must of known that thousands of years later, he would attempt to seduce his only son Jesus, and would of known the apparent “hate” and “evil” which he has created over time.

And here’s another question for you : what WAS this forbidden fruit which no one was permitted to feast upon? If I recall from memory, it contained all knowledge. This being the case, Eve would of become of equal intelligence with her creator, and could of easily predicted or known the future events of the world and other such things which God would of known. Why did he deny man intelligence?

So this all-knowing God must be a sadistic being, seeing as he permitted himself to create:

1) A woman, whom he knew would create a curse on every human.

2) A forbidden fruit, which denied man intelligence.

3) An angel, whom he knew would betray him, and become an eternal demon who produced nothing but evil.

4) A world, which he knew would turn against one another, which he knew would fall into demise.

5) People, whom he knew would kill others and commit terrible acts.

Free will is a nice concept. You’re free to do what you want, yet when you do what you want, you face the consequences (whether positive or negative) of your actions. Sometimes it can be rewarding, other times; such as murder, it can land you in a pretty awful place. YET, God permitted this, along with a horrible curse, AND numerous people such as Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Oliver Cromwell, whom he knew would unleash terrible acts of immorality, murder and biased wars. God is responsible for your failures, God is responsible for your, and everyone you know of, death. God is responsible for everything bad, as well as good, in this world. And there’s no denying that there is more bad in this world than good.

So, how can you give praise to a being you don’t even know exists and also, if it does exist, how can you give praise to a sadistic being who let you be born with a curse, let horrible acts take place, and ruin other peoples’ lives? Is God a sadist? Is God a horrible trickster?

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Snakes made their first appearance in the first Book of Genesis 3:1 where a serpent, being a messenger for the devil tempts Adam and Eve with the forbidden fruit. “The snake returns in Exodus when Moses, as a sign of God’s power, turning his staff into a snake and when Moses made the Nehushtan,” a bronze snake on a pole, it was said that when one peered into the eyes of the staff,  it would cure snake bites that plagued them in the desert.

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The symbol of the snake in Egyptian history represented the “Nile cobra adorning the crown of the pharaoh in ancient times.” Snakes were worshiped as gods and were used for ominous purposes: “murder of an adversary and ritual suicide”.

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In Greek mythology snakes are often linked to death however, snakes are considered to be symbols of the earth. In ancient Greece, snakes were honored as spiritual healers and Asclepius carried two snakes knotted together that today represents a symbol displayed on emergency vehicles.  . “The Titans are also depicted in art with snakes instead of legs and feet for the same reason—they are children of Gaia and Ouranos (Uranus), so they are bound to the earth.”

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India is often called the” land of snakes” where snakes are worshiped as gods representing fertility, knowledge, and honor. Every year, the Hindu festival called Nag Panchami displays the snakes to be venerated and prayed to.

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In the Puranas, Shesha is said to clasp all the planets of the Universe on his hoods and to relentlessly sing of Vishnu. He is sometimes referred to as “Ananta-Shesha” which means “Endless Shesha”.

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The Ouroboros is a symbol that is associated with many different religions and customs, and is also claimed to be related to Alchemy. The Ouroboros is a snake eating its own tail in the shape of a circle, representing demonstration of one’s own life and resurrection, leading to immortality.

Images are compliments of the wonderful people on Flickr.

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