January 2, 2010

  • Don't tell me what my religion says Pt 1

    It really gets a bit iritating having people try to tell me what my religion says when trying to sell me their's.

     Most Christians are taught that "Jesus died for their sins" and that the Jewish bible, which they call the "Old Testament," says that ONLY blood sacrifices can atone for sins. This falsehood is repeated by deceptive Christian missionaries to Jews they are trying to convert with  monotonous regularity.

    However, Jews who read their bible know that there are SEVERAL ways to atone for sins -- not just "blood sacrifices," 

    In fact, the sentence most quoted  is Levitcus 17:11    . However, Jews who read their Bible know that Leviticus 17:11 is not a chapter about atonement. Rather, when one views
    the context, it describes the prohibition of eating blood.

    The verse directly preceding verse 11 makes this very clear. It says, "    If anyone of the house of Israel or of the aliens who reside among them eats any blood I will set my face against that person who eats blood, and will cut that person off from the people." The next verse goes on to explain why G-d has prohibited us from eating blood.
    "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar; for, as life, it is the blood that makes atonement."The verses are speaking about blood of sacrifices not being permitted for eating.In other words, although we were given permission to eat animal flesh, the blood of sacrifices was set aside from the flesh for a specific purpose. To be used in the Temple service for atonement. No where in this verse does it say that blood is the only way, or even the best way to achieve atonement. Only that, since it was set aside for the purpose of atonement, we are forbidden
    to eat it. With animals slaughtered just for food the Torah states the blood is poured on the ground and covered up.That is not allowed to be eaten either.In each verse below the word used is kippur, atonement. Missionaries to Jews leave that little fact out.

    THE VERSES
    READ Exodus 30:12 "Every man shall give God an atonement for his soul ... this shall they give ... a half shekel." Thus, we are taught that charity can,in fact, provide atonement.
    READ Exodus 30:16 "Money of the Children of Israel [may be used] to make an atonement for your souls."
    READ Leviticus 5:16 which teaches that returning something to it's rightful owner and "he shall be forgiven."
    READ Numbers 31:50 "Jewelry of gold [may be used] to make an atonement for our souls."
    READ First Samuel 15:22 which reads: "And Samuel said: 'Does the Lord delight as much in your burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the voice of the Lord?' Behold,     obedience is better than any sacrifice, and to comply [better] than the fat of rams."
    READ I Kings 8:46-53 which teaches that prayer and repentance are both valid forms of atonement.
    READ I Kings 48:50 in which King Solomon, at the dedication of the first Temple, knew that the Jewish people would someday be without the Temple and the sacrificial system. He described a time when the Jews would be carried off into the land of their enemies. He then proceeded to tell us exactly what we should do in such a case in order to achieve atonement. He said "And pray to Thee towards their land, which Thou didst give to their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name: then hear Thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, and forgive Thy people that have sinned against Thee, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against thee" (I Kings 48:50).
    Clearly King Solomon was telling us that, through repentance and supplication, we can be granted atonement.
    READ Isaiah 27:9 which references to breaking altars to idolatry will atone for the sin.
     We see that fighting idolatry can provide atonement.
    READ Jeremiah 26:13 "Depart from evil, and do good, so you will abide forever." (see also Psalm 37:27; Ezekiel 33; Zechariah 1:3)
    READ Jeremiah 36:3 "That every man will turn from his evil way, then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin."
    READ Ezekiel 18:21-30 which proclaims that "If the wicked man turns from his sins and observes My statues, he will live."
    READ Hosea 6:6 "    For I desire goodness; not sacrifice.Obedience to G-d, rather than burnt offerings."
    READ Hosea 14:2-3 which states that all of our sins will be forgiven, in exchange for which we can give prayers instead of sacrifices.
    Some Christian bible translations are so bothered by that verse that they actually change it
     to read "... and we will offer the fruit of our lips." instead of bulls of our lips. If their doctrine is so solid, why must they change our scriptures?
    READ Jonah 3:10 "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not."
    This verse discusses how G-d saw the people of Ninveh turn from unjust acts of disdain to righteous acts of kindness. Because of the people's repentance  (T'shuva) the  forgiveness they sought was granted to them by G-d.
    READ Micah 6:6-8 which proclaims: "With what shall I come to the L-rd, and bow myself before the G-d on  high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the L-rd take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the L-rd require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your G-d." (see also Amos 5:22-24; Jeremiah 7; Psalm 69:31-32)
    READ Psalms 40:7 "Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; but my ears You have opened; burnt offering and sin offering You have not required." (Psalm 40:6 in
    Christian Bibles)
    READ Psalms 51:18 which says: "You do not want me to bring sacrifices; You do not desire burnt offerings."
    READ Psalms 69:30-33 which says that "song" [words, prayer, and study] is better than sacrifices."
    READ Psalms 78:22-39 which says that even though the Jewish people "believed not in G-d and trusted  not in his salvation," which resulted in many earthly trials and tribulations, and even though "their hearts were not right with Him nor were they steadfast in His covenant," G-d nevertheless "being full of compassion forgave their sin     because they were but flesh."
    READ Psalms 86:5-6 "For You, L-rd, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in loving kindness to all who call upon You. Give ear, O L-rd to my prayer,  and give heed to the voice of my supplications."
    Thus, we discover prayer is a form of atonement as stated by  in Psalms.
    READ Proverbs 10:2 which says that: "Ill-gotten wealth is of no avail; But righteousness saves from death."
    READ Proverbs 11:4 which similarly states that "Wealth is to no avail in the days of wrath,     But righteousness saves from death."
    READ Proverbs 16:6 (JPS Version) "the practice of mercy and truth atones for sin."
    READ Proverbs 14:22 which teaches that merely "devising [planning] good deeds is considered to be mercy and truth."
    READ Proverbs 21:3 "To do righteous charity ('    tzedakah') and judgement is more acceptable to G-d than sacrifice."
    Therefore, we are taught, that righteous, charitable acts are not only effective in achieving atonement, but they are actually preferred by G-d over animal sacrifices.The Hebrew word Tzedakah means both righteousness and charity.
    READ Job 22:23-27 "If you return to G-d you will be restored; if you remove unrighteousness far from your tent.... then you will delight in G-d."
    READ Daniel 4:24 "Therefore, O king, may my counsel be acceptable to you: atone for your sins with righteousness, and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, so that your prosperity may be prolonged" (This verse appears as 4:27 in a Christian Bible.)
    READ Second Chronicles 6:36-42 explains that after a person sins, if he repents, he will be forgiven by G-d.
    READ Second Chronicles 7:14 which states "And if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
    Hence, we learn again that repentance is another form of atonement. If you admit to your sinning and seek to improve it with righteous acts of charity, G-d will forgive you.
    READ Second Chronicles 30:18-19 "G-d pardons everyone that prepares his heart [whose intent is] to seek G-d even though he not be cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary" (an "unclean" person is unable to offer sacrifices).
    =====================================
    DID YOU KNOW?
    Did you know that Psalms, chapter 51, verses 18 and 19 (verse 17 in the Christians Bible) show that repentance is preferred over blood sacrifices when it states: "The sacrifices of
    G-d are a broken spirit, and a contrite and crushed heart"?
    Did you know that even during the years that the Temple was standing, and sacrifices were offered on a daily basis, sacrificial offerings NEVER atoned for sins committed against human beings? For example, wounding another person's body or hurting someone's feelings could not be atoned for using sacrifices?
    Did you know that even during the years that the Temple was standing, and sacrifices were offered on a daily basis, sacrificial offerings did NOT atone for deliberately committed sins?
    Did you know that Deuteronomy 24:16 warns that a father cannot be put to death for a son,
    and a son cannot be put to death for a father?
    Did you know that Jeremiah 31:29 says that "every man shall die for his own iniquity (wrongdoing) thus disenabling Jesus of dying for anyone else accept himself!
    Did you know that the prophet Ezekiel warned against Christendom's central doctrine that an innocent human being can die for the sins of the wicked (Ezekiel 18)?
    Did you know that Second Chronicles 25:4 states that "every man shall die for his own
    sin" thus eliminating Jesus from atoning for the sins of anyone but himself?
     
    All this stands in  contradiction to the Christian doctrine that the only way a person can truly repent and be forgiven is to accept Jesus as his sacrifice or rather the Christian book is what contradicts the Torah,writings and Prophets.

    As the "New Testament" Book of Hebrews declares (9:22), "...Without shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." Apparently the author never read the Hebrew scriptures.