Synonyms include: faith, belief, divinity, worship, creed, teaching, doctrine, theology,
sect, cult, group, community, church, denomination, body, following, persuasion,affiliation.
Here are some of the synonyms I've picked out especially from the list: creed, doctrine, theology, sect, denomination, affiliation, and cult.
Obviously, "Religion" can mean different things to different people. This is what makes the word dirty. Personally, I dislike the word. To me, the word has become to mean a man-made system aside and separate from the original belief. In fact, the word "belief" is passed over without much consideration.
Belief means; an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists, something one accepts as true or real; a firmly held opinion or conviction. This definition for belief is rooted in fact, in the person's mind, whether it's true or not, hence the use of the word conviction. My picks for synonyms impart a different kind of definition, a definition clearly created in the minds of men and established for the purposes of control and/or manipulation. Now you have a sense of what this blog is about. We're going to try and get past the dirt. Let's establish some beliefs that man has, as compared to what the Judeo-Christian Bible actually says.
... but firstly,
Do you believe the Bible is a Holy Book?
Is the Bible inspired by God? If you don't believe that then you're probably not even interested in this subject. We would all agree the Bible was written by men, but was it written by men inspired by God? Many man-made denominations and cults that call themselves Christian or "Jewish", believe some of it is and some of it isn't. Translation errors in Scripture have been interjected over the centuries, but are well known and recorded, so that shouldn't deter one's belief. This kind of manipulative modification is especially true of the New Testament! The TANAKH, however, has remained remarkably pure over the ages. Some would say miraculously so and I would agree!
I have been told by some who claim to be Christian, that the Old Testament, also called the TANAKH, is not inspired by God and/or has been superseded, and should be ignored. Does this mean that God the Father, Yehovah, got it wrong, and the Son, Yeshua (Jesus), had to set things straight? Does one even begin to recognize the ramifications of this? This would mean that everything established by the Father in the TANAKH is history at best but worthless spiritually, thereby making Jesus' ministry worthless. Why? Because Yeshua's ministry is completely based on the Father and His wishes! Do I really have to show you all of the verses in the New Testament (B'rit Hadashah) where Yeshua acknowledges the Father and His will? No ..., intellectually honest students of the Bible will acknowledge the consistent message presented by the Father throughout the TANAKH and Yeshua's steadfast agreement with the Father in the B'rit Hadashah.
Yehovah does makes adjustments in presentation from Genesis to Malachi to Revelation, but the message remains the same; live your life by His rules. Study the way God approached Noah compared to Abraham, to Isaac, to Joseph, to Isaiah, to Moses, to any of the prophets or people groups and you will notice the approach changed in order to communicate effectively with the particular person or people group. Yehovah's message, however, remains constant.
(ESV used)
Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
John 10:22 At that time the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ (Messiah Yeshua) is the same yesterday and today and forever.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
One major clump of mans dirt is the standard church teaching that Torah has been done away with. This doctrine is pervasive in the church. The problem with it is it turns Yeshua into a person worthy of disgrace and death. Listen to 119 Ministries as they explain:
If you believe the whole Bible is inspired by God, then continue reading, otherwise please understand; your belief is based on nothing but man's opinion.
Worshipping the God of the Bible in the same way as pagans worship their gods.
We can argue about what is the correct name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all day long, and that's OK. Is His name Yehovah or Yahweh, or something else? This kind of discussion is based in linguistics, ancient documentation, archeology, and history. It's a worthwhile subject to respectfully argue about. What cannot be argued is what the Bible says about how to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Deut. 12:29 “When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods." Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.
Deuteronomy is am amazing book! It behooves one to study the entire scroll. The instructions given to the Israelites are intended to keep them separate from the doctrine and dogma of the pagans living within the land they've just conquered. Of course, just like the Christian church they failed in this regard. The fortunate thing is that if we have Torah written on our hearts as stated in Jeremiah 31, we can correct this problem, for both Jew and Gentile.
What are some examples of worshipping God in a pagan way nowadays?
A. Sunday Worship - instituted by the Pagan Emperor Constantine on March 3, 321 A.D to celebrate Sol Invictus Deo (the ultimate sun-god).
B. Christmas - became a formal celebration on Dec. 25th, 336 A.D., instituted by Constantine (goes back to Nimrod and many pagan celebrations).
C. Easter - The Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. decreed that Easter should be observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 21). Easter, therefore, can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25 (goes back to Nimrod's wife Semiramis and other pagan goddesses).
D. Halloween - In 844, Pope Gregory IV transferred the feast to November 1st, timing it around the harvests to be able to provide food for the pilgrims. Some scholars believe this was to substitute a feast for the pagan celebrations during that time of year. Pope Sixtus IV in 1484 established November 1 as a holyday of obligation and gave it both a vigil (known today as "All Hallows' Eve" or "Hallowe'en") and an eight-day period or octave to celebrate the feast. (btw, this pagan Feast was intended to replace Sukkot, Yehovah's 8 day Feast).
This feast is marked with liturgical observances that have changed over the centuries. By 1955, the octave and vigil of All Saints were abrogated. Instead of a separate vigil on the calendar, the celebration begins the evening before, as mentioned in The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar:
Solemnities are counted as the principal days in the calendar and their observance begins with evening prayer of the preceding day. Some also have their own vigil Mass for use when Mass is celebrated in the evening of the preceding day.
E. Rosh Hashanah - traces back to the Babylonian captivity and the pagan god Marduk. Most Jews don't realize the significance of Yom Teruah and have been taught to rename Yehovah's Holy Day in agreement with Babylonian Marduk worship. Marduk, btw, can be seen as a pseudonym for Satan. Our Jewish brothers and sisters have created pseudo-biblical traditions associated with Rosh Hashanah, of course; they don't actually worship Satan in their minds, but these are man-made traditions. Also, most Christians don't realize that Yom Teruah is described in Revelation as the 7th Trumpet and therefore, don't appreciate the day's significance either.
F. Lent - the worship of Tammuz, the son of Nimrod and Semiramis.
G.Wearing a Kippah (Yarmulkes) - An adaptation to the Hellenistic Culture, most likely from Hermes/Mercury's Cap. From Rabbinic Authority (Talmud). And from human opinion which claims it is to show a Rabbi's authority over the men in the congregation.
H.Following the Pope and his man-made system - The Roman Papal system was an invention of the Roman Empire and has no real genuine historical ties to the early Christian church. As the system developed over the centuries it begin to assume more and more power. It is a great example of syncretism which is the blending of Pagan religions with belief systems like Judaism and Christianity. Many Christians consider The Roman Catholic church and its Protestant "offspring" as the Great Harlot, Whore of Babylon and her daughters, mentioned in the book of Revelation. I believe this as well.
When I die, will I go to Heaven or Hell?
Most Christian and Jewish doctrines claim that when a person dies, he or she is immediately judged and a determination is made if one goes to a place of punishment or a place of reward. Generally, these places are called Heaven and Hell, Heaven being the nice place and Hell being a place of torment.
Would it surprise you to hear the Bible doesn't say this? Man says it but the Bible does not. Of course, our English Bibles use the words Heaven and Hell but their meanings have become twisted and abused. The reason for this confusion is, once again, syncretism. Pagan religions have co-mingled with Christian and Jewish belief and so has the very words of the languages.
Hel: the Nordic/Germanic goddess of the underworld - English is a Germanic language. Listen carefully when someone is speaking German and an English speaker can understand some words and phrases. German mythology and folklore is Nordic in origin. Niflheim is the Nordic Pagan hell. Even the spelling for the goddess is similar, "Hel" and "Hell". Like Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, Hel eventually evolved into the goddesses name as well as the place name.
Look to the right for Lex Myers teaching, Biblical Truth About Life After Death to find out more.
Hopefully, we will see each other at the blessed Resurrection of the Saints.
Conclusion:
Obviously, I have not listed all the pagan doctrines and behaviors within Christianity and Judaism. That would require a huge manuscript and authors have done this already, if you're interested in learning more. Also, I have not gone into great detail on each example for the same reason. So many resources exist that one can find additional data on his own. I have only scratched the veneer to expose the fake wood underneath so one can see the "church" and "synagogue" is not always what it appears to be. Do you see why Religion is such a dirty word? When a belief is turned into filth by men's tradition it becomes disgustingly tainted and religion becomes very dirty indeed.
Now, does this make all the folks who are part of the organizations I'm referring to apostates and non-believers! No! Of course not! It simply illustrates how all of us are on our own journey as we learn more and more about the One True God. The point here is to not be a slave to the tradition of men. Yehovah/Yeshua warned us about this. If you're still following man, you're most likely not following God! Do what the Bible says, not what man says.
The Observer
