From: J024330@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM
Subject: Re: Jesus?
Organization: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 92 15:18:00 GMT

rtsumn01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes in

>Look you dimwit, this is alt.satanism; if anyone is hostile it is because they
>are sick & tired of closed minded morons like Marshall, Colvin & presumably
>yourself trying to convert us to their obnoxious belief systems.

Gee Kate, lighten up.  I tried to send this response to your e-mail, but as
usual, it got bounced.  Considering the path I traveled to get to where I got
to today, I really don't think closed mindedness fits my profile.  You know
where I have been, we've discussed it in the past.

>The real issue is that fundie morons like Colvin, MArshall & presumably
>yourself should find another place to self-flagellate.

No, I think the real issue here is, when individuals post something not gen-
erally accepted in alt.satanism, the response is to flame them into Prodigy :-)
So, who is really being closed minded here?

>What do you think the damn fool quotes are a parody of!?!?! WHat makes the
>bible so different?

You asked:

It is relavent today.  For instance, "You shall not murder" is relavent today.
"You shall not steal" is relavent today.  "You shall not commit adultry" is
relavent today.  "You shall not steal" is relavent today.  This is the reader's
digest version.  If you don't think principals of the Bible are relavent today,
go rob a bank, or give your spouse, or boyfriend or girlfriend to have sexual
relations with your best friend.  Better yet, let your best friend rape then
murder your SO, then talk about the irrelavency of the above.

In order for it to be reliable, it must be transmitted accurately through time.
Must be correct when dealing with historical personages and events.  If it is
God's word, it should be without sany scientific absurdities that would betray
that it came from mere human authorship.

It is unique.  Written over 1500 year time span. Over 40 authors (Bible is not
one book, but several). Written on 3 continents. Written in three languages
Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.  It deals in hundreds of controversial topics. Yet,
the biblical authors spoke in harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revala-
tion.  It has been read by more people and published in more languages than
any other book in history.

A brief comparison of historical manuscripts:


WORK              When Written   Earliest Copy    Timespan  No.of Copies
============================================================================
New Testement      40-100AD          125AD           25yrs.     over 24,000
Homer (Illiad)      900BC            400BC          500yrs.       643

AUTHOR            When Written   Earliest Copy    Timespan     No. of Copies
============================================================================
Caesar               100-44BC       900AD           1,000yrs.      10
Plato(Tetralogies)  427-347BC       900AD           1200 yrs.      7
Aristotle           384-322BC       1100AD          1,400 yrs.     49
There's alot more that can be cited.

Manuscript reliability is supported by different versions.  Syraic and Latin
versions of the NT date to 150BC, and are supported by the older Greek texts.
In addition all 24,000 manuscripts, with the exception of 40 lines are ac-
curate transmissions from the older Greek texts.  There are 764 lines in doubt
in Homer's Illiad.

The Talmudists (100AD-500AD) had a strict code for transcribing the Bible.  It
dealt with word placement on the page, as well as preparation of the medium
that would be used.  If only one word were out of place, the manuscript could
not be authenticated and used for later transcriptions.  It also dictated the
color and consistancy of the ink.  Nothing could be written from memory.

The Massoretes (500AD-900AD) treated the scriptures with the same reverence.
In addition, they numbered the verses to assure transcription correctness.
When the Isaiah scroll was discovered in Qumran Cave 1 near the Dead Sea
Of the 166 words in Isaiah 53, there are only 17 letters in question.  10 of
these are simply a matter of spelling.  4 were minor stylistic changes such
as conjunctions.  The remaining comprise the word light which does not change
the meaning of the text.  In addition, this word is supported by the LXX
(Septuagint) transcription.

This is the Reader's Digest version of what makes the Bible so "different."
There's more such as archeological digs that support places of the Bible.
Isaiah spoke of the comming of the Christ.  It used to be, "Gee, the oldest
manuscript of Isaiah is 900AD.  Who's to say they didn't alter the manuscript
to 'fortel' the coming of Jesus?"  Now we have a manuscript that predates
Jesus.  How do we handle that?

Does the above prove the Bible is the word of God?  Not necessarily.  It
is just a statement about the "difference" of the Bible.  If you want proof
that it is the word of God, take your questions to E-Mail.

After months of reading the group, it can be concluded that the participants,
using the logic they currently use, could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt
that George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln did not exist.

As a former pagan, athiest, agnostic, roman catholic, I set out to prove the
Bible was false.  The proof is not there.

Chris (the closed minded moron) Colvin



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