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EXPRESSIONS
 

Updated Tue, July 25, 2006 at 10:32 am EST

 

BEST OF

AUG 04 - JULY 05

 

NEWS


Special three year   anniversary 9-11 edition

 

Blasi on Board Brings Brightness!

 

President Bush's inaugural address focuses on freedom, friendship, and faith!

 

Pop singer Michael Jackson acquitted of all 10 counts!

 

SGB ELECTIONS:

 

'Driven', 'Proven' and 'Results Matter' slates sweep SGB election!
 

Endorsing the fabulous five for Student Government Board (SGB) elections on Nov 17!

 

Election 2004:

 

MORAL PUSH 4 BUSH WORKED!

Kerry for a weaker America: Running for president, they call him Kerry!

 

PSelect-cision 2004 asks: "What are issues that are most important to you that you are basing your vote on and why?"

 

PSelect-cision 2004 asks 40 students, "Which presidential candidate will best lead this country and why?"

 

Kerry for DRAFT which Bush is against!

 

Trial advocate Edwards could not defend Kerry against charges!

 

Who cares for the the 2nd victim!

 

Republicans are the political party for African-Americans and people of different ethnicities!


Answering, "Voting for neither candidate of a major political party is going to bring us closer to God."

 

Impressions

 

Carnegie Library corrupts the morals of a minor!

 

SGB and Rainbow Alliance’s view of homosexuality is not held by all!

 

Juveniles escape of death penalty could influence abortion decisions.

 

FDA should continue to ban gay sperm and ignore editorials opposing them!

 

Expressions

 

Archives of Daily Devotionals Delivers Dosage!

 

Christian groups seek to provide haven for incoming students!

 

Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling knows all about spiritual strikeouts!

 

Vote for the perfect candidate 24-7!

 

Hotpressions

 

The Pitt News editorial, 'Troop casualties undercounted by 17,000'  makes it sound like......

 

Rebuttal to Daniel Masny's Feb 03,05 Pitt News column

 

Sports

 

Pitt  2004 Cheerleading and Dance Team surrounded Schenley Quad with their Squad!

 

Pitt Cheerleaders and Dance team try to cheer up Panther fans!

 

"Golf’s New 'Sultan of Swat' Victorious Again"

There’s a New 'Berg' in the ‘Burgh.'

 

Three Panther fans weather the floods at 6:30 a.m.


Steelers Open Season with Home Victory

Pitt's Track and Field could go the distance!

 

Pittsburgh Steelers come back with rookie and backup players!

 

Deja Vu for the Steelers

 

Entertainment

 

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

 

Feature

 

"Top 25 reasons given for why students think the original candy cane was made with red and white stripes and was in the shape of a candy cane?"

 

Top 14 answers to "Love is....."

 

My Kiss of a Lifetime hopes to be special!

 

Top 14 responses to 'A Loving friend is........'
In celebration of Valentine's Day, the top 50-26 responses to 'Love is....'

 

In celebration of Valentine's Day, the top 25-1 responses to 'Love is....'

 

Top 5 responses given by students to, "What is the most important lesson your mom taught you?"

 

Acrostic Poem for Mother's Day!

 

Greek Life

 

Greek communities can communicate charity and care!

 

Kappa Kappa Gamma sister Jessica shows her Pitt spirit with her friends!

 

Newest sisters of Delta Zeta sorority enjoy a meal at Schenley Cafe after their initiation!

 

Student Government Board member Liz Blasi enjoys a meal at Schenley Cafe with her Chi Omega sisters!

 

Food

 

PGSIS 2005 Taste with Haste Cereal Poem

 

PGSIS Class of 2005 Favorite Cereal Survey Results

 

Education


Human Resource Management Final Exam Sample Questions II
 

Human Resource Management Final Exam 45 Sample Questions

Demystifying Dan Brown’s Delusional Deceptive Da Vinci Code, Part III: The Bible is a by product of man and not of God"


By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard


Tuesday, July 25, 2006

The Da Vinci Code novel and movie is packed with lies that are presented as fact. Frequently, every false statement, heresy, or theological misstatement in the novel or movie, will be demystified with evidence. There are more than 108 lies in the Da Vinci Code that Brown wants people to believe as fact in a fictional novel. My job will be to expose the lies and present the truth. We will be looking at LIE #3 today.

LIE #3: “The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven. The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book.” (Da Vinci Code, pp. 250-251)

Dan Brown wants you to believe that the Bible is a product of man, not of God.

But is it?

Or is it a delusion of a man whose writings in the Da Vinci code are not only delusional but deceptive?

Brown does write a fictional novel so people should not care whatever is presented in the novel, right? WRONG!

It is categorized as a fictional novel but he uses names, places, and organizations which are part of the historical record and attributes falsity to them. Those that do not know their history when they see names like Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Priory of Sion, etc will think everything he writes about them is true but it is not!

Today, we are going to look at his lie regarding 'The Bible is a product of man, not of God.'

The Truth:

  1. The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven.

  2. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds.

 The Lies:

  1. The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God.

  2. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times.

  3. It has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions.

  4. History has never had a definitive version of the book.

 These lies will be debunked in three sections:

    1. MY REASONING

    2. BIBLICAL REASONING.

    3. HISTORICAL REASONING.

Today we will be looking at only point #1:

MY REASONING:

We all know what man is capable of. As a man if you were to write a book about yourself, what would you include? What would you exclude?

You can substitute woman, human being etc for man.

  1. Man’s tendency is to praise his accomplishments and cover his disappointments.

  2. Man likes to cover up his mistakes.

  3. Man does not like to be bound by regulations and laws.

Yet, the Bible is full of regulations and laws. It is filled with the mistakes of what man has done. It has their disappointments and weaknesses.

Do you really think a man on his own would come up with things like:

  1. I am the Lord thy God.

  2. Thou shalt have no other gods before me!

  3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain!

  4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy.

  5. Honor thy father and thy mother.

  6. Thou shalt not murder.

  7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

  8. Thou shalt not steal.

  9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.

  10. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbors.

 Why would man write things he cannot himself keep and condemn himself?

 Would you write laws that you know that you will not keep?

 If the answer is yes, why would you?

 What reason will it benefit you to write something you cannot keep?

 Man is known to write things that are beneficial to him and gives him pleasure.

Yet, Scripture is full of areas that many human beings feel their freedom would be curbed if followed. For example, ‘Not being homosexual, not being adulterer, not being blasphemer’, etc

The Bible has so many laws and regulations that turn many people away from the Bible because they do not want to follow the teachings of the Bible. It is easier to make believe that it is not true than having to know something is true and not follow. Regardless of people's excuses including Dan Brown, still, the Bible is the best seller and best book read throughout the world.

Is it because it is a product of man?

No!  It is because it is a product of God!

Follow me on this.

For man to know right from wrong, he has to get it from someone. I attribute that someone to God. Now God in His wisdom used fallible human beings to get out the message He wanted His creation to hear. It is a message of God’s relationship to Man, Man’s relationship to Man (Human Beings), Sin breaking the relationship between God and Man, Man being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Man being reconciled to Man (Human beings) because of Jesus Christ! This is the story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Everything in the Bible was inspired by God to be written by human beings who may have not wanted to write it but they wrote it because this is the message God wanted written down.

Because of God’s divine law given to humans, humans have a focal point to make laws for their law books. Those laws are actually taken from the Book of Deuteronomy. Regardless of what law books you look at, their law will be similar to laws given by God.

Homosexuality, adultery, stealing, murdering, taking the Lord’s name in vain, etc are wrong not because it is a product of man but because God gave those laws for man to follow and pass on to others. God’s laws are meant to benefit man. God takes credit for all the laws and regulations and not man. God lets man know about these laws which man transcribed after receiving revelation from God.

Morality comes from God to man! Man does not create morality. Morality exists because God exists. Morality and a sense of morality is in every human being because humans are created in the image of God. Now whether man decides to follow what he senses to be moral or knows to be moral is a choice he has to make in his free will. Regardless of the choice he makes, what is moral will not change. The Ten Commandments will never change! If man breaks any of the Ten Commandments, he has broken the law.

What happens to people who break the law?

Negative: They can be fined, sentenced to jail, or sentenced to death.

Positive: They may be shown grace and mercy!

Yet, man through inspiration of God wrote down the entire Bible. It was written by different authors but is still so cohesive. Even the men of the Bible who wrote it did not believe it is a product of man but that they received it from God. This is evidenced by Biblical reasoning based on Bible verses and reasoning.

BIBLICAL REASONING:

Let us look at some of the verses in the Bible that show that even men who wrote it did not believe it was from them but by inspiration of God.

Using the evidence from the Bible to prove the Bible to be a product of God can be tricky but follow me through and see the logic of it even though Dan Brown wants you to believe the Bible is a product of man.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)

God is given credit for the inspiration of Scripture. Man does not plagiarize and take credit for something he is not the author of unlike Dan Brown who has plagiarize in his novel and been taken to court.

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' (Matthew 4:3-5, NIV)

Jesus acknowledged that the word comes from the mouth of God.

"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:" 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" (Matthew 4:6, NIV)

Even Satan believed Scripture to be from God but he did not want to follow Scripture. Instead, Satan loves to use the Word of God and twist it to his end. That is what some do when they twist Scripture which is holy for their unholy purposes. Jesus saw right through Satan’s deception. My prayer is that you will see right through Dan Brown’s deceptive delusional Da Vinci Code.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24)

Jesus was telling others that the words they are hearing are His words. If they are His words, they are not man’s words and cannot be a by product of man since Jesus is more than a man. Jesus is God.

Look at the evidence for Christ’s divinity on the right side bar!

“Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” (Matthew 15:6)

If it is a by product of man, then ‘why would man write the phrase ‘word of God’? It is taking away credit from them. It is because they do not receive the credit for the Word of God.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35, NIV)

Jesus is talking about His words and not man’s words!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:1-3, NIV)

Does anyone really believe these verses are a by product of man without inspiration of God?

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NIV)

These verses are talking about Jesus Christ and not about any ordinary man. It is God who gives us Scriptures for our well being.

“Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29, NIV)

Scriptures talk about the Word of God and not the word of man.

“For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.” (Acts 18:18, NIV)

Paul proved from the Old Testament that Jesus was the Christ! Jesus is still the same today and tomorrow!

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8, NIV)

God is speaking to Joshua which Joshua writes down!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NIV)

If man wrote this, who was he talking to?

Man did not write it by his own will, but it was written by inspiration of God.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27, NIV)

Jesus talked about all the references in the Old Testament concerning himself! This will lead us to section III to prove that the Bible is not a product of man but of God!

HISTORICAL REASONING:

There are so many verses in the Old Testament that prophesized about Jesus Christ and His mission. Statistically it is impossible for any man to fulfill all that is prophesized in the Old Testament and New Testament. Only Jesus was able to fulfill all of prophesy. Whatever was written in the Old Testament by different authors at different timelines, Jesus still fulfilled.

If man wrote it, he did not write it on his own accord but based on inspiration of God. There is so much written especially prophesy wise that history will show happened and only one person fulfilled what was written during different histories of time by different people. It was Jesus Christ who fulfilled them. History is His story!

If the Bible were a by product of man, then whatever was written would not have been prophesy but a prediction because prophesies come true and are of God. Predictions are of man and may/may not happen. But when God gives a promise or prophesy it will happen and history will show how many things have happened.

Let us look at two prophesies:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, NIV)

This prophetic word was talking about Christ’s birth! There was at least more than 400 years separating when Isaiah wrote this prophecy by inspiration of God and when Jesus Christ was born! To this day, believers in Christ attribute those titles to Jesus.

“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;  the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6, NIV)

This prophetic word was talking about Christ’s sacrifice for humanity.

These are just two prophesies that happened but the Bible is filled with hundreds of prophesies that Christ fulfilled. The major prophetic books are Book of Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation. Other Books of the Bible have prophesy too that have come true. This is evidenced by historical and archeological evidence!

These three sections show why it is hard to believe that the Bible is a product of man. Instead, if you are honest and search the Scriptures diligently reading through the Bible, you will come to know too that it is inspired of God!

 As the movie DaVinci Code opened across the theaters on May 19, 2006, which speaks against the church and most importantly degrades the Name of Jesus Christ, we need to make ourselves available to speak the truth to the falsity presented in the movie and the novel. If you plan to watch the movie or have read the book and have questions or your faith seems to be shaken, please email me or give me a call at 412-720-4579 so we can discuss the false claims in the book that are presented as fact even though the book itself and the movie is presented as fiction. May the Lord bless you and guide you!

If you need anyone to talk to, pray with, or study the Bible with this Spring or Summer of 2006, you can email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com or call me at 412-720-4579. Please do not hesitate. One-one Bible studies can be so powerful to because the Holy Spirit is still in the midst.

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

Express Your View

Da Vinci Code Rebuttals

Demystifying Dan Brown’s Delusional Deceptive Da Vinci Code: Lie #1=> Regarding the non-divinity of Jesus Christ!" (July 01, 06)

Demystifying Dan Brown’s Delusional Deceptive Da Vinci Code: Lie #2=Regarding Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene" (July 10, 06)
 

 

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