Dear Dan,

I also am driven to tears when I sing Handel's "Since by man came death" - "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive".

Yet I have no need to verify the words against facts. I am happy with and inspired by this message of the gospel whether or not it fits material facts. Imagine how good it could be if all those millions could still benefit from this divine message had they not been compelled to compare it against facts.

I am very glad that you keep your faith strong despite some of the evidence going contrary to the literal interpretation of the bible. I pray that you will always continue to hold your faith above evidence.

God is not a scribe who owes us explanations of history. There was a man who demanded such explanations from God: his name was Iyyov (Job) and he did eventually receive a response in chapters 38-39, summed up in one sentence, "so much for knowing facts". This culminates in Iyyov replying (42,5-6): "My ears had heard you and now my eyes have seen you, therefore I give up and relinquish over dust and ashes".
(the English translations do injustice to this verse by using "IN dust and ashes" rather than "OVER dust and ashes").

Where I come from, there is just one Truth - God. Knowing God is so overwhelmingly satisfying that all interest in facts and details vanish.

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/job/1-1.htm There was a man in the land of {a} Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and {b} upright, and {c} one that feared God, and eschewed evil.The Argument - In this history the example of patience is set before our eyes. This holy man Job was not only extremely afflicted in outward things and in his body, but also in his mind and conscience, by the sharp temptation of his wife and friends: who by their vehement words and subtle disputations brought him almost to despair. They set forth God as a sincere judge, and mortal enemy to him who had cast him off, therefore in vain he should seek him for help. These friends came to him under pretence of consolation, and yet they tormented him more than all his afflictions did. Even so, he constantly resisted them, and eventually succeeded. In this story we must note that Job maintains a good cause, but handles it badly. His adversaries have an evil matter, but they defend it craftily. Job held that God did not always punish men according to their sins, but that he had secret judgments, of which man knew not the cause, and therefore man could not reason against God in it, but he should be convicted. Moreover, he was assured that God had not rejected him, yet through his great torments and afflictions he speaks many inconveniences and shows himself as a desperate man in many things, and as one that would resist God, and this is his good cause which he handles well. Again the adversaries maintain with many good arguments that God punishes continually according to the trespass, grounding on God's providence, his justice and man's sins, yet their intention is evil; for they labour to bring Job into despair, and so they maintain an evil cause.

from job\to romans 13..Love Fulfills the Law.*..8..Owe nothing to anyone,..[except to/]..love..one another];..for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law

9/The commandments,..“You shall not..*.commit adultery..[adultERATE..;.GODS-WORD]..you shall not..MURDER..[not-kill]; you shall not steal..;[especialy others chosen-reality]..you shall not covet,”..[ye/shalt-not;want].

and whatever other..commandment there may be,..are summed up in this saying,..[namely]..“You shall love your neighbor..as yourself.”[by/mercy;under;grace]..

10Love doeS*..no evil..;..hence,..love is the fulfillment of the law.h

Awareness
of the End*..of Time.*
11And do this..because you know the time;..it is
the hour now..for you..to awakE..from sleep...For our salvation is nearer now..than when we first believed;i

12/the night..[DARK-TIMES]..is advanced,..the day*[LIGHT/LIFE/LOGIC/LOVE/LAUGHTER]..is at hand...Let us then throw off*..the works of darkness..[and]..put on the armor of light;

13/let us conduct ourselves..properly..[as in*..the day,*..not in DARK/deceptive-orgies and drunkenness,..not in promiscuity--of the darkness..favoritism..and licentiousness,

be*..not in rivalry and jealousy...14/But put..[thyne/burdens]..on the Lord Jesus Christ,..and make no provision..[FACILITATION/INTENTION]....for the desires*..[materialism's\..of the flesh.l

*[13:1–7]..Paul must come to grips..with the problem raised by a message..that declares people free..from the natural materialist-law. How are they..to relate to Roman authority?

The problem was exacerbated..by the fact that imperial protocol was interwoven..with devotion to various deities...Paul builds on the traditional instruction exhibited..in Wis 6:1–3,..according to which kings and magistrates rule*>>..by consent of God.[under/grace/by\love..with mercy].

From this perspective,..then,..believers..[who render obedience]..to the governing authorities..are obeying the one/who is highest in command...At the same time,..it is recognized that Caesar has the responsibility*/DUTY..to make..*just ordinances..and to commend uprightness/OF SEVICES/SEVING ;gods creations.cf. Wis 6:4–21.

That Caesar..is not entitled to obedience..when such obedience would nullify God’s..prior claim to the believers’*..moral decision becomes clear..in the light of the following verses.

*[13:8–10]..When love directs the Christian’s moral
decisions,..the interest of law..in basic concerns.. such as familial relationships,..sanctity of life,..and security of property, is safeguarded

(Rom 13:9)...Indeed, says Paul,...the same applies to any other commandment..(Rom 13:9),..whether one in the Mosaic code..or one drawn up by local magistrates..under STATUTED/quasI-imperial authority.

Love\logic/light\love/life..;preempts and anticipates the purpose of public legislation,..namely,..to secure the best interests of the citizenry..BY..LOVING that WITH-in-ALL/..known..AS..the/ONE*..true good..;..[god].

Yuyutsu,
You say you're happy to be inspired by a message whether or not it's true and matching the facts. It sounds to me as if you expect God may not speak truly. Is this because he's whimsical, make believe or irrelevant? If so, it's no wonder millions have disbanded from following such a God. Yet I believe God is faithful and true to his word.

The vast millions don't want to live separate from the facts. They don't want to live with their head in the clouds or in the sand.

When I asked if you believed Jesus died on a real roman cross, you said yes, this was factual. However this part of the gospel message is integrated with the first part, the problem of mankind's sin beginning with Adam. To be consistent, if you're going to believe one part, you need to believe the other.

Similarly, those who disbelieve one will eventually disbelieve the other. Those who believe scientific dictates see evolutionary teaching as contrary to biblical creation, i.e. Adam in the garden becomes only story-like fiction. Likewise, scientists also say dead people don't resurrect after so many days. Science says Jesus' body has now rotted and decayed. So if we consistently follow this line, we (or coming generations) will soon have no biblical faith. Christ's death and resurrection too will live only in the realm of fiction.

Many, such as yourself, raise the objection that there's all this "evidence going contrary to the literal interpretation of the bible". Is this so, or is it mostly rumour and hearsay? You haven't specified barely anything. Is it just a con? As God said to Job, he now says to proud evolutionists, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.”

Alternatively. how many have actually investigated the other side of the coin? How much evidence is there running alongside the straight forward interpretation of the Bible? There's no prizes for laziness or complacency. Have a look for yourself. In Jesus words, "Seek and you shall find."

DAN..quote..<<..To be consistent,..if you're going..to believe one part,..you need to believe the other.>>

thats..so funny..i pick/and\chose;which bits are story/which simulie.the key i context.

<<Similarly,..those who disbelieve..one
will eventually disbelieve the other.>>

example needed..[from memory the best lies are 888 percent true; just the conxclusion=drawn=the lie

[think/of\..it like science/neds life to come frOM NON LIFE
yet cant do it even today[so they come up with aLIANS DUN IT..[but who begat the first living alien?

micrvevolution[within genus;isnt proof of
macro-evolution..of a canus dog evolving into baleene-whale

<<..Those who believe scientific dictates see evolutionary teaching as contrary to biblical creation,..>>

SORRY/POPE BELIEVES THE EVOLVING THEORY

<<..i.e.Adam in the garden>>

WAS ADAM AND A SOW[PIG].SEE LAST EVOLUTION TOPIC

<<..becomes only story-like fiction.>>
YEP LOTS OF F1]S CROSSING TO F2/BACK CROSSING LINE BREEDING/MATRIARCHAL DECENDANCE/PATERNALISTIC OPPRESSION/VIOLATION[OF THE RITE OF CIRCUMSISION[;BETRAYED BY LOVE]

<<. Likewise,..scientists also say dead people don't resurrect>>

RUBBISH

HERE

<<.“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.”>>

john 1

<<..Alternatively. how many have actually investigated the other side of the coin?>>

I LOVE..LOL.THE MEMBRAne theory[lol]heaven and hell rubbed together and bang

the big bang;time began

<<.. How much evidence is there running alongside the straight forward interpretation of the Bible?>>

god said let there be light
and it revealed heaven and hell/into his sight
he saw it and said let the wheat grow with the tare till harvest/let god weigh your soul

[thats all]
god saw that revealed in the light and called it good
aND SO WE ALL BECOME IN TIME AS WE EVOLVE OUR SPIRITS..from beast/into hman..into humane..into a son of the father ..into a sun of the holy spirit[having thyne own let thERE BE LIGHT MOMENT[AND SEEING ALL OUR INER ANGELS AND DEMONS REVEALED

AT DEATH THE VEILS THAT CONCEAL
LET ALL BE REVEALED

[AS A MAN THINKETH..IN HIS HEART/so he is]

<<.There's no prizes for laziness or complacency.>>

but god gives each spirit the body that suits its base natures best
thus we see really ugly spirits in ugly bodies flying[aND THE BETTER SPIRITS REVEALING THEIR FEET OF CLAY IN THE PREIER BODIES[TO WHOM MUCH WAS GIVEN;MUCH BETTER COULD REASONABLY BE EXPECTED

<,.. Have a look for yourself. In Jesus words,
>>YES AHH MEN..IT dont get better than the service on the hill
were we fed 9 thousand jews in two sittings without handwash jars

unclean hands/FEET OF CLAY//GET IT RIGHT THIS LIFE
OR COME BACK SOME OTHER WAY
http://www.ghostcircle.com/ebooks/JSM_Ward%20-%20Gone_West.pdf