From: "Omo Oba" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2004 5:04 PM Subject: [abujaNig] Ghanaian theologian disproves the validity of Bible
> > > If the lie had been running for twenty years, truth would catch up with it > > just in one day--a Yoruba-World proverb says Bí iró bá lo l'ógún odún, > ojó > > kan soso ni òtító yó le bá . Please read below article from an > enlightened > > Afrikan from Gold Coast. > > > > > > > Ghanaian theologian disproves the validity of Bible > > > > > > Dr. S.Y. Akorli, a Ghanaian theologian and the founder > > > of Religious Science International, a foundation > > > committed to critical thinking of religion, has cast > > > doubts on the validity of the Bible. Dr. Akorli, who > > > is a Presbyterian, is a product of the University of > > > Leipzig with a doctorate in Theology. He has been > > > gaining increased recognised in the academic circles > > > of Leipzig for his theses on the Bible. As a > > > Christian, his views on the Bible and its events are > > > considered revolutionary. Last year he toured various > > > institutions in Germany lecturing on his perspective > > > of the Bible and Christianity. His monthly seminar has > > > been attracting numerous Europeans who are looking for > > > new forms of religious expression and interpretation. > > > Spotlight (a local media network) talked to Dr. Akorli > > > to gain more insights into his perspective on > > > Christianity. > > > > > > What fascinates Spotlight is that, although Dr. Akorli > > > is a Christian, he holds views, which may be > > > considered anti-christian by conservative Christians. > > > Recently, African scholars who are Christians are > > > becoming critical of their religion. During a recent > > > visit of Archbishop Tutu of South Africa to England, > > > it has been reported that he refused to close his eyes > > > and pray. When asked why he did not close his eyes, he > > > answered somewhat with humour but truthfully that when > > > the whites came to South Africa, they asked the > > > inhabitants to pray with them. The blacks closed their > > > eyes to pray but before they finished the whites had > > > exchanged their Bible for the African gold. Read below > > > the interview with Dr. Akorli and it may give you a > > > different understanding of things. > > > Spotlight (SP): You have described by some > > > conservative Christians as nightmare to Christianity. > > > Do you think it is a fair comment? > > > Dr. Akorli(DA): You know when Martin Luther posted his > > > thesis on the Reformation on the door of the Roman > > > Church, he was driven out of the church. He was called > > > all sorts of names because people did not understand > > > him. Thanks to Martin Luther you and I can now have > > > access to the Bible. Also, when Corpenicus found out > > > that the earth was round, the Church dismissed him > > > because it went contrary to Christian beliefs. But now > > > both the fundamentalist Christians who persecuted > > > Corpenicus are enjoying from the benefits of his > > > discovery. So I am aware that people who are ignorant > > > of my ideas and do not have a deeper meaning of the > > > Bible can call me names. God has given us wisdom and > > > he wants us to use it fruitfully. > > > SP: I have heard that you challenged the authority of > > > the Bible. Is that true? > > > DA: God revealed himself to Israel and their scholars > > > wrote what they considered to be the teachings of God. > > > If you read the Book of Proverbs, it contains very > > > useful wise sayings, which can only be written by an > > > intelligent person. The writers of Bible were inspired > > > just like my grandmother was inspired to educate her > > > children and grandchildren in Akan wise sayings? > > > However, I do know that the Bible contains mistakes. > > > Many Christians make mistakes by thinking that God > > > dictated to the writers what they should write. > > > SP: Christians say the Bible is true and they cite its > > > account of events to prove their point. What do you > > > have against that? > > > DA: As a spiritual document, the Bible is superb. But > > > no serious Christian can take the Bible to be 100% > > > accurate in terms of science, history and geography. > > > Even the Bible's account of the crucifixion, which is > > > so central in Christianity, is not accurate. For > > > example, we read from the Bible that Jesus was > > > crucified between two robbers (Matt 27:38 and Mark > > > 15:27) but we know from historical sources that the > > > Romans did not crucify robbers. Crucifixion was > > > reserved for insurrectionists and rebellious slaves. > > > The gospel writers also mention Jesus talking to his > > > mother and to Peter from the cross, but this run > > > contrary to another historical fact. The Roman > > > soldiers closely guarded the places of execution, and > > > nobody was allowed near, especially friends and family > > > who might attempt to help the condemned person. > > > SP: Do you then believe in the resurrection Jesus? > > > DA: I believe in the spiritual resurrection but not in > > > a physical resurrection of Jesus. The idea of a > > > physical resurrection held by many Christians is not > > > Biblical. First, even the Bible itself says that God > > > does not need the flesh for anything. Second, the > > > account of the physical resurrection as reported in > > > the Bible is not credible. Who found the empty tomb? > > > The gospel writers disagree on that. Matthew (28:1) > > > says it was only Mary Magdalene and the other Mary > > > (Matt 28:1), Mark (16:1) claims it was Mary Magdalene, > > > Mary the mother of James and Salome and John (20:1-4) > > > says Mary Magdalene went to the tomb alone, saw the > > > stone removed, ran to find Peter, and returned to the > > > tomb with Peter and another. The Bible is also not > > > consistent about who was found in the tomb. According > > > to Matthew (28:2-4), an angel of the Lord with an > > > appearance like lightning was sitting on the stone > > > that had been rolled away. Also present were the > > > guards that Pilate had contributed. According to Mark > > > 16:5, a young man in a white robe was sitting inside > > > the tomb. According to Luke 24:4, two men in dazzling > > > apparel. And according to John 20:4-14, Mary and Peter > > > and the other disciple initially find just an empty > > > tomb. Even the Bible does not agree on the ascension > > > of Jesus. According to Luke 24:51, Jesus' ascension > > > took place in Bethany, on the same day as his > > > resurrection whereas Acts (1:9-12) says that Jesus' > > > ascension took place at Mount Olivet, forty days after > > > his resurrection. > > > > > > SP: What do you say about how the Bible was compiled? > > > DA: That is a very good question. The majority of > > > Christians (about 99.9%) are not aware of the process > > > by which the books of the Bible were canonised. The > > > Septuagint was the first translation of the Hebrew > > > scriptures. Sometime in the reign of Ptolemy > > > Philadelphus (284 BC - 246 BC), a group of 72 elders > > > met to translate the Bible into Greek for the Jews of > > > Alexandria. Unfortunately, there was some doubt as to > > > precisely which books, among those available, were > > > actually inspired. Many books were simply left out. > > > When the final list was compiled, it contained all of > > > the books Protestants consider part of the Old > > > Testament and nine other books called the Apocrypha, > > > included in the Catholic scriptures. This was the > > > version that was quoted word for word by Jesus and the > > > New Testament authors. So you know Jesus even used the > > > incomplete version of the Bible. In 93AD, at the > > > Council of Jamnia, a group of Rabbis finally decided > > > on the 39 books of the Old Testament as currently > > > accepted by most Christians, but this group should > > > have had no authority with Christians. It was not > > > until the Lutheran document "De Connonicus Scripturis > > > Libellus" in 1520, that these books ceased to be > > > accepted by Christians. Between 140 A.D. and 367 A.D. > > > there were many lists of Canonical Christian Books > > > issued by various Churches. The first was issued in > > > 140 A.D. in response to the Gnostic Marcion who had > > > advocated the abandonment of the Old Testament and the > > > acceptance only the Gospel of Luke and the letters of > > > Paul. The church in Rome authorised its own canon > > > list, which was very different from the version we > > > have today. It omitted Hebrews, James, 2 Peter and 3 > > > John. The Apocalypse of Peter was included. Origen, > > > Eusebius, Tertullian and Cyril all took steps at > > > making a list. They include such books as the letter > > > of Barnabas, the teachings of the Apostles, I Clement > > > and The Shepherd of Hermas, which even teaches baptism > > > for the dead. It is not until 367 A.D in the 37th > > > Easter letter of Athanasius, that we have any > > > canonical list of all the books currently included in > > > the New Testament. Of course, I suppose the > > > fundamentalist Christians could say that God used > > > Athanasius to set things right. The last prophet to > > > the fundamentalist Christians, becomes Athanasius. > > > This of course presents certain problems of its own. > > > Athanasius was a Neo-Platonist Christian who believed > > > that grace was transmitted through the sacraments not > > > faith alone. He accepted the concept of priesthood as > > > taught in the Roman Catholic Church. He put the book > > > of revelation at the end because it was doubtful. If > > > you want to believe the Bible, you must first know how > > > it was written or compiled. > > > SP: Do you believe there are some saints who are not > > > Christians? > > > DA: Of course! If you want to know saints, don't turn > > > to the Bible, at least, not the Old Testament. You > > > better go to my village and you will meet people who > > > live honest, fair, and saintly lives. The Old > > > Testament describes Noah as a drunken man who > > > collapses naked in his tent and his son Ham sees him > > > in his nakedness. In stead of Noah felling ashamed of > > > his unfatherly behaviour, he curses his Ham and all > > > his descendants. What is funny is that we read that > > > God finds his righteous and saves him. I bet in my > > > village all the people will then be saved. Look at the > > > story of Moses who commands the Israelites to slay all > > > the Midianites and steal their cattle and take their > > > virgin women as booty, keeping them for themselves! > > > (Num. 31:1- 9). > > > Moses commands the Israelites to keep the best meat > > > for themselves and can give the rotting flesh to > > > foreigners. (Deut. 14:21). This is the Moses who is > > > the chosen prophet of God. I am certain that if you go > > > my village and talk to non-Christians, they will even > > > find this behaviour ungodly. We certainly need to give > > > new interpretation to the bible unless they lose their > > > meaning and relevance in today's world. > > > Source: Spotlight, Leipzig > > > > > > > > > > > > Sheba Kane > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> > Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark > Printer at MyInks.com. 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