ANSWERING THE BIBLE:

Q. Who said, “The Bible should carry a disclaimer saying that it is fiction"?

Ans. Ian McKellen, an English actor. In 1988, McKellen “came out’ and announced he was gay.

Wikipedia writes:

(i) He (Ian McKellen), appeared as Sir Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code. During a 17th May, 2006 interview on The Today Show with the Da Vinci Code cast and director, Matt Lauer posed a question to the group about how they would have felt if the film had borne a prominent disclaimer that it is a work of fiction, as some religious groups wanted. McKellen responded, "I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying 'This is fiction.' I mean, walking on water? It takes... an act of faith. And I have faith in this movie — not that it's true, not that it's factual, but that it's a jolly good story." He continued, "And I think audiences are clever enough and bright enough to separate out fact and fiction, and discuss the thing when they've seen it".

(ii) Coming out (of the closet) is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of the closet is described and experienced variously as: a psychological process or journey; decision-making or risk-taking; a strategy or plan; a mass or public event; a speech act and a matter of personal identity; a rite of passage; liberation or emancipation from oppression; an ordeal; a means toward feeling gay pride instead of shame and social stigma; or even career suicide. Author Steven Seidman writes that "it is the power of the closet to shape the core of an individual's life that has made homosexuality into a significant personal, social, and political drama in twentieth-century America.

So is the Bible Fact or Fiction? In this connection let me mention that Josh McDowell thought Christians must be 'out of their minds'. He put them down, he argued their faith. Eventually he found out that his arguments could not stand up.  Jesus Christ really was God in human flesh. He really was who He said He was. Today Josh is a speaker on college and university campuses, challenging people who were just as sceptical as he had been.  However there are others who call it "Pulp Fiction"!! They argue that the similarities between the stories and characters in the Bible and those from previous mythologies are both undeniable and well-documented. It is only due to extreme religious flavor that people rarely get exposed to this kind of information. They point out that there are some striking similarities between The Epic of Gilgamesh (an epic poem from Mesopotamia and is among the earliest known works of literature)  and the flood story in Genesis (The Bible).  These researchers say, "It's not a matter of just a flood, but specific details: three birds sent out, resisting the call to build the arc, and a single man being chosen by God to build the arc. Then consider that the first story (Gilgamesh) came from Babylon-- hundreds of years before the Bible was even written".

Q. How many chapters of Leviticus (the Bible) gives detailed instructions for performing ritualistic animal sacrifices?

Ans: The first nine chapters.

The general theme in these chapters (of Leviticus) can be briefly stated as follows: Get an animal, kill it, sprinkle the blood around, cut the dead animal into pieces, and burn it for a "sweet savor unto the Lord. Are these bloody rituals so much important to God, that He keeps on repeating their instructions so many times in the Bible?

In this connection it would not be an exaggeration to share with you one of my observations, regarding the verse: Leviticus: 3:16, with you, which looks to me a little bit sardonic:

21st Century King James Version:

16And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savor; all the fat is the LORD'S. (Leviticus 3:16).

English Standard Version:

16And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the LORD’s. (Leviticus 3:16).

New Living Translation:

16 and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord. (Leviticus 3:16).

New Century Version:

16 The priest will burn these parts on the altar as food. It is an offering made by fire, and its smell is pleasing to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord. (Leviticus 3:16).


When you do your burnt offerings, remember that "all the fat is the Lord's". And he might not like to share…...!! Huh!! 

But then there are some ambiguities in the Bible as to whether the God, loves animal sacrifice or not, which will be discussed later.