Nonsense from the Bible

201 Pages·2012·0.75 MB·English

by  Brian Baker

NONSENSE FROM THE BIBLE
Brian Baker
Copyright © 2012 Brian Baker
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The Publisher makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the
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damages.
2012-10-19
Acknowledgments
I wish to sincerely thank a good friend and supporter John Dillon of New South
Wales, Australia - for his expertise in editing my manuscript and for his advice
and suggestions in producing this book: Nonsense from the Bible.
Brian Baker
August 2012
INTRODUCTION

I spent some seventeen years as a ‘born again,’ ‘Spirit-filled,’ Bible believing
fundamentalist Christian. For almost ten of those years I was the founding pastor
of a church in Australia that grew to be one of the largest in the country. I
resigned after my marriage finally failed in 1989. During the course of the next
few years I spent much time questioning my faith and seeking evidence
concerning the validity of the Bible which I believed and had accepted literally
as ‘The Word of God.’ During those previous seventeen years, my study and
knowledge of my faith had been totally immersed in Christian teaching from
pastors, Christian literature and Bible College. To consider investigation or
examination of my faith from any other source was unthinkable. I had been fully
indoctrinated to believe and had accepted that the Christian message, God, Jesus
and the Holy Spirit were absolute truth.

The years immediately following my resignation from Christian ministry were
difficult, and a time of confusion and overcoming many emotionally based
personal feelings of failure, guilt, doubt and unanswered questions. Gradually I
began to examine the entire basis for my confusion by looking ‘outside’ the
areas I had until then completely accepted without question. At the time there
was very little literature available to which I could turn to provide a non
theological hypothesis of ‘faith’ - belief in God, the Bible or eternal life. The
Internet did not exist – I could not ‘Google’ my questions!

I began to study the ‘theory’ of evolution and sought to find scientific and
historical evidence for almost everything I had accepted as truth as recorded in
the Bible. During this time I removed myself from the influence of Christian
teaching – I purposely did not attend church or listen to Christian teaching audio
tapes. In effect I had removed myself from the ‘Christian bubble’ in which I had
resided for so many years – at last I was free to look into my beliefs from the
outside. As a totally committed Christian within the ‘bubble’ it is almost
impossible to see or to examine any belief or evidence ‘outside.’ This is the main
reason why Christians are not open to question their own faith. Fear is the other
major factor why believers are reluctant or refuse to consider anything which
may question their faith. Simply they are convinced that any contrary teaching or
evidence which is not Bible based is ‘satanic’ in origin. Fundamentalist
Christians are Christians of any denomination who literally believe that the Bible
is completely true and not to be questioned as it is the ‘Word of God.’

My conversion from Christianity to a non-believer was not an ‘instant’ change –
it was for me, and would be for others in a similar situation, a gradual process.
Step by step, over a period of several years, I discovered answers to my
questions and evidence which convinced me that everything I had been taught
since I had been ‘born again’ in an Anglican church in England in 1972 – was
based on myth, hearsay and human thought and invention rather than by alleged
proven revelation from an almighty divinity or God. I could not find credible
historic or scientific evidence for anything I had believed to be fact as recorded
in the bible.

Now, almost twenty years after my personal ‘enlightenment’ – changing from a
fundamentalist Christian to atheist – I see and hear evidence almost daily which
supports and fortifies my reasons not to accept any theocratic faith or
religion. My purpose in writing this book is to present many of the major events
as recorded in the Bible as ‘nonsense!’ Sense or reason is not part of the
equation when Christians examine the validity of the Bible.

I would accept the Bible without further question if it were presented simply as a
compendium of stories and myths based on hearsay handed down from
generation to generation and which were recorded by many (40+) different
authors during a period spanning possibly 1,600 or more years. Unfortunately,
the Bible is presented literally as absolute fact and as ‘The Word of God.’ I now
believe this is nonsense!

Brian Baker 2012
Please note: I have inserted some portions of scripture rather than quote a line or
two of a verse only, which may be considered to be ‘out of context’ and as the
contents of the Bible may not be familiar to all. You could just read the words I
have underlined in the longer sections of Biblical text.

The references in this book are from the King James Authorised version (1611)
which is the original English translation of the compilation of the Bible as we
know it today. Many modern translations have been published since but some
still believe and accept the KJV to be the most acceptable version.
THE END TIMES AND THE SECOND COMING
OF JESUS

BIBLE NONSENSE NUMBER 1

I decided to begin this book with what appears to be the most pressing matter for
most Christians - the end times and the Second Coming of Jesus. Almost every
Bible believing Christian expects this event could happen at any moment. For all
of my years as a ‘born again’ Christian - this subject was a major part of the
Christian teaching cycle. If you ask a Christian today ‘when do you believe Jesus
will come again?’ the answer will no doubt be ‘Jesus could come again at any
time – no one knows when that time will be – only God knows but we believe it
will be soon!’

The problem is that so called ‘believers’ have been expecting Jesus to return
again since a very few days or years after his alleged resurrection. I am now
amazed that there has ever been any controversy concerning this issue, as
according to the Bible, Jesus made it very clear that he would return within the
lifetime of those who were living at the time!

Here are the words of Jesus according to the gospels of Matthew, Luke and
Mark – He was telling those standing there that he would return in their lifetime!

Matthew 16:28
Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of
death, till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom.

Luke 9:27
But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of
death, till they see the Kingdom of God

Mark 9:1
And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that
stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdon of God
come with power.

Clearly in all the above verses Jesus was talking to the people standing there, he
was not prophesying for future generations, as Christians are usually taught. In
the next verse he told his disciples they would not finish preaching in the towns
of Israel before he returned. Again he was not speaking to future generations.

Matthew 10:23
But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say
unto you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be
come.

Then in Matthew 24:2
Jesus had been preaching to a large crowd and his disciples inside the Temple
and as he left with his disciples he made this alarming remark about the Temple:
See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you there shall not be left one stone
upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

They then walked together to the Mount of Olives where Jesus sat down and the
disciples gathered around him. Obviously they were shocked that Jesus had said
that there would be a time when the Temple would be completely destroyed!

His disciples began to ask questions:

Matthew 24:3-5
And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and
of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that
no man deceive you, For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and
shall deceive many.

Jesus then began a detailed account of the events that would take place and
warned them about false prophets who would come and claim they were Christ.
He then listed a series of events which would happen before his return.

Matthew 24:6-28
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled for
all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of
sorrows. Then they shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you:
and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many
false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall
abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end,
the same shall be saved. And the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all
the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel
the prophet in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let
them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains: Let him which is on the
housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house; Neither let him
which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are
with child, and then that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be
not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For then shall be the great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor
ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh
be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man
shall say unto you lo, here is Christ, or there; believe not. For there shall arise
false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders;
inasmuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold I have
told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert;
go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the
lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the
eagles be gathered together.

Jesus was speaking directly to those of the time, especially those in Judea, where
he was at that time. He relentlessly referred to them throughout the entire
discourse and gave no indication he was prophesying to a future generation some