Letter: Offence to Christians
An inventor usually patents his invention and then provides instructions for its use.
God, as the creator of the heavens and the earth and everything within that infinite ambit, likewise has the right to set out rules for its use. The Bible is God's word to man on how to live before Him.
He does not force mankind to follow His commandments, for God gives us freewill. God offers a gift, eternal life, which is limited to those who try their hardest to obey Him.
Paul Pearson, (Shropshire Star October 14 and 15), creates the impression that God approved of vile acting people in the past, whereas I read that He punished them. The Bible contains a lot of history and much of this inspired record is detailing the acts of people who God found abhorrent.
On the morality of mankind at the time of Noah, we read in Genesis 6:5 that "every intent of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually". Consequently, although we read in the next verse that the Lord was "sorry" "and He was grieved in His heart", being just, He brought the great flood and destroyed that evil generation.
While it may be true that blasphemy is not chargeable in British law today, it was in times past. Because of the way people use God's and Christ's names in vain, maybe this is fortunate.
However the word blasphemy and its derivatives, still register in the modern English Dictionary. Our coinage still acknowledges that the Queen is the defender of the Christian faith.
Most of Christendom seems unaware of other sources of evidence which point to the veracity of the Bible. Archaeology has produced thousands of pieces of supporting material. The present unstable situation in the Middle East accommodates Bible prophecy.
The language used by Paul Pearson is uncomfortable to those who believe God and His word. The Bible describes life as we know it, but promises something much better for the future.
Just a short answer to Allan Tucker's question addressed to Ron Jones of Which Bible? (Star, October 15). Essentially there are two classes of Bible interpretation; majority text which include the A/V, RV, NKJV, and the ESV and are intended to be word for word translations. Then we have edited or looser translations including the NIV, which are termed eclectic. More recent private translations, I would suggest, are unacceptable.
A Michael Fletcher, Bettisfield
