Atheism - It's Gonna Be A Wild Ride - countmein's Blog - Tehachapi News

Jun 1, 2008 at 06:06 AM : I'm an Atheist,...

I'm an Atheist, and I think religion is wonderful for many who find it comforting and use it as a guide to do good. I am a live and let live kind of gal. I think all people have good , and BAD in them, yes even Atheists. I try and live my life doing as much good as possible, but I fail myself at times as any other human being will. The ad you are speaking of was created by a bigot. I know that not all religious people are bigots and there are certainly a few Atheist bigots around. People are people. My fight is not with some of the very loving religious people in America (many are my friends), it's with the extreme (I'm right) who feel their way of life is the only way or else. Whether you believe in God or not is irrelevant to me. However, if you are trying to force all Americans to live by YOUR beliefs and using hate to do so... you are a bigot. Diversity is an awesome thing... it brings many different colors and ideas to the world. When someone attempts to control or rule other people, it sacrifices the very freedom that many Americans will fight to the death for today. In fact thousands of people who are gay must Stand UP, But Shut UP because of these extremists. I admit that the Atheists I know are very loving and they certainly don't care what color you are, who you sleep with, who you choose to love...etc etc. They tend to embrace all people. However, many people (both believers and non-believers) find certain religions, especially the extremist to be dangerous and hateful towards others who are different. Even towards people who simply follow another religion. Yes religious people fight among themselves. Many uneducated believers actually think Atheists are Satan and that we are going to hell.... luckily none of this bothers us because there is no Satan or hell.

Some Christians hate us because they think we are destroying their religion which is understandable, if that were true. We can't destroy another's faith, nor do we want to. We simply do not want it FORCED on us. We only ask that bigots not try to force all Americans to be Christian. That is not much to ask, we are only asking for freedom. We can all easily live together in harmony if we all Live & LET LIVE.

If you noticed by Dave's blog, most in Tehachapi condemned that ad. Yes a few bigots jumped right in and applauded, but we already know who they are and we knew they would agree with this ad. Yes, there are hateful people in the world. However this certainly doesn't include all who are religious because as you can see by the many online discussions on this topic, many believers found that ad to be disgusting as well.

Did you know that Bill Ford is not a Christian? He's a Buddhist like me... lol In other words the Mohave Dealer told their boss to sit down and shut up. LMFAO

Also Christianity is fading because of things like this, The number of Christians in America is not 86% the number has fallen below 75% since 1990. If I were a real believer I too would be disappointed. I think more love and less hate would help this situation.

Jun 1, 2008 at 07:06 AM : "'We must...

"'We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful god, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.' - Gene Roddenberry"

If this quote is supposed to be about the Christian God, based on the Bible, it is fallacious. According to the Bible, God didn't create faulty humans. He created humans as perfect beings with free will, just like He did with the angels. Satan and his angels (now demons) fell because of pride, thinking they should/could be better than God, their Creator. Humans fell because they decided that they should/could be equal with God, their Creator. This choice is what brought sin and suffering into the perfect world that God created.

Continuing from this:

"Well, I wouldn’t want to spend eternity with some spirit who believes children should be abused by those they trust, and that murderers should get pardons while babies are dying all over the world, anyways."

According to the Bible, God doesn't WANT anyone to suffer. Suffering is a result of the sin that is in the world, the consequences of it. I want to make it clear that it is not because of one's individual sin that one suffers. One will certainly suffer the consequences of their own sin - just like one would feel pain after kicking a wall or be less thirsty after drinking water, pure cause and effect type stuff - but it isn't a matter of "You committed adultery, you now have cancer" kind of thing that a lot of people seem to think that it is. It's more like, because humans messed up God's perfection on earth, we will see the consequences of things not working correctly - or perfectly - such as cells mutating in ways that they weren't meant to, leading to a horrible disease or genetic mutation.

Because people and the world aren't perfect anymore, bad things are going to happen. "Bad" people will hurt "good" people, such as children being abused, people being murdered. Just because it happens does not mean that God condones or promotes it. He allows us our own free will, and lets us see the results of it. He will intervene if asked, and if He believes it to be the right thing to do. He only wants what is best for us because He loves us, but that isn't always what we ourselves pursue. We often ask Him to do things that wouldn't be in our best interest. Or, we ask for things that we want to happen right now, but may not happen until later.

Just so we're clear, I'm not trying to force my beliefs down your throat. I am just trying to reply to statements that were made that may have been wrongly influenced or made as a result of not fully understanding what the Christian Bible was saying. I am only responding from the Christian Bible, this doesn't apply to any other religions or their beliefs. Believe it if you want to, or not. I am not judging you either way.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. I'm open for intelligent discussion, but not any arguments that assume stupidity because of personal beliefs (on my side or yours).

Jun 1, 2008 at 09:06 AM : Christ, Many people...

Christ, Many people believe in God, however, many do not live by the Bible so I am told. I actually read the Bible a couple years ago and found many passages to be absolutely beautiful, and then some were scary as hell, in fact they sickened me. I learned a lot from the Bible and I took with me the much good I saw in it. I left the rest behind. I suppose everyone who reads the Bible as with any book will interpret it's meanings differently. If I did believe in an all knowing, all powerful God, I can easily see how him/her/it would have created people as you say, who are perfect with a will of their own, and like a human parent , he/she/it would punish us for being bad. Free will is what makes this world so beautiful and exciting and yes, at times evil, I wouldn't want to live in a world of perfect humans (whatever that is) without free will. (smile) Thus, I totally agree with you on this.

Now, what scares me about your God is that he is not a loving God. I do not like the testing of people's faith that the Bible speaks about.. UGH I won't kill anyone simply to prove my faith. That will never happen. Perhaps you can enlighten me on that this. Luckily I don't believe in God, or as it says in the Bible I would live a eternal life in hell. Yes, I know a God can be all knowing and powerful and still be an evil control freak, but I wouldn't want that God to be my God.

I'm not trying to convert anyone, and I am not judging anyone either.. I love to live and let live. I'm just curious as to why when I read the Bible I felt I was being manipulated, if not forced to believe in your God or else!!!!. As I said I found the Bible rather scary at times. That's why I now read books by the Dali Lama and I enjoy the teachings of Buddhism...it's a very loving path to follow. I do need spirituality at times... especially when I am irritated with people... bigotry, always drives me to read the Dali Lama. Keeps me centered and it helps me to forgive hateful people. I understand that they simply do not know any better.

Jun 1, 2008 at 12:06 PM : It has been several...

It has been several years since I read the bible. But what I did read scared the heck out of me ...I stopped when I got to the part of having young girls bed with older men. It just did not follow the high moral standards and pillars of good citizenship that I follow. I was actually shocked to read parts of it. And I read it with an open mind as I felt there had to be some reason why the "reborn Christian" movement was so big--may I had missed something. After reading it and talking to several Christians, I realized my beliefs formed a solid platform, not one that you picked and chose what passages to follow to fit your needs.

I am however, getting tired of being persecuted for my beliefs. After my husband died, I had so many people ask me what church I belonged to and how I needed to get involved in a church. When I tried to tell them my beliefs did not include much of what was in the bible, they would exchange "knowing" looks and tell me how wrong I was. Instead of doing what a good citizen would do and offer a few words of condolences and ask what they could do to help, they chose to try to educate me on Christianity to the point of sending representatives from various churches out to my house. My children, aged 9 and 10, told me they were getting pressure from their "Christian" friends to attend church, not doubt set up by their parents.

Religion is a personal choice. So let's keep it in the home and at the church. Stop trying to convert the world.

I still wonder now days if people are so fixated on church due to the lack of extended family and feel a need to belong to something.

Jun 1, 2008 at 01:06 PM : Well anonymouser,...

Well anonymouser, remember the flood? He destroyed the world's entire population (of course back then it was what, a couple 100,000?) except for Noah and family. Look what he did to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Supposedly if just one righteous man could be found he would spare them...so I guess the babies and children were horrible sinners too. We know women certainly didn't count...

Jun 1, 2008 at 01:06 PM : I remember being in...

I remember being in elementary school a few years ago (LOL I'm 50) and we learned about the Indians and how they believed that Gods that made it rain, influenced fertility, and earthquakes were Gods rage (wow--sounds like he needs anger control classes!)etc. I laughed with my friends that they could of been so naive and uneducated. Now I realize Christians believe in the same thing, just a different God!

Makes me realize what a cult religion is, to give up what has been proven by science, abandon common sense and lose the ability make decisions on your own in the name of God. What a powerful cult following it has. It scares me!

Joty--If he was a just God, why didn't he punish just the sinners and allow the non sinners, babies and children to live?

FEAR GOD has a whole new meaning now.

Jun 1, 2008 at 01:06 PM : Genesis 18:32 Then he...

Genesis 18:32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."

Jun 1, 2008 at 01:06 PM : I don't ever...

I don't ever recall talking about God punishing people in my post. This is a big topic and a long debate, and I wanted to keep it short, lol.

I do not, nor does anyone who interprets the Bible correctly, believe that ALL weather phenomena or the like are God's punishment for someone. Yes, He used them in the past, and may still use them. But I am not ignorant to the natural patterns of this earth. I believe God sets them in motion, but not that they all necessarily "mean" something.

I said that natural consequences of the world not being perfect anymore would be seen, and that people would see personal consequences for their deeds (I don't think anyone can argue with that second one, whether they believe in God, or even good and evil). It is no longer eye for an eye. Yes, it was in the Old Testament, but Jesus changed all that (that's another long topic...e-mail me if you want to talk about it).

Joty, the Flood was a one time event because the world was so far gone that only one family could be found that had any good in them at all. Being humanity's Creator and omniscient, God knew the majority were irredeemable. However, He didn't want to condemn His entire Creation when there was a way to redeem it. So He destroyed most of it. Having Created it, I'd say that's His call. However, God promised never to do that again (He obviously would know that there would never be a need to do it again). The fact the God saved what He didn't have to in the Flood speaks of His love for us. He repeats this grace in Christ.

God doesn't differentiate "horrible" sinners from "not so bad" sinners. The presence of sin in the world is enough to seperate us from God completely (the definition of Hell). We are sinners from the time we are concieved until the time we die. Yes, babies are sinners. Who has to teach a child to be selfish or mean? No one. NO ONE is "good enough" to save themselves, no matter what they do. That's why God sent Christ to take away our sins in God's sight. Christ WAS good enough, He was perfect and fulfilled the Law perfectly, yet sacrificed Himself to the ultimate consequence of sin: death. Therefore, we reap the benefit of His perfection: We get a chance to be with God again forever (here on earth, then in Heaven).

That's all from me for now, even though I may not have addressed all the points I would like to since I'm out of time. Again, I'm not forcing my beliefs on anyone, just talking about them. If the original blogger wants me to stop, I will. If you want to talk more in depth, e-mail me.

Jun 1, 2008 at 01:06 PM : Romans 3:...

Romans 3:

22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Jun 1, 2008 at 02:06 PM : Yes, Job,...

Yes, Job, thanks! I normally back up things with specific Scripture, but didn't really want to get into it at the moment. If anyone wants that, e-mail me.

Jun 1, 2008 at 02:06 PM : Job, what difference...

Job, what difference does it make? One or ten? There were children in those cities, are you saying they were unrighteous and deserved to die like that?

awsmom, your question is one of many I began to ask myself when I was old enough to start thinking for myself. One of my biggest problems is how educated women can embrace a book that was written by misogynistic men to whom women were not only second class citizens - but at fault for causing sin!

Jun 1, 2008 at 02:06 PM : So, Christie and Job,...

So, Christie and Job, what you are saying is that the infant who dies at birth is doomed? Or the mentally retarded who have no comprehension? And all those people who have never heard of Jesus Christ? What about the population prior to Christ? Dang - hell must be full!!!!

Jun 1, 2008 at 03:06 PM : Deuteronomy 29:29...

Deuteronomy 29:29

Job 38:1-41

Jun 1, 2008 at 03:06 PM : The answers to your...

The answers to your questions are complex and no one scripture will answer it. None the less, the answers are there. Below are some links to some short articles that answers your questions. You can also Google “age of accountability” and find more articles.

http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2820835/k.BE98/CP0706.htm

http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2832879/k.C02A/CP0207.htm

Jun 1, 2008 at 03:06 PM : Gee, here's what...

Gee, here's what Jesus had to say about the subject of kids...

Matthew 18:1-5

At that very hour the disciples came up to Jesus and said, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? So Jesus called a little child, and made him stand up in the midst of them, And he said, Truly I say to you, Unless you change and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whoever therefore will humble himself like this little child, shall be great in the kingdom of heaven. And he who will welcome one like this little child, in my name, welcomes me.

Jun 1, 2008 at 03:06 PM : I don't judge...

I don't judge anyone, that's God's right and His alone. I would not even THINK about saying any sinner was "doomed" or not (no matter their age). The only person I know about is me, and here is what I know: I am a sinner AND I am going to Heaven. Here is what I know about everyone else... God gives everyone a chance. Heck, He gave Israel THOUSANDS of chances, and they KNEW Him. And whether or not you get a chance to know Him on earth, you will know Him when you're standing in front of Him for judgement. So everyone gets at least one chance.

The God I know is a loving God. HE doesn't condemn anyone to Hell. He is the only reason we have anywhere ELSE to go. Remember back when I said that the definition of Hell is seperation from God? God created you to love you and be close to you. It's never His choice if you are apart from Him.

Jun 1, 2008 at 03:06 PM : Christ was pointing...

Christ was pointing out their faith. This implies that they believed in Him, which means they were headed to Heaven.

Jun 1, 2008 at 03:06 PM : "Yes, babies...

"Yes, babies are sinners." Your words, Christi

Jun 1, 2008 at 04:06 PM : lol...it's...

lol...it's all how you want to intrepret it, and everyone can make the bible say what they want. I for one, do not look into the eyes of my newborn grandchild and see a sinner, and I don't believe Jesus would either!

Jun 1, 2008 at 04:06 PM : IS ATHEISM LOGICAL?...

IS ATHEISM LOGICAL?

Atheism is the world view that denies the existence of God. More specifically, traditional atheism argues that there never was and never will be a God. But is this position rationally justifiable?

Atheism positively affirms that there is no God. But can the atheist be certain of this claim? You see, to know that a transcendent God does not exist would require a perfect knowledge of all things (omniscience). To attain this knowledge you would have to have simultaneous access to all parts of the universe (omnipresence). Therefore, as an atheist, to be certain of this claim you would have to possess Godlike characteristics. Obviously, mankind’s limited nature precludes these special abilities. The atheist’s dogmatic claim is therefore clearly unjustifiable. The atheist is attempting to prove a universal negative. In terms of logic this is called a logical fallacy.

The atheistic world view is inadequate for many other reasons as well. First, atheism cannot adequately explain the existence of the world. Like all other things, the world in which we live cries out for an explanation which is clearly beyond itself — however, the atheist is unable to provide one. Second, the atheistic world view is unable to provide the necessary preconditions to account for the laws of science, the universal laws of logic — and, of course, absolute moral standards. In short, the atheistic world view cannot account for the meaningful realities of life.

If individual atheists are serious about truth when it comes to God, let them consider the claims of Jesus Christ. He claimed to be none other than God in human flesh (John 1:1). This astounding claim was supported, however, by His matchless personal character, His fulfillment of predictive prophecy, His incredible influence on human history — and most importantly, the historical fact of His resurrection from the dead. The evidence is definitely there for the skeptic to analyze. As Francis Schaeffer, the noted apologist, stated: “God is there and He is not silent.” God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19). Ultimately man does not deny the existence of God for lack of evidence, but because man does not want to be accountable to his creator.

On logic and atheism, that’s the CRI Perspective. I’m Hank Hanegraaff.

http://www.equip.org/site/c.muI1LaMNJrE/b.2832939/k.BF84/CP0110.htm

Jun 1, 2008 at 04:06 PM : "Is...

"Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites." Thomas Jefferson

"The Bible is not my Book and Christianity is not my religion. I could never give assent to the long complicated statements of Christian dogma." Abraham Lincoln

"It has served us well, this myth of Christ." Pope Leo X

I'm not an atheist, but I reject the notion of the vengeful angry god of the bible; that, as Christi claims we are all born sinners (the Chinese believe children are born with innate goodness); I do not believe Jesus was the "son of god" but a wonderful teacher, profit and human being - just like Buddha. And I reject the bible as the ultimate "word of god" - but I can twist it around with the best of them to make a point, lol.

Jun 1, 2008 at 04:06 PM : Peacefulman I too find...

Peacefulman I too find it intriguing the psychology behind religion...what makes people feel the need to belong or believe in something. What makes preachers preach? I think many may be OCD and this is an acceptable outlet for them to focus on. The rules and ritualizations helps keep their lives structured and in order. It is a safe outlet.

I find it interesting that many prisoners "get Jesus" while in jail, only to re offend when released. The majority of offenders are from religious back grounds--many of them have a cross around there neck when they are arrested. Wonder what would happen if people were taught how to be responsible citizens from birth, instead of religion, how they would turn out.

The alpha dog theory may be viable also...some people are dependent and feel a need to belong or be lead through out their lives. Letting others make decisions is easier than having to tackle a problem or figure out the answer yourself. But the pack mentality of some churches affects non members.

Jun 1, 2008 at 04:06 PM : Joty said: ...

Joty said: "Yes, babies are sinners." Your words, Christi

Yes, they are. Everyone is. It's not a judgement, it's a Biblical truth.

PeacefulMan said: "It's like defending the statement 2+2=4 to those who think 2+2=4.2. "

For those of us who believe that Christ is the Truth, we see you the same way:

1 Corinthians 1:18-19

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.'"

We just don't say, "Why bother?" We believe that the Gospel is Truth and that not believing that Truth has eternal consequences.That doesn't mean I'm going to beat your head in if you don't believe, or even force you to hear it if you truly don't want to. But if you want to hear it or read about it, I'm certainly going to tell it.

1 Peter 3:5-6

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

Jun 1, 2008 at 05:06 PM : "lo...

"lol...it's all how you want to intrepret it, and everyone can make the bible say what they want."

If you really think your statement is true, then I challenge you to find and email me all the different interpretations of only Matthew 13:3 and state your sources.

Jun 1, 2008 at 05:06 PM : Christi - don't...

Christi - don't you mean 1 Peter 3:15-16?

Jun 1, 2008 at 05:06 PM : Yes, Joty, thank...

Yes, Joty, thank you. I mis-typed.

Jun 1, 2008 at 05:06 PM : Now I am going to...

Now I am going to shock everyone here and say I am not an atheist either. I believe God is kind, and allows us to lead what ever life we think he would want us to lead. How you lead your life is between God and you, and it is you that has to meet with your maker someday, and that is the day judgment will occur. It would be easier to surrender my thought process over to a church that tells you how to think on every issue, but that is not a true test of your faith. Making your own decisions and living with the consequences, good or bad, tells God how devoted you are living a good life and making the world a better place to live. So I live my life as I feel God would like :

Treat everyone with respect. Honesty is paramount. Work hard. Leave the house with honor everyday knowing you helped someone and made the world a better place. Have fun and enjoy life.

Simple guidelines. And at the end of everyday (or at least the end of every week) and I go back and review what I did the previous week to see if I met these objectives. Sometimes I have to readjust my attitude or actions to ensure that I still follow these guidelines.

You don't need to go to church to live a good life. I feel HOW you lead your life is more important than spouting scripture and trying to change/convert someone else. And even if you don't believe in God, the same guidelines can be taught. We all have the same goal--make the world a better place.

And please spay and neuter your pets. God does not want animals euthanized.

Jun 1, 2008 at 05:06 PM : PeacefulMan,...

PeacefulMan, that's what a good portion of the Bible is: eye-witness testimony of miraculous happenings. Are any other historical manuscripts defunct and untrue simply because they're OLD?

Jun 1, 2008 at 05:06 PM : PeacefulMan, although...

PeacefulMan, although you are not interested in quotes from the Bible, you should know that even when Jesus performed miracles before the people, many still did not believe. With the attitude you have, I doubt you would recognize a miracle if it happened in front of you. I surely doubt you would believe the true miracle story I have.

Jun 1, 2008 at 06:06 PM : Wow,...

Wow, honestly I didn't expect so many people to comment on this....Man. I'm pleasently shocked. Anyways, to get to the point, I'm not trying to condem people for religion. Like I said, I'm only interested in knowledge. Fact. Archeology and science have disproved alot. Even books. Someone mentioned earlier about the Noah's Ark deal. Anyone ever read The Epic of Gilgamesh? It was written in the 3rd millenia B.C., about 2000 years (give or take) before the bible. The Epic of Gilgamesh has a flood story in it, very similar to the one the bible tells. What's more, Ovid's Metamorphoses tells of a global flood as well, and that too, came before the bible. I'm sure someone has a witty remark to that, I can just imagin what might be the rebuttal.

And it's not just Christianity. People seem to think that Islam is a friendly and peaceful religion. Anyone ever read the Quran? Read it in Arabic and you'll see just how "friendly" and "peaceful" it is.

I feel I should stress this point: I'm not condemning any of you for believing. To each their own, as I always say. Perhaps faith has done something amazing for you, perhaps it gives you comfort from the fear of death. Whatever the reason. Me personally, it's just not for me. Like I said before, my comfort is found with facts.

Jun 1, 2008 at 07:06 PM : "Archeology...

"Archeology and science have disproved alot"

Hmmm. That's an interesting comment. In recent years I've been educated to believe that archeology and science has proven many biblical events as true more than disprove them. I wondered how you could have come to your conclusion. Then it dawned on me this possibility. If you tend to read only articles that lean toward your belief, then I can understand your inference. When I taught science to my children during their home schooling years, I taught them how important it is to look at, investigate, use observation and experimentation and read all types of articles on the subject. I have really enjoyed some of the recent TV documentaries on the subject. I know of a few books that were written by non-believing scientist and reporter who set out to disprove the Bible. As a result they learned they were wrong.

Jun 1, 2008 at 08:06 PM : I have never seen any...

I have never seen any point in arguing the existence of God/Gods/Divine Beings. Neither side can prove anything. Agnosticism is the way to go, IMHO ;) I've always seen faith purely as a comfort mechanism.

Jun 1, 2008 at 11:06 PM : Joty's spurious...

Joty's spurious quote, supposedly of Leo X (we have benefited from this myth of Christ) should not go unchallenged. The source of this was John Bale, an English Protestant and propagandist. Kind of like relying on Fox News for your unbiased news of the Democratic Party.

Oh - and Bale "recorded" it 60 years after the supposed event! Obviously he didn't hear it himself.

You'd think folks who want multiple, simultaneous recordings of events that occurred 2000 years years ago would want at least the same for events occurring less than 500 years ago. Or not, I guess.

Jun 1, 2008 at 11:06 PM : Job- Not at all. I...

Job- Not at all. I tend to look at all sides. Actually, most of my information comes from biblical scholars who study at Harvard. In 1900, they said yes, we can prove the existence of Abraham, Jacob, ect. and yes, Solomon had a kingdom that stretched from Egypt to Iraq. William F. Albright was probably the most influential archeologist of that time. He was very skeptical of the bible, but thought that most things in it were proven by historical evidence.

Now, we go to today. Most biblical scholars, generally, will tell you that, no, they do not regard Genesis as historically, or scientifically, accurate. There's no historical trace of David or Solomon from that supposed time. Yes, some want to maintain that it is historical. But what changed between 1900 and today? Science for one. New discoveries in ancient Mesopotamia.

Let's also look at Moses journey through the desert. He lead 1-2 million people, taking them from Egypt and leading them to conquer Israel in about 1400 B.C. (traditional date). That's alot of people to lead into that small area. This notion was disproved in 1887 when archeologist discovered correspondence between a king of Egypt, Aknon, between other kings from Syria, and what is now Turkey and what is now Iraq. In all of these correspondence, there is no mention of Israel as a kingdom. These correspondences were dated at about 1375 B.C., and as far as archeology goes, the soonest Israel is mentioned is somewhere around 1210 B.C.E.

In 1st Kings 4:21 (if memory serves me correctly) there is the statement of King Solomon ruling from the Euphrates (which is now Iraq) to the border of Egypt. This is a huge empire. In fact, no other empire could compare to it until about the 1600s. There is no trace of this kingdom in any other literature.

Now there was the fact that Solomon built the wall of Jerusalem in three towns (the town names elude me now, I believe one was Megiddo? I could be wrong). One archeologist found three similar gates in these supposed biblical towns which he claimed were from the 10th century. Therefore, he said the bible was historically accurate based on the finding of these gates. So how do we really know these gates were from the time of Solomon? Well, it's a circular argument. You find gates supposed to date from Solomon's time, anything else in the area is said to be from his time as well. But, in 1998, the archeologist changes it up and claims the gates are now dated to the 9th century. In 2005, he changes again. He says one gate is from the 10th, two are from the 9th. Why? What happened to the proof? New radio carbon dating came around in the 1990s stated the dates were not from 10th Century. Then, Norma Franklin stated that the walls around the area associated with the gates were dated to the next century, not Solomon's century. So surely, the gates must belong to the same century as the surrounding walls. Precise, individual mason's marks were also discovered at a palace in Sumeria, south of Megiddo. This palace is agreed to be from the 9th century. The same marks were also discover in Megiddo structures.

A noted archeologist, Gabriel Barkai, stated that the structure of the gates were not identical and they did not come from the same blueprint design. Thus the assumption that the gates related to Solomon no longer held true. Archeologists are left with no 10th century in their records. Where is David's palace, where is the temple of Solomon? They have yet to be found. Perhaps they eroded? Then why were archeologists able to find earlier things? Jerusalem has no proven 10 century remains yet. Also, why is no correspondence found for Solomon? Other kings of that general time kept the receipts. Why didn't he? Why didn't David?

It's the same theory with King Arthur. He is thought to be a figure created to keep the Saxons happy about their past while those conquerers were coming into England. That's how David and Solomon are looked at now.

Of course archeology has unearthed many other things, and I suppose this could go on and on, but for now, forgive me, as I am a little tired of typing.

Jun 1, 2008 at 11:06 PM : This is in response to...

This is in response to PeacefulMan who asked, "I would like to hear about the personal experiences in your lives that re enforce your beliefs."

Our family has had this verse as a special promise to live by: Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Seeking first a relationship with God and accepting the righteousness of Jesus to remove our sins, we have seen God providing all we need and more in the most marvelous ways.

We were planning to drill a well on our property here in Tehachapi and I remembered reading in Leviticus (19:26)

" 'Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. " 'Do not practice divination or sorcery".

Looking up several other verses confirmed, God wanted his people to ask him for the answers if they needed information and not use tea leaves or tarot cards or divining rods to seek answers. Since He created the world and placed the underground water there it made sense to trust him for this wisdom as we did for other things.

Instead of hiring the local diviner (yes there are still people who do that) we gathered as a family and asked God if it was his will, to show us where to drill the well on the 20 acres. Afterward my husband began walking the property and he kept being drawn to one spot. When the driller arrived he was skeptical of the chosen site and said we really should have called out, you know who, and reminded us how expensive it would be if we didn't hit water.

We pulled out our lawn chairs and watched. At about 120 feet he began to hit water and only went a bit further to make it deep enough for the pump. When testing the output of the well he had a sheepish look on his face as he reported it was producing 50 gallons a minute.

We continue to praise God for answering our prayers. The well is still going strong after 28 years.

Oh, by the way, all of our neighbors who dug wells got 5 gallons a minute after drilling to a depth of 400 feet using the advice of the local diviner!

Jun 2, 2008 at 01:06 AM : Why does God not want...

Why does God not want humans to partake in studying the supernatural? Moreso, why is Christianity so against exploring the cosmos? I credit these things, in my opinion, to Christianity trying to stamp out pagan worship, but I have no explaination of why studying the heavens is such a bad thing. Anyone care to fill me in?

And what's so wrong with eating rare steaks, anyway?

Jun 2, 2008 at 06:06 AM : Countmein, ...

Countmein, That part of the verse refers to bleeding out an animal after killing it if it's to be used for food. Common practice in any slaughter house.

Jun 2, 2008 at 07:06 AM : Follower... if you...

Follower... if you don't believe in luck or coincidences and you think God's help is responsible for your well. that's wonderful. However, I have a story about wells for ya that ends much differently. My 4 surrounding neighbors only get 3 gallons per minute, all of them, YES ALL OF THEM, either used sticks or Gods will to find their well. All of them believers. I on the other hand, hired a professional.... I get 23 gallons per minute.

In fact, I help my neighbors water their trees by extending a hose over their fences using my pump. I personally know a few people on this blog who have been to my house and some of them say I am blessed. I have many wonderful things happen to me in my life. Am I lucky or is your God helping me? Believe what you want, as long as my life stays as good as it has been for all these years... It's all good. (smile) I am in a believer in what goes around comes around.... I think good things happen to me when I do good things for others and the planet. This, not a belief in a God seems to be working very well for me. My only wish when it comes to my neighbors and their wells is that they too could have 23 gallons per minute coming from their underground water source. I'm not complaining about the small increase in my electric bill.