Please read the link first, thank you.\nhttp://deoxy.org/manna.htm\nCould this really be where some of this stuff came from?  We know what effect hallucinogens have on people.  The Native Americans dehydrated themselves in a sweat lodge and smoke peyote to get visions.  If I smoked that stuff I would have visions as well!  In that context if those who wrote the books in the bible did use this stuff wouldn't that explain some of it?
125546
I've heard about this theory before and it makes complete sense if you've read the bible.Some of the stuff that they say happened, especially in the old testament, could easily be explained by a hallucinogenic trip.It would also explain the metaphorical prose in the book of revelations.
673315
Do you recall the Marijuana plants in the garden of Eden? I didnt think so...and if you think we should eat every plant that exist in the world today how about a hemlock brownie?...a little Hemlock and your going to be dead or in the hospital. the verse you speak of was in Genisis at the start of creation when Adam and Eve were In Eden and were told the could eat of any tree in the garden except the tree in the midst of the garden....they were kicked out of Eden...and all plants are not healthy here.
395744
Actually, it makes perfect sense if you look at it as nothing more than a story meant to scare the superstitious herd, and keep them in line.\n\n"God promised to never do it again..." what crap.  This is a fail-safe, so that if the actual localized phenomenon never occurred again (and yes, it was local to the Euphrates region...check out the archaeological evidence), they can say, "See, god kept his word."
96629
A lot of magical phenomena now have scientific explanations.\n\nExample: Most of the witchcraft of colonial America can now be traced to a rye grain fungus that caused hallucinations and other symptoms that were diagnosed as witchcraft at the time.
335361
Sparky First let me say I appreciate the 10 pts. I don't know what I did to piss you off though. I told you to look up the work "Qumran" because it is one of the best documented archaeological finds in the world and I knew that there would be plenty of info online (which would be convenient for you). Would you rather me refer you to the dozens of books that I know of offhand or to an infinite # of archaeological reports that are incredibly boring to read? I studied Qumran under Jodi Magness at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and she is the foremost American Archaeologist in the world concerning the "holyland." In particular, she is definitely the foremost authority on Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.  In case you don't know, archaeology is SCIENCE, not religion, and archaeological reports and finds are scientific and are not at all connected to the Church or any religion.  \n\nNothing in my answer to you dealt with religious dogma, I simply tried to answer your question as to why SOME Christians see a threat in the DaVinci code. Now, as for your claim that the bible was written 200 years after Christ, well that's true for some of the later NT books, but not of the Gospels. Some of the gnostic texts were much later than the gospels, which is part of the reason they were rejected by the church. \n\nAnd lastly, you claim that the bible has changed so many times that it's all crap. What do you have to support this? Go see the Dead Sea Scrolls some time, which were written between 2500-2000 yrs ago (as I visited a DSS exhibit about a month ago in Charlotte, NC). And then compare that to the KJV or the American Standard Bible.  The Old Testament found in the 1950s in the Caves near Qumran is nearly word for word with what we have today.  It is amazing that in 2000 or more years the Jewish text has changed so little!  This means that we should all reexamine the amount of credit we have granted the Jewish oral tradition that was so important to the early Christian Church.  IT IS ACCURATE, whether you want to admit it or not. SCIENCE and HISTORY support that.\n\nAgain, I answered your question rather well... Let me try one more time in FIVE SIMPLE SENTENCES that will be very easy for you to comprehend this time:\n\n1.  It wouldn't be so bad if Jesus was married.\n\n2.  Christians are NOT offended or threatened by the possibility that Jesus could have been married.\n\n3.  It's simply not historically true or believable, from the bible and from the writings of two Roman historians Tacitus and Josephus.\n\n4.  However, Some Christians ARE offended by the notion that Christ was not Divine; and the "The DaVinci Code" claims his having a child is proof that Jesus was NOT divine.\n\n5.  Such a claim can be damaging to the mission field because people like you believe anything and everything you read in a novel or see on TV and are therefore hostile toward Christianity.\n\nSo, that's why some Christians are offended by the DaVinci Code and by the notion that Christ might have been married to and had a child with Mary Magdalene.  Because of the hostility towards Christianity that such false belief creates.  People like you work directly against anyone trying to bring people to Christ.  \n\nPS.. the whole "MM was a whore" lost in translation thing.. do your history research man, you don't know what you are talking about at all.  You speak fiction and pass it off as truth. \n\nAnd you wonder why people would be offended?  maybe some people just like the truth?\n\nLet me ask you a question.  Why are you so offended by Christianity?  What are YOU afraid of?  The Truth?
516142
No one knows where it really comes from.  Many people have hypotheses, but nothing definitive & irrefutable.  I have heard it myself & don't care to ever again.  It was creepy.
173221
How long do you think it will be before a person or group successfully reassembles the bible to include recently discovered religious texts that they feel better suit modern times?\n\nNever.  For all practical purposes, the Bible as now been “set in stone.”\n\nWhat do you think about this?\n\nI believe that those who tend to be the loudest on this topic have either done the least amount of study or have very extensive time invested in their current belief.  Most claim as articles of fact pieces of information which are not true.  Less than one in one billion (if any) could give me that actual names of the men who met to determine which books and works were included in either Testament.  Yet they propose that these men were inspired by G-d to make these choices for all time.  They are seem to ignore that most works which were not included were systematically searched for and burned as heretical.  The mere fact that any remain after 2000 years is a miracle.\n\nWhat will the cultural/spiritual ramifications of this be?\n\nA continuation of our current position.  As beautiful as the KJV is to read, it is flawed.  This fact has been shown over and over again by scholars who do know the languages involved.  Yet look at the number of supporters that it has.  The sad part of this is that many who claim to understand the meaning of the KJV of the Bible (which is a very serious and metaphysical work) do not understand and cannot follow a simple Shakespearean play (which is light entertainment) that was written at about the same time.  What does this yell you about the ignorance of humans?  And ignorance is bliss.\n\nIf God is really solely responsible for the bible's contents why does he have hundreds of millions of Christians using different versions?  And how would a new version be any worse?\n\nThose humans who claim to be privileged to the plans or purposes of Divinity are deluded.  No human has that capability.  Only Divinity is perfect.  Humanity is arrogant, not understanding that the message is important, not the delivery of the message.  Those that must quote scripture for every answer (especially those claiming that it is the Word of G-d) are probably idolaters.  They have worshipped the written word instead of Divinity.  Each believing that they are right and all others wrong.  They are the cause of the fragmentation of the Church and people like them are usually too stubborn to see their own sins.\n\nA new version of the Bible is not needed.  These recently discovered and translated works should be made available to the widest reading audience for study and debate.  At least by those who are capable of understanding that Humanity did not have the message right then and still is lacking in understanding.  This is human nature.  Divinity is the only proper judge; and Divine Judgment, unlike human opinion and understanding, IS perfect.
539515
I saw the same thing and am trying to find that gospel and the gospel of Mary and to tell you the truth all of the gospels they were talking about. I'm not so sure that it is real or fake but the bible says test all things.... also says seek wisdom, not just biblical wisdom. Kudos from me, your on the right track...however, I seriously doubt the authenticity of the book. Googling it doesn't help much!
506010
Dude, I don't know where you get your views, but they are not a reflection of God as revealed in the Holy Bible.  Have you ever read it?  Ever had a serious discussion with real people who have also studied it and could have dismissed it all as bunk, but instead they "bet the farm", their lives, reputations, livelihoods on it.  Talk to some real Christians in person.  Anonymity on a yahoo answers forum is not going to get you the real answers you're seeking.
412248
Well back in the day, and I know this comment is going to offend people. But my husband used the bible as rolling papers for his \n"recreational smoking" They work perfectly!!!!  LOL
103610
As has been said here, Levey is the author. You can find a copy online as I did. It isn't really what people think. Mostly, Levey talks of the philosophy behind his Satanist thing. It doesn't have anything grim in it, no evil spell, no sacrifice concept. It merely talks about individuality, independence. Naturally Christianity is threatened by it, and wants to suppress it, but I don't see why it should. \nLevey wasn't one of the insane people who would kill a child and put it on the dark altar. He just wanted to go against all the conventions.\nThe only reservation I have against it, it shows you what not to be, but doesn't give you a good idea of what to be. This psychologically is an unsound practise. One ought to be able to concentrate on something constructive instead. So, other than that unwise slant, it is alright.\nOf course, one should be warned of the mad Satanists who wouldn't hesitate to kill, but the black bible is not for those. It appeals to our common sense. \nI was surprised to find out that some Satanists, simply misapply the term, being mentally healthy. I don't like that confusion myself and would rather people who are normal wouldn't call themselves Satanists, but oh well.\nAs for the specifics of search, go to yahoo search or a google one, and put black bible in the search frame. You are bound to find soon some freely distributed online edition. Just don't subscribe to any memberships before you find out what they stand for. If it is just rebellion against brainwashing, it's all well, if not, be careful.\nHope that helps. Good Luck.
98521
Yeah, crawl back under your Satanic rock!\n\nHonestly, Atheist, I always enjoy your input, and I'm glad that you've asked this question, because it boggles my mind that people continue to put such stock in mythology.\n\nThe truth of the matter is that people like you and I may never be able to wrap our minds around this issue. If Dean Hamer is right and there is a "god gene," we have no more hope of knowing what it is to be a person of faith than we do of knowing what it is to be a gay man. (Apologies if you're gay, but you know what I'm saying.)\n\nIt also comes down to the so-called "leap of faith" that you and I are unwilling to take. We see the crumpled bodies at the base of the cliff and think "That's nuts. Those rocks are sharp." \n\nI'm amazed that we live in the twenty-first century and people are still putting things, both good an bad, down to "god's will."\n\nI'll make the same argument I've made a hundred times before: Two hundred years ago many young mothers died shortly after childbirth. The cause was unknown. It was not until the invention of the microscope and the discovery of infection that the reasons behind this daily tragedy were finally revealed.\n\nIt's very easy to say that things are "god's will." It's very hard to invent the microscope. Perhaps it is human nature to always take the path of least resistance.
99800
May I have an incense recipe?  I don't think you would consider me pagan.  I don't know what to consider myself.  I usually answer all of the Mormon questions because I am close to some members of the church and I don't like to see it talked about so terribly (which happens A LOT here).  Other than that, just wantin' some incense ;-)
585978
Be careful of spirits and especially deep meditation that is not with the Bible. The last guy who i heard did that the Mormon religion started out of him and today they put the book of Moroni above the Bible. The Bible says that if a spirit comes to you you should test it from the Bible, Isaiah 8. If they speak of things contrary to the Bible then they are not of God, or if they add to things in the Bible, Revelation 22:18,19.  Hope this was helpful.
169999
OK, this is just a thought. But I got into the same thing when I studied John Wesley's concept of "second blessing holiness." [By the way, I used to live near a congregation that was a part of your denomination. You ain'y scary. ;-)] For what its worth, this is what I came up with, and its just my opinion. Sometimes a person reads a verse or section of scripture that REALLY says something to them. Something maybe no one else has ever noticed. The reason for it is that God is trying to show THEM something they need to know. It may nat apply to anyone else. But they miss that part and in trying to share it (which is OK) it becomes something else. It becomes "THIS is the way it is and its this way for everyone!" rather than what it was meant to be, which was "THIS is for YOU, if I wanted everyone else to see it I'd have shown it to everyone else." And its not that God is showing respect of persons in a case like this because I honestly believe that this type of thing is availabe to everyone. No respect of persons there. Its just that different people need to see things in a way that THEY can understand it and so grow closer to God. That's all it is. God dealing with people where they are. But, human ego being what it is, folks make something else out of it. And then theres the other thing where people just try to make it (the Bible) say all kinds of weird and wonderful stuff it doesn't because they want attention and money. And of course there is always ignorance, but that's another topic. But, hey, you can get that at Wal-Mart too. ;-)
130454
First of all, you are to be commended for struggling to find the truth amidst misinformation and predjudices! Titus 2:7 says in "all things show yourself uncorrupted in your teaching,showing seriousness and speech which cannot be condemned, so that the man on the opposing side may get ashamed,having nothing vile to say about us." So keep up the good work!     When I study my Watchtower, I read it once, just to read it.Then I go through it with my daughter and we answer the questions together. The third time I go through it, I look up the scriptures mentioned and usually write them in the margins of my magazine. That way,even later, I can always go back and look in that magazine and see at a glance what scripures were brought out,the definitions of any words I did not understand or the pronunciation of any Biblical name I couldn't get right( which I also write in the margins) I also underline in pencil (I use colored pencils,different colors have different meanings for me)the scriptures in the Bible that have any sort of special meaning for me.  These are just MY studying methods;you will come into your own in time!! Good luck to you,and your efforts to come into the truth please Jehovah God more than you could know!!  By the way, real Christian-like ,your comments,Rev,Kipp. I'm sure God is real proud of you...
257266
Proof that our "friend" is a hypocrite and a mental case, see above.\n\nI ask myself every time I read the Bible, what does this mean FOR me.