Bible Study Lesson One

GENESIS 1

Interpreting the Bible is a difficult task. Most everyone who reads or studies it has his/her own opinion, and that opinion may change each time one rereads it. I have listened to many preachers give a sermon on one verse of the Bible, taking up to an hour explaining what he thought that verse meant. Do you think this is why there are so many different religious groups in the world today? They continue to grow, and I believe that new groups will continue to form until the end, as will new versions of the Bible. Man cannot let well enough alone.

This is my attempt to interpret each verse of Genesis 1. If I could just stop rereading passages, maybe I could finish this article. So dig out your good book and dust it off. I am using a 1979, copyrighted authorized King James Version of the Bible. My numbered paragraphs correspond to it. I have checked two other version of the Bible and they say pretty much the same thing. No matter how it is written, people will believe what they want to believe and disregard everything else.

1- My first question is what came before the beginning? Where did this god come from? This sentence is the premise of chapter 1 of Genesis. Like all stories, it begins with a hook to draw us into the story. Some bible pundits say it is merely a note put there by those religious scribes who took it upon themselves to transcribe the supposedly ancient writings that they later burned. This selfish act has always befuddled me. After studying it, I suspect their reason was they wanted no one else deciphering those scripts. They, the scribes, were an evil bunch who imprisoned and even killed anyone who criticized their work, or changed or copied it. They remind me of our legislators in Washington, who believe they know what is best for us.

I imagine God and his cronies were getting weary just floating around in huge clouds over the many billions of trillions of whatever they used to measure time, because God had not yet invented time, however, Bishop Ussher, whomever he is, figured out it was on Sunday, Oct. 23 4004 BC when God began his creation thing. Of course, other religions leaders dispute this and have their own dates. Martin Luther put it in 3960 BC, and the Jewish Tradition figured it was in 3761 BC. You see, no one can agree on anything. Personally, this does not impress me. I think they all were only seeking notoriety.

I believe I milked all I could out of that 10-word sentence, so let us move on.

2- This was before God did anything. He and his cronies, it is mentioned later in Gen: 1-26, that he was not alone, or maybe he was alone and he first created his cohorts for company and forgot to mention it. They were in space just hanging out not doing anything in particular, when it hit him that he would like to make up something to entertain himself and his buddies, start an ant farm you might say. It must have been dull roving about in darkness.

Day one.

3- The first thing he did was to light up the heavens. Well, it is about time. He must have blinded everyone with the sudden brightness. Can you imagine floating around empty space in total darkness? Where did the light come from? Did someone flip a switch and to light up the universe? Keep this in mind, this is the first time he called for light. The Bible seems to repeat things numerous times before moving on and again throughout the book.

4- This must have been temporary lighting, a sort of construction lighting up his building site. He must have surprised himself too. How did he divide the light from the dark? Was the entire universe lit up or just that portion where he and his friends congregated? Later he installs the sun and moon to light up his creation.

5- So what we have thus far is light, darkness and wet clouds massing about with a bunch of space dust and crap. He named the light Day and the darkness Night. These are not the sun and moon yet, I think. He installs them later. We still call them that. It appears a day only includes the evening and the morning. What happened to the rest of the day? Anyway, this ended day one.

Day Two

6- Now, he gathered or had his helpers gather a bunch of space dust and debris, i.e., all the nasty crap cluttering up their habitation, and placed it between two layers of water. It sounds to me that he is calling out orders to his helpers.

7- He takes over and begins forming his masterpiece. We have a glob of dirt trapped between two massive clouds of water. Okay, are we getting somewhere? Keep in mind, back then everyone thought the earth was flat and surrounded by water that dribbled over the edges of whatever anchored it in space. I wonder, did God know Earth was a ball shaped mass?

8- Thus ends day two. Did it end in the morning of the third day or the evening of the second day? At first, I thought the firmament was the dirt, but it is the sky. Firmament: The vault or expanse of the heavens; the sky. Well, sure, everyone knows that, even us evil atheists. We just don't believe what is going on there. So, our dirt is surrounded by the heavens and pressed between two layers of water. He named this firmament, Heaven. How many of you believe we are in Heaven? This is another touchy area, where many disagree. God called it heaven, yet many call it a living hell.

Day Three

9- Okay, he pushes the upper and lower masses of water together forcing our glob of dirt to pop up out of the water all dry and pristine. Halleluiah, the heavens just gave birth to Earth. Are we poking out of the top or from the bottom? All this time we could be standing upside down. I still think he is giving orders to his work group. He only steps in to make final changes.

10- What need would he have to speak? All he had to do was pass his hand over the mass of the deep. Yeah, I've seen those aliens on the TV series ROSWELL do things like that. They did not have to speak. They just held up their hands and, poof, things exploded, disappeared or just fell into dust. I seen it happen right there on TV. The TV doesn't lie, does it. He checks out everything, gives himself a pat on the back and names earth, Earth and the water Seas. Would that be the Red Sea or the Black Sea or both?

11- I assume here earth means dirt rather than Earth the planet. Does that mean the seed was already upon the earth? Or was it self-pollinating plants because there was not yet any animals or insects required to pollinate some plants.

12- The seeds took root and sprang up. I wish my garden grew that fast. He gives himself another pat on the back.

13- When did the day start back then? I assume the third day is over. Maybe with the construction lights burning, he couldn't tell day from night. He has not yet created the sun and moon

Day Four

14- What happened to the first light divided by darkness? Did someone forget to pay the power bill?

Oh yes, this was the Sun and Moon and he put them right in the firmament. We humans are still searching for the edge of our firmament. We may someday, see the first light he created and what separates it from darkness. Maybe he was talking about the darkness some of us none-believers fall in.

15- Still giving orders, he confirmed that it was so. That was sweet, Earth had its own Sun and Moon for light.

16- He overdid this light thing, and adding the stares seemed almost an afterthought. No wonder believers talk about seeing the light so much. It seems to be a big thing for their god. The Sun rules the day, but the Moon does not always rule the night.

17- Next, he places them, just so, in the heavens to light up the earth

18- Again, he orders them to rule over day and night and to divide the light from the darkness. The Bible repeats itself so much it becomes irritating. Yeah you did a great job there, God, keep up the good work. We are just about there. All that is left is putting in some beasts, creatures and of course, some lab subjects for him to torment. Things he can manipulate control and play havoc on. That would be humans made in his image.

19- That's four days now. Are you keeping count?

Day Five

20- Creatures that hath life?????? This is where science and religion agree. All live began in the waters. Fowl that may fly?????? Yep, we certainly have plenty of these and we have seen to it that we eliminated more than our fair share of them. We are supposed to care for them, not eradicate them.

21- I recon this is referring the creatures and fowl in 19 and 20. He may have thought it was good, one wonders how many tears he had shed by now, assuming there was or is a god. How many of these have we eradicated?

22- Okay, he blessed them told them to have a lot of sex. Fill up them skies, waters and dirt. Is blessing them the same as baptizing them?

23- That's the end of day five. He made all the creatures that hath life and all the fowls that that fly. What about the ones that do not fly. Maybe they came along later.

Day Six

24- He gives more commands and makes more creatures that live, cattle, snakes and lizards and beast that roam the land.

25- He is still making beast, cattle and snakes. He gives himself another at-a-boy and makes sure all is well.

26- Here, he consults with his cronies. "Let us make man in our image." This is the statement that indicates God was not alone and even had help constructing his creating. At least here is where he or they are creating man. This is where I had a question about creating us in their likeness. My thoughts were, if God created man in his likeness, we would be more alike than we are. God and his comrades must have come from different places. Do not tell me that man evolved after God created them. It takes more than a few thousand years to evolve into what we are.

Then, after he created all the different creatures, he wants man to take care of them. "There I made them for you, now you care of them."

I do not think we have done such a good job. However, I think we are finally realizing how badly we have screwed up our world. I do not believe we should eat those who share our world with us, especially since we subject them to such horrendous conditions before we invite them to our tables. If there is a Hell, there is where 99.9% of us will end up.

27- This is the sixth day, and remember this now, he made male and female at the same time in his image. His cohorts must have backed out of the deal. He said it three times, so he must have made bunches of them.

This is the first mention of a female of any kind. This is what some believe is the first creation. If we view this as a chronological story, that would be correct. I mentioned before that most things are repeated at least three times in this confusing book.

28- He blessed them and told them to have plenty of sex too. He told them to replenish the earth, which indicates that there were men and women before. Maybe he did away with his buddies who could have been his first subjects. Replenish also means to fill. He told them to control the earth. That must mean the dirt, not the planet Earth. Just make gardens, you fools. God was fond of gardens.

29- I give you all these herbs and all these fruit trees. This is a confusing one. Does "it shall be for meat" mean man should eat it as meat or use herbs to flavor meat, or did he want everyone to be vegetarians? If he gave man all the herbs to use, does the include marijuana? We seem to be using the hell out of it at this time.

30- Well, he is putting emphases of the herbs. He was either a vegetarian or a hippy. He wants everything to partake of the herb, even those creepy crawling things. Maybe he meant caterpillars and such. did that mean even the beast were to eat herbs, or maybe he meant ultimately the herb eaters would end up as meat for the meat eaters.

31- Okay that is the end of t he sixth day. He created all the animals, fishes and herbs, a Human male and female and all was good.

It is obvious why there are so many different religious sects in the world. I feel certain there are many, including other nonbelievers who will disagree with my interpretation here. Good for you, if you disagree, you are studying it some, or at least reading it. I have learned a lot myself. I have read it many times but never in this fashion of interpreting almost every word.

In lesson 2, we will learn about God's special garden, Adam takes Eve for his wife and they frolic naked through the garden. I may not elaborate so much there. Then again, maybe I will. I am not committing to anything. This exercise has worn me slap out. If you have a different opinion, let me know. Or, if you just want to cuss me out, I can handle that too. Thanks and have a pleasant Day.

Ray.

WHY I AM A VEGAN

Until a few months ago, I never heard of nor came across the word "Vegan". Now I are one. I was reading an article on vegetarians and thought it was slang for vegetarian. Of course, being a writer I looked it up before I read any further. A vegan is a vegetarian, but a very special one. Depending on the individual and how dedicated they are they not only don't eat the flesh of another animal, they do not use any byproduct from them, i.e., eggs, milk, leather handbags etc.

They say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Watch this photo-album-video of what a vegan is. It represents enough words to fill several books. It should put a tear in both of your eyes. Thanks and have a pleasant day.

Ray

I dedicate this post to my nephew, Jack E. Brown, who was born a humanitarian. He used to cry when I got a whipping.

How I Became an Atheist

I became a born-again-Christian at the age of twenty-four and for two years thereafter, I devoted all my spare time to studying religion and the Bible. One of the things that amazed me was how most religions have similar stories of how God created Earth, the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, the flood and the virgin birth and other stories. I thought the bible was a guidebook written for different religions. Sure, people referred to it as God's word, but I never took it literally. Each religion had its own version. My thoughts were, if so many religions held similar beliefs, then it must be true, i.e., there is a God. I still had many doubts about the parables I read in the Bible. I never took them seriously. They were stories to illustrate, lessons to learn how a god-fearing person should live and act. Looking back now, I realize how much a naive hillbilly I was, even though at twenty-four I had seen most of the world and had a wife and five kids. I had an eighth grade education and could even read albeit slowly.

To me, the Old Testament was just that, OLD and meant for the peoples of that time. God was angry and wanted to teach his children. He seemed, at least to me, to be an evil god intent on ridding the world of those who did not obey Him, as he did when he rid the vermin with the flood. He used his chosen people to do His dirty work, instructing them on how to do it. He seemed to take pleasure in toying with those He disliked, i.e., the Pharaoh in Exodus when he hardened the pharaoh's heart time after time. How could a loving god do that, even to an enemy?

Maybe that is why I was such a terrible father. At that time, I was right in the middle of raising five kids. I let my temper rule and was quick with the strap, as was my father when raising me.

When I could find neither rhyme nor reason in my studying of religion, I became a backslider and withdrew from the church. I rarely attended services any longer. For the next forty years, I wondered the world, married three times and finally settled down in the Florida panhandle with my third wife, a Russian with deep-seated Orthodox beliefs. She still loves me even after I declared myself an atheist. However, she grew up where the state forced everyone into atheism. Can you imagine having to hide the fact you were of a religion disapproved by your government, worshiping in secrecy? Scared to mention to your child that there was a god. Russia has a horrific history of strife between government and church. We have no idea how lucky we are here.

Religion caught my fancy again when I neared my seventieth year on this planet. I felt certain hell waited for my arrival, so, I must have been looking for a way out of that predicament It was not a conscious thought I merely sought more information. While cruising over the internet, I began seeing books about doubting God's existence. Did they actually allow this stuff on the internet? Was that not blasphemy? Thus began my enlightenment.

As it was when I began my studies of religion, many years ago, so it was with my new ventures of finding a way out of going to hell. I learned that the many religions did have similar stories, however, these stories came from other stories that started thousands of years before Christianity, Buddhism and Muslim came along. They did not come about spontaneously some three or six thousand years ago. Like the evolution of man, which I have always believed in, so it was with religion. I never did believe a god created us. It was just too out of this world to believe. Again, I thought this was just a story created by our ignorant precursors. It evolved from the time our cave dwelling ancestors began searching for answers to why they were here, why things were how they were. Thus, the birth of Shamanism and the first time man began having conversations with invisible deities and performing magic tricks for his brethren. The only difference between a 50 thousand-year-old shaman and a modern day evangelic preacher is the size of their audience.

My new findings were more logical than what I found in the Bible and at church services. I often thought preachers were performing for their flocks, showing them the way. They mostly preached only the good parts of the Bible, and of course, the threatening parts, where, you do this or you are going to hell. I guess that is their purpose, though. They kept me in line for a couple of years. When I felt I had a slim-to-none chance of getting out of going to hell, I gave up. Doing good deeds, they say, never gets one to heaven either. Is that were the saying "you're damned if you do and damned if you don't" came from?

Well, I ain't gotta worry bout that no moe. I'm as much at peace as the most faithful of Christians. The only guilt I carry is that of not being a good father.

When I had my revelation, and began studying non-religious beliefs, I thought I fit into an agnostic slot. I did not believe in the god theists believed in. I disliked the term atheist mainly because of my false conception that atheists were evil, devil worshipers I acquired this concept when I was a kid and listened to adults talk about atheists, which was seldom. I never said the word, in fear that I would be stricken dead.

As I studied further the beliefs of each, I decided I was an atheist. As it stands now, I believe in no gods. However, that does not preclude that sometime in the future a god may make itself known. It is like our universe; at this time, no one can definitely state there are more universes out there. We simply cannot see that far yet. If there is a god out there, it is hiding or is busy elsewhere, maybe putting together another universe. When and if that time comes, I believe many will be surprised. That god will be nothing like anyone now believes.

Thanks and have a pleasant day, Ray

r

BRAINWASHING AND POWER OF BELIEF PART III

American Government; brainwashers extraordinaire

The U.S. Government is one of the biggest users and abusers of conversion/brainwashing from the President on down. Keep in mind the definition of brainwashing is (to impose a set of usually political or religious beliefs on somebody by the use of various coercive methods of indoctrination, including destruction of the victim's prior beliefs).Conversion is (a change in the nature, form, or function of something). What else is there to say? Anything else is redundant. However, since few realize they are being reprogrammed, I will continue my little spiel while I am still psyched up. I need to get this out of my system.

An amazing thing, which is hard to believe, few seldom realize what is happening when someone is attempting to convert them. Then, some who are conducting the service do not know what they are doing either, particularly our clowns in Washington. Those who do understand are indeed evil. The rest are adept monkey-see- monkey-doers as well as good liars. We all know that though, i.e., it is a prerequisite for politicians.

They are turning us into submissive robots and we do not understand we are being lead down a primrose path. They are robbing us of our constitutional rights. Our civil liberties are going down the drain. We must watch every word we utter for fear of hurting somebody's feelings. We no longer have freedom from illegal search and seizure, all in the name of "war on terrorism, war on drugs, war on poverty or plug in whatever."Security is vital. Screw your rights." I expect, soon we will have to stop and submit to a search whenever we cross a state line. My only consolation is, hopefully, I will be gone by then.

They are methodically turning us into a totalitarian nation. My Russian-born wife, who became a citizen of the U.S. twelve years ago, mentioned a few weeks back that this country is beginning to feel like how it was in Russia. I have never been to Russia, but I agreed with her. I believe we have already yielded to plutocracy, i.e., it is clear to me the wealthy already has government officials in their pockets. If you cannot see that, you must be wearing blinders.

The big thing is, our fearless leaders,(they are fearless because they sit their fat rears in some cozy office safe and secure). They make up hypnotic speeches that mesmerize us into thinking we are the guilty ones. We need to tighten our belts and sacrifice more while their pockets fill with big bucks from their rich contributors, i.e., owners of worldwide conglomerations who want to have it their way. And they usually get their way, and then some.

Brainwashing our country's protectors.

Conversion/brainwashing begins when a travel weary new recruit steps off the bus that brought him to the basic training station. An angry drill sergeant greets them and barks out orders using adjectives' like ignorant, mamma's boys, sissies, pantywaist and other offensive terms. The poor clucks think they are at the wrong place. Up until then, he or she only herd good words from their recruiters promising only good things that would happen once he or she became a member of the grand service they were about to enter, i.e., the money, the pride, the traveling and meeting of interesting people. Thus begins the first stage of the brainwashing process of changing a still wet behind the ears young school kids into obedient killers ready to give their lives up for their country. This degradation continues with things like "bend over and spread your cheeks and shaving off your wavy DA hair style, in vogue back in the mid fifties. They soon weed out the few who resist conformation and send them back to their mommas.

When you begin doubting your individuality and are convinced you are a piece of crud, they begin to fill you head with all the traits it takes to become one part of a collective, like Seven of Nine, that good looking heifer rescued from the Borg on Star Trek. This is a process not unlike a farmer who ploughs up a field ripping out all the bad plants to provide for a clean area for reseeding it with what he believes are the best plants for him without regards of what the field prefers to grow.

After the nine-week vacation, as they called it when I went through boot camp, it ends with proud recruits showing off to their families how good they perform as a group. They march around the grinder all in step to the mesmerizing and ever present drum beat, which had been part of the conformation process for the past two months, or the droning of "your left, you left, your left right left."It almost puts one to sleep. Then they stand at attention while crack drill teams show off their ability at twirling rifles. I never did understand what twirling rifles had to do with fighting a war. Maybe it is to amaze the enemy so they run off into the hills.

After nine weeks, oddly the correct amount of time it takes to change a habit and take on a new one, they have created a new you, ready willing and able to take on your new task of fighting to the death someone you have never met or even seen or fully knowing why. Our brains are amazing animals and easily manipulated.

The end is not the end

I think most everyone knows how gung ho marines are. Recruit training does a bang-up job of converting these ploughboys and girls into proficient fighting machines, and yet, when it is over, the treatment they receive is no better than anyone else in the other services gets, and it may take a lifetime for the effects of their programming to wear off. In their minds is, "once a Marine always a Marine." And they believe that crap.

The government officials got what they wanted. "We are finished with you. Pick up your prosthesis at the VA hospital." You would think the least they could do is to deprogram these brave souls before reintegrating them back into society. As one who gave twenty years to his country, I can assure you the pay is poor compensation for the risk one takes.

We are group oriented and followers

One should be leery when entering any group situation and we usually are. Chances are a thought-reform specialist may be directing it. This does not mean you are safe outside a group. There are some unscrupulous vultures lurking out there willing to work on a one-on-one basis. Salespersons come to mind.

Mind control is happening all around us every day, from the time we, kicking and screaming, enter kindergarten until they cart us off to an old fogies home, someone is practicing coercive persuasion on us. Remember, like subliminal messaging, no one realizes he or she has been brainwashed. Once integrated into a group, we feel safe. Like blind sheep, we eagerly follow assured we are doing the right thing, especially when everyone else is doing the same. What I am trying to say is, it is all in our heads. I wonder, did cave men have to put up with this crazy stuff?

Okay, that's all I have. I'm wrung out and ready for the line. I have only skimmed over this interesting subject, but it's been fun. Until next time, thanks and have a pleasant day.

Ray