How To Find Fundamentalist's Errors

PLEASE NOTE

There will be no voting—this is for information only. However comments are welcome, as are PMs and email with any questions about this essay. However any comment which is simply "testimony" otherwise known as witnessing. by churchy people, argumentative, or preachy, will be deleted immediately. This is not a forum for debating—most of the facts are from the bible itself and speak for themselves, or from verifiably known history.

The King James Version KJV) of the bible is principally used unless noted otherwise As well, I've used Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible which identifies every word in the KJV of the bible as well as where to find them. Other bibles say essentially the same basic things as the KJV, which, were needed or appropriate, I quote from.

This essay deals with how to simplify finding errors in the bible that Fundamentalists say aren't there. Without the now known shortcuts culled from recent research authors and their books, this would be a very difficult task. Learning the facts and discrepancies, as well as how and why the bible was created makes understanding the bible a whole lot easier.

My writings were originally intended for lesbians who have been intimidated from birth, shamed, humiliated, pushed to feel guilty, and made to believe that they are an abomination in the sight of the god of the bible, that is, the Old and New Testaments of Judaism and Christianity. They have been made to feel a need to hide their true sense of who and what they are in body and mind. Many have given in and attempted to conform to that "accepted normal" life that society, culture, and especially religion, say that it is how they should live, often with disastrous consequences. This need not be, for even as the bible is said to quote Jesus:

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (Gospel according to John, chapter 8, verse 32.)

Learning the truth—in this case, the truth of the lies—does tremendously help to set one free as any psychiatrist/psychoanalyst will attest.

Today, we find it difficult to imagine life in the days spoken of in the Bible. In our culture, at least in what we consider the Western World of the United States and Canada; Europe for the most part, plus Scandinavia; Australia and New Zealand, we have what Liv, in my stories (The Devil's Gateway) called a Golden Age of Books. Before the Bible began to seriously be doubted as reliable history, and even unto this day, there are many of what Liv called "Me-too" books written by rabid believers of the Bible as God's word to all of humanity.

Since then, and particularly of late, there have come to light the writings of biblical historians of a different sort. They are archeologists, historians and researchers with a particular bent toward historical and textual criticism, as well as many who are feeling a newer Zeitgeist that does not fear the wrath of the Christian churches coming down on them as Copernicus, Darwin, and other scientists such as Galileo feared.

Much has come to light, verifiable knowledge that is changing the landscape of biblical times, as well as the veracity of the Bible—or the lack of verifiable truth in it. This Golden Age of Books didn't come about until the latter part of the twentieth century (though begun as early as Spinoza, et.al.). In fact, there were few books about the Bible save those by dedicated Christians who wrote from pure belief, and no objective inquiry as to the veracity of what they were writing. What they were writing is popularly called "Witnessing" or "Testimony" by the churches, and generally written to bolster the faith of those who are already pretty much "faithful".

In biblical times, and until the Golden Age of Books, there was a great lack of knowledge (unlike today). The bible was accepted as true in every respect. From a lack of means of communication, as well as illiteracy which for much too long was rampant (approximating 95 percent according to the best educated guesses) in biblical times and for centuries afterward, there being no books available, questioning the bible was difficult.

This essay, as I have indicated, is to assist any who wish, or need, to know the truth of the lies. It is not easy, not to be learned in a day, but infinitely easier than trying to do so on your own by reading the bible. We don't have to accept bombastic and frightening speeches from some ignorant or willfully blind fundamentalist preachers. Many denominations have a Fundamentalist view of the bible often eschewing science much as the popes of old (and even the present).

Die-hard Fundamentalists of the Intelligent Design variety, put much effort into decrying science, even touting their own scientists to refute whatever science they feel threatens their literal biblical beliefs. They say that science isn't to be believed, yet they do acknowledge many of the scientific facts most of us know and accept.

While they spend much time assaulting scientific inquiry, they steadfastly refuse to look at all of the bible's errors, many of which I have itemized in my stories and essays (which so far number in the hundreds). Science seeks to learn and constantly changes as new knowledge if found—the bible does not—it is static and unchangeable as are the Fundamentalists.

For example:

Scientifically, the very first chapter of Genesis reveals an error of major proportions that is also irrefutable. In verses 11 and 12, we read:

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth: and it was so.

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

(Other versions read much the same.)

What the error here is that this is said to occur on the third day of creation (verse 13). There is no sun until the next day according to verses 16 through 19. Plants and trees get their energy from the sun—no sun, no plants or trees, and definitely no fruit to be given as the Bible says that there was. The creative writers got it backward, but at that time they probably didn't know that. No God, or gods, or Goddess, could make such a mistake if they are the true creators of all that is, including the Universe, as is claimed in the Bible that their God is.

INTRODUCTION

As I've already indicated, frankly, on your own, there is no quick way to find the errors and contradictions in the bible. Let's face it, how many of us can read from Genesis to I Kings, and in one chapter of Genesis, find one implied date for the Exodus and a definitive, but contrary date for that same Exodus in the book of I Kings?

I have to admit that I couldn't, hadn't, and the reason for it is that the Old Testament is a hodge-podge of so-called books of scripture written by various authors at various times, as well as rewritten, added to, changed at other times. When looked at logically, you will see it too. Look it up for yourself (I always more than encourage readers to do just that). Here's where to find this major discrepancy::

Genesis, chapter 47, verse 11 states:And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

Rameses, or Ramses, is first mentioned in history as Pramses who shortened his name to Ramses and became Ramses I after the death of Horemheb. Ramses I ruled from 1295-1294 BCE, and was followed by his son, Seti I until 1279 BCE, then succeeded by Ramses II, the mighty warrior (only matched, or exceeded by Thutmoses III called the Napoleon of Egypt). Ramses II is the Pharaoh very often commonly cited as the Pharaoh of the Exodus. Be that as it may, I repeat that it says that:

Jacob was "placed" in the land of Rameses!

Now the book of Exodus, chapter 12, verse 40 states:

Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

According to these two verses, if it was four hundred and thirty years from the first year of the reign of Ramses I when Jacob was placed in the land of Ramses (going from the first year of the reign of Ramses I), then the Exodus happened four hundred and thirty years later in about 864 BCE and long after king David, or so says the bible.

We know that that didn't happen!

That's just part of the lies in the Old Testament. Let's look at the other time of the Exodus as per I Kings. Recall that I mentioned the book of I Kings: if we look at chapter 6, verse 1, it states:

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign...

Solomon is commonly accepted to have begun to rule in the year 970 BCE (I've found four saying about 970, two saying about 971, and two saying 965). Taking 970 as the most used, not to mention conventional, date, then according to the above verse, we can say that the fourth year of Solomon's rule was 966 BCE. Going from 966 and adding those "four hundred and eightieth" years, we come to 1446 BCE in the reign of Thutmosis III, the greatest warrior Pharaoh (the Napoleon of Egypt) whose rule was at least to the Euphrates. Again, definitely no Ramses in that year so no land of Rameses.

So many times there are discrepancies that just aren't explainable. It is very obvious that the bible is in error, but are we ever told this? Is anybody ever told this? Are the discrepancies ever mentioned? No we're not told of any of this, and I have to wonder if many of these preachers even know of these discrepancies in their so-called inerrant (no errors) bible.

As I said, I had read Genesis before, as well as I Kings, but for the longest time, I never noticed this discrepancy. Why not? Just like most of us, as I said, the bible is a hodge-podge of wordy books written in various times, and each book by several writers, and it's pretty much hard to follow as most who've tried to do so know. It's almost overwhelming, and even researchers work hard to properly decipher it.

The writers of all of the books of the bible never expected anyone to read it, never expected it to be in print, or the common people to be educated as in our day. Many of the writers of many of the books, including those who redacted portions, may not have thought of it being as it is commonly accepted in our day. They would be shocked to see how things have changed since their time when "books" were really scrolls, perhaps many scrolls for one "book".

The writers of the Old Testament, as I've said before, and as many researchers have felt, only wrote it for the Jews and not for "Christianity" that followed them centuries later. In fact, during the time of the death of Alexander the Great and the coming of the Romans, the book of Daniel was likely to have been written to bolster the Jews for that time was fraught with wars by two of Alexander's generals seeking control of the Levant (Palestine) after Alexander's death, and everything switched back and forth with whatever side was currently successful as well as which ruler decided to change things to suit their wishes. That was truly a bad time for the Jews.

All of what I've written above is important for several reasons. As my other essays and stories have stated, the bible, Old and New Testaments, are error filled, and therefore the whole bible is not, could not be, the word of any god. The Fundamentalists are wrong, and that brings us to a very salient reason to know the truth of the lies (as Liv, my character in The Devil's Gateway says).

These errors are important to know of since most Christian Churches/religions (Catholic, Protestant, and many so-called Independent churches) say that homosexuality is a sin and therefore marriage between same-sex couples should not be allowed. Indeed, some have said that all homosexuals should be killed for violating the law of their god (see later in this essay).

Furthermore, these churches/religions, combined a few years ago to help fund Proposition 8 in California to prohibit same-sex marriage and overturn a law allowing it. After many individual battles, and federal as well as some state court rulings allowing same-sex marriage, there are still those that have taken a stand against it. Texas has recently even tried to pass a law withholding the pay of personnel who issue licenses for same-sex marriages.

What about post-op/or not, transgenders? That issue hasn't come up yet, but you can be sure that it will at some point if it goes any further.

Does separation of state and religion still apply as in our constitution, or will these Fundamentalists, and quasi-Fundamentalists (like the Catholic Church) rule our nation and make us like an Islamic nation and be ruled by a particular religious belief? I mean, can you just see the "religion police" going around with canes and striking women who don't wear the prescribed garments as in some places in Saudi Arabia, and for sure, some parts of Afghanistan?

Or maybe being shot as that Pakistani girl just for going to school and wanting to do so, to where it riled up some Fundamentalist Islamist and shot her. As you'll see (again, for I've posted it before), some people might just want us all to live that way.

The question has been pushed by the Fundamentalists, and counter pushed by those who are demanding equal rights as stated in our constitution.

On January 16, 2015, the Supreme Court announced that it would take up the question of same-sex marriage and whether it is constitutionally protected under equal treatment of all persons. They will take it up in April and render their verdict sometime in June, or so it has been announced.

There are at least two justices who will probably say no to same-sex marriage, and maybe three that will say yes to same-sex marriage. One justice has previously ruled in favor of the right to condemn private property under the so-called eminent domain rule. Afterward, he admitted that he was wrong, but the damage was done; the ruling was five to four to allow eminent domain, and many people lost their residences. How this justice will see same-sex marriage is something to wonder about just as we may all wonder about those other three justices.

The two who will most likely vote against same-sex marriage will do so because of a very conservative way of thinking, as well as belief in the bible and their religion and that the bible is the word on their god and therefore should be applied to one and all.

Is their religion and the bible the word of a creator god who made everything and us, and therefore his word as in the bible correct?

If you think about it, the religion they believe in is a false one as anyone who has read my stories and essays knows—the bible that proclaims it is too error filled to be true. Why their religion is wrong and error filled is itemized many times by my stories and essays—and from the bible itself as I give where to look for the proofs in the bible.

However, we mostly may have tried to read the bible ourselves and found it overwhelming to our mental senses and our culture and/or religious training overtook us and we still continued to believe it as we were taught.

This religion has in the past caused many deaths, wars, slaughters and genocides, and in our day, these social wars as well as those shooting wars from ISIS, the Taliban, and Al Queda which follow the religion of Islam which is based on Abraham and Ishmael in the Old Testament. However if the Old Testament is false, so is their religion for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob never existed as the Old Testament portrays them, if they even existed at all. In either case, it also means that Ishmael never existed as the Old Testament portrays, if at all.

In other words, the lies are coming to roost in our day and in many injurious ways. It is definitely time for the truth of the lies to be known and the false religions exposed. There is little difference from the zealots of the Old Testament and the ones of today save that those in our country posing as Fundamentalists are destroying the lives of far too many people due to their false religious beliefs.

Bibliography and some notes:

As promised in my last essay, Judaism and Christianity, below you'll find some of the books that I was lucky enough to come across that tremendously helped me to learn the truth of the lies, as well as some notes on some of the books.

My hope is that some of you will find some of these books and that they will help your understanding of this long cultural and virtual social gene that has been implanted in us. It is my wish that if you have been made to feel as if you're abnormal because of that little voice inside of you that tells you that you're just not as they tell you that you should be, that you'll become enlightened enough to throw off the shackles that they've placed on your person and allow yourself to seek and live the life you know that you need to live.

Now here's some of the books I promised to reveal that will make the bible easier to know and understand. These books have one huge thing in common, and that's that they are fact filled and usually tell you where to find these facts for yourself so that you can verify them. The churches don't usually do this; they'd rather people not question them, but just to blindly believe what they tell you by cherry-picking reading a verse or two each week, and none of them in any context other than what they give you.

It is my hope that those of you who wish to really know about the deceptions that have plagued everyone, or caused unanswered questions in your heart and mind, will benefit as I was lucky enough to benefit and that you learn the truth of the lies and ease the turmoil that the false religions have instilled in too many.

Good luck, good reading, and I wish you all peace within your person, and much love in your life.

Books:

Lost Christianities, Ehrman, Bart D., Oxford University Press, 2003. This is one of many books by this author. The reason I list it first is to give you an idea of the many Christianities that cropped up after the death of Jesus. I had learned of some of them, but hadn't realized that there were so many. The Catholic Church finally became the winning faith, but only after nearly three hundred years, and the fear of Constantine, the emperor of the Roman Empire after about 312 CE.

Lost Scriptures, again, by Ehrman, Bart D., Oxford University Press, 2003. Here you may wish to read some of the variety of scriptures that began after the death of Jesus, some of the quite a while later, some possibly at a time close to other surviving canonical books that made it into today's scripture.

Misquoting Jesus, Harper Collins, 2005; God's Problem, Harper Collins, 2008; and Forged, Harper Collins, 2011, all by Bart D. Ehrman. The former and the latter give excellent information that is easy to digest and easier to verify in the bible.

The Bible: A Biography [of the bible], Armstrong, Karen, Atlantic Books, 2007. Ms. Armstrong is one of the most prolific writers on religion, especially the Christian religion. She is a former nun, and wrote of her experiences in a convent, which gives good reason why she left the convent, as well as Christianity. However, her ability to research and question is highly praised by many. This book is full of information, much of it that is never spoken of.

A History of God, Armstrong, Karen, A Ballantine book, div. of Random House, 1993. Again, more useful information to help you understand how it all came about, how it affected Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and all of us too. As is usual for her, she is readable and chock full of facts and history.