You accuse me of not reading your writing regularly. Read it. Twice. And the article as well. Which was a good, yet heartbreaking, read.

If I were Mrs. Till I would be furious. Stark raving mad with rage. But in the larger scheme of things, there is no difference between your lying to a girl scout and telling her that you already bought some cookies at work and Emmett Till’s murder. Yes, if I were Emmett’s father, I’d probably want very badly to sneak into Mr. Bryant’s home and slit his and his wife’s throats in their sleep. But at the end of the day my lying and my slitting someone’s throat, both equally separate me from God. Would I forgive someone for killing my daughter? Or my son? I would have pray for the ability to act with the grace that I know that God has given me.

I agree with you… the victim has every right to hold a grudge. To not forgive. Especially sans a gracious and loving God… hell ya! Get revenge Dammit! hahah. Seriously. Without God? Yes. I would murder them in their sleep. But with God? I have been forgiven so very much that I would hope that I would forgive freely. Does that make more sense?

Sans God, I would steal your wallet if I could get away with it. Sans God I would not forgive you the murder of my children. Sans God I would eye for an eye like nobodies business. I am a brutal brutal person in my natural state. I would out chess move end game you and wouldn’t let up until you cried uncle. I’m a proud and rigid person in my natural state and I firmly believe in justice. But, my relationship with God has changed really everything that I am. If you came to my front door and told me that you were robbing me, I would scurry my family into a closet, and offer myself up as your moving service for the night. The house is yours. Let’s go get a moving truck even. But even 10 years ago I would have figured out a way to kill you when you weren’t looking. But not today.

Yes, atrocities like those listed in the article you posted are inconceivable to me. White fear. Yes, it would be very difficult to forgive these animals for what they did to my child if they did it to me. But I would pray that I could give them grace. I would pray that I might offer them forgiveness even if they want none of it. That’s ok. But God has forgiven me of so so many horrible things. I am not above these monsters. Not at all.

Many things you just expressed show you didn’t really read very well what I’ve taken the time to share. I see no reason to continue further and respect your busy focus on other matters as it is one’s prerogative.

We disagree about “foregiveness”—you value and follow the Bible’s admonition of what early men understood and defined as best as their knowledge allowed. By recognizing and giving focus to the limited outlook of men’s opinions who lived centuries ago will do you no good. Especially regarding the kind of world those men woke up to everyday in contrast to what today’s kind of daily activities consist.

The Biblical broad “forgiveness” does not share same meaning as the deeper, personal relationship it has for the victim. The victim has every right to hate what was done, inflicted and “forgives” for themselves—to cease rumination, go on with their lives. Forgiveness is done for oneself NOT for the criminal.

There are accounts of people who forgive people who killed their loved one(s) but shares the same premise: they want to let go of the overwhelming thoughts which do no good in trying to live life day to day.

Read this article about an event which occurred in this country in the not so distant past which is in response to the #MeToo! current events and then tell me if you still feel “all things are forgivable”:

https://medium.com/@SIIPCampaigns/the-real-reason-why-we-cant-just-believe-all-women-f6eac4105990

Not all crime or injustice is due to brain/body issues. Many heinous acts are done because of societal influences, by familial biases taught to generations of children.

Hey Ned,
It isn’t really a “nice” story – it’s quite horrible actually. The son treats his father horribly. And the second son is even worse. Yes, the father forgives the son and welcomes him back. But read the second son closely and its quite awful. There is quite a warning there to the current church, telling them to care more about the lost than their own position, rank and place in the house.

Which, look around you, the church cares more about these days. Not all churches, but many are very influenced by power and position. Take for example what’s his face, the name it and claim it dude out of Houston. Joel Osteen. That’s the guy. He’s a complete fraud and cares more about power and money. He isn’t thinking of those that were losing their homes. Just about his lovely church and the place in the community he fills. None of that is legit. True religion is concerned with the widow. The Orphan. The impoverished.

I will watch that video you posted. Currently out with the kids and their friends bowling. Hehehe. And I’m now addicted to that German show Dark. So my TV time is near zero right now. But looks worth a watch over lunch one day. (I’m kind of a loser, somedays I sit in the caf at work and watch movies. hahah.) I seriously thought I’d become a professional aplogist when I was in highschool. heheh. Such a loser.

When Joseph was sold into slavery, the story was all about God’s blessing on Joseph. And Joseph, worked his brothers OVER when he finally met them again. He all buy caused his father a heart attack. Have you read that story recently? Joseph wasn’t the happy go lucky guy you make him out to be. He pwned those brothers. Made it look like they stole from him. Kept brothers hostage. Forced their father to come to Egypt. It was ugly. But true. True life. So you are saying that the Bible forgave the brothers outright for selling their brother into slavery? Sort of. But it was more about how God saved many on the planet from the famine that was coming. But you always have a unique spin on the stories that I relish.

But more importantly it was the story of the beginning of the Hebrews’ time in Egypt. Which caused different problems and different chaos. The world has lots of terrible chaos happening in it. And the Bible just reflects a lot of that terribleness. The Bible tells that prodigal story of man, wandering off on his own, only to find that our own way is a pretty desperate one. Whether we try to fill that that hole with slaves, murder, sex, drugs, what have you… it’s a pretty ugly sight. But you are wrong there – all actions are forgivable. That’s why Christ came. All actions are forgivable. Why would you like to think that some are and some aren’t forgivable. If some arent, then all aren’t. It’s a pretty sad state at that point.

Now as to whether or not there is abuse in the bible? There are all kinds of abuses in the bible. Sexual, physical, slavery. True, the social mores of the times meant that women played a more passive role. But the strong women are throughout the Bible. Under cover. But there.

Bill Moyers assembled a large, diverse panel of erudite people, specialists in their fields who offered valuable insights, fascinating interpretation of the Bible. It was many years ago on PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03132009/profile2.html

The Bible offers a history, it is also filled with stories which are mythical, and contains stories which tell of how far God will test one’s faith. I’ve always felt the particular story of Abraham’s test of faith and love was the most disturbing psycho-command by the god in the Bible than presented to any other’s—it certainly outdid retched Job’s nearly whole lifetime of tests by far.

Moyer’s panel of Bible experts spoke in-depth of the psychological impact, meaning, values attributed to such stories like God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son. Again, why would an intelligent, omnipotent god who created us, knows our deepest thoughts, need to make such twisted commands to prove something “He” already knows?

BTW, you do a great job splaining Bible stories and would’ve contributed nicely your two-cents on Moyer’s series about faith, religion.

If the atheist you refer to in the beginning paragraph of many Bible Experiment blogs is the one who attended Wheaton, you may find it of interest to look into a particularly well-known account which never occurred concerning a story of a woman. It’s agreed by most experts who give a lifetime studying manuscript that the style of writing doesn’t match up, is a forgery. These important findings are written about in books no one seems to buy, discussed on respected news sources like KNPR, but nothing is done to update the Bible. Is it because of the warning in Revelations to not edit the Bible? But then that’s silly since whoever the ruling kings were back in the day took it upon themselves to edit, destroy or not add manuscript they didn’t favor.

A lot of contradictory depictions of the god in the Bible are there to read for oneself. Definitely, not as benign as you favor to believe. “Goodness” is not suddenly within a person’s character because they choose to believe in a god. It is a biased and narrow way of thinking. Humans are good because of genetics, healthy brains, parental love and intelligent guidance, societal experiences which further test and strengthen good character. Some of the worst people met are deeply religious, yet their love, devotion to a god will not fix, mend, heal their lack of a good conscience, good character. But it’s not their fault, they have no choice in how genetics were assembled while in the womb.

I’m familiar with the story of the Prodigal Son. Its psychological meaning is in the forgiveness of mistakes including a lovely heartfelt ending reuniting familial bonds. But it’s a story which is of no benefit to abuse which often happens more in families than by strangers.

Abuse must not be considered just a mistake. It’s okay and recommended to report it, talk about it, and stay away from family members who, no matter the communication, apologies given continue to physically and psychologically harm their kin. You won’t find that kind of story in the Bible. Think about it.

Do you really think the practice of children still being sold in the world will have the same ending as the brother’s selling Joseph into slavery? Not all actions are forgivable and the storytellers of the Bible chose what they believed would most appeal and attract more followers into their belief system.

Christ is not calling you to be good. Let us be 100% clear on this point. He didn’t die on a cross so that you would evolve into a better person. Thankfully. He is calling you to relationship with Him and nothing else. He isn’t calling you to act out based on rubbish in your garden. He isn’t needing you to convert in order to fulfill His plan for the salvation of the planet. Nothing could be further from the truth.

God is calling you back to Himself because He is your father and you were created for relationship with Him. Nothing more. One of the incredible side benefits of relationship with your creator is that you’ll be good as a result. But that’s a secondary outcome and irrelevant to the larger picture that God is calling you to.

Live a life of poverty? Secondary. Live a life of sacrifice? Secondary. Live a life of meditation and prayer? Secondary, secondary. That is not the point to it at all. Many “Christian” churches haven’t read the Bible through to see what God is actually calling us to. But look at the story Jesus told about the prodigal son. Read Luke 15:11-32. And notice a few amazing things about that story. (If you want extra credit, read Henry Nouwen’s book entitled The Prodigal Son – heck, I’ll have it shipped to you right now if you pm your address. Merry Christmas!)

But in that story, it is a Middle Eastern familial dependent society. The son saying to his father, give me my inheritance is the son wishing his father dead. Socially, the father would be seen as a pariah and an outcast. The villages were rooms stacked against each other. Everyone would have looked at the father as a loser and despicable. And yet, the father gives the son the money. And the boy takes off and heads to a faraway country to… “squander his estate with loose living.” Eventually he begins working with pigs (notice… pigs) and he begins to starve. Soon he comes to his senses and he realizes I could go work for my father… I know I can’t be his son anymore. But I could at least work for him as a hired hand, he’d at least feed me. Right? So he starts the long trudge back towards his father…

Now, let’s pause the story here. Think about the wrong that this kid caused his father. Socially, the community is laughing at the old codger. But instead of spending time with his family the old guy just stands out by the road. Why, everyone is whispering. Is the guy losing it? What’s his problem? I get it that the boy leaving and taking his inheritance was a heavy burden, but has he snapped? But then one day… let me quote the Bible now, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Can you see that? While the boy was a long way off… He saw him. And ran. Embraced him. First, old men don’t run. It’s undignified. He ran. He embraced him. He yelled for the fatted calf. He is beyond excited about his son’s return. And what was the other son’s response? Oh he was pissed. He was like, really? Seriously? This schlep wastes your money and you give him a robe, and a ring and a fatted calf party?!? What about me? Where’s my freaking party?

So let’s look at this a second. Who is the second son? Christians. Their attitude is all wrong. They don’t get it. They don’t understand that it isn’t about the stuff. They don’t understand that it’s relationship and a restored relationship at that. They are 100% wrong. They don’t comprehend what really matters here. A son was lost, and now he’s been found. This is a miracle! It’s a celebration! Nope. I’m gong to be over here and be grumpy about it.

But that is the problem. The Church has lost track of what really matters. They have lost track that it isn’t about doing. They have lost track of the fact that it has nothing to do with the inheritance or the ring or the fatted calf. It has everything to do with a son that has come home. Now, where in this story about the prodigal is there anything that says this is about the Prodigal being good enough, or doing, or being, the right thing? Nothing. Nowhere. The prodigal didn’t do anything but hurt his father. And then, when he was desperate, he said, maybe my father will give me something to eat? It can’t be worse than me working with these pigs. And so he heads back to his father. That’s it. Will the prodigal live a life of gratefulness and thankfulness to the kindness he has been given? Probably. I would think so. But that’s just me.

Personally, I lived a prodigal’s life… but was given grace I didn’t deserve. Does it have anything to do with anything I have done to deserve this grace? No. Zero. And yet, God prepared the fatted calf and brought out the robe and a ring when I decided to leave my horrible life and return to him. Does this make sense at all?

Your comments are always interesting Ned.
Taylor

I looked up the scriptures provided for each dilemma and smiled as I read each one. A New Christian beseeching we all act in kindness, with conscience and grace in the name of the Lord. No matter the author, it was the same request, warning, admonishment to be careful how we treat others above all else. Who would not agree and aspire to reflect such an advisement? But let’s be real in the knowledge of today compared to the earnestly good cave dwelling people of yesteryears: sociopathy and psychopathy was not understood or part of our ancient ancestor’s vocabulary. No amount of teaching about a god is going to “cure” or give a conscience to those who lack one due to physiological reasons beyond their control.

Medical and psychological neuroscience-based research is discovering by recent leaps and bounds what makes us tick. Information is occurring many practicing doctors, therapists cannot keep up. Unfortunately, there is still no cure in a pill for depression or other more severe mental disorders. But research is finding areas of the brain, the gut, genes which “house” conscience, affect behavior, or may lack chemical balance.

As meaningful as scripture in the Bible is to try and influence us to focus on being kind, people of those times and the god they made up didn’t know that the brain we’re born with—through no fault of our own—is what shapes who we are and how we treat others.

Before hating all evil-doers, know that it’s not as simple as free-will. There’s a population of people who are born with areas of their brain which are lacking in makeup which mars their decision making process as well as a conscience or lack of one.

One in twenty people are sociopaths. It’s more common than people think that the smiling face and seemingly gracious manner of your neighbor, pastor, therapist(!), or your new spouse may be a sociopath. “In Sheep’s Clothing: Understanding and Dealing With Manipulative People” by George K. Simon, PhD. offers good advice if you’re suffering from such a person and are seeking help.

Jesus did exist. There’s many books which give more insight into this amazing man’s life than what the Bible offers. PBS aired a series which utilized the very same scientific resources which recently dated a sepulcher to discoveries of how he really lived. It doesn’t match with the gospel recollections. Historians also lend fact that Jesus was much more radical than what churches all seem to preach. It’s respectful facts which have yet to catch up to those who preach.

To literally and figuratively live by what people scribed for the Bible would mean to give up all your worldly possessions; yet, why is it religions are attaining great wealth? Religious charities are headed by people who make as much money as banking CEOs. Sure, there’s always a seemingly good, valid reasoning for attaining wealth but it’s against what Jesus advised as a way to God. These and many other things give pause and places many churches, synogogues, mosques in standing with banks, politics, advertising.

As we keep evolving, we may never know everything, but we may learn ways to improve ourselves through advances in medical research which may help our body become more healthy, the brain more efficient and sound for the betterment of the mind.

A bookmark with scripture referrals found blown by the wind in my yard could’ve been taken as a sign from God but there were other things as well: a crumpled store receipt and a torn, empty lunchbox sized potato chip bag. Our brain is a remarkable thing in its unceasing ability to find, tabulate, make order, correlation and meaning to this we observe when awake. It’s why a piece of toast or a cloud may appear to have an image of something you’re familiar.

As you’ve mentioned once already, Taylor, I’m just talking to myself. Hehe

Your sites consist of mainly two departments in which most focus is given: Bible sermonizing and movie explanations. I adore your mind, but you do understand there’s a huge chasm of difference between movie opinions and religious beliefs. Right?

Please put things in perspective about what life was like and the limited knowledge of people prior, during, and many years after the Bible’s timeframe compared to now and what is becoming predicted by scientists for the future. Also, allow credence and focus to advances pertaining to current scientific discoveries like CRISPR, the sighting of more galaxies, fMRI findings about the brain and what these significant things mean for our society that do not in any way support a religion’s god in the way ancient mankind perceived. Even to hold on to the notion god is always a man devoid of any female adjunct is a very serious thing to question especially in lieu of current events.

Recently scientific methods can pinpoint the age of relics which help to substantiate and correlate to the timeframe where Jesus was entombed but this does not connote anything further. Science may someday acquire more tools and means to get answers but discoveries will most likely not support ancient people’s myths.

Taylor, I’m a human being just like you who faces life’s challenges and mysteries. Our only disagreement is that you believe millions of folks will go to hell because they don’t follow or condone your religious faith and beliefs. Most likely you learned that abhorrent concept as a child but perhaps I’m being too generous in giving you that excuse since you reason I like what you say when expressing your grown-up opinions on movies. Heck, it may well be your inward child perception’s expressed about movies, too, haha!

In all the wonderments this world and life presents, it seems easy to feel something “otherworldly, beyond scope” is going on, but it’s not what early man perceived, made up. By continuing to follow uneducated, primitive people’s concepts is a mistake which continues to be observed in the news every day.

These so-called sacred books promote slavery, war, mysogeny—among these few examples—which cause more separation than tolerance between the “tribes” of this world.

How many have killed in the name of their god and felt their heart was pure in doing so? How many in some cultures today are mistreating women, children, animals because their god said they are the masters to do so as they please? How many think their race is superior because of the beliefs taught to them at a tender age not yet equipped with the maturity to rationalize?

The “Rend your heart and not your garment” interpretation you’ve given doesn’t align with Bible-study hubs or make sense. It doesn’t really matter, though. The silence after all these centuries of man’s made-up god will eventually become likened to Zeus and all other ancient myths.

In apologetics circles you are asking the age old, ‘how can a good God allow suffering’ question. I love C. S. Lewis’ quote about pain when he said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” But ultimately there is no freedom without pain.

But pain originally was derived from our desire to be gods ourselves. To walk away from God, not from anything that He has done. But God can use those pains that we have had in order to bring us closer to Himself. Draw us into close relationship with Him when just moments ago we were ready to spike our football and go home.

By they way, you are so dismissive of my mind or my on thoughts in these pieces. You give me credit in my movie columns for being able to think and derive new theories and ideas as to how they work. But here? Nope. All these ideas are my family’s. Or my church’s. Now seriously, do you think, while evaluating a movie I would allow ANYONE to tell me how to think? How much more do you think I would allow someone else to tell me how to think when it comes to God? No. None. These ideas come from reading the Bible directly myself, and from maybe studying up on loose ends that might not have made 100% sense to me. Give me some credit here too Ned.

I do absolutely adore that Biblical quote, “Rend your heart and not your garment.” So much goodness right there seven words. Don’t outwardly repent! Don’t outwardly show off your pain of the moment. But rather, rend your heart! This is in the Old Testament! So good. Draw near to Him! Repent in your heart. It is the only place that matters. Thanks for bringing me back to this passage. I needed to read it over again. You are the best Ned!

It also seems too few are willing to ask questions or don’t know how. Life is unfair, indifferent so finding succor in a group of “like minds” can give a sense of belonging, a false belief of knowing more, feeling protected when shared by a large populace, but by no means the whole world of diverse people.

The scriptures you shared present prophesy which was to occur quite soon. It didn’t. But holding on to ancient or modern prophesy portending gloom and doom for the world isn’t such a remarkable thing. Wars, contention, natural disasters, plagues, people doing heinous acts or “sin” is here, now, as it’s been with mankind since earliest cave wall art and creation of written language purports on various ancient media of those times.

There’s many ways the world could come to an end and was aired on a PBS series some time ago. Scientists gave the likelihood of each type of disaster. Hawkings interview was last and his prognosis was nuclear war.

Sin is an archaic, obsolete word that does not take into account the many discoveries we now are aware of people in ancient times had no clue about. Seizures were blamed on demonic possession, as well as mental illness and all sickness. They had no clue about areas of the brain which take longer to develop like the frontal cortex which houses the area of activity crucial to stopping impulsive behavior.

David Eagleman’s, “The Brain, The Story of You” allows deeper understanding of how our “genes and experiences steer us”…”how your life shapes your brain and your brain shapes your life.”

It doesn’t make sense an intelligent, omnipotent god would not know the very complexities of the beings it created. It’s not a spiritual or religious matter at all in the way we depend on our body’s natural homeostasis for mental and physical health and the fact DNA, hormones, gut microbiomes, brain chemicals—-a slew of intricate bodily functions can affect how we are, perceive, react, etc.

National Geographic “Brain Works” by Michael S. Sweeney: “The Mind-bending science of how you see, what you think, and who you are” enlightens readers to become aware of the illusory perceptions we think are real, staunchly argue, faithfully believe is true.

The New Christians who wrote the Bible had no concept of “how the anatomy of the eye influences what you see, how you process both real and false memories, how you make decisions, and how your perceptions influence your state of mind”—Brain Works

If the Bible is “the Breath of God” why weren’t these fundamental truths not given as to why we are created in such a manner whereby much can and does go wrong with the physical body beyond our control? We cannot, no matter how good or faithful one may strive to be not fail in some way because of the complexities influenced by our own, unique physical and fallible makeup. This dilemma presents a rift, a contradiction about a so-called kind god’s reasoning to allow brutal murder and torture as a way for salvation considering this god created the body and its very complex influences on the mind.