A Summary of The Answer To Question (3) Of The " 100 Tough Questions about God And The Bible " by Stephen Miller.

By Sodium


( Note: It seems to the writer of this blog that the intent of Stephen Miller, for raising the 100  tough questions and answering them, has been to induce more interest in the study of the Bible and possibly searching for rational explanations for the biblical issues that are still not well understood by many people in the realm of Christianity ) .


Reciting Question ( 3 ):
===========================
" When Israel's high priest wanted to hear from God, he used some magical stones called Urim and Thummin, which gave him a yes or no answer. Isn't that a bit like flipping a coin ? "


Summary of Miller's Answer:
===========================
~ It is "pretty much " like flipping a coin, with the exception that those magical stones Moses called them " sacred lots " ( Deuteronomy 33:8 NLT )
~ Beside the high priest, what stones, Urim and Thummin, look like. However, some biblical scholars say that Urim may mean light, because it sounds like the Hebrew word " Light ". As to the meaning of  Thummin, no one really knows, but some scholars have guessed that it may mean " Dark ".
~ In flipping a coin, one side of the coin has an image of a president of a country, or a king or queen of a kingdom or an emir of an emirate, etc.... and the other side of the coin has the image of non-person, like an eagle or something else. The side of the coin that has the image of a head of a person is called " Head " and the other side of the coin is called " Tail ".  By the same process of thoughts, the high priest has to deal with " Light " and " Dark " when he has his conversation with God. " Light " may mean " Good " and " Bad " or  " Urim " and " Thummin " as may be used by the high priest, respectively.


All of the foregoing is not really clear, according to Stephen Miller. What is clear to Miller is how the Jews have used the Magical Stones or rather the " Sacred Lots ", as Moses called them. Miller goes on to say the following about how the Jews used the " Sacred Lots " :


" Starting with Aaron, ( ancient ) Israel's first high priest, the stones ( Sacred Lots )rested in the high priest; s vest pocket--" over Aaron's Heart " ( Exodus 28:30 ). The high priest was to use the stones " when direction from the Lord is needed . . .to determine his will " ( Number 27:21 NLT ). Apparently they provide a yes or no answer."


Miller continues to say the following explanation:

Bible experts say that whenever they read the Bible that the Jews " inquired of the Lord, " they suspect the Jews were consulting the sacred lots. "


He further goes on to say the following statements:


" Jews weren't the only people using lots to get advice from above. People throughout the Middle East used lots. " Miller goes on to prove that the Jews were not the only ones who used lots to seek guidance from their gods by citing a story from the Bible. And then said the following:


" Yet the Jews never seemed to stop using lots entirely--even their own personal lots. They use lots to:
* divide (ancient) Israel s' land among the twelve tribes ( Numbers 26:25 )
* select Saul as their first king ( 1 Samuel 10:20-21 )
* assign ministry jobs to temple workers ( 1 Chronicles 24:5 )
* choose Matthias as the disciple to replace Judas ( Acts 1:26 ) "


Miller has further asked:


Why link almighty God to something as the flip of a coin ? "


And he answers his own question"


" The answer is simple: God is in charge.If he calls " heads, " it's  heads;  if he calls " tails, " it tails "


He finally makes the following comment:


" As the Bible reports it, the Techniques worked. "


Final Words:
========================
In order to develop a comprehension of the content of the answer or answers Stephen Miller has provided ,the reader has to take his time in reading all of the above. Quick reading will not be helpful.


END.








  

A Summary Of The Answer To Question (2) of the " 100 Tough Questions about God And The Bible " By Stephen Miller.

By Sodium


( Note: It seems to the writer of this blog that the intent of author, Stephen Miller, for raising such a question and answering it, is fundamentally to induce more interest in the Bible and check the question he has raised and the answer or answers he has given to it. He certainly is not trying to make an Atheist out of the readers of his book. His intent is unequivocally the opposite of the suspicion, which the hundred tough questions he has risen and the answers he has given to them, might have caused. )


Reciting Question ( 2 ):
=========================
" We're supposed to believe that once upon a time people like Noah lived more than 900 years ? "


Summary of Miller's Answer:
=========================
~ No person in his or her right mind is going to believe that people of the extreme ancient time lived more than 900 years.~
~ With all the current medical advancement and progress, one may live up to 120 years.
~ Bible scholars themselves are the first to admit that this is a real tough problem to handle. However, they offer theories which are summarized below:
~ The flood, as it has been described in the Bible had changed the environment of the Earth, and such environmental change had created harmful toxins, or rather chemicals, to the human body whose lifespan had been diminished drastically, ever since, as a result.
~ Other Bible's experts have theorized that no changes have taken place at all. Most likely, " God have decided that humans no longer deserved to live that long."
~ Another theory has to do with the reason behind the flood. God brought the flood on the human beings then, because they had become evil. God was quoted, by the Bible writer who wrote about the flood, as saying: " My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time for they are only mortal flesh. In the future , their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years." ( Genesis 6::3 NLT ).


A Mathematical Theory:
=========================
Some Christians theorize that when Noah lived more than 900 years, one year of the time before the flood was only equivalent to one month of the present year of the Twenty First Century. If  one accepts One Year of Ancient Time = Only One Month of the Year of the Twenty First Century, then the ages of ancient persons like Adam, Noah, Moses etc.. may make sense. Some mathematical conversions:


900 years divided by 12 months = 75 years was Noah when he died.


924 years divided by 12 months = 77 years was Adam when he died.


Stephen Miller goes on to point out that this theory " poses another problem: the age at which fathered kids."  On this point he goes on to say the following:


" It seems a tad unbelievable that Adam fathered his third son, Seth, when he was still ten years old. It leaves us wondering how old he was when he fathered  Cain and Abel. Five ?


Final Words::
=======================
I must admit that I was fascinated by the original thinking, as expressed and outlined in the mathematical theory, in order to make some acceptable sense, concerning the ages of the ancient people as recorded in the Bible. Yes, indeed, such a thought shine with originality. And it is much appreciated to read and learn.


END.



 

Reviewing The Answer To Question (1) Of The " 100 Tough Questions about God And The Bible " By Stephen M. Miller.

By Sodium


Reciting Question (1):
===============================
" What on earth do Christians mean when they say the Bible " is inspired by God ? "


Summary Of The Answer Given:
===============================
~ Christians have no exact agreement, among themselves. Some of them believe that it was dictated by God, while other Christians believe that the Spirit of God was, somehow, inspired the writers of the Bible to write it; and still others believe that God had " pointed out the general direction " for the writers of the Bible to follow and the writers, as the author put it, " and then the writers (had) run with it "


~  In spite of  the absence of a concrete and solid agreement, all Christians believe that the Bible is inspired by God. They support their belief, as they say: whenever the Prophets preached God's word they said to their listeners:
* " Listen to the word of the Lord" ( Jeremiah 2:4 ). That is just one quote from the Bible some devout Christians use the following quotes to support their belief. "
* " Jesus debating Jewish scholar, quoted a line from Exodus and asked: " Have you read what God told you ? " ( Mathew 22:31 ) " ,
* " Preachers described their sermons as messages from God: Paul said to Barnabas, " Let's go back to every city where we spread the Lord's word. " ( Acts 15:36 ) ".
* " The most famous link between the Bible and God shows up in a letter Paul wrote to his friend Timothy, who was pastoring the church in Ephesus, a city in what is now Turkey: Every scripture passage is inspired by God All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people and training them for a life that has God's approval. They equip God's Servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 " The author encountered the content of Paul's letter by saying:


" One problem with that quote: Paul was not talking about our Bible. He was talking about the Jewish Bible. The Christians call it the Old Testament. "




~ The author goes on and on, to a great length, in presenting the Christians points of views and then encountering them with more seemingly sensible questions and answers such as:


* " Here the hard question: How do we know which writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit ?  "


The author answers his own question by saying that " it is the hard question because:
* " We do not know who wrote most of the books in the Bible.. "
* " We do not know exactly how those books ended up in the Bible. "




~ In one of the author's many rational counter points is the following one:


" For example, the prophet Nahum may have been inspired to predict the fall of the brutal Assyrian Empire, which was based out of Iraq. But he might have used his own words: "




" I am against you, Nineveh, " declares the Lord of Armies, " I will lift up your dress over your face. I will show nations your naked body and kingdoms of your disgrace. I will throw filth on you. I will make you look like a fool. I will make you a sight to be seen." ( Nahum3:5-6 )




Stephen Miller, author of the book, " 100 Tough Questions about God And The Bible " responds to the above quote of ( Nahum 3:5-6 ) with the following sensible observation:

" For some readers, a quote like that sounds more earthy than celestial. "




All the forgoing seems, to the writer of this blog, to be enough for the reader to get an idea, or rather a degree of comprehension of the answer given by Stephen Miller, to question (1) of his 100 tough questions.


Final Words
=======================
It must be pointed out that Stephen Miller has spent more time in trying to answer this first question than to any of the other 99 questions. He spent a total of six pages in providing answers to it, while the lengths of the answers he gave to the other 99 question  were between two to three pages only.


END.


  

Salman Rushdie And Ahmad Mansour Have Parallel Difficulties With Certain Authorities.

By Sodium


As the news has spread around the globe about the arrest, at Berlin airport, of Ahmad Mansour, an anchorman with Al-Jazeera's Arabic Network, one may be compelled to remember a parallel case, but much more dangerous, that had taken place in the late 1980's to a British novelist / writer named Salman Rushdie. The cases of the two men will be briefly outlined below:


Salman Rushdie:
=======================
He is a British-Indian novelist and essayist who, in 1988, had written a novel entitled " Satanic Verses " in which he described specific verses, in the Holy Qur'an, as satanic. As such description had hit the ears of Iran's spiritual supreme leader who was then Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, an Islamic Fatwa ( Islamic Edict) had immediately issued by Khomeini to kill or assassinate Rushdie who, at once, had gone into hiding. He remained in hiding for many years, even after the death of Khomeini. However, in 2008, Queen Elizabeth has knighted him as " Sir " for his literary work and contribution to literature. He is now Sir Salman Rushdie. What a difference: from a fugitive in hiding to a British gentleman with a royal granted title.


Ahmad Mansour:
=======================
An Egyptian journalist who has been hired by Al-Jazeera Network, as an anchorman to anchor two of its Arabic language programs, namely: (1) Bila Huddoud, and (2) Shahidon Ala Al-Asr. Both programs are informative, indeed. He has been outspoken against the way President Abdel Fatah El-Seesi has taken over Egypt by military coup first and then by election that excluded all groups that considered hostile to his military move against the Moslem Brotherhood's government of  President Muhammad Mursi who was truly elected by popular vote in general election in 2012.


Lately, Ahmad Mansour had to travel to Germany for interviewing a German personality who spoke fluent Arabic. I watched the interview on the Arabic program, Bila Hudoud, which anchored by Mansour, somewhere from Germany. It was an excellent program in which Germany 's relations with the Palestinians, Israel and Egypt, as well as its relationship with the United States were openly discussed. I must say that the questions raised by Mansour were thoughtful and should be raised in the open, if not for maintaining a degree of objectivity, then for a degree of honesty.


In his return to his working base in Doha, Qatar, and as he was still in Berlin airport, he was arrested by German police and was taken into custody for interrogations. He was accused of serious criminal charges like theft and sexual rape etc.... The accusations were received by Germany directly from Egypt. In other words, the instigation for his arrest came directly from Egypt, and the German authorities acted accordingly. He spent several nights in custody until the Attorney General of Germany reviewed the case and immediately had ordered dismissal of the case for arresting him and hence Mansour was freed from police custody.


Question: What is the point in composing all of the foregoing, some of which are known information ?


Answer: The point behind composing all of the above is to show the parallel between Sir Salman Rushdie's case and Anchorman Ahmad Mansour 's case. Please note that I say Parallel, not similar, and let alone identical:


Salman Rushdie:
=======================
~ He was known only among British and some other Western novelists, essayists and writers.
~ After Khomeini's Fatwa, Rushdie s ' name had become so well known across the globe, just like a household name.
~ The sale of his novel, " Satanic Verses " had exponentially increased. Most likely, Rushdie himself could not possibly imagine the exponential increase in sales of his novel, not even in his wildest dreams or imaginations.
~ At the top of all that he was finally granted, in 2008,  the honorary and royal title of " Sir " for his contributions to the British literature.

Ahmad Mansour:
=======================
~ He has been well known, by the millions who watch Al-Jazeera Arabic networks, but he has never been equally known outside the Arab World.
~ After his arrest, at Berlin airport, and ultimately freed by Germany's Attorney General, his name has spread like an uncontrollable wild fire across the globe. And his name has become a household name, not exactly similar, but, some how, parallel to Rushdie's.
~ Perhaps, one day, the Emir of Qatar, may decide to bestow upon him the honorary title of Shiekh, Therefore, he becomes " Shiekh " Ahmad Mansour, to perfect the parallel with " Sir " Salman Rushdie.


Final Words:
=======================
There is a lesson, or rather a wisdom, to be learned from both cases.. Never make waves on the issues that you know very well they have enemies waiting like vultures to eat you up, not dead, but alive, if they can get away with it.


Both Khomeini Iran, El-Sisi Egypt had tried to dictate their own rules but failed completely, and Egypt victimized Germany in the process.


END 

A List of " Super " Foods That May Heal Diabetes 2.

By Sodium


I have come lately across a book entitled " The 30-Day Diabetes Cure " by Roy Heilbron and Jim Healthy. Brief notes on both authors of the book:
.
Roy Heilbron: is a physician who " is a board-certified in cardiology (2009), internal medicine (1993), and nuclear cardiology (1998). He is currently in private practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico." of the United States of America.


Jim Healthy: " is a health coach and activist, medical reporter, publisher, and author. He is the founder and editor of JimHealthy.com and My HealingKitchen.com, where he coaches and instructs readers on how to improve their personal health through wiser diet and lifestyle choices."


About The Book
===============================
The book is monumental, too large, and consists of 410 pages ( 8'x11' ) and just too much to read and write a review about in a detailed manner. I have bought it to use as a reference in my attempts to manage my own Diabetes 2, since dealing with Diabetes 2, on daily basis, is difficult without getting some guidance from a reliable source. I have found the knowledge embodied in this particular book very helpful.
The book comes with the following Special Reports:


~  Deadly Diabetes Lies.
~  Mistakes Doctors Are Making With Diabetes.
~  The Dangers of Diabetes Drugs.
~  Dodging Diabetes Complications.
~  How to Heal Your Pancreas.
~  Diabetes Healing Super foods
~  Healing Diabetes with Yoga.


I have already read all the Special Reports listed above. Indeed, very helpful and I do feel that I must add one single word: FACINATING. And the Special Reports alone, by themselves, are worth the cost of $ 49.94 to get the book to my home address by surface mail.


As I read the Special Reports titled, "Diabetes Healing Super Food ", I was fully convinced that the content of the report might be of great help to all readers of this website, whether they had Diabetes 2 or not. The "Diabetes Healing Super Foods " are quoted below, exactly as listed in the special report, I have just finished mentioning:


Diabetes Healing Super Foods:
===============================
1.  Salmon and Omega-3 sea food.
2.  Beans.
3.  Onions
4.  Broccoli and other crucifers.
5.  Olive Oil.
6.  Romaine Lettuce.
7.  Yogurt.
8.  Grapefruit.
9.  Nuts.
10.Curry.
11.Whole Grain.
12.Lean Meat.


Final Words:
=============
Just eating the foods listed above is not going to get rid of your Diabetes 2, in 30 days, unless you follow step by step of the instructions provided in one of the booklets that comes with the book for that purpose. However, the foods listed in the above list are good foods to eat; and most likely, they will help you achieving and maintaining good health.
I must admit that I really have never cared to eat beans, yogurt and grapefruit, before reading such a report. Since I have started eating them, I have gradually developed a taste for them. Now, in fact, I look forward to eat them, whenever the type of meal dictates to include them in the preparations of the meals. In fact, I eat yogurt and grapefruit alone whenever I feel I need to eat them. The beans are excellent in chili with some good quality ground beef.


END.


        

The Part And The Whole, According To Plato.

By Sodium


The attention of the writer of this blog has been concentrated lately on the horrific violence and wars that has been going on in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya. Needless to say that there is something fundamentally wrong in the social and political structures of these countries whose leaders have cared more for their selfish political power and political future than the good of their countries and people. Yes, yes, foreign powers interferences do exist in those countries. However, if the human selfishness of those political leaders was absent, no power on Mother Earth can make them do what is not good for the common good of their countries and people who are escaping the bloodshed to neighboring countries and many of them had died in the Boats of Death, in their attempts to reach the shores of Europe. Shame on their countries' leaders who could not see further than the tips of their noses in their total failure in protecting their own civilian populations.


Question: what all the foregoing has to do with what Plato had said, with regards to the part and the whole, as stated in the above title of this blog ?


Before answering the above question, one must first know exactly what Plato had said, which would be quoted below:


" THE PART CAN NEVER BE WELL UNLESS THE WHOLE IS WELL."


Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya are only parts of a larger geographical, linguistic and cultural whole, called the Arab World. Applying Plato's saying, those four Arab countries are sick because they are geographically, linguistically and culturally integrated parts of an extremely sick whole called the Arab World, which badly needs serious and painful surgery, from the shores of  Shut Al-Arab of Iraq, in the East, to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, in the West. .


As one studies the rich history of the Arab people, one may conclude that regardless how severely negative the historical events they had encountered, in times past, they had always managed to overcome them and kick their tormentors out from their midst, whether their tormentors were from within or from without.They certainly can do so once more, by adhering firmly to the wisdom behind Plato's statement quoted above. And the medical salvation for the sick whole is UNITY, stupid !


END.