The Bible--Source Of Abuse?

by Van Robison

To question the veracity, validity, accuracy and supposed "infallibility" of what is called "the Bible" is tantamount to leprosy or cancer. To even suggest that there are potential issues in the Bible that are very questionable is to be looked upon as someone with "spiritual warts." For most of my life, like millions of others, I was led to believe that "the Bible is infallible and inerrant", but with time, age and much thought about this issue, I have come to absolutely know that Jesus Christ never said "the Bible is infallible and inerrant." The Bible is the foundation upon which much of the world bases its beliefs in God, but to say that it is 100% God inspired is not only very questionable, but it is also something that Jesus Christ never taught His followers to believe. It is true that "the scriptures" about Jesus Christ had to be fulfilled, but what about other writings in the Old Testament supposedly attributed to God? If you admit the real truth, you cannot prove many things about the Bible, no matter how emotional anyone is about it, or how many doctorate degrees anyone has in "theology" or supposed "Bible history", or how "skilled" one may be in Hebrew or Greek.

It is appalling, but in the Old Testament it was the spiritual leaders and the secular rulers who were frequently severely chastised for their abuses. The prophets in the Old Testament, based upon what they were given from God, verbally chastised the priests, the false prophets, the pastors and the scribes (those who penned writings) up one side and down the other, for their wickedness. Reading the book of Jeremiah makes this very clear, that even the pen of the scribes was in vain. If spiritual leaders were not trustworthy, then you have to wonder if what was penned in writings are any more trustworthy?

The character of Jesus Christ as reflected in the New Testament, is so vividly different from the perception of "God" in parts of the Old Testament, that it is for me impossible to believe in the "historical accounts" of some parts of the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and we all know that He taught LOVE not WAR or VIOLENCE. Jesus Christ said of Himself "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father", and therefore, there is not a shadow of difference between the Father and Christ. In the Old Testament we are told that "God" supposedly told the children of Israel to go into the promised land and kill all the men, women and children and take their land. There is such an overwhelming contradiction to the character of Jesus Christ from the "history" of the Old Testament that there is no possible way to reconcile the difference, which is like night and day. So then is the Bible "infallible and inerrant?" Perhaps there has been an underlying motive as to why we have been led to believe that.

In the direct teachings of Jesus Christ, we are taught that Christ alone is the ONE and ONLY MASTER (Matthew 23:8), and that we are all brethren (brothers and sisters). In fact, Jesus said to "call no man master." It is my personal contention that to call men or women "pastor" is the same thing as calling them "master", which Christ forbade and yet the whole Christian world ignores this directive of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that He alone is the One Shepherd of the One Fold (John 10:16), and He called Himself "the Good Shepherd." Pastors insist that they are "under shepherds", but Jesus never identified them as such. All pastors who believe they have "authority over" others, take that belief not from the teachings of Jesus Christ, but from other writings of what is called "The New Testament." Supposedly Paul said in Hebrews 13:17, "obey those who have the authority over you", and also in Romans 13:1-3 he supposedly said to "obey the higher powers" (whatever "higher powers" means, we are not really told). And in verse 3, it states that "rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil", and when anyone really gives thought to that, you have to say that cannot be the truth. Rulers are in fact very often a terror to good works, and the ultimate proof of that is in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as well as the martyrdom of most of the original disciples; unless the "Higher Power" is really Jesus Christ.

Throughout history, the innocent have been terrorized by rulers such as Stalin of Russia, Mao of China and innumerable other wicked rulers such as Nero and Caligula of Rome. The countless millions of innocent human beings who have been slaughtered, falsely accused, sent to prison and maligned is legendary in human history. So how can Romans 13:1-3 say that it is to defy God to disobey "higher powers" and that these supposed "rulers" are not a terror to good works, but to the evil", and does that make any sense??? I can only believe that the real "Higher Power" is simply Jesus Christ and no other. Does God establish communist dictatorships who are ruthless, merciless, cruel and downright evil and say "obey the higher powers" of these monsters of darkness? If you believe that, then you would also believe that the moon is made of cheese.

It is long, long overdue for Christians to "PROVE ALL THINGS" and stop letting preachers do their thinking, because many preachers are in deep error and they do not know or understand all truth. Yes, "the Bible" is a major source of abuse--in the name of God, or in the name of Jesus Christ and yet those passages that rulers cling to were NOT spoken by Jesus Christ. People will say, yes, but God inspired all the writings because one scripture says "all scripture is given by inspiration of God", but what is "all scripture?" Is it anything some group of men decided is "inspired" by God, and so they said "this is the infallible and inerrant word of God?" The world is full of Christians who defend the Bible in their ignorance, because there are CONTRADICTIONS in the Bible, and it is a book of massive bloodshed and tyranny in the Old Testament. Is "God" of the Old Testament the same person as Jesus Christ of the New? Jesus Christ was definitely the "I AM" before Abraham ever was, but is everything in the Old Testament attributed to God, really from God? When I can personally ask Jesus Christ and He tells me verbally from His own mouth that the Old and New Testaments are 100% infallible and inerrant, then and only then, will I ever believe it.

Many of the world's abuse problems stem from "the Bible", both Old and New Testaments. As for me, I will always believe that Jesus Christ is the ONE and ONLY MASTER, the ONE and ONLY SHEPHERD, the ONE and ONLY "I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life", and He is the ONE and ONLY GOVERNMENT (Isaiah 9:6) in the universe, and all others, both religious and secular are imposters. Have you ever read in any of the teachings of Jesus Christ in the four Gospels where Christ appointed "authority" over His sheep to "pastors?" So why then do the supposed writings of Paul and others take priority over the direct teachings of Christ? Are "scholars" ignorant or are some of these writings simply spurious? Is it "blasphemy" to ask questions and even doubt validity? Is salvation a "pastor" thing, or a Christ gift from God? Is "the Bible"--God, or is the WORD of God--not the Bible at all, but rather the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3)?

No matter what the "world's greatest scholars" say, teach or cause you to believe, the real source of absolute truth is the Person of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Abuse comes from lacking the character of God Almighty, and also from the belief that God gave "authority" to human rulers to rule over you. How can anyone serve two masters? Either Jesus Christ IS MASTER or He is not, and it cannot be both ways. If you have a human "pastor" then Jesus Christ is not your Master. Christ is not Master through your "pastor", but directly into your life through the Holy Spirit. Even Paul chastised people for saying "I am of Paul" (1 Corinthians 1:12-13), and yet millions of Christians today say "My pastor is so and so." If Jesus Christ is not your Pastor, then you have the wrong Master.

Is "the Bible" a major source of abuse? Yes it is, because much of the world takes its supposed "authority" from "the Bible." No matter how one reads and understands "the Bible", Jesus Christ IS NEVER THE AUTHOR OF ABUSE, and yet the religious world is full of spiritual abuse by "spiritual rulers." Authority belongs to Jesus Christ and not to men, organizations of men or even human governments. It seems next to impossible for Christians to believe that Jesus Christ is the ONLY AUTHORITY in the universe, and it is primarily because of "the Bible" and some very questionable writings attributed to being "inspired" by God.

In the realm of human governments you always hear "it's the law" (nothing more than ink on paper), and those who enforce "the laws" are very frequent abusers of mankind. Police brutality is nothing new and happens frequently around the world (always justified by the abusers). Mankind is abused through taxation (armed robbery), through usury interest (authorized theft) on loans, through doctors' incompetence and innumerable unnecessary surgeries, through tyrannical laws, heinous wars, through the abuse of the elderly in nursing homes, through abuse of mind-control drugs, and in so many other ways that it is actually mind-boggling. All people who are "watchmen" in life see these issues even when others do not.

The Bible is used as the source and foundation for power, control and money robbery by the professional class of clergy, who dominate the lives of countless millions of human beings. The Bible is used to manipulate believers, control believers, steal from believers, and to make believers fear false authority. The Bible is used to cause believers to focus upon church buildings, pastor-power, pastor-authority, pastor-tithing, pastor this and pastor that, while using the name of Jesus Christ. The Bible is used to make people fear, to make people believe in many false prophesies, false teachings, false apostles, false prophets, false "scholars", false pastors, and false scribes. Satan transforms himself as an "angel of light", and his ministers are also transformed as "angels of light." False preachers focus upon many things, other than upon Christ, and the hordes of people who follow these "angels of light" are led down a path of darkness. Even Paul said he knew NOTHING--except CHRIST CRUCIFIED. Today's "prophets" feign that they are "experts" in Bible knowledge and would have the world believe that they know exactly every detail about the future. Pity the poor souls who believe, follow, read the books, and financially support these modern day false prophets.

The "Bible" is most definitely the foundation for great ABUSE, by pastors, by prophets, by scholars, by scribes, by priests, by Bible interpreters, by Bible "translators" and by many who use the name of God or Jesus Christ falsely. To believe a lie, is a prison.