31-May-2012

All founders of religions have often left behind valuable teachings. The teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha are called Dharma, and recorded in the Tripitaka (Three Baskets): sutras (scriptures), vinaya (monastic discipline) and abhidharma (commentaries). The teachings of Muhammed are in the Qur'an of Islam. The teachings of Jesus are in the Bible. This article refers only to the Bible of the Protestants and Catholics.

Protestants and Catholics have the same Bible: Old Testament (1036 pages) and New Testament (308 pages). Both religions believe in God and accept Jesus Christ as teachers. Regarding the Old Testament, the Protestant version has 39 books while the Catholic version has 49 books. Some major and typical books in the Old Testament are Genesis, Deuteronomy, Numbers, Malachi, etc. ...and in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, etc… are four main books.

The following article is based on the Vietnamese version called "Bible, Old Testament and New Testament" that was published in 1985 by the United Bible Societies. For comparison with the Vietnamese version, I have also used the English version, The Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments in the King James Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1987.

For convenience for the Protestants and Catholics as well as those who want to learn about the teachings of God, I have accurately summarized the chapters and sections of the Bible, and printed them in italics for ease of distinction.

The Bible is written in antiquated language so it is hard to understand. Hence, I have included comments to help readers to understand more easily.

PART ONE: OLD TESTAMENT

1. Genesis [(Gen.1 :1-31, read as chapter 1, section from 1-31)] wrote:
Day 1, God created the heavens and earth, light and darkness.
Day 2, God created the sky with brass.
Day 3, God created the plants.
Day 4, God created the stars.
Day 5, God created the living creatures.
Day 6, God created the human ancestors (Adam and Eve).
Day 7, God rested.

2. Genesis (2:1-2): Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. God rested on the 7th day. But in chapter (2:5-7), at that time there were no small plants growing in the field. And so God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

* Comment:-Genesis (1:1-31, item # 4) wrote that on the third day God created plants. On day 6, he created humans. But Genesis (2:1-7, item # 5) wrote that God rested on day 7 and God had not yet created the plants and humans. Thus, chapters 1 and 2 are completely different. Therefore, the Church should review to see if anyone had changed the Bible?

3. Genesis 1: 27 wrote: "God created man in his image; he created male and female, i.e. Adam and Eve (human ancestors) were both blind. (Genesis chapter 3:6-20) wrote: "Adam and Eve were seduced by the serpent to eat the wisdom fruit (of the tree of knowledge) that God had forbidden, and their eyes were opened. So they were punished by God "... I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception, etc. .. He also said to Adam, Because you listened to your wife in eating the forbidden fruit, so the land will be cursed because of you, all your life will suffer hardship in order to obtain things (plants & animals) from the ground to eat, etc.... ".The two ancestors, Adam & Eve, ate the forbidden fruit so all humanity have committed the original sin. Thus, Jesus was born to atone for humanity. "

* Comment: Adam and Eve were the children of God according to the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. Committing sin by children is in large part due to the lack of clear teachings from the father. Moreover, God lacked compassion; he damned not only his two children but their descendants forever. Then Jesus was born to atone for humanity. When atoning for a sin or paying for it (like paying debt), humans must be able to end all sins, all debts. But today mankind is still suffering. Moreover, why did God punish his children for eating the fruits that opened their eyes? Therefore, the Church needs to review this Bible passage.

4. Genesis (4:1-8) wrote: Adam and Eve bore two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer, and Abel raised livestock. Cain offered the fruits from the field to God and Abel’s offerings included the new-born animal and its fat. God loved Abel and his meat offerings, but despised Cain and refused his fruits. So Cain was angry, and when they were in the field, Cain killed his brother (Abel).

* Comment: God loved to eat meat, did not like fruits, and let a grandson killed by his brother. And he created such a rift that Cain must kill his younger brother.

5. Genesis (4:17) wrote: Then Cain took a wife and a son was born and named Enoch.

* Comment: The book of Genesis of the Bible indicated that Adam and Eve had two sons,  Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel. Then Cain got married. On Earth at that time, according to the Bible, there were only Adam and his wife Eve, and their two children, Cain and Abel. Then Abel was killed by Cain. Besides three persons (Adam, Eve and Cain), there was no one else. So, if Cain got married, then he could only marry to the sole woman on earth at that time and she was his mother (Eve).

6. Genesis (1:21 - 6-8): In terms of human family tree from Adam and Eve to Noah and his wife, man must appear about 6 thousand to 10 thousand years ago.

In the book “Roman Martyrdom”, Catholics believe that God created the heavens and the earth about 5199 years ago. Protestant fundamentalists believe from 6-10 thousand years. Jews insist the heavens and earth were created on 7.10.3761 (Martyrologe Romain, a French translation by Dom Albert M. Schmitt, Casterman, 1959, p. 469 - Isaac Asimov, In the Beginning, a Stonesong Press Book, Crown Publishers, Inc. NY, 1981, p.9)

* Comment: As mentioned above, all dates of the appearance of the heavens and earth in the Bible are not the same as those discovered by science. Therefore, the Church should confront with the scientists.

7. The book of Leviticus (Lev.20: 13): All homosexuals must be killed.

* Comment: Currently in advanced countries like the U.S., some states have allowed marriage of openly gay couples and government agencies have issued marriage certificates. In the military there is also silent acceptance (the policy of don’t ask, don’t tell).  If I was a Protestant or Catholic, how should I react?

8. (Numbers, 15: 31-36): The book of Numbers wrote that a person picking up firewood on Saturday was killed by Moses as ordered by God ["The Sabbath violation is punishable by death "].

9. Numbers (31:1-41): God commanded Moses to fight the Medianites (now Palestine) to avenge for Israel. The army of Moses was victorious and brought home lots of booties. Included were 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 male donkeys and 32,000 virgin girls. God ordered the virgin girls and other booties to be shared among the soldiers. God’s share also included goats, cows, donkeys and 32 virgin girls.

10. (Deuteronomy12 :2-7) wrote  that all the altars, icons, places of worship of all peoples must be destroyed, crushed and burned. Erase the names of "gods" that they worship. Then go to the church where the Lord is worshipped and donate 10% of your income.

11. (Deut. 13:1-10) taught: "If a prophet, (or masters), peoples in a city, and brothers in the family, sons or daughters, spouses or friends, close or casual, persuade you to follow other religions, then you have to kill them.

12. (Deut. 20:10-17]. For a besieged city, if the enemies seek peace, then collect taxes and force them into slavery. If they do not seek peace, then God will deliver them to you. You must kill all the enemies that God assigned to you. But women, children, animals and everything in the city should be robbed and taken for use at home. Peoples such as the Amorites, the Canaanites etc… should be eradicated.

* Comment: If God or the Church applies the above law today, or commands its followers to doing so, courts in the country or international courts cannot forgive God and his accomplices. So how should followers like us behave?

13. (Deut. 22: 23): If a virgin in the city has already been bethrothed to someone, but she sleeps with another person, then both of them must be stoned to death.

* Comment: The New Testament said that Mary (a virgin) was engaged to Joseph but she went to bed with the Holy Spirit.  Further, she got pregnant and gave birth to Jesus. But no one stoned them to death under the laws of God?

14. Ecclesiastes (1:3-5) wrote: "One generation passes away, and another comes, but the earth abides forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and it hastes to get back to where it arises". This means that the earth stands still, the sun moves and orbits around the earth.

15. Malachi (2:1-3) wrote that, if you do not obey me, not give glory unto my name, then I will spread dung on your faces.

PART TWO: NEW TESTAMENT

1. (Matthew 15: 22-27) wrote that one day a woman from Canaan (now Palestine) called on Jesus to heal her possessed daughter. He did not answer. The disciples approached and asked him to tell her to go away because she cried behind them. Jesus replied: "I was sent down to only save the lost sheep of the house of Israel".

 But she still followed begging. Jesus answered directly "it is not meet to take the children bread, and cast it to dogs”.

2. Matthew (10:34-36): I came not to bring peace to the world, but a sword. I have come to divide sons with their father, daughters with their mother, daughter-in-law with their mother-in-law. And they will have an enemy from their own household.

3. (Mark 16: 1-8): Mark wrote that Jesus was crucified and died on Friday.On Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome bought sweet spices to anoint him. When they arrived at the caves where the body of Jesus was kept, they saw a man dressed in white sitting in the cave and they were terrified. But he said not to fear since Jesus had resurrected and left this place ...

* Comment: The Bible suggests that Jesus died after crucifixion, then he resurrected. But tests on the Shroud of Christ on August 10, 1978 by international scientists acknowledged that Jesus was still alive; he was not dead then resurrected as described in the Bible. So, should Christians believe the Bible or in experiments conducted by the world’s scientists?

4. (Luke 14:25-26) described that, when walking with a group of people, Jesus Christ turned and said that “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple”.

5. Luke (19:11-29): A parable of the pounds (19:26-28) I say to you, who already have then will be given more, who do not have then take away what they will have. As for those who are against me, I do not want to rule them, bring them here, and kill them before me.
After Jesus said that, he went before the people, ascending up to Jerusalem.

Conclusion

With over 20 quotes from the Old Testament and New Testament above (of course, there still are many similar teachings in the Bible), and if we use three criteria --- humane, practical and scientific --- to appraise the values of religions, we see that the Bible of Protestantism and Catholicism lacks humane values, can not be applied in the life of the human community, and goes against science. Therefore, the Church needs a complete renovation program, from doctrine to practice, otherwise the Church will gradually weaken as human awareness and knowledge are growing every day. And shouldn’t governments of the countries in the world establish Bible studies to assess their values in the cultures and human civilization?

(Dignitaries and followers of the Protestant and Catholic Churches should speak up if I have been incorrect)

Vietnamese version:

http://sachhiem.net/BUIKHA/HongNgoc01.php

http://giaodiemonline.com/2011/02/thanhkinh.htm

Written in Vietnamese by Hong Ngoc
Translated by Nguyen Tanh
February 2011