Controversial retired bishop John Spong on religion

As one studies the Biblical books that make up the total representation of what we know as the Bible, it becomes apparent that there are different purposes each one relates as to who God is and what God wants the reader to know about Him and how He deals with His people.

But to understand what was in the auther's head, it helps to know their era, surroundings, political climate and just the day to day goings on to absorb what they are wanting to share with the reader.

It all comes down to what the writer wants to say to whoever is reading their words.

BUT, there are things that the writer may want to hide from the "casual reader"! For if there's such a thing as a single entendre it would read: "Watership Down: Great Things Come in Hares". Now, if you didn't have the knowledge of the book, "Watership Down", that sentence or SCRIPTURE, could be interpreted with different meanings with only one that would make sense or be accurate to the message intended.

Thten sentences or SCRIPTURES can carry a doulbe entendre! For example, "Teacher Strikes Idle Kids". That could be construed to mean either one or two things.

Many sentences in the Bible are written to be interpreted by a person that possesses bakground information that only he would comprehend what it's to express!

Then there are the obvious ones that are straightforward yet one would still need a basic understanding of what is being descriptive such as, "He leadeth me to still waters". Now, for all you who are not privy to animal behavior, you will never see a lamb drinking from running water! It's got to be still or that rascal will die of thirst!

With all this said, Bishop Spong is actually speaking about what ALL learned scholars and the "higher ups" in the predominately established Christian Religions know, yet keep from their "flock".

Why rock the boat by debunking what they teach the gullible?

What is different about Bishop Spong is he's making valid attempts to explain long known fallacies that have crept into mainstream beliefs of the major Church teachings.

One of the first things you will learn is how the First Commandment is different from the Catholic version of the Bible that Protestant versions.

The Catholic doctrine had an issue with permitting their followers from reading how there should not be graven images made from the clay of the earth or stone to be worshipped at their feet. Well, that would shoot a huge hole in all those statues the Roman Catholic Church ahd invested in and taught all good Catholics to bow down to and worship at the feet or base of them, now wouldn't it?

I have doubts just as Doubting Thomas did about the "physical resurrection" of Jesus and needed to place his hand into the wound of Christ before he would believe it himself.

That's me, too. I need to "touch" or feel, smell, hear and see for myself before I would entertain the ideaof becoming a "true believer". And even then my mind would need some 'splainin', with questions answered...that's my criteria.

And I say why I'm this way is because I have a brain. So if He has to ask, I could say, "Well, You made me this way! To be inquisitive and not take ANYTHING at face value!".

I hope so! But I have a "fall-back plan". I am amassing a huge library of jokes so I can entertain Him perhaps long enough that He just might say, "Ok, you can stay. I'll not send you to FIERY HELL FOR ALL TIME!"

That reminds me....

The Story of the Trinity and Which of the Three Came to Earth to Die for Us!
I can hear it now! The Trinity Talk that went on in Heaven. The Equal Entities discussing which one would be coming to Earth to die!

God 1: "You go! You're the One that loves those yokels!"

God 2: "I have an idea! Let's flip a coin!"

God 3: "I don't "do" games of chance! Against MY religion!"

God 2: "Well, how are we going to decide who among us is going to sacrifice ourselves for those sorry, "no respecting their Creator" heathens?"

God 1: "Damn! I suppose it IS my problem! After all, I created them in an image I chose!"

God 3: "And I told you to go with the monkeys, didn't I?"

God 1: "Well, I COULD start all over again! Like when I sent that flood!"

God 2: "And here I thought it was our commode that overflowed all this time!"

God 1: "Funny, God 2. You ARE the comedian between the three of us!"

Moral of the story? Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you!

John Shelby Spong - The Roots of Religion

This man is brilliant!