CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION OF THE BIBLE

It's new to me but it has been around for a few years, published by the American Bible Society, the Contemporary English Version is like reading a modern book. No thees and thous, no King James archaic words, just plain old modern English. I've started reading it through, and I'm really enjoying it. The only thing I don't like about the copy I have is that it is written on thin paper which makes it hard to turn. For those who objected to "virgin" being translated "young woman" the translators didn't make that mistake. You can get a nice looking copy from Barnes and Noble and other online bookstores for about $16. The King James Version was published so the readers of that time could read it, but the language has changed so enjoy this new version.
This month I've read the first three books. Genesis and parts of Exodus I've enjoyed more in this translation, but all the description of food preparation, garments for the priests, and the descriptions of the tent for worship in Leviticus seems useless. Nowhere do I see the great compassion of love for one another that Jesus manifested. Thank God we don't have to obey all the rituals the Hebrews did because Jesus took care of us when he died on the cross and did away with animal sacrifices. I feel like expressing my doubt as to whether God gave all the minute details as recorded. I believe God said, "Love one another...Do unto others as you would have them do unto you...etc."

GOD AND JEWS vs GOD AND ARABS

This blog is from a chat line.

Originally Posted by Packrat

I am a Right Wing Republican and I don't have a problem with your posts Mr Butler...You seem to have a nicer way of putting things...

My original post was for fun and humor and it just got out of hand someway...

I don't have a problem with any intellegent post anyone makes...

Most is good information...Whether I agree or not...



Pack, I listened to the Rev. Franklin on TBN this morning. His sermon touted the Jews and their return to the Holy Land. According to the Reverend the world is about to end because the Jews have returned. The world may end because the Jews are back, but the end may come because the Arabs don't want them there. I'm not sure the Jewish people are any more children of God than are the Arabs. What I'm driving at is that I think the misled Right Wing Republicans are causing trouble with their beliefs. I don't want to see the Jews driven out, but I don't want the Arabs hurt because it is believed that God favors them over other people. Read Paul's thought in the Book of Galatians and you will see what I'm driving at. The message there is that God loves all people. I pray that peace might come in the Middle East because Jews and Arabs might learn to tolerate and love each other. The moderate Republican Party has much good, but they are in trouble because of fanatics.

Pack’s post.



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The Jews are not the Chosen People, you are right about that...

It is a lie put forth by the Jews...It is all pretty complicated...

The Jews of today are not the same as Jews of old..

Jesus will have to return to settle the trouble between the Jews and the Arabs...

I don't think it can be settled any other way...

Thanks for the thought...It is interesting...And He does love all who love Him, He even loves those who turned their back on Him...I think He is sad for all that has happened...

Butler: Pack, I love the Bible as a book on the Christian religion, but when a president gets elected by a bunch of Holy Rollers and starts a war with the infidels to please religious people who want him to bring Jesus back by fulfilling obscure prophecies in Daniel and the Book of Revelations you have one hell of a mess. So there has to be one big battle in a valley in Northern Palestine before Jesus comes back so a bunch of greedy religious people scare people into giving them a great deal of money because they are the true believers who knows exactly what God is going to do. The True Believers buy luxurious jets that aren't going to be able to carry them out of harms way when the nukes start flying.

GIVE A NOVEL FOR CHRISTMAS
21 NOVELS BY LUTHER BUTLER TO GIVE FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS novels are found by pasting luther butler in google search engine.

Is the Bible Infallible, Inerrant, and Verbally Inspired?

If the New Testament is verbally inspired why are there two versions of the Lord's Prayer? Examine the two versions and notice the differences then ask the question: If the prayers were dictated to the writers why aren't they exactly the same?

9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Luke 11:2-4 (King James Version)

2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3Give us day by day our daily bread.
4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Matthew's version has, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Luke's version does not have this. This is a minor thing, but if the scriptures were dictated they would be exactly the same.

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=1-58348-106-0

Forgotten Books of Eden: Testament of Levi: Chapter II

Forgotten Books of Eden: Testament of Levi: Chapter II

WERE THE ROMANS QUEER?

Romans 1:1-31 Paul butters the Roman church up by telling them what great Christians he has heard that they are. v.16 He makes the famous speech about that he is not ashamed ...of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then he goes into his famous denouncement of homosexual, both women and men. I wonder if this tirade made the Roman Christian's angry? Why did Paul put this message in a letter to the Romans? The Greeks would have probably deserved this message more for they thought sex with women was to make babies. Sex with another man was the enjoyment! From what I've read the common Roman man or woman were not inclined to engage in same sex activities. This was not true of the rich who held orgies. What Paul describes in this same sex scene must have taken place in a pagan temple where idols were being worshipped. To read about one of these rituals, click http://books.iuniverse.com/booksfold...81060_0079.GIF
Oddly enough when pagans were condemned for their sexual preferences, they would answer, "We don't mutilate our boy babies by whittling away a part of their penis."
I just don't understand why Paul wrote this part about homosexuals here. It just seems out of place as much as the Kansas Baptist going to military funerals and condemning homosexuals for the death of military people fighting in the war against terrorist. I read a great deal about pagan temple orgies when I wrote the novel, Red Heifer. They were gruesome. When the new priests were initiated they were required to cut off their sexual organs with a stone knife so they could become male temple prostitutes.
http://search.earthlink.net/search?q...rea=earthlink- This link takes you to the Attis and Cybele cult worship rituals.