When I became a born-again Christian in 2008, I started studying the bible word for word. I would spend hours a day reading all commentaries for all the verses I studied.
The more I studied the bible the more I realized that most of the Christians around me did not believe everything that was in the bible. It was either they did not know half of the bible or they knew and chose to ignore. As a person who always thought deeply about things, it was crystal clear to me that half of the bible was very disturbing to the human mind. If today people lived by the bible rules from Genesis to Revelation, they would be deemed mentally unstable, barbaric or even evil.
If a man raped a woman, their punishment was to marry the woman by paying a dowry to the father. It was irrelevant whether the woman loved the man or not. There was no such thing as human rights as we know today. In wars, the Israelites would kill their enemies, including the women and children without mercy, and would take the virgins to be their wives.
Bible character Lot offered his own virgin daughters to be gang-raped by men of Sodom so that the angels of the Lord would be spared. But in the eyes of God, he was a righteous man.
There are a lot of other practices and laws in the bible which today are seen as beyond barbaric. The Christians of today will skip all those disturbing scriptures and cherry pick on the ones which are positive and makes them feel good, both in the New And Old Testament.
One of the biblical scriptures that remain untouched today is SLAVERY. The hard truth is that both in the New and Old Testament, slavery was never condemned by God. The biblical era itself was an era of slavery. Slave masters were told how to buy slaves and how to treat them. In the New Testament, slaves were simply ordered to obey their masters. Jesus Christ himself was mute on the issue of slavery, He never said a word against the practice, which was very common in His day. He could have simply told the slaves of His day to start social movements to fight against the injustices of slavery. Slaves could have started a “Slaves Lives Matter” movement, protesting in the streets, but Jesus Christ never encouraged such.
The new Christians themselves had slaves. In the book of Philemon, the Apostle Paul sent a slave who had escaped back to his Christian master, because it was the “right thing” to do.
When I first became a Christian, I remember writing about the topic of slavery according to what the bible said, and the article was obviously not well received.
Now, this brings me to the black man, the white man, and slavery. Today black people are always looking for answers as to why they are still suffering and why they were enslaved. But the truth is the white men did not introduce slavery to the world. It was there since the beginning of time. In fact in Africa, slavery was rife way before the white men landed there. Black people had black slaves. When the white men got to Africa, they were introduced to the concept of slavery by the black men. It was the black people/black masters who sold their own slaves to white people. Black people were fighting each other, tribe against tribe, enslaving the defeated tribes. The white men simply saw an opportunity and beat the black people at their own game.
The whites had something the blacks did not have, the BIBLE. The good book gave them the authority to overpower the black race. The white men taught the black men the bible, and with scriptures like these, they were justified to enslave. “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Colossians 3:22”
Today the black men still cry that they were enslaved by whites, but will not accept the fact that they played a huge part in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In no way am I saying the white men were justified in what they did, but I believe the bigger blame is actually with the people who sold their own brethren into slavery. Who is more to blame, the slaves who bought Joseph or his own brothers who sold him into slavery? Black people will never get anywhere unless they stop preaching half-truths about racism, colonization, and slavery. We have to confront our own history and deal with it.
Our forefathers allowed themselves to be indoctrinated by the bible so that they could be enslaved. They were not smart enough to think for themselves at this point. They were even more in numbers than the whites, yet with the bible, they were conned into slavery, in one of the greatest evils ever done to mankind.
If black people are asked to think critically when holding the same bible that enslaved them, they refuse to question whats in the bible as they fear they will be sinning against God.
The white slave masters were bible believing “sincere” Christians. They went to Africa to spread the gospel and saw an opportunity to enslave black people to make their lives better using the very gospel they were spreading.
Today the white man has finished with the bible, in fact they are finished with God. They have removed God from their schools and systems. They are now the masters of atheism. They call the bible an evil uncivilized book. However, they are still reaping the benefits of what the bible gave them, slavery and colonization. They are the most privileged people in the world, and the only reason why they are privileged is because their forefathers used the bible to enslave black people and better their lives, and that is the inheritance of white people.
As for black people, still divided today, still suffering as hell, still experiencing the after-effects of colonization which will probably never end, they will hold and defend the bible till death. The blacks are forever trying so hard to get to where the white man is today, but no matter how the blacks try, they are not able to catch up. Africa seems to be getting worse by the day, black people are going mad with Christianity, some even drinking sewage because their pastor says so. Last year in Nigeria a pastor and his congregation were burnt to death after he poured petrol on himself and the congregation and lit the room on fire saying God would not allow them to burn.
Even though I am a black woman, I fail to understand black people. All I know is there is something seriously wrong with them, and it only comes out when they hold the bible. I do not understand why we are now the main defenders of the religion that was used to enslave us? I do not understand why it is only us who refuse to put the bible down for even 10 minutes just to “think”. I do not understand why we moan about racism, slavery, and oppression when the bible we love so much clearly does not condemn it.
If you want to be where the whites are today, the only solution is to do what the white people do today; which is to question everything and think. Remove the bible from your head for just one hour and question and think. It’s not being demon possessed and it’s not being evil, its called freedom. Unless you will ever get to this place, as black people you will forever be in chains. And it is clear to me that even in 2017, black people are not ready for freedom.
As I finish this article, I leave my readers with only two questions. Why are black people so obsessed with the bible, which is the book that caused their suffering? And why is it that they are the only people who when holding the bible refuse to question anything or think?
jeangasho.com 
We see all that is against us. We see how prepared they are. We see that the next moved shouldn’t be dialogue, but a strike. When a child rebels,we discipline. When a grown person disrespects, you discipline harder. This is what they do to us. We are weak. Admit it. They have us corned in every aspect. The bible says we should come from among them. We should have a way to not need them. They don’t need us anymore.Our forefathers could not beat them. They got too far ahead.Period. Their children are doing exactly as they need them to do, no matter what they do. We are under Gods law. This is what I spoken in the bible. We will never see our promise land again. They are told onecway that they are to come into the fold. Another where Jesus only comes back for Isreal. Yet we just want to live a normal life that’s not being allowed.we hurt, but we care about others who are not under our laws “feelings”. F*ck their feelings. They have couched everything.why? Because they took everything that belonged to us a long time ago. They just see it as a defeat. If someone ribbed you by gun point, and you see them ten years later and don’t remember you,you don’t remind them and complain. You kick their ass and leave them clueless as to why. White america marvels over WHY THIS HASNT HAPPENED TO THEM YET.that’s why they got arrogant.”well, thyre not whipping us up yet, so we must’ve done something right.” Yep. More guns bought last year than our whole military issued, stricter gun lwas on blacks lenient laws to whites IN YOUR FACE,public media alowwing them to call us NIGGERS while we want to sit and have conversation with these idiots that a black woman would refuse to have with a respectful BLACK MAN,and the list goes on. Its either deny your race manhood or culture, swirl, or become a hate monger who stays alone all your life. Because us as black people had the same problems before Jesus Christ,and now they can clone us. What kept us was the fact that we fought back.until the 20th century, it kept us. Thanks to aliens and our tombs of ancient technology we were so happy to let them raid because the people keeping them were starving or dying out,they now run the world.how could there be ALL THIS HISTORY and not ONE PERSON who can remember? Lucy and white people got some splaining to do. I know I’m going to get beat up by pussies and whinps behind computers who pay real peoplevto do their bidding because that’s how they spend extra money, but um going to say it. We were already left behind. Most if these whites are clones themselves. We will never wipe off the stain of slave, and the Bible that’s been hijacked via redaction of the holy Torah aooerently tells us what to do, and what they want. They want our spot in heaven, and think that God somehow will let that happen, since our disobedience allowed them to enslave us and come into the fold. This is not over.Until your life is conplerly take. Imagine allk your life, the reason why you go through the hell you do, is because of another human being wanting you to. Money us only as good as the person who fights behind it, its only an IOU for gold. We have no gold in america. This is why Gaddafi was killed. They didn’t want another mansa musa. They kill any of us that come to power that doesn’t make a complete fool of themselves.This is why the sword is against US.They will take our bodies next.Sharing a big bowl of vain riches for you soul and birthrights with a refreshing glass of thirsty servants to make sure the transaction goes through. This has been and will always be the struggle.Every black person should have a mandatory class on this in every grade to let them know what they really are up against.
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What you have said is very deep.
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Hi Jean.
This is my first time reading your postings, quiet eloquent I will say. I havent checked the internet for your profile or bio, for lack of time, probably will do later.
I like your emancipated approach to comments on the Bible but just wanted to confirm a few things before i engage you further on a few issues you raised in your article above:
1. Are you still a born again Christian?
2. In your reading of the Bible, did you get convinced that the Bible stories are real, particularly the Jesus story?
If you respond to these questions then I will pose the next set. Making sure that you read the comments and also take the appropriate posture in the discussion.
Thanks.
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Gwar I’m a believer and very spiritual
Secondly yes I believe the stories are real 😊
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Eix I believe sometimes we are afraid of our potential. We are afraid of uncharted waters.
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I think you are ignorant read the African history of slave trade and educate yourself and stop read nonsense from the white historie……God forgive you
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Jean
What you said makes a lot of sense. It is true the christian world has been hijacked by opportunities like TB Joshua, Makandiwa, Magaya to mention a few. List is much bigger but for lack of time as I have issues to deal with I won’t go on. Nothing is unusual about these money mongers. The bible clearly warns us of such money loving people who do not represent God. They are used by the devil “Satan ” lucifer himself. Do you expect good to come from the devil? They are tainting and tarnishing the church and sadly a lot of people fall pray to these sons of the devil
On the other hand, the true church needs our commitment. In whatever form to survive. The money should never benefit individuals but help move forward God’s work. That is the reason we give through tithing , offerings and and what ever form. That money is for helping the poor, the church not individuals. Pastors who take money from the church to enrich themselves are thieves stealing from God. No pastor should live a luxurious life for our saviour Jesus Christ never taught us to take from the church or the poor. This seed planting nonsense with money to multiple your riches on earth is rubbish. Don’t listen to such nonsense. Give to help support the good ministry and God’s work but not expect to expect to multiple your riches. Jesus did not come to make us rich material but save us from sins . He died on the cross for the remission of our sins and only through that sacrifice we were freed from sin and have abundance grace. The vale was torn apart as he gave us unlimited access to his grace. All we need is to believe Jesus is the son of God and only through him we are saved. All this $77, $770, $7000 ,$77000 seed planting nonsense will not give you grace .
This is what’s lacking my dear sister Jean in your blog. As much as you are highlighting a serious problem with the devil now fighting from within the church you missed clarifying facts. God has never condemned any particular race. Black , white , Asian , coloured we are all children of God . He loves us equally the same and I don’t subscribe to this myth that blacks are mentally lazy because I am astute .
A lot of blacks have made ernomous contributions to this world. For Donald Trump to label blacks lazy is rather racist than factual. So dear sister Jean stop aligning yourself with such racist comments meant to imply there is a superior race to the other. God created us the same with equal capabilities.
This is my contribution to your submission.
Ben
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Thanks Ben
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The point is there is no “God”. People act like there is some man in the sky looking over you. There isn’t. It’s a fairy tale gone viral. Do you believe in Santa Claus? The Easter Bunny? I don’t think so. You know who and what is “God”? Mother Earth. If we considered Mother Earth “God”, we’d take better care of it and those who walk on Mother Earth.
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Zalina
I am saddened by your view, which you are entitled to and I respect that stance. My prayer for you today is may God show his mighty power in your life and reveal himself to you. The same way he revealed himself to Soul the apostle Paul. You deserve his redemption, for his love is upon you.
God loves you Zalina, he gives you life and protects you . Don’t be troubled when you don’t understand God . It happens in life. However it would be better that you begin to feel his presence. I hope from this blog Jean started salvation will come to you too. For when she started, she never questioned God’s existence. It could be It was God’s plan to reveal himself to those who are still to find his grace and be freed.
May God intervene in your life my beloved sister Zalina. May he personally change your life
Ben
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God forgive you…….🙏 🙏 🙏
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Zalina,
It’s one thing for you to have that opinion. I assume you’ve read scripture and looked at the patterns of your life and have come to the conclusion that there is none. But when you take up your torch and pitchfork for war and to lead people away from God, then I have no prayers or well wishes for you. Why are you even here commenting? It’s to wage war against something you claim doesn’t exist. You have the spirit of whites.
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Hi Jean
Slavery was condemned by God hence He freed The Isrelites from slavery.
It is true that slavery started way before whites enslaved blacks. Blacks enslaved blacks and even whotes enslaved whites.
So slavery has nothing to do with the Bible but it is man’s lusts that make him do what is against God.
The bible is not to blame but the one who uses it for evil black or white is to blame.
Men is to blame. It’s like a gun can be used to protect the innocent in self defence or used to murder in evil desire. The gun is not evil but the one who uses it for evil intent.
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The bible says thou shall not kill but has that stopped murders. The Jews that opposed Jesus and aentually had Him crucified used the Law to condemn and crucify HIm. White have used anything they can to stay in power so I am not shocked at that, it wasn’t the bible that enslave black people it was evil greedy men full of hate that did it. Even Satan misinterpreted the bible in an attempt to deceive Christ.I am a believer and I am not enslaved the bible says you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. The white man lied that doesn’t change the truth of the Word of God.
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Dear Jean,
I have been confused lately & I almost fell in a trap of the evil one. Thanks for the article & for some comments here, that I find very constructive… I see your intentions & I find them very innocent so I am not judge you because there’s only One that must judge.
My opinion is that if we read the Bible as an earthly book we fall victim of the evil, whom the Bible has clearly outlined as the ruler of the world. As we are in this world, we are not of this world. Thus a lot of doctrines have gone out to confuse us to mix the life of this world with our spiritual life.
Why must be discuss being fair or equal with whites, race. We have one right in Christ.. The Bible clearly speaks about this & it’s happening now that which Daniel foresaw; Satan has come in the word! Like it was said that there’s a beast that will come out of the sea, with 2 horns like a lamb, but will confuse people to worship the first beast which was wounded..
Just is the only true word!! Am the way, the truth & the life. He never came to produce Christians but sons in the Kingdom of God..
I refuse to even be called a Christian not because I don’t believe in Christ, I am born again & I am not perfect but I know that we were not called to amount to congregations & denominations.
We were called to live our canal lives for spiritual lives, to disengage with the earthly things & live heavenly lives..
Our temple are rather our bodies first before we fellowship as brethren. From the time Adam & Eve lost the glory, the world has been ruled by evil, evil that controlled people’s hearts & desires..
Let us not be people that see race, let us forgive that happened in the past, let us trust God to be our justice!!! The world & its systems will never change because the Bible has predicted so, many years ago & we see all of those coming to fruitation..
So let us come close to Christ our only hope & rock right now.. thanks
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Jean you are certainly stupid and foolish just like the writer/ publisher!!
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Hi Jean, here is something i found which i believe is very relevant to this discussion.
The Four Deadly Christian Assumptions
By Kim Michaels
Is your Christian faith based on the rock of inner understanding or the shifting sand of man-made assumptions?
“Today, many people have opened their minds to a higher understanding of spiritual matters than what is found in traditional doctrines. Many more people can bear the higher truth, and therefore Jesus has appeared to give us that truth.”
For many mainstream Christians, the following assumptions are an integral part of their faith, yet what if these assumptions were out of touch with the reality of what Jesus taught? Would you want to know?
If so, let us take a look at these assumptions:
* If I met Jesus today – or if I had been alive 2,000 years ago – I would instantly recognize him as the Living Christ.
* If I recognized the Living Christ – even if he appeared in an unexpected form – I would accept him and heed his word.
* If Jesus walked into my church today, he would approve of everything he saw.
* If Jesus really could speak to us today, he would never say anything that contradicted or went beyond the doctrines, beliefs and practices of my church.
Unfortunately, there is virtually no scriptural support for any of these assumptions. In fact, if you read the scriptures carefully, you will see that Jesus made a deliberate effort to contradict all of these assumptions (most Jews had the exact same assumptions about their religion). Jesus deliberately sought to shake people out of their rigid and comfortable approach to religion. Let us compare each assumption to what the scriptures actually show us.
Assumption No. 1: If I met Jesus today I would instantly recognize him as the Living Christ.
Hindsight is always 20/20. Christians have spent 2,000 years building a culture around the person of Jesus. If you have grown up in this culture, it is natural for you to assume that you would instantly recognize Jesus. After all, he always appeared in perfectly clean white robes with a halo around his head, so how could you fail to see that he was not like other men?
Yet the scriptures abundantly show that most of the people who met Jesus in the flesh did not recognize him as the Messiah or as the Living Christ. Why? Because he looked like any other man. That is why it was necessary that Judas betray him—the soldiers who came to arrest him could not tell him apart from his disciples.
Jesus himself made it clear that most people cannot recognize the Living Christ:
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew, Chapter 16)
In other words, “flesh and blood” cannot reveal the Living Christ. What is “flesh and blood?” Could it be the human mind, the human state of consciousness, which Paul called the “carnal mind?” (1Corinthians 3:3) What if most people are in a state of consciousness where they simply cannot recognize the Living Christ?
But surely, those who are truly religious and who have faithfully followed the doctrines and beliefs of the “only true” Christian church” (however you define that church) would instantly recognize the Living Christ. If so, how come those who had followed the doctrines and beliefs of the Jewish religion (which they considered the only true religion) did not recognize the Living Christ? These were the very people – the scribes, lawyers, Pharisees, Sadducees and temple priests – who plotted against Jesus and eventually got him crucified.
What will it take for a human being to recognize the Living Christ? What if we need to raise our consciousness? What if we need to follow Paul’s call to:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5)
Perhaps only when we allow the mind of Christ to be in us can we recognize the Living Christ? Incidentally, one of the main themes on this website is that you need to put on the mind of Christ. There are numerous teachings and techniques for how to accomplish this goal.
Assumption No. 2: If I recognized the Living Christ – even if he appeared in an unexpected form – I would accept him and heed his word.
We have just seen that many of the most religious people of his time did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. The reason was that Jesus appeared in an unexpected form. Perhaps the Living Christ always appears in an unexpected form?
Perhaps this is part of the challenge—will people be willing to look beyond their preconceived opinions in order to recognize the Living Christ? Will they be willing to leave behind those opinions to accept the Living Christ and heed his (or her) words?
Consider how Jesus gathered his disciples. Imagine that you are walking down the street and an intense-looking man comes up to you and says, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). Would you “straightway” leave everything to follow him?
The scriptures make it abundantly clear that many people heard Jesus teach, saw him perform miracles and healings, yet they were not willing to leave their familiar circumstances, beliefs or lifestyle in order to truly follow the words of the Living Christ. Why? Because to follow Christ you have to be willing to leave behind everything!
You have to be willing to leave your nets, which could be interpreted to include your existing religious beliefs. That is why so many of the most religious people were unwilling to follow Jesus. They were too attached to the beliefs and practices – the nets – with which they were familiar.
Is it hard to see that in today’s world many Christians are also attached to their beliefs, practices and lifestyle? Is it hard to imagine that if the Living Christ appeared today and said something that was outside of mainstream doctrines, then many Christians would reject him and refuse to heed his words?
This leads us to the next assumption.
Assumption No. 3: If Jesus walked into my church today, he would approve of everything he saw.
If you read the scriptures with an open mind, it is not hard to see that this could be a very dangerous assumption. Jesus did not make a habit of agreeing with the religious authorities of his time. He repeatedly challenged the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the lawyers and even the temple priests. Is there really any reason to believe that he would agree with the religious authorities of our time, even though they call themselves Christians and claim to be representatives of Christ on Earth?
Let us look at the scriptures. One of the most startling rebukes of the religious establishment was given in Matthew 5:20:
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This is a rather shocking statement because the scribes and Pharisees considered themselves as belonging to the people who were guaranteed entry into the kingdom of Heaven. What basis did they have for this certainty? They believed they were doing everything right, and they based it on the fact that they knew every letter of the outer law and that they were following it—to the letter. They could recite the scriptures, they observed all the rules, they never committed acts that were defined as sinful and they participated in all the religious rituals. What more could be necessary to gain entry into the kingdom?
Well, according to Jesus something more is indeed necessary. Jesus repeatedly rebuked those who did their alms in public (Matthew 6:1), who prayed in public (Matthew 6:5) and who in other ways overtly displayed their devotion. What did Jesus want? Consider Matthew, Chapter 15:
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
So Jesus obviously wanted his followers to have understanding of his teachings, but he did not want them to simply recite outer scriptures. He wanted them to truly internalize his teachings and turn it into deep, inner faith. Why isn’t it enough to follow outer rules and doctrines; why do you need inner qualities before you can enter the kingdom? Perhaps it has something to do with where the kingdom is located. Consider Luke, Chapter 17:
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
How many of today’s Christian churches have built a culture that is strikingly similar to the culture of the scribes and Pharisees? How many Christians seriously believe that they will automatically be saved, because they belong to the only true Christian church, they believe its doctrines, they follow its rules and they participate in its rituals? How many believe they will automatically be saved by the mere act that they have declared Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior?
Yet what if these people are dancing around a golden calf of their own making, a human idol that is out of alignment with the reality of Jesus’ teachings? According to this idol, the key to entering the kingdom is to observe all the outer rules, so how could they possibly miss the kingdom. They can miss it because they continue to look for it outside themselves.
If the kingdom of God is within us, how could we possibly hope to enter that kingdom by performing outer acts? Does it not seem logical that we need to perform inner acts; we need to change our attitude to life and our approach to religion, we need to gain true understanding and we need to allow perfect love to cast out our fears (1John 4:18). We need to stop focusing on the outer aspects of religion and find an inner approach to religion. We need to:
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5).
In other words, perhaps the real, inner message that Jesus came to bring is that the true way to enter the kingdom of God – the inner kingdom – is to raise our state of consciousness by putting on the wedding garment. Unless we put on this wedding garment – which might be the mind of Christ – we shall be bound hand and foot (by our own false beliefs) and cast into outer darkness (Matthew 22:13). This darkness exists in our own minds in the form of a false sense of righteousness that causes us to focus on outer things instead of truly internalizing the mind of Christ.
So if you carefully read the scriptures and look at how often Jesus challenged the religious establishment, are you still sure he would approve of everything that is going on in your church? Or are you open to the idea that over the past 2,000 years Christianity might have deviated from the true, inner message of Jesus? Are you perhaps open to the idea that mainstream Christianity has replaced Jesus’ inner message with an outer message, a man-made doctrine and culture that is beautiful on the outside but might be full of dead men’s bones and therefore be unsuited as a vehicle for getting you to the kingdom?
Assumption No. 4: If Jesus really could speak to us today, he would never say anything that contradicted or went beyond the doctrines, beliefs and practices of my church.
If this assumption was true, then why did Jesus systematically challenge the doctrines, beliefs and practices of the Jewish religion? Was it only because that religion was not Christian, and therefore Christianity can never fall into the same trap of becoming rigid and focused on outer rituals? Or was Jesus actually challenging a universal problem that can be seen in most religions, namely that religions tend to gradually become more rigid and stifled? Was jesus challenging the Jewish religion precisely because it had replaced the inner path to a higher state of consciousness with rigid adherence of outer doctrines and rituals?
Could it be that all religions have a tendency to become rigid, and then they begin to advocate blind faith and a blind adherence to outer rituals? Is that why Jesus said:
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch (Matthew, Chapter 15).
Is it possible that Jesus challenged the religious authorities because they had set themselves up as the only link between man and God? The Jewish culture was based on the belief that the only road to salvation was through the outer religion and the priests who controlled that religion. Do you see parallels to what some Christian churches claim today and what many Christians believe?
Jesus did and said many things to challenge this culture of blindly following the leaders of an outer religion. For example, he healed a man on the sabbath (Matthew 12:10) and allowed his disciples to pluck corn on the sabbath (Matthew 12:1). Yet his most powerful challenge to the religious establishment was the seemingly simple statement that the kingdom of God is within us. This statement challenged the very foundation of the power of the outer religion. It states simply that we don’t need an outer church and an outer church hierarchy to reach God. Why not? How could you need something outside yourself to get to the kingdom of God when the kingdom of God is within you?
So is it realistic to believe that if the real, living Jesus Christ were to speak to us today, his every word would conform to the doctrines and beliefs of mainstream Christian churches?
Or is it more likely that he would challenge those churches for having set themselves up as the only link between man and God and the only road to salvation? Would he not challenge any church for taking away “the key of knowledge” as the lawyers had done (Luke 11:52)?
If you are open to any of these ideas, then study this website and allow the real, living Jesus Christ to tell you what you need to know in this age—even if it contradicts or goes beyond the doctrines you have been brought up to believe represent the only truth. Truly, only that which is based on the mind of Christ can be truth, yet it is a Living Truth that is never static or rigid. The reason being that as we expand our understanding, Jesus can give us a deeper truth than he could give us 2,000 years ago. Don’t believe this? Just listen to Jesus’ own words:
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. (John 16:12)
Today, many people have opened their minds to a higher understanding of spiritual matters than what is found in traditional doctrines. Many more people can bear the higher truth, and therefore Jesus has appeared to give us that truth. So allow Jesus to give you the Living Word and the Living Truth that he wants all people to have in this age. Receive his cup of truth and understanding—and drink ye all of it!
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wow that’s really deep but truth
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I have some good questions for you Jean. Thank you for clarifying that you’re a spiritual Christian.
First of all I see that you’re more of a smart journalist than a factual person, you’re making suggestions but you’re not giving us the facts. You’re not doing justice to the title of the article.
1) “If a man raped a woman, their punishment was to marry the woman by paying a dowry to the father. It was irrelevant whether the woman loved the man or not. There was no such thing as human rights as we know today.” SO what exactly are you saying? Are you saying the God you serve is unfair and inconsiderate?
2)”In wars, the Israelites would kill their enemies, including the women and children without mercy, and would take the virgins to be their wives.” SO are you saying the God you serve is cruel and merciless? If not what have you concluded from this scripture about the nature of God?
3)”When I first became a Christian, I remember writing about the topic of slavery according to what the bible said, and the article was obviously not well received.” SO what are you saying? In the article you are condemning the enslavery of black people and yet you say the bible does not condemn slavery. As a spirit filled Christian aren’t you going against what your sacred text teaches?
4)”Lot offered his own virgin daughters to be gang-raped by men of Sodom so that the angels of the Lord would be spared. But in the eyes of God, he was a righteous man.” SO what are you saying about how God defines righteousness?
Jean, your article is more of a journalistic piece to trigger debate than it is informative. It leaves all questions hanging. You ripped us off. Do you have explanations to these events yourself or you’re following something you don’t understand?
I agree with you though that people have become too religious and sometimes frankly foolish. But we must be careful with how we approach open-mindedness. The majority of the white people whom you praise for open-mindedness have actually totally condemned the bible and God as foolish ideas. Just make sure your articles don’t drive people down that path or end up there yourself. Understanding biblical facts requires both open-mindedness and spiritual revelation. Never forget that. Spiritual things require spiritual interpretation, it’s not Biology or Physics were you just read a textbook then become an expert
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The truth that you know shall set you free. God is great.
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I am a black African, and a Christian by birth. The bible teachings and interpretations by teachers as I grew up, made me feel shallow, mistakenly existing, oppressed, unwanted by other race, accept positioned by this other race because of their economic power, and honestly, the teachings are bias. It also proves to be true that the bible teachings where concocted to promote slavery especially to black people. Why were the Israelites helped by God to escape/released from slavery, but the new testament doesn’t condemn those practices.? This leaves me with nothing but a feeling that whoever God was, has perpetuated racial imbalances, oppression, and favoured others more than any race. Lastly, why does it always feel wrong to ask critical questions around the authenticity of the teachings when necessary? ????? that one is threatened by being judged already to be an atheistic????
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Sekhukhune
The point about slavery was never God’s plan when Adam and Eve were created and placed in the garden of Eden. People were supposed to live in harmony with one another tendering the garden (Genesis) and looking after the animals. Trouble came when mankind was deceived by the devil, lucifer the serpent. From that going forward sin befell mankind and their minds became corrupted. They began to be used by the devil to represent the devil’s bad things on earth. God’s 100% protection on mankind became withdrawn depending on the choices you made. This is the route of evil and slavery being one of the evil ways of lucifer to hurt mankind. God loves us without question but he leaves us to make our own choices. You and me the choices we have are either to accept Jesus Christ as our personal sarviour and be protected like the Israelites were freed from Egypt or work for the devil and be cursed. We have a free choice to make. Don’t doubt God’s love and existence my sister.
May God continue to protect you and reveal who is to you
Amen
Ben
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What a wonderful read both with its inherent contradictions and fantastic forays! I am so gratified that it emanates from an African Woman…darn, how I wish there were more of these in circulation doctoring the African Mind to its pristine purpose than boxing it up for subjugation and subservience, as has been the Black Man’s premordial lot. There are, though, a number of glaring unscholastic averments that warrant serious concern on the part of critically adept and discerning African ”thinkers’, for example : the author’s contention that Slavery was concieved in Africa and that it was the African that introduced it to Whites as a ”Better-Race” attribute that chatacterises their material superiority even up to date. There is much more that I picked up that does not permit itself expression here, since I am at a loss as to the nature of this platform. There is also this bothersome question of dethroning the Bible while allowing and permiting References from it to be utilised to lend credence to viewpoints, both contending and otherwise. It suggests that logic and good reason are enshrined in the ”Victor’s Idealogy” in this instance Christianity and that all else is not worthy of entertainment in bolstering disparate viewpoints. As an example, if I do not believe that the Bible is the word of God, then it becomes a drag to try to prove to me that it is, by quoting further Biblical references. There is, afterall such a thing as pre Christian Spirituality which is still extent up to date. While mentioning this ”spirituality”, it might also be necessary to allude to the dogmatic BUT false decree that Salvation and entrance into the kingdom of God is ”ONLY” possible through Jesus Christ alone. How then, may one ask, was it possible for those who ascended to heaven in their physical bodies in chariots of fire to attain to the presence of God? Furthermore, how does one reconcile the much flaunted monopoly of Christianity on Salvation through Jesus Christ ”only”, with the statement from Ezekiel 18: 21-22 that all sins are forgiven and eternal life secured without Jesus Christ? It is for this reason that it becomes evident and vindicated that the victor takes all, body and soul. Anyone who abandons their Self to seek for answers outside of their own pristine inner spiritual sanctum in silence…is game for any nefarious marauding troop parading as one of the world’s religions. The most innovative ruse of the ages was the coining of the ‘purification’ of the worldly Mind and salvation as Jesus the Christ. Empirical evidence of salvation predates this fabricated notion. Be that as it may, this cannot be extrapolated to denigrate the ‘values’ that Jesus is purported to instill in his followers, just as much as a Buddha’s Mind means to an adept and God Consciousness means to an ochre anointed Xhosa devotee circumscribed to his ancestor’ sacred Cattle Kraal. To speak of a Caucasian Mind to an African as imperative for salvation is purely supremacist.
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Slavery or colonization is intended to train us, to transform, for our salvation(Heb12v7-13). The way God implements Jer18, of the porter, is given on Hag2v22, which says, ‘I will overthrow a brother, one by another’ or even if u view it along, ‘Iron sharpens another iron’ : Not pleasing.
There is reason for everything that happens, whether u will be saved or buried. Each is a reward for what one does.
Pain is experienced in training. God doesn’t want us to suffer, but to learn. Our response to the training determines whether we will be built or crushed. The ignorant takes training with offense and benefit nothing, while the wise take it with pleasure from the understanding of the good that comes out of it.
Kings kill, but the avenging spirit doesn’t torment them, meaning they wld have been permitted and the victim wld have presented themselves(Prov20v2 and Jer27v6-9). But if the king doesn’t follow due procedure, the avenging spirit torments him like the case of David and Uriah or Ahab and Naboth.
It’s not wrong to be enslaved or colonized but sin is in our reaction to it. He who takes us through a course determines its duration, that’s why Jesus or Paul didn’t speak against it. In fact, Jesus gave a hind on Acts1v7, when he said, it was not for the disciples to know times and dates, meaning even he, did not know.
It wld have been sin if Israelites were to leave Egypt before the stipulated 400 years(Gen15v13), or for them to leave Babylon before 70yrs(Dan9v2). Israel was in Africa under our brother Egypt, to learn kingdom formation.
We must use the Bible because we learn with the material available, like Daniel in Babylon who was trained in Babylonian wisdom(Dan1v3,20), or Moses who learnt Egyptian wisdom. But, in all that, we must have our father as the standard of excellence at the back of our mind. Our father is the one who guides us on how and what to draw which is of use for our transformation leading to our salvation.
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Why are you contradicting yourself Jean, you are a Christian but don’t believe in the bible?
Then clearly you are guilty of cherry picking the bits you like about Christianity. The fact that you refereed yourself as ‘spiritual ‘ and not ‘ Christian’ just indicated to me that you are slowly transitioning and growing. Awakening slowly and asking questions- it’s a good thing😊
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This article is very divisive and misleading to say the least. While there is some element of truth regarding blacks trading blacks, but to say blacks are mainly to be blame for slavery, and that the black man introduce slavery to the white man is not only false but merely disregarding what is recorded as the most horrific event in history.
what really puzzled me is how you deliberately left the part of how the white man first captured slaves along the Atlantic through slave raids.
You also left the part that black were tricked by the white man into selling slaves and boarding their ships.
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Hello Jean,
Permit me to ask just how much of ‘your spirit’ is in this ‘intellectual degrading’ effort at the Bible? I hope you know it yourself, for if you do not, it would be most unfortunate that while you think you are helping others to find ‘freedom’, you are actually submitting yourself to the enemy of your creator – that is if you were from Him – as his emissary, bound with the chains of intellectualism. Eve, the first woman in the Bible did just that. Of course there are questions not well answered yet and some not answered at all, but if indeed you were a ‘spiritual christian’ like you claimed, you would seek answers from the Spirit of the God of the Bible and be content with the peace He gives to His own when their understanding is yet unable to receive His ‘mind’ about a question; except your ‘spirituality’ is that of the ‘new age’ that seeks to lump Christianity with doctrines of devils.
As a way of checking out the source of your ‘wisdom’ – for wisdom is spiritual, and comes from realms beyond – check out your responses to cultural spirituality anywhere on earth and the New Age doctrines. If you are comfortable with any of these, you are most likely from the spirits behind them and have no business with Christianity. And, on the other hand, you may be one of the captured ones.
Good luck.
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I absolutely love your post. however I don’t believe that the Bible enslaved black people. I believe that black people allowed white people to enslave us and you make that point in your post. I have too recently realized that I need to put the Bible down sometimes, that’s because it enslaved me, but because I can’t have a direct conversation with the authors. I always suggest people follow God to their best ability because the only way to success is self reassurance. Faith is confirmation. I agree that black people will continue to hold themselves back, but not because of God but because of the victimized mindset. We are free!
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Maybe there’s more to what we see.
There’s a reason why the coloured people have the Bible so dear to them all this years. Simply because The Bible was their story and the connection is still there. The whitemen on the other hand were just using there(the Blacks)own words to be superior, rich and more. Sadly The Bible is still being miss used today by “MANY” for “PROFIT & POWER”.
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Wow,
I read the article and the comments. If that is how the author feels, it is her conviction. In Jesus Christ/ Yeshua there is no condemnation yet some condemn someone into stupidity that is not Christlike. I read between the lines and think that we should accept each others diverse ideas and not try to take over the work of the Holy Spirit since he alone convinces us from things i nour lives. SO Jean if this is how you feel and you are convince do so.
The Bible doesn’t enslave me rather it allows me to make choices. I like the best so I choose what I think is best for me
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Hello Jean, Thank you for sharing a well profound and mind provoking statement about the bible and slavery that call for deep thinking and meditation. I believe bible scholars and ardent readers of the bible need to think outside the box and prayerfully when studying any topic from the bible. The other thing is that the bible doesn’t disagree with itself, it doesn’t condemn the acts and on the other hand agree with what it condemn. Christianity was established on the principle of love, the world was created and saved based on the principle of love. Consider Mark 5:30-31 Love God and others with your heart, your strength….Luke 14:31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. Lets look at the context of this verse“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Colossians 3:22” Is this verse referring to the historical slavery or modern slavery whereby it refers to the relationship between employee and employer, government and civil servant, I mean lets think about it…! That my views and they are not complete
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Thank you for this profound reply x
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Slavery was not always the type of slavery we think of today. When us Blacks put our selves in “slavery” it was more of an independent contract, (a contract to be a servant) for so long or for so many years. It was more like what we do for work in these days and were way more respected and humane than what the white supremacist put us through. You should dig a little deeper in your research and you will see. Also you will see who it was who actually started the evil type of slavery that we now know of today.
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