Sourcery

With such an overwhelmingly massive amount of humanly-authored religious literature in the world, many might wonder why those who call themselves 'Christians' (and no doubt many who do so actually are such), regard a very-limited number of rather short records of certain minority humans as The Source of Required Knowledge and Information which in essence (they and many others believe) comprises The Chief Operating Manual for Human Thought, Behavior, plus authentic human history and prophecy.

There is the Qur'an of the islamic. The Book of Mormon of Joseph Smith. The assortment of Apocryphal books. Axioms of the Greeks and Romans. The Amendments-repealable United States Constitution. Collected saying of Buddha. Opinion columns within daily-published newspapers and weekly-to-monthly-published magazines.

But the collection of 66 books assembled into one English-language "Holy Bible" (which has been translated into most every other known major world language) is THE one compilation of books a plethoria of sermons, essays, documentaries, tracts, lectures, pamphlets, newspapers and magazines, legal statutes, and so forth are based upon.

Not only that, but one can understand why all these other writings have not been added to the canon of Scripture, being that they are redundant, rife with passing contemporary or obsolete euphemisms, merely situation-specific applications, too vulgar, too erotically enticing, might contain at least one or a few heresies, too superfluous with temporal details of insignificance for the general population of every generation and culture, etc.

That English "Holy Bible" is not a uniform singular entity, because there are many slightly to significantly different renditions of "The Holy Bible" involving slightly to significantly divergent or discrepant selection of English semantics.

There is the KJV, the ASV, the RSV, the NASV, the TEV, NIV, CEV, NCV, NEB, NLB, etc. There are irreconcilably-different Greek texts on which those English "Bible" translations are based upon (e.g. the ben Asher, the ben Chayyim, the Westcott-Hort, the Nestle, the Vaticanus, the Sinaiticus, the Scrivener-Trinitarian, and more).

The creation and preservation of whatever humanly-authored literature, and the regard or disregard preservating humans have for each piece, is of necessity not merely the doing of humankind but obviously also the result of forces and phenomena of nature, and the logically-inferred Creator of nature in human perception, conception, and actual reality.

It has turned out that not simply any humans at large or at random have been the recipients of what people consider Divine revelation for God the Creator, but rather specific humans of "the Lord's" own choosing and selection.

At this point, the reader should understand that I the author of this webpage am not purporting speculation but instead commonly-accepted human facts, nor am I suggesting that I regard those facts favorably or disfavorably. I am, as an open-minded honest scientist, assuming that such are indeed non-ignorable entities or facts of reality to non-avoidably and non-prejudicially consider and investigate.

The best source of information about who those generally-male humans are who have been conduits of God's info to other humans is contained within "The Holy Bible" itself. That conglomerate Book has indicated that Creator God revealed His sacred info to humanity by conveyances of conceptual thought, verbal words, and written words...specifically in Hebrew for the Old Testament part and Greek for the New Testament part.

One wonders why God chose only certain humans (namely male Hebrews or Jews from Adam on) to be the recipients of His Bible authorship and writings applicable for all humans thereafter. A listing of such special all-male individuals is given in at least two places within The Holy Bible also considered Sacred Scripture:

Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,
4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,
7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa,
8 and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah,
9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,
15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Another is:

Luke 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,
22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

It becomes quite apparent that the Creator God who divinely inspired certain humans to create (not concoct) His intentions to humanity in general by means of the assorted-books Holy Bible made it easy on those humans by limiting expression of those intentions to a mere 66 books so that his human creatures are neither overburdened with a pile of reading material nor required to search for additional reading material to discover His will for them.

Such limitation and selective discrimination is not foreign to humans. Concise and simple uniformity is what humans prefer and how they best operate. They stop at red lights and go when green. It's either forward, stand still, or backward with them. Democrat or Republican or a combo of both. Sweet or salty. Pure or impure. Clean or polluted. White or black or shades gray. Day or night or twilight. Good or evil or a disgusting integration of both. Married or not married. Heterosexual or homosexual or a noxious attempt at both. Domestic or feminist. Modest in public or various types and degrees of immodest whenever and wherever and whyever.

Whatever the case and whatever the situation, people usually work together best when they are all "on the same page:"

First Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Because of the capacity (not "right") of humans to not cooperate (as evidenced from the Fall in Eden on), there is frequent needless and senseless diversionary disharmony:

Proverbs 21:9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Proverbs 21:19 It is better to live in a desert land than with a contentious and fretful woman.
Proverbs 25:24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Proverbs 27:15 A continual dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.

Romans 2:8 but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.

First Corinthians 11:19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

Titus 3:10 As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him,

Jude 1:19 It is these who set up divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

First Timothy 2:5 For there is one [true] God [relating to not simply Abraham but also Jewish not arab Isaac and Jacob, and He ain't "allah!"], and there is one Mediator between God and men, the [man] Christ Jesus (not a confessional priest nor the once-virgin Mary),
6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to which was borne at the proper time.
7 For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;
9 also that women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in decent apparel [whether warm weather or cold, involving decent back-of-head-ponytailed hairstyles, full-length sleeves, non-shortened slacks or skirt, socks with flip-flop sandals or boots or whatever...perhaps similar to the burka and hijab costumes of most fundamentalist muslim women], not with plaited hair or gold or pearls or costly attire
10 but by good works, as befits women who profess religion.
11 Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness.
12 I allow no woman [whether politician, police, lawyer, judge, TV anchor or news/weather reporter, etc.] to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent.
13 For Adam (who existed way before "The Church," - whatever that is) was formed first, then Eve;
14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor [so much for feminist-sexist "equal rites!"].
15 Yet woman will be saved through bearing children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness, with sobriety.

No choice of abortion-homicide by the planned-parentlessness/planned-promiscuity wayward allowed? Verse 14 of the following is enlightening regarding godly choice:

First Timothy 5:9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age [an appropriate age to begin receiving Social Security, in view of Leviticus 27:7], having been the wife of one husband [sorry all you divorcees!];
10 and she must be well attested for her good works, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, relieved the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way.
11 But refuse to enroll younger-women widows [Gr. ne(o)teras and ch(e)ras, respectively]; for when they grow wanton against Christ they desire to marry,
12 and so they incur condemnation for having violated their first pledge [a good incentive to not re-marry!].
13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, gadding about from house to house, and not only idlers but gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not [afternoon soap-opera female-talk-show specials].
14 So I would have younger women (not "widows," being the Greek word here is: ne(o)teras and not: ch(e)ras] marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the enemy no cause to revile us.
15 For some have already strayed after Satan.
16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her assist them [no need for daycare nor nursing homes]; let the church not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are real widows.
17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching;
18 for the scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain," and, "The laborer deserves his wages [forget changing secure monthly Social Security checks into Wall-Street stock-market gambling retirement planning]."
19 Never admit any charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses [no libel nor slander, especially against those in authority].
20 As for those who persist in sin, [negatively and not positively!] rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.
21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without favor, doing nothing from partiality.
22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor participate in another man's sins; keep yourself pure [especially concerning internet porn].
23 No longer drink only water [my teetotaling Baptists], but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
24 The sins of some men are conspicuous, pointing to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.
25 So also good works are conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden.

Concerning the (as of this writing, upcoming) November 2010 election, should "Tea Party" and "Establishment" Reppys who want to balance out and neutralize the feminists-supportive Demmy Obama with his High-Court Sotomayor and Kagan choices, be promoting female candidates in California, Nevada, Delaware, and in other states? Should Sean Hannity of FOX be promoting and Chris Matthew of MSNBC be accusing mopheaded and/or sleevesless/slacksless/soxless? 2008-loser Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, and other talking heads flaunting indecently-immodest loose-long-haired hairstyles, nude arms, naked legs, and parts of feet bared with soxless flip-flop sandals?

Discrepant-against-each-other Bible/"bible" translations give the answer:

Numbers 5:18 (RSV) And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and unbind the hair of the woman's head, and place in her hands the cereal offering of remembrance, which is the cereal offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest shall have the water of bitterness that brings the curse.

Numbers 5:18 (KJ21) And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman's head (?), and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering; and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse.

[NOTE: Why the disparity between the RSV and the KJ21 here? "Unbinding the hair of the woman's head" and "uncovering the woman's head" are two substantially different concepts using notably-different words with admittedly remotely-related but clearly NON-identical meanings! A careful and honest study of respected lexicons informs us that the actual meaning of the Hebrew words for "loosening the woman's hair" is exactly THAT: disheveling her hair (when in general-public both-genders public view), which is a shameful thing and no way an acceptably-enticing prelude to legitimate sexual intercourse in the case of random terroristic exhibitionism].

Song 7:1 (RSV and others) How graceful are your footsteps in sandals, royal maiden [MY bride in private view]! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a master hand.
2 Your navel is a rounded bowl that never lacks mixed wine. Your belly is a heap of wheat, encircled with lilies.
3 Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.
4 Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim. Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon, overlooking Damascus.
5 Your head crowns you like Carmel, and your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses.
6 How fair and pleasant you are, loved one, delectable maiden!

Song 7:1 (KJ21) How beautiful are thy feet with shoes(?), O prince's daughter! The joints(?) of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.
2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor; thy belly is like a heap of wheat set about with lilies.
3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins;
4 thy neck is as a tower of ivory. Thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon by the gate of Bathrabbim; thy nose is as the ower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head(?) like purple; the king is held in its galleries.
6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!

[NOTE: Again, WHY the disparity between the RSV and the KJ21 here? "Flowing locks" (signifying loosened long hair), and "the hair of thine head" are two substantially different concepts using notably-different words with admittedly remotely-related but clearly NON-identical meanings! A careful and honest study of respected lexicons informs us that the actual meaning of the Hebrew words for "flowing locks" is exactly THAT: seductive mopheadedness (but NOT when in general-public both-genders public view), which is a blessed and holy thing as an acceptably-enticing prelude to legitimate sexual intercourse in contrast to general-public-view random terroristic exhibitionism]

Is it OK for a woman to regard her loosened long hair as adequate as a prayer covering in church?

First Corinthians 11:10 (RSV) That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels.
11 (Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman;
12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.)
13 Judge for yourselves; is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does not nature itself teach you that for a man to wear long hair is degrading to him,
15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her pride? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
16 If any one is disposed(?) to be contentious, we recognize no other(?) practice, nor do the churches of God.
18 For, in the first place, when you assemble as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it,
19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

First Corinthians 11:6 (KJ21) For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, inasmuch as he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on(?) her head, because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things are of God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it comely that a woman should pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem(?) to be contentious, we have no such(!) custom, neither the churches of God.

[NOTE: A careful and honest study of even substantially-corrupt Greek text like the Nestle when evaluated with respected lexicons informs us that the actual Greek words are: "no such custom" instead of "no other custom." By using the wrong word "other," the RSV here gives the completely opposite and errant meaning against what God and his apostle intended].

Regarding long-sleeved garments:

Second Samuel 13:18 (RSV) Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves; for thus were the virgin daughters of the king clad of old. So his servant put her out, and bolted the door after her.

Second Samuel 13:18 (KJ21) And she had a garment of divers colors(?) upon her, for with such robes were the king's daughters who were virgins appareled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

[NOTE: A careful and honest study of respected lexicons informs us that the actual meaning of the Hebrew word for the garment is one "that reaches to the palms and the ankles" and has nothing to do with "different colors". This verse is particular applicable to women during warm weather and/or engaged in both-genders-public-observable sports competitions].

Regarding full-length pants or skirt:

Isaiah 47:1 (RSV) Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate.
2 Take the millstones and grind meal, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers.
3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your shame shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no man.

Isaiah 47:1 (KJ21) "Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground. There is(?) no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.
2 Take the millstones and grind meal; uncover thy locks(?), make bare the leg(?), uncover the thigh(?), pass over(?) the rivers.
3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered; yea, thy shame shall be seen; I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man."

[NOTE: These are not nitpicky trifles; serious and far-reaching consequences in terms of properly defining God's will and definition of sexual modesty are at stake.....with ramifications potentially involving molestation, abuse, assault, jealousy, harassment, lawsuits, fornication, adultery, sodomy, traffic accidents, sudden unemployment, bankruptcy, divorce, and even murder! We just cannot have it both ways! One rendition is either correct in discrepant places, while the other is wrong....or the other is correct while the first one is heretically errant. This verse is particular applicable to women during warm weather and/or engaged in both-genders-public-observable sports competition].

Regarding wearing socks with sandals, or boots:

Jeremiah 2:20 (RSV) "For long ago you broke your yoke and burst your bonds; and you said, 'I will not serve.' Yea, upon every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down as a harlot.
21 Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?
22 Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, says the Lord GOD.
23 How can you say, 'I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baals'? Look at your way in the valley; know what you have one--a restive young camel interlacing her tracks,
24 a wild ass used to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her.
25 Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, 'It is hopeless, for I have loved strangers, and after them I will go.'
28 But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you, in your time of trouble; for as many as your cities are your gods, O Judah.
29 "Why do you complain against me? You have all rebelled against me, says the LORD.

Jeremiah 2:25 (KJ21) Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst, `There is no hope; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.'

[NOTE: Several things here.

First of all, a careful, close, and honest investigation into the Hebrew word in verse 25 will determine if the word for 'foot' should be singular or instead plural.
Secondly, the author clearly is not dealing with wear and tear of shoe soles (as the NIV ridiculously here insinuates).
Thirdly, the context of verse 25 is definitely sexually oriented, and not simply pertaining to foreign or pagan gods, idolatry, idol worship, or religious ritualism. That should be obvious by the exact choice of word and words used, instead of myriad others that could have been selected to semantically describe idolatry and pagan-gods worship....whether literally or symbolically, figuratively, metaphorically, or allegorically].

Keep in mind that the entire world population who did not make it inside Noah's Ark during the Worldwide Flood not only physically perished, but were damned and are burning in Hades now, as are the anti-Hebrew Egyptian army who drowned in the Red Sea, and the 186,000 Assyrian soldiers slain by one angel overnite.

The pleasant and positive Scripture were and are open to read and available to apply to the worst criminals, mobsters, violent felons, most sadistic terrorists, and so on who could read those Scriptures....and conversely the most horrifying Scriptures were and are open to read and available to apply to the finest saints of our Redeemer and Lord Jesus Christ. Whoever applied and applies whatever to themselves from the Sacred-66-books Holy Bible has such applied to them, and be it known and admitted that the immoral majority would never be happy in Heaven where they would eternally have to be completely perfect.

And there is a danger of arrogantly and blasphemously presuming that one is a because-of-frigid-temperatures temporarily-modestly-dressed self-redemptive co-atoner of and for himself along with Christ by misconstrueing and misapplying the following verses:

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling

Speaking of futile and worthless attempts at self-justifying pseudo-atonement, the sight of frigid winter-bound women who are modestly dressed for the time being, for selfish self-preservation, is both deceptive and profitable, being that:

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but [immodest] sin is a reproach to any people.

However, the porno-wicked hearts of most women who have dressed immodestly during warm weather have not changed, so do not be deceived by treacherous time-bomb-like wolves in sheep's clothing, because they plan to mis-dress again under the same warm weather conditions:

First Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."

A vote for a 3rd Party candidate is essentially a vote to abstain against both major party candidates. It is not to be reviled as an alleged "wasted vote." The end effect is that not only one major party candidate is not given that vote, but also the other major party candidate equally is not given that vote either. The cumulative overall effect is a lower vote tally for both major party candidates, and the possibility of that 3rd Party candidate getting a majority of votes and winning the election.

FInally, remember that when advertising pull tabs, lotteries, or casino gaming, one should not ask: "How much can I win?" but rather: "How much can I lose." And don't depend on a horoscope, tarot cards, or crystal ball to conjure up a fortune. That would be sorcery.