The Bible Is A Living Document

I believe Christ and his disciples were give divine guidance when they taught us. Their messages were put into what I call today's bible. That document is a record of stories and events that happened almost two centuries ago. Now that part that only God could have accomplished. I believe that many of the stories in the bible happen over and over again. I believe that some of the stories that Christ told haven't even happened yet or just recently happened. I believe that there are stories in the bible and interruptions of those stories that have to be adjusted as civilisation and technology evolves.

I believe that God knows everything and no matter what you do you won't be able to change anything He foretells. I believe that anything God foretells via the bible, profit pope.... includes God's ability to know what man might do to change those foretold events.

I believe that God knew when He gave us the information in the bible that the world would change and those changes would make some of teachings in the bible less important and maybe even obsolete. But that are other stories that meant nothing to us over the years because we would not have understood them. God knew that so He has kept those secrets until He knew we would be able to understand them. He also knew that man would have a very difficult time understanding and believing the teaching that He made available over the years. He used His wisdom and understanding of the future to decide what man needed to know and when.

Because God knew everything even before He created Adam and Eve, He knew about you and me and the year 2003. When He gave us the bible He knew we were ready to hear Christ and His disciples' teachings. What He didn't tell us, because we didn't need to know it and because it would only confuse us was that there are stories and teaching in the bible that haven't been use yet. Now that we understand the parts of the bible that He wanted us to understand, He's telling us to start reviewing the stories that never seemed to mean anything or seem to confuse us. For instance, why did God choose to have Christ rise from the dead and appear to the disciples when Tomas was absent?

Why didn't Tomas believe his friends when they said they seen Christ alive? Why did Christ decide to prove to Tomas that it was Him? Until now we all assumed Tomas wasn't a good follower and maybe not a believer. When in fact none of the disciples believed Christ was going to rise from the dead. The only difference was Tomas wasn't there when the Rest of the disciples seen Christ. God made sure Tomas wasn't there because God wanted man to know that it is alright to demand proof for things that seem stranger than truth. God knew that in the 20th century man was going to invent computer, coping machines and other devices that are making it easy for the devil to create false documents and confuse men. So in the bible God gave us Tomas to show us that it is okay to demand proof when you don't believe something. If Christ didn't have a problem with Tomas demanding proof about Christ reservation why shouldn't we demand proof before we believe newspaper columns, TV news programs, the man at the barber shop, the lady at the diner....

Just as I believe that God gave us more stories in the bible, I also believe that some stories are going to lose their importance or become obsolete in time. God knew that would happen but He also knew we wouldn't understand why or when because we didn't have computers, or copiers.... In fact monks would have to handwritten documents for years before printing machines would be invented. I believe God is telling us that our civilisation is ready to accept and learn more of his teachings. Some the ideas that our forefathers taught because of their divine inspiration are going to be changed, deleted or reinterpreted because the world has changed and the bible is a living document. If there is any doubt about the existence of God the fact that the bible is over a century old yet it contains stories that are appropriate in today's society. Who else but a supreme being could create such a document.

Based on this understanding and believe of the bible and its teachings, I also believe that God wants us to admit that some of our old beliefs and understandings need to be changed. This does not in any way mean that Christ's disciples, our religious leaders of the past or any other teaching was incorrect at the time that it was taught. It just means that those teachings have to be updated based on the society that we live it today. In some cases the teaching could be replaced based on a new story or interpretation in the bible. Man had no way of knowing about life in the 21st century when the bible was studied years ago. I'm sure our religious experts are going to spend a lot of time trying to decide what new messages are in the bible that we need to teach. I believe God wants our religious leaders to look at the problems in today's society and then find God's hidden message in the bible to help us handle that problem.

I believe that a lot of today's problems are related to raising children. Christ was the perfect adult because He was raised by the perfect parents. Yet almost nothing has been found in the bible about raising children. If the children are raised correctly their lives will be more productive and happier. Plus the world would be a nicer place to live. Where are the teaching and/or stories of Christ's childhood?

I also believe God would have given Joseph a son and/or a daughter of his own. To raise Christ as his own even after Mary became pregnant deserves a reward not a punishment of never having a child of his own. Remember, we're talking about an all loving God. Not rewarding Joseph is not the work of an all loving God. So if you believe He is all loving and He rewards good deeds than Joseph had to have at least one son/and or daughter. Again, I think John is Christ's brother and he and or Mary wrote and/or told stories about Christ's childhood. I say that because on Good Friday, Judas had to kiss Christ because John look so much like Christ. The bible said people mixed them up all the time. If John was Christ's brother, why wouldn't he have had stories about him and Christ as children? John wrote part of the bible, I think he wrote more.

Did the church not save that info because Christ had to be taught to be good just like any newborn, infant, toddler, child, teenager? I bet He did and Joseph and Mary did everything right. I bet today's child abuse has gone to far the other way. I bet Christ was spanked and taught to be good. I bet Joseph did most of the punishment just like father of today and if the church knew Joseph punished Christ maybe that's why Joseph isn't given any credit just like fathers of today. The church might have viewed Joseph as a not being a good father. Who would want to think that Christ had to be punished? I think God wanted us to know that children have to be taught right from wrong and not to listen to the devil. That's way we're in the mess we're in today and things are getting worse. I don't know where we find out about Christ's childhood but I know that's one of the new stories we need to find.

If you still believe God made Adam and Eve leave the Garden Of Eden and all men and women have to be baptised, then answer this: Why did Christ have to be baptised but Catholics believe Mary was born without original sin. Are the Catholics saying Mary is/was holier than God's son Jesus Christ. I think not. No one on earth could be holier than God's Only Begotten son. He would have surely be born without original sin if Mary was and if there is such a thing. I believe Christ's teaching were so earth shaking than God new He had to limit the disruption or man wouldn't accept Christ's ideas. So Christ/God decided to keep the baptism idea. It wasn't hurting anything. The rest of Christ's teachings were much more important at the time. So Christ pretended to He had to be baptised just like was custom at the time.

Could eating an APPLE big that big a deal that God would punish all of mankind for the rest of our lives? I think GOD has been telling us all along "It ain't that big a deal. You are my children and I would forgive you if you would have just asked. Don't hind and don't listen to the devil. He pretend to be in charge and have the powers of a god but he doesn't."

I don't know about you but the most important people in my life are/were my two children. I believe parents should and do try to do everything for their children. I believe that a good parent would die to save his or her children. Just ask King Salomon. Remember two women were fighting over a baby. They both claimed to be the mother. So King Solomon said cut the baby in half and you can both have half a baby. One women agreed but the other said no told king Solomon it wasn't her baby. King Solomon gave the baby to the mother that wouldn't let the baby be cut in half. A real mother would give up her baby to save her baby's life.

As a catholic I was brought up to believe that any catholic that converts to another religion is going to go to hell. I was further taught that as a catholic I was required to raise all my children as Catholics. So my ex-wife agreed to let our children be brought up as Catholics before we were married. Before our children were born I got to experience her religion and her family's faith. I still liked the Catholic religion more but who was I to say my faith was better than theirs. How could I force my children to be raised as Catholics knowing not knowing weather my children might like my ex-wife's religion or some other religion better than mine. Based on my religion, if I taught them to be Catholics and they changed their faith, they'd go to hell. So I decided to let them decide their own faith and not baptise them at all. As a father, I was willing to go to hell because I didn't raise my children as Catholics so they had a chance to pick their own faith and not be sent to hell for leaving the Catholic faith.

I think that's what good parents do. They sacrifice for their children. They do whatever they can to protect their children and they love them every much.

If we really believe that God is our father. How can we believe that what Adam and Eve did would have been that big a deal. A father wouldn't have thrown his children out of the house for eating a forbidden fruit. God is suppose to be all know and loving. Salomon knew what parents would do for their children and God know what I did and am was willing to do for my children. Wouldn't a loving God if He really was our father (Christ’s own payer that He taught us said He is) wouldn't really need to be baptised? Would there really be such a thing as original sin? Would good parents pick their religion for their children? Why are we so prejudice about religions? Why aren't all the religions taught in the schools, so children can pick the one that they believe and will make them the best person. If all the religions were taught in the schools, I bet we'd see them evolve into fewer versions and some day, we'd have the perfect one that everyone could live with. I'm sure that's what our father had in mind when He gave us the bible. We just weren't ready for it yet and He knew it. But the time has come for us to grow up and start thinking about what's in the bible not just reading the words.

I had to say it but I don't think God would have developed some of the boring services man has put together to praise God. I'm even very sceptical of the rosary. Nothing is less meaningful at least to me than that repudiative set of prayers. I'd like to see our children in the schools putting together videos of bible stories that would be shown during the church service. I'd like to see all the church building built around a park. So that after a morning service all the families could have a catered meal together and they could send the day playing game and enjoying God's park. It would allow all the faiths to get to know each other and keep the cost of the park down. The park might have a pool and bath house, it would have to have lots of swings, slides and sand boxes. It would make it easy for those churches to have a combined day care. All the facilities would be there to help the children have fun.

What I'm saying is that as our Father, God didn't want praising Him to be hard and something people had to be forced to do. It should be fun. Parents want to see their children enjoy themselves. Why would God our Father be any different?

One more thing the combined mean after watching the children’s video and a talk (just like Christ would have done and did), everyone would go outside and have the catered meal (loaves and fishes in the bible), just like the Last Supper that Christ told us to do.

This is my prayer for you (Thanks Karen O'Shay for you song and inspiration) and for all of mankind.

Amen

For some time now, I've believed that suicide is acceptable in God's eyes if it prevents you from sinning. My reasoning was in the bible it says, if your eye makes you sin, pluck it out, if your hand makes you sin cut it off. Following that same logic, if your mind makes you sin, you should cut your head off or kill yourself. Today, I believe God wanted me to take that one step farther and clear Judas' name. First of all, Christ wouldn't pick bad men to be his disciples but even the best men make mistakes. Peter, betrayed Christ three times before the cock crowded twice as Christ had told him he would do. However, Peter repented for his sins and was able to get over it. So we all accept him as Christ's favourite and the leader of the church. Tomas was marked as having the weakest faith because he didn't believe Christ had risen. When in fact until the other disciples seen Christ alive, they never believe He would rise from the dead. If they had believed it, they would have stayed with him till the very end like John. They would have been at the grave when Christ rose. So they were no better than Tomas. So that proves that Peter and Tomas were as good or better than the rest of the disciples. The last disciple to have his name cleared is Judas. He betrayed Christ for a few pieces of silver. I always thought that he might have saved himself by asking for forgiveness before he died just like the robber that hung on the cross next to Christ. But now I believe, Judas knew he had a weakness, money, and he couldn't control it. It was going to make him sin again, so he killed himself in order to avoid sinning again. Christ and/or God wouldn't have picked bad leaders to be on His team. He would have picked the best men He could find. What God proved was that even the best men make mistakes but they find ways to earn forgiveness and overcome their weaknesses. When they are unable to overcome their weaknesses by avoiding the temptation or circumstances that lead up to those events, they follow Judas' example and kill themselves.

God wanted us to know that you have to treat everyone like you want to be treated because the person you don't treat right might be one of God's chosen people. Example: Joseph and Mary couldn't find a place to stay. Would you want to be on of those hotel owners when they got to tell God about their sins? Peter betrayed Christ three times, yet Christ made him the leader. Based on that fact, I believe the other disciples have hidden problems that we are never going to know about or Christ would have made one of them the leader. Judas, might look like a bad person but I bet he made it to heaven. He took his life rather than be tempted to sin again. Christ knew the men He picked would make mistakes but they were the best men He could find. God knows we're not perfect. He expects us to make mistakes. Was Adam's deed "Eating the forbidden fruit" really take bad? Would a loving Gad and Father really kick Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden for that. Christ made Peter his leader even though He knew Peter was going to lie about knowing Christ. Now I believe that Judas killed himself rather than let the devil tempt him again because he knew he couldn't overcome his greed.

We're all God's children and as a parent God wants to be proud of us, He wants to see us have fun and he wants us to be good to one another and treat each other like we want to be treated. Christ proved that even the best humans make mistakes, so we better not throw any stones. Remember Christ said whoever is without sin should cast the first stone. If Christ's disciples made mistakes and are not without sin even after living with Christ for several years, I'm sure no one is without some sin but as a Father God wants to love us and forgive us. But even a father and mother, eventually, accepts that fact that a person that continually makes the same mistakes and treats his brothers and sisters badly is no good. The good ones find ways to avoid making the same mistakes even if it means killing themselves as Judas decided he needed to do. Ideally, if we help each other and treat each other like brothers and sisters as God wants, we wouldn't be tempted to sin. We'd have everything we needed and would learn to live and be happy with what we had. But unfortunately most men don't treat their brothers and sisters the why they want to be treated. We cheat and steal. We make poor quality products. We take long breaks form work or take sick days when we weren’t sick. All of these sins hurt our brothers and sisters and make God ashamed of us.

I don't believe in saying payers or attending repudiative and boring services. I live is my prayer to God. What I do and say to my brothers and sisters is what makes my God and father proud of me. I'm sure He gets more enjoyment out of watching me help my employer by finding ways to improve the business or seeing me punish my children in order to teach them a lesson and make them good honest and productive adults. Passing on my good Christian values to my children was probably my best prayer to God. Because now He gets to be proud of their prayer to Him. My oldest son, has made me and God really proud by helping underprivileged children have fun at the YMCA. I can't tell you how proud I was and an of him because of the story he told me about the time he took his children to their first live basketball game. I know God enjoys that kind of prayer a lot more than watch 1,000 people sit, stand and kneel at Mass. The church is the people not a building. God's our Father and fathers like to see their children being productive and having fun.

I believe God want his children to be having picnics, parties, singing and dancing on Sundays. Not spending time in a building thinking about where I'd rather be or what football game is on TV today. I believe we should teach all the religions in school and let our children pick the one they like best. I bet in time all the religions would be become one or very close. Since the schools should be teaching all the religions, why not have the churches around the school. That way the ministers and priests could be on hand to teach their religions. Then on Sundays, the churches could use the school facilities for the catered dinners, swimming in the school pool, playing basketball, volleyball, tennis... All the facilities and the park would be there. Plus the churches would be able to look after the facilities when school wasn't in session. Maybe in time the government would get out of the school business and let the churches and community run them.

The best thing about letting the churches use the school facilities is that our children would have places to go that we could trust. Who would object if their children asked if they could go to the church park for a swim or a dance. We would know that our children were going to meet and play with good children and maybe they'll find the perfect mate somewhere other than a bar, on the Internet or who knows where else. Not that any of those places are wrong. It's just that they are places where the devil might be able to tempt them easier than in a church environment. Plus idle hands are the devil's workshop. A church park offering activities for our youth will go a long way toward making our youths happy and loving adults.

I believe God wants the church to play a different roll in our society. Christ feed people when listened to him. The Last Supper was a meal with friends. I don't think He wanted a formal repudiative service that ended up meaningless to almost everyone. How many fathers want their kids to stop by ever Sunday and watch the same movie every week. Then leave and not return till the next Sunday to rewatch that same movie. As a father, how long could you put up with that?

If we truly believe that God is our Father or loves us like a Father and is s loving and forgiving God then, you have to believe he hates to see us suffer on earth. If you doubt that ask yourself who like or wants to see their children hurt, sick or suffering. How many parents have prayed for some relieve to their children's suffering. I know when my son had the croup, I never felt so useless. Luckily he was brave and smart enough to listen to our directions and follow our instructions. Crying and being scared just made it worse. But some how that toddler was brave enough and smart enough to trust his parents and relax. It didn't stop the croup but he was able to breath better and the fear was greatly relieved.

I know a lot of parents have experienced a lot worse grief and watched their children suffer and maybe die after a long illness. I know a lot of elderly people have also suffered and wish they could die. While they suffered, I'm sure they had bad days where they did and said things they wish they hadn't done. Maybe they even caused some of their loved ones to experience pain or grief. I see that as offending God and it's caused by the stress on your mind because of the sickness. I believe Judas knew from Christ teachings that if your mind is going to cause you to sin it's okay to kill yourself. I wonder if Christ even told the disciples that hanging if you can break your neck on the fall is a quick and painless way to die. If God told us plus out your eye if it makes you sin and cut off your hand if it makes you sin then killing yourself if your mind is going to continue to make you sin is acceptable. Plus, as a father God doesn’t want to see his children (all of us) suffering if it's going to make us do bad things.

So I believe that God has no problem with youth in Asia. But only for pain and suffering reasons. Illnesses should not be causing money problems. We are all Gods children and we should be helping each other in time of need. People should not be going into debt because of an illness or injury. So money should be a reason for committing suicide unless a person's greed or need for material goods that they can't afford causing them to commit sines, similar to what happen to Judas. Necessities such as health care, food and shelter such be available to everyone. We need to find ways to make everyone productive enough to earn a happy and prosperous life. Single mothers on welfare, could take their children to a day care (maybe at the church park) and work at that day care to pay for their child's attendance and for the support of the family. I'm sure the government would be glad to give that women's welfare money to the daycare to help pay her salary and the child's day care costs. The women would then start paying income taxes back to the government.

I'm sure there are a lot of ways to put unemployed people to work using the government subsidy money that use to be used to support the unemployed. For a better understanding on what is possible see my newsletter on Force Down Economics (Fixing The US Economy -- but it'll work everywhere).