COMBINATION OF THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES.   With the Scripture of the Day first.
 
[1]     SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 330A]
 
But ye have not so learned Christ;  21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:  22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.  Ephesians 4:20 – 24, [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
Yes, Jesus (Yeshua) is the permanent high priest as shown by Hebrews 7:26 – 27, [AV] “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;  27  Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”  We must put off the former wrong things we were doing in order to win his approval as testified to at 1 Timothy 4:1, [AV] “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”  Also, Romans 6:6, [AV] shows, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”  Yes, Jesus (Yeshua)is the son of Almighty God (YHWH) as shown by John 1:14, [AV] “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”  We should strive per Psalms 51:10, [AV] “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”  To permit Him to do this we must per Colossians 3:10, [AV] “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”  
 
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Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
 
[2]     THE RARE FRUIT TREES AND VEGETABLES:
Here is a Commentary on Bountiful Trees and Vegetables God (YHWH) has provided for mankind, specifically the Mate, Ilex paraguariensis A. St-Hil. var. paraguariensis
 
Family: Aquifoliaceae
 
Common names. English: maté, Brazilian tea, Paraguay tea: Guarani: ka'a; Kaingangue: kongóñ: Spanish: yerba maté, té de los jesuitas: Portuguese: congonha, erva mate
 
Maté, with a very restricted distribution outside America, is a tree that produces a raw material for industrialization and consumption as a stimulating infusion. So far, this has been the main use of this somewhat overlooked crop.
Although no archaeological remains have been found that show that it was used in pre-Columbian times. it is assumed that it was the Guarani Indians who taught the Spanish how to use it. However, what seems to be an indirect consequence of the discovery is the fact that the first people to have cultivated this species were the Jesuit missionaries who, around 1670, already had artificial maté plantations. In time, the settlements of Guarani Indians converted to Christianity were to become economically dependent on maté production.
 
The expulsion of the Jesuits from the Spanish dominions (1767) was a step backwards in the history of maté. There was a return to the forest exploitation method which utilized the natural maté plantations exclusively and inadequately. It may be said that this type of laborious and uneconomical forest management extended up to the first decades of the twentieth century, in spite of maté planting having been renewed in Nueva Germania, Paraguay and in Santa Ana, Argentina, in 1897.
 
Although very much reduced, maté production did not disappear with the Jesuit plantations. During the remainder of the colonial period, the use of this herb, which had spread extensively, persisted even in the region of the Viceroyalty of Peru, where there was another methyl xanthine stimulant of the same genus: Ilex guayusa Loes. emend. Shemluck, also marketed by the Jesuits from that region in Quito.
 
It has been established that trade in maté was not interrupted and that it was commonly used in what is now Peru and Ecuador. However, following the independence of the Spanish colonies and the adoption of free trade, English tea began to be introduced into those countries and so maté gradually lost the markets of those Andean countries.
 
The decline and complete disappearance of the maté plantations in the settlements of Christianized Indians (which ended around 1820 after a series of wars waged in the region between the Spanish and Portuguese Crowns, followed by the struggles for independence) and the policy of isolation and control of international trade maintained by the first governor of independent Paraguay meant that, in the 1820s, Brazil began commercial exploitation of its natural maté plantations.
 
The most accessible plantations were situated in the vicinity of Curitiba, Paraná, and as they were slowly exhausted they were gradually replaced by the others located towards the west. The Brazilian product, which then began to spread on the markets as "Paranagua maté", was considered to be of inferior quality to that from Paraguay. However, in the course of time it replaced the Paraguayan product, a development which became more marked after the war of the Triple Alliance ( 1870).
 
At the end of the nineteenth century, the limitations of the exhaustive exploitation of this forestry resource stimulated efforts to produce large plantations of I. paraguariensis once again. Eventually. these efforts were successful, especially in Argentina.
 
At the same time as the increase in Argentinian maté production, the extraordinary expansion of the agricultural frontiers in traditional maté-growing states of southern Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina. Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso do Sul) took place. Regrettably, the disappearance of enormous areas of natural forests in those states jeopardized the conservation of maté's genetic richness.
 
The complicated economic history of this crop (barely sketched out here) which is characterized by periods of scarcity alternating with periods of excessive demand, the sporadic but real existence of periods during which it was adulterated with other plants and the most common method of preparation—maté sucked through a small tube—considered by many to be unhygienic, had a bearing on the limited spread of maté outside southern South America.
 
Its main use is in infusions prepared as tea with leaves and dried stems which have been industrially shredded. Generally speaking, it is drunk by tilling small gourds (maté gourds or cuias) with maté. to which boiling water is gradually added, the liquid being sucked up through a metal tube (the bombilla). Infusions of cimarrón, or bitter maté, are usually modified with sugar (sweet maté), milk or aromatic herbs. Other methods of consumption are boiled maté, tereré (maté prepared with cold water, common in Paraguay and northeastern Argentina), liqueurs prepared with maté, ice-creams, desserts, etc. The industry also produces compound maté (which contains aromatic and/or medicinal herbs), soluble maté and maté teabags.
 
The aqueous infusion of maté owes its stimulant properties to the caffeine content (between 1 and 2 percent) so that, 60 minutes after consuming maté, an average of 80 to 120 mg of this pseudoalkaloid is consumed. Its nutritional qualities are due to its content of vitamins A, C and B complex and the existence of minerals (P, Ca and Fe).
 
Argentina, the main producer and consumer, grows around 130000 ha of maté in the northeast of the country (Misiones and Corrientes), which produce about 140000 tonnes per year. Brazil is the world's second producer, followed by Paraguay. For the Argentinan province of Misiones, maté cultivation represents an important part of the country's GDP.
 
Botanical description
The maté is a dioecious evergreen tree which grows up to 18 m in height. The leaves are alternate, coriaceous and obovate with a serrate margin and obtuse apex. The inflorescences are in corymboid fascicles, the male ones in a dichasium with three to 11 flowers, the female ones with one or three flowers. The flowers are small, and simple, number four or five and have a whitish corolla. The fruit is in a nucule; there are four or five single seed pyrenes (propagules).
 
Maté flowers in the spring (from October to November), has entomophilous pollination (diptera, hymenoptera) and fruits from March to June; dissemination is endozoic (birds). There is a rudimentary embryo in many externally ripe seeds which causes a long period of germination From the time of sowing.
 
Ecology and phytogeography
Prominent among the ecological requirements of this subtropical species are climatic conditions, especially mean annual precipitation and an even distribution of rainfall throughout the year. This must not be less than 1200 mm annually and, during the driest quarter—which in the region is winter—the minimum must be 250 mm. I. paraguariensis' wild distribution area is always unaffected by water shortages. The mean annual temperature of the area is approximately 21 to 22°C. The absolute minimum temperature that this species is able to tolerate is -6°C, even though winter snows are frequent on the plateaus and mountain regions to the south of Brazil and east of Misiones.
It requires lateritic, acid (pH between 5.8 and 6.8) soils that are of medium to fine texture.
 
Figure 30 shows the natural distribution of I. paraguariensis. The area of economic cultivation of maté coincides approximately with the main dispersion area of the var. paraguariensis.
 
Genetic diversity
There is still no exhaustive modern picture that explains in biological terms the infraspecific variability of this species, which is widely dispersed geographically in South America. Up to the present, taking as a basis the morphological characteristics alone, at least two varieties are recognized: I. paraguariensis A. St-Hill var. paraguariensis (cultivated maté, almost completely glabrous) and I. paraguariensis var. vestita (Reisseck) Loes. (not acceptable for industrialization, of dense pubescence). Both varieties coexist in limited areas of Brazil.
 
The wild species closest to I. paraguariensis belong to the subgenus euilex Loes., subsection repandae Loes. Only I. cognata Reisseck lives in the distribution area of maté. I. cognata is very little known; its vernacular name is chá do mato and it is used to adulterate maté.
 
A number of wild species of Ilex are sympatric with genuine maté and have been, or are, used to manufacture the product although, up to the present and according to the legislation in force, they are to be considered adulterations. Of those most frequently referred to, the following deserve mention: Ilex affinis Gardner (the ca' a chirí or congonha of Goyaz, a species abundant in central Brazil and northeastern Paraguay); I. dumosa Reisseck var. guaranina Loes. (yerba señorita, aperea ka'a, cauna, caá chiri), native to Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, the producer of a bitter-tasting maté and supposedly cultivated in Misiones by the Jesuits to produce their famous "caá miní" maté; I. theezans, C. Martius ex Reisseck (cauna de folhas largas, ca'a na, congonha), a good substitute for I. paraguariensis, found in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. I. brevicuspis Reisseck, known as cauna or voadeira, like the previous species, is a faithful companion of I. paraguariensis in plant communities characteristic of the region—where Araucaria is also prominent—but the product obtained from its experimental industrialization is of low quality.
 
Outside the natural area of distribution and production of maté, in northwestern Argentina and southeastern Bolivia, Ilex argentina Lillo, a related species that is known not to accumulate caffeine but theobromine, has been used to prepare maté. It is a tree characteristic of the area of transition between the forests of Myrtaceae and alder (Alnus spp.) of the phytogeographical province of the yungas.
Known cultivars of I. paraguariensis. The infraspecific classification of I. paraguariensis is still under study. Consequently, the correspondence between the biological varieties and the horticultural varieties of genuine maté is not clear. Following is a list of some of the varieties recognized as such by growers in the three countries: Erva de talo roxo, Erva de talo branco, Erva piriquita (Brazil); Caá verá, Caá manduví, Caá panambi, Caá cuatí, Caá ñú, Caá eté, Caá mi, Caá chacra, Caá-je-he-ni (Paraguay); Yerba colorada, Yerba señorita, Caá miní (Argentina).
 
INTA in Argentina recently began to distribute seeds of clones and selected clonal progeny which, following comparative trials, demonstrated their superiority.
 
In wild South American Ilex species and in the maté-growing region, the risks of genetic erosion are high because the natural forest is gradually giving way to agroforestry and livestock production, a process accentuated by the relatively low germinating capacity of many species (especially that of maté). As no suitable method has yet been discovered for maintaining the germinating capacity of I. paraguariensis for prolonged periods, there are no seed banks of the species. Nevertheless, at the Cerro Azul de Misiones experimental agricultural station in Argentina, a maté clonal garden began to be developed in 1976, complemented by the nursery started in 1986 with I. paraguariensis of various origins and with other species of Ilex.
 
Cultivation practices
In the wide and varied economic production area of maté, the practices for the cultivation or exploitation of natural maté vary considerably in their technical aspects, resulting in different yields per hectare.
Three methods of production can be distinguished which are arranged here in increasing order of importance reflecting the use of techniques and their yields:
 
Extractive exploitation of the natural forest. Here the richness of natural maté plantations is utilized. Harvesting is not mechanized and the pruning system is generally incorrect. This form of production is diffused mainly in Brazil.
Mixed system or system for the enrichment of the natural forest. This consists of increasing the number of natural plantations and reconstituting those that have been lost. In Brazil, where this method is most commonly practiced, it is called densifying the maté plantation. Since, generally speaking, this technique is accompanied by others that increase the yield, such as cultivation care and improved pruning methods, the higher production cost is compensated for.
Cultivated maté plantations. This is undoubtedly the best system, and came into general use in Argentina around 1915. In spite of higher costs, the yield per hectare greatly increases. Complemented by measures such as improvement in the layout of plantations (which have evolved from trees planted in quincunxes, with spaced out plants used by Jesuits, to cultivation following contour lines, with a high density per hectare and use of the corte mesa pruning and plant management system), with well-timed pruning, cultivation work and harvesting, this system enabled Argentinian production to exceed that of Brazil, in spite of the former being carried out in a very reduced area and even outside the environments most suited for maté. For example, rising from a density of 1000 to 1500 plants per hectare (still fairly widespread) to a density of 2500 or 4000 plants per hectare, production can increase from around 1000 to 1800 kg to 2100 to 3300 kg per hectare.
 
The corte mesa system not only increases the yield but is also better suited to mechanical harvesting.
 
Yields are improved by: planting following contours; the use of natural or introduced cover (rape, legumes, etc.); fertilization (NPK); weed control (mechanical and/or using herbicides); suitable phytosanitary treatments; and rational harvesting. The relevant experiments have been going on for some years but, regrettably, their results have not become generalized. The introduction into cultivation of improved cultivars is much less widespread.
 
Conventional propagation techniques. Sexual propagation ("seeds" = pyrenes). This is the most common reproduction technique. In the case of maté, the advantage of sexual propagation lies in the fact that the variability in descendants may give rise to individuals better suited to different environments (which on other occasions may not be desired).
 
The seeds are harvested in the region (from February to April). They must be stratified or sown immediately, otherwise they quickly lose their viability.
Stored at 5°C, they maintain a very reduced germinating capacity (1.7 to 6.6 percent) for a further 11 months. The relatively short period of viability together with the low germination rate (immature embryos, phytosanitary problems) have undoubtedly been the cause of the difficulties in its cultivation spreading to other continents in the past.
 
Agamic reproduction. Grafting, propagation by cuttings and layering are not very widespread. It is relatively difficult to obtain rooted cuttings and this is generally achieved by using young branches from the stools, irrespective of whether plant hormone treatment is used. Additional experiments are necessary if the intention is to increase the rooting percentage.
 
In vitro cultivation of I. paraguariensis is being tried out in Brazil and Argentina by various research groups, with varying results which still do not clearly indicate which are the economically viable techniques for the clonal reproduction of selected individuals.
 
According to the Under-Secretariat for Agriculture and Livestock, in Argentina in 1988, the average yield of semi-processed maté was 1220 kg per hectare.
 
Prospects for improvement
The limitations of cultivation are due to the fact that there is no demand for the product on a macroeconomic scale. The recurrent cycles of surplus supply, low prices, disinvestment in plantations, scarcity of raw materials, high prices—very often linked with international trading terms between producer countries, which result in a greater distortion—have historically acted against a stable supply of the product in terms of quality and quantity. Even worse, they have discouraged the continuation of basic and/or applied research, which cultivation and processing require. The partial or total absence of knowledge concerning maté biology, plant chemistry, dietetics, agronomics and industrialization have made it difficult to adopt international standards which would lay down norms for the quality of the product and improve and guarantee it over time, depending on its distribution to the major international markets for the production of methyl xanthine infusions.
 
Potential areas for the introduction of this crop are subtropical regions with acid soils and a water supply similar to those of the species' natural area of dispersal.
 
It has recently been suggested that Ilex verticillata, a North American species, could be a source of biodegradable detergents because of its high saponin content. Since research regarding similar subjects is being continued on I. paraguariensis and, furthermore, since other related species are studied even less than maté from the chemical point of view, it would be advantageous to go into these aspects more deeply.
 
Ilex argentina is also a possible caffeine-free maté and is, moreover, remarkable for its richness in liver-protecting phenolics similar to those in artichokes (Cynara scolymus).
 
There are also reports of a range of non-traditional uses for I. paraguariensis, for instance as a source of edible oils, furfural and cosmetics.
Finally, the importance of the wild Ilex species in genetic improvement of the crop should be mentioned.
 
Lines of research
* Botanical: Infraspecific variability of I. paraguariensis and how it is related to other species of the genus; an updated chorology; crossing systems of I. paraguariensis and other species of Ilex; inheritance of sex.
* Physiology of the seed and micropropagation methods.
* Plant chemistry: Cycle of the xanthines in the species and its relatives; toxic and undesirable compounds of allied species; analytical determination of the infusion's flavour components.
* Updating, from the food point of view and with relation to allied species.
* Architecture of the individual of I. paraguariensis and of allied species; phenology and adaptation of these trees to mechanical harvesting.
* Industrialization: Improvements in the drying and accelerated seasoning systems without organoleptic losses; alternative industries with cultivation by-products.
* New ways of consuming and presenting the product.
Bibliography
* Abbott, T.P. et al. 1990. Major extractable components in Asclepias linaria (Asclepiadaceae) and Ilex verticillata (Aquifoliaceae), two potential hydrocarbon crops. Econ. Bot., 44(2): 278-284.
* Filip, R. et al. 1989. Estudio de compuestos presentes en Ilex argentina Lillo (Aquifoliaceae). Anal. Asoc. Quim. Argent., 77(4): 293-297.
* Fontana, H.P. et al. 1990. Estudios sobre la germinación y conservación de semillas de verba maté (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) . Infor. Técn.. 52: 14. Estación Exper. Agrop. Cerro Azul, INTA.
* Giberti, G.C.1989. Los parientes silvestres de la yerba maté y el problema de su adulteración. Dominguezia, 7(1): 3-21.
* Gomez Vara, M.E. et al. 1980. Investigaciones sobre la tecnología de la yerba maté. Informe, 4:226. APRYMA.
* Grondona, E.M. 1953. Historia de la yerba mate. Rev. Argent. Agron., 20(2): 68-95.
* Grondona, E.M. 1954. Historia de la yerba mate. II. Sinonimia, cariología y distribución geográfica. Rev. Argent. Agron., 21 (1): 9-24.
* Linhares, T.1969. História econômica do mate. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Editôra Livraria José Olympio.
* Loesener, T. 1901. Monographia Aquifoliacearum, l. Nola Acta Acad. Caes. Leop. Carol. German. Nat. Cur., 78: VIII + 600.
* Loesener, T. 1942/60. Aquifoliaceae. In H. Harms & Mattfeld, eds. Nat. Pflanzenfam, 2nd ed., p.36-86. Berlin.
* Martínez-Crovetto, R. 1980. Yerba mate: usos no tradicionales y posibilidades. Participar. 2(12): 58-61.
* Porto, A. 1943. História das Missões orientais do Uruguai, I. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ministry of Education and Health.
* Prat Kricun, S.D. et al. 1986. Yerba mate: informe de investigaciones realizadas. Período 84-85. Misiones, Convenio INTA-CRYM y CRYM-Asoc. Coop. EEA.
* Schultes, R.E. 1979. Discovery of an ancient guayusa plantation in   (source - retrieved from   http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/mate.html  on  3/21/2013)
 
In Genesis 1:11-13, "And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. (American Standard Version, ASV)[for more details, go to  www.jw.org].
 
For pictures of this plant and more information on it, go to,  http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/yerba_mate.htm
 
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Your Friend in Christ Iris89
 
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth."Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to www.jw.org!
 
 
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COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    DISCOURSE ON PURGATORY: PART 1
 
[1] SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 332A]
 
And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:  Genesis 5:22, [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
Enoch was a pre-flood person who walked with God unlike his contemporaries and won his approval in a wicked pre-flood world.  And the same is true with respect Noah per Genesis 6:9, [AV] “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”  And the first King of Palestine (Israel), King David also acknowledged he walked with Almighty God (YHWH) at Psalms 23:1, [AV] “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  Showing he had God’s backing because of this. 
 
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Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
 
[2]     DISCOURSE ON PURGATORY:  [PART 1 OF 2 ]
 
INTRODUCTION:
 
Does it exist or is it a myth?   Let's examine the facts.   In doing so we will first examine the Catholic Doctrine [RCC] on same as follows:
 
EXERT FROM THE CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA:
 
"Purgatory (Lat., "purgare", to make clean, to purify) in accordance with Catholic teaching is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions. The faith of the Church concerning purgatory is clearly expressed in the Decree of Union drawn up by the Council of Florence (Mansi, t. XXXI, col. 1031), and in the decree of the Council of Trent which (Sess. XXV) defined: "Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has from the Sacred Scriptures and the ancient tradition of the Fathers taught in Councils and very recently in this Ecumenical synod (Sess. VI, cap. XXX; Sess. XXII cap.ii, iii) that there is a purgatory, and that the souls therein are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but principally by the acceptable Sacrifice of the Altar; the Holy Synod enjoins on the Bishops that they diligently endeavor to have the sound doctrine of the Fathers in Councils regarding purgatory everywhere taught and preached, held and believed by the faithful" (Denzinger, "Enchiridon", 983). Further than this the definitions of the Church do not go, but the tradition of the Fathers and the Schoolmen must be consulted to explain the teachings of the councils, and to make clear the belief and the practices of the faithful.
 
Temporal Punishment
That temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture. God indeed brought man out of his first disobedience and gave him power to govern all things (Wis. x, 2), but still condemned him "to eat his bread in the sweat of his brow" until he returned unto dust. God forgave the incredulity of Moses and Aaron, but in punishment kept them from the "land of promise" (Num., xx, 12). The Lord took away the sin of David, but the life of the child was forfeited because David had made God's enemies blaspheme His Holy Name (II Kings, xii, 13, 14). In the New Testament as well as in the Old, almsgiving and fasting, and in general penitential acts are the real fruits of repentance (Matt., iii, 8; Luke, xvii, 3; iii, 3). The whole penitential system of the Church testifies that the voluntary assumption of penitential works has always been part of true repentance That temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture. God indeed brought man out of his first disobedience and gave him power to govern all things (Wis. x, 2), but still condemned
Venial Sins
All sins are not equal before God, nor dare anyone assert that the daily faults of human frailty will be punished with the same severity that is meted out to serious violation of God's law. On the other hand whosoever comes into God's presence must be perfectly perfectly pure for in the strictest sense His "eyes are too pure, to behold evil" (Hab., i, 13). For unrepented venial faults for the payment of temporal punishment due to sin at time of death, the Church has always taught the doctrine of purgatory.
So deep was this belief ingrained in our common humanity that it was accepted by the Jews, and in at least a shadowy way by the pagans, long before the coming of Christianity. ("Aeneid," VI, 735 sq.; Sophocles, "Antigone," 450 sq.)." [source = Catholic Encyclopedia]
 
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS:
 
Now let's look at what the Bible has to say on the subject.  Interestingly at Psalms 145:4,  "His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return into his earth: in that day all their thoughts shall perish." (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB); Now if this is the case, how can the souls that are "therein detained be aided by the suffrages of the faithful and principally by the acceptable sacrifice of the alter....It is the common teaching of Catholic theologians that (1) indulgences may be applied to the sourls detained in purgatory; and (2) that indulgences are available for them by way of suffrage." [source = "The Catholic Encyclopedia, NY 1911, Vol XII, pages 575, 578, 579].   And how would this concept of purgatory as put forth by the RCC harmonize with Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord." (DRCB)?   Or with Job 3:17, "There the wicked cease from tumult, and there the wearied in strength are at rest." (DRCB)?
 
Nor would this doctrine harmonize with Ezekiel 14:4,  "Behold all souls are mine: as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, the same shall die." (DRCB) which clearly shows only two possible states.   Or James 5:20,  "He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins." (DRCB) which clearly does not recognize the existence of an 'in-between place;' as neither does Josue 10:32-37, "And the Lord delivered Lachis into the hands of Israel, and he took it the following day, and put it to the sword, and every soul that was in it, as he had done to Lebna. 33 At that time Horam, king of Gazer, came up to succour Lachis: and Josue slew him with all his people so as to leave none alive. 34 And he passed from Lachis to Eglon, and surrounded it, 35 And took it the same day: and put to the sword all the souls that were in it, according to all that he had done to Lachis. 36 He went up also with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron, and fought against it: 37 Took it, and destroyed it with the edge of the sword: the king also thereof, and all the towns of that country, and all the souls that dwelt in it: he left not therein any remains: as he had done to Eglon, so did he also to Hebron, putting to the sword all that he found in it." (DRCB).
 
HOW SIN IS CLEANSED:
 
The Bible clearly shows sin is NOT cleansed through payment of indulgences to release someone from Purgatory; this is clearly shown at 1 John 1:7-9, "But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another: And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity (DRCB) which shows that sin is forgiven, not by the payment of indulgences, but on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ.  And this fact is ratified by Revelation 1:5, "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (DRCB); and by Ephesians 1:7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his, grace," (DRCB); and Revelation 7:9 & 14, "After this, I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." And 14 And I said to him: My Lord, thou knowest. And he said to me: These are they who are come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (DRCB).
 
 
CHRIST DIED ONCE SO CONTINUOUS SAYING OF MASS BRINGS NO RELIEF:
 
 
Hebrews 7:26-27 highlight that Christ died once for us not continually setting the pattern, "For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens: 27 Who needeth not daily (as the other priests) to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, in offering himself." (DRCB); and this is also affirmed at Hebrews 9:26-28, "For then he ought to have suffered often from the beginning of the world. But now once, at the end of ages, he hath appeared for the destruction of sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment: 28 So also Christ was offered once to exhaust the sins of many. The second time he shall appear without sin to them that expect him unto salvation." (DRCB).   And made very clear at 1 Peter 3:18, "Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust: that he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit," (DRCB).
 
 
GOD'S (YHWH'S) GIFT OF LIFE IS FREE:
 
 
That God's (YHWH's) gift of life is free and not requiring payment of indulgences is made clear at Acts  8:18-20, "And when Simon saw that, by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying: Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I shall lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said to him: 20 Keep thy money to thyself, to perish with thee: because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." (DRCB); and affirmed at Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you are saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God." (DRCB).   And Romans 6:23 shows the wages of sin is death, "For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord." (DRCB).
 
 
TESTING OF ONE'S WORTHINESS IS DURING LIFE, NOT AFTER DEATH:
 
 
Individuals will be tested with respect worthiness during life and not after death as shown at 1 Peter 1:7, "That the trial of your faith (much more precious than gold which is tried by the fire) may be found unto praise and glory and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ." (DRCB); and further testified to at Malachi 3:1-3, "Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his temple. Behold, he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts. 2 And who shall be able to think of the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see him? for he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller's herb: 3 And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice." (DRCB).
 
 
PURGATORY IS NOT EVEN MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE:
 
 
Nowhere can you find the word Purgatory in the Bible, not even in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible from which all quotes in this discourse have been taken.  The Encyclopedia Britannica says, "It is impossible to point out in any writing of the first four centuries any passage which describes the state of any of the faithful departed as one of acute suffering...Still less would it be possible to show that the intermediate state was regarded by them as one in which satisfaction was made for sin." [source = The Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 th. Edition - 1907, Volume XX, page 121 ].   Even the Catholic Encyclopedia says, "There is no clear and explicit scriptural text in favour of prayers for the dead, except the above test of II Machabees" [Note, this book, II Machabees, is not a part of the legitimate Bible canon, but a part of the Apochrypha][source = The Catholic Encyclopedia, NY 1908, Volume IV, page 654 ].
 
 
NOT FROM THE BIBLE, BUT A TEACHING OF MEN:
 
 
Let's face it the doctrine of Purgatory is based on the teachings of men and is covered by 2 Corinthians 4:4, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of unbelievers, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine unto them." (DRCB).  The Catholic Encyclopedia, previously quoted in the Excerts From the Catholic Encyclopedia part of this discourse says, "That temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture. God indeed brought man out of his first disobedience and gave him power to govern all things (Wis. x, 2), but still condemned.... That temporal punishment is due to sin, even after the sin itself has been pardoned by God, is clearly the teaching of Scripture. God indeed brought man out of his first disobedience and gave him power to govern all things (Wis. x, 2), but still condemned" [source = The Catholic Encyclopedia ].   Clearly the words of men as nothing like this is found in the Bible as previously shown.
 
TRADITION MAKES VOID THE WORD OF GOD (YHWH):
 
 
Some feel their tradition is more important than the Word of God (YHWH), but the Bible clearly shows otherwise at Matthew 15:1-3 & 6-9, "Then came to him from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees, saying: 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the ancients? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answering, said to them: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for your tradition? For God said:" and "And he shall not honour his father or his mother: and you have made void the commandment of God for your tradition. 7 Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying: 8 This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me. 9 And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men." (DRCB); and this is warned against at Colossians 2:8, "Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy and vain deceit: according to the tradition of men according to the elements of the world and not according to Christ." (DRCB).
 
 
CONCLUSION:
 
 
Clearly the Bible shows the doctrine of Purgatory is a teaching of men and in no way from God (YHWH).   In fact, the Bible clearly shows that the hope for the dead is through a resurrection and not the paying of indulgences as made clear at John 5:28-29, "Wonder not at this: for the hour cometh wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God. 29 And they that have done good things shall come forth unto the resurrection of life: but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment." (DRCB).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Discourse on the Bible:
 
 
INTRODUCTION:
 
There are many different writings and books that various groups have considered/believed to be holy books, but why so.   Many have been considered holy books based on human tradition such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Rig Veda, etc., and others for which divine inspiration are claimed, but which are actually just knockoffs from the Bible such as the writings of David Korash, the Book of Morman, the Quran (Koran), etc.   However, there is only one book, actually a book of books, the Bible which actually was written by man acting as scribes who were given the thoughts of God (YHWH) and put them into the words of men.  
 
Specifically, the Bible is NOT the product of one committee or strongman. It has over 40 individual writers who wrote under divine inspiration/guidance much as transcribing secretaries today taking transcription and then later typing it out. In other words one real author, God (YHWH), and many scribes each of whom wrote in his own style over a period of approximately 1,600 years. All of what people call or consider inconsistencies are really not such, but most often just a problem of translation and/or understanding, i.e., lack of understanding of what the original writer writing in his own language and culture meant/said in his original writing. What is remarkable, is the writers over such a period of time all wrote in harmony when even most posters on threads on this forum can not even stay on track or subject over a period of a few days and/or weeks at most with the original subject of the thread. This fact of harmony over a period so great as to almost stagger the imagination shows that it had one guiding force or author who divinely inspired its writers as humans of their own volition can not keep on track over short periods of time.
 
To wit, the Bible is the ONLY book God (YHWH) ever inspired men to write as his scribes. In other words, God is its author and men only put his thoughts given to them by divine inspiration into their own words, the words of men. Not only that, all the other writers of later so called religious guidance books borrowed from it and made changes in accord with their strong man or so called prophet. Take the example of Joseph Smith who borrowed from it to write the Book of Mormon, but failed to give credit or source to the Bible and twisted some borrowed things into bizarre distortions. Other examples are of course the bizarre writings of David Koresh the Prophet of the Branch Dividians of Waco, Texas; and the Quran, and the Book of Wiccim.
 
INSPIRED BY GOD (YHWH) AND NOT BY HUMANS:
 
All other so called 'holy books' have been inspired by men such as the Rig Veda which is a collection of  early writings about nature and life by the early inhabitants of India, or the so called Egyptian Book of the Dead which is of similar nature but deals more specifically with the items of nature that the early Egyptians considered gods such as the sun, frogs, and other things of nature.  Now the Bible is a quite different entity which does NOT consider things of nature as gods, but only the Creator of Heaven and Earth a god, Almighty God (YHWH) which Exodus 20:3 says, "Thou hast no other Gods before Me." (Young's Literal Translation; YLT).  Clearly showing there is but one true God (YHWH) through whom all came into being at his discretion.
 
This fact, that the Bible was inspired by God (YHWH) is testified to at 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "Every scripture inspired of God `is' also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. 17 That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." (American Standard Version; ASV); and this is affirmed, also, at 1 Thessalonians 2:13, "And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, `even the word' of God, ye accepted `it' not `as' the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe." (ASV).
 
MAN WROTE UNDER INSPIRATION FROM GOD (YHWH):
 
As shown at Exodus 20:1-2, "`And God speaketh all these words, saying, 2 I `am' Jehovah thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants." (YLT); and reaffirmed at Isaiah 7:7, "thus saith the Lord Jehovah, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass." (ASV); and the fact that these divinely inspired individuals wrote not their own words, but simply put the thoughts of God (YHWH) into the words of men as testified to by God's (YHWH's) own son, Jesus (Yeshua) at John 14:10, "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works." (ASV).
 
Clearly men were moved to write by God's (YHWH's) spirit as testified to at 2 Peter 1:20-21, "this first knowing, that no prophecy of the Writing doth come of private exposition, 21 for not by will of man did ever prophecy come, but by the Holy Spirit borne on holy men of God spake." (YLT); and 1 Thessalonians 2:13, "And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, `even the word' of God, ye accepted `it' not `as' the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe." (ASV).
 
Unlike other so called 'holy books' that were written as men observed nature or were moved by self interest, the Bible was written by men who were moved by God's (YHWH's) spirit as testified to at Acts 3:21, "whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old." (ASV); and at Acts 28:25, "And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers," (ASV).
 
NOW WHAT DOES INSPIRATION MEAN:
 
The dictionary definition, "The infusion or arousal within the mind of some idea, feeling, or impulse, especially one that leads to creative action.  2. The state or quality of being inspired, 3. Divine influence exerted upon the mind or spirit; especially , the divine influence underlying prophetic or scriptural revelation. [source = Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, ISBN # 0-308-10309-2).  Now of all these definitions, the one of interest is the third dealing with divine influence
 
 being exerted.  This is further defined by Ezekiel 1:3, "the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him." (ASV).  This divine inspiration is further testified to at Habakkuk 2:2, "And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it." (ASV); and at Daniel 7:1-2 & 7, "In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel hath seen a dream, and the visions of his head on his bed, then the dream he hath written, the chief of the things he hath said. 2 Answered hath Daniel and said, `I was seeing in my vision by night, and lo, the four winds of the heavens are coming forth to the great sea;" and "7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booty unto them?" (ASV).
 
PROPHECY PROVES THE BIBLE TO BE OF DIVINE ORIGIN:
 
Whereas, other so called 'holy books' that are NOT knockoffs of the Bible deal mostly with nature and if they deal with prophecy, they deal with it in very general terms; whereas, the Bible gives very specific prophecies that have all come true at the predicted time.  As 2 Peter 1:21 says, "For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." (ASV); and at Isaiah 46:9-10, "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; `I am' God, and there is none like me; 10     declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not `yet' done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;" (ASV).  Also, this is testified to at many other places in the Bible such as at Deuteronomy 18:22 (part of the Torah), "that which the prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, and the thing is not, and cometh not -- it `is' the word which Jehovah hath not spoken; in presumption hath the prophet spoken it; -- thou art not afraid of him." (ASV); and at John 14:29, "And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe." (ASV).
 
AS an example of this fulfillment of prophecy as given in God's (YHWH's) word, the Bible, just consider some of the prophecies given centuries before the incarnation of his Son, Jesus (Yeshua) that were fulfilled by him as follows:
 
Prophecy Fulfilled When Jesus Was Crucified:
 
[ 1. Betrayed by a friend - Psalms 41:9 - John 13:18-27 - 460 BCE ]]
 
[ 2. Thirty (30) of silver thrown in Temple - Zechariah 11:13 - Matthew 27:3-5 - 518 BCE ]
 
[ 3. Betrayed for thirty (30) pieces of silver - Zechariah 11:12 - Matthew 26:14-15 - 518 BCE ]
 
[ 4. Potters field bought for thirty (30) pieces of silver&Zechariah 11:13 - Matthew 27:6-10 - 518 BCE ]
 
[ 5. Forsaken by His disciples - Zechariah 13:7 - Mark 14:27-50 - 518 BCE ]
 
[ 6. Falsely accused by false witnesses - Psalms 35:11-21 - Matthew 26:59-61 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 7. Remained silent before accusers - Isaiah 53:7 - Matthew 27:12-14 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 8. Was wounded and bruised - Isaiah 53:4-6 - 1 Peter 2:21-25 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 9. Spit upon and beaten - Isaiah 50:6 - Matthew 26:67-68 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 10. Was mocked - Psalms 22:6-  8 - Matthew 27:27-  31 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 11. Fell under the cross (stauros) - Psalms 109:24-  25 - John 19:17, Luke 23:26 - 460 BCE]
 
[ 12. Had hands and feet pierced - Psalms 22:16 - John 20:24-28 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 13. Was crucified with thieves - Isaiah 53:12 - Matthew 27:38 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 14. Prayed for His enemies - Isaiah 53:12 - Luke 23:34 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 15. His own people rejected him - Isaiah 53:3 - John 19:14-15 - 732 BCE]
 
[ 16. Was hated without cause - Psalms 69:4 - John 15:25 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 17. Friends stood aloof - Psalms 38:11 -Luke 22:54; Luke 23:49 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 18. People wag their heads - Psalms 22:7; Psalms 109:25 - Matthew 27:39 - 460 BCE]
 
[19. He was stared at by people - Psalms 22:17 - Luke 23:35 - 460 BCE]
 
[ 20. Gamblers divided his clothes - Psalms 22:18 - John 19:23-24 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 21. He became very thirsty - Psalms 22:15 - John 19:28 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 22. He was given gall & vinegar - Psalms 69:21 - Matthew 27:34 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 23. He committed himself to God - Psalms 31:5 - Luke 23:46 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 24. His forsaken cry - Psalms 22:1 - Matthew 27:46 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 25. His bones not broken - Psalms 34:20 - John 19:32-36 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 26. Was buried in tomb of a rich man - Isaiah 53:9 - Matthew 27:56-60 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 27. A darkness came over the land - Amos 8:9 - Luke 23:44-45 - 804 BCE ]
 
[ 28. His heart was broken - Psalms 69:20;Psalms 22:14 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 29. His side pierced - Zechariah 12:10 - John 19:34-37 - 648 BCE ]
 
Prophecies Fulfilled Concerning His Birth:
 
[ 1. Born of the seed of women - Genesis 3:15 - Galatians 4:4 - 1513 BCE ]
 
[ 2. Born to a virgin Hebrew - Isaiah 7:14 - Matthew 1:18-25 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 3. Children are killed by Herod - Jeremiah 31:15 - Matthew 2:16-18 - 580 BCE ]
 
[ 4. Born of the family line of Jesse - Isaiah 11:1 - Luke 3:32 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 5. Born into the Tribe of Judah - Genesis 49:10 - Revelations 5:5 - 1513 BCE ]
 
[ 6. Born in Bethlehem - Micah 5:2 - Matthew 2:1-6 - 717 BCE ]
 
[ 7. Seed of David - Jeremiah 23:5 - Luke 3:31 - 580 BCE ]
 
[ 8. Seed of Jacob - Numbers 24:17 - Luke 3:34 - 1473 BCE ]
 
[ 9. Seed of Isaac - Genesis 21:12 - Luke 3:23-34 - 1513 BCE ]
 
[ 10. Seed of Abraham - Genesis 22:18 - Matthew 1:1 - 1513 BCE ]
 
Prophecies on his Personality:
 
 [ 1. His zeal for this Father (YHWY) - Psalms 69:9 - John 2:15-17 - 460 BCE ]
 
[2. His existence before creation - Micah 5:2 - 1 Peter 1:20 - 717 BCE ]
 
[ 3. He shall be called Lord - Psalms 110:1 - Acts 2:36 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 4. Called Immanuel (God with us) - Isaiah 7:14 - Matthew 1:22-23 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 5. Anointed by the Spirit (HS) - Isaiah 11:2 - Matthew 3:16-17 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 6. He is a Prophet - Deuteronomy 18:18-19 - Acts 3:18-25 - 1473 BCE ]
 
[ 7. He will be a Priest - Psalms 110:4 - Hebrews 5:5-6 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 8. He will be a Judge - Isaiah 33:32 - John 5:22-23 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 9. He will be a King - Psalms 2:6 - John 18:33-37 - 460 BCE ]
 
Prophecies Concerning his Public Ministry:
 
[ 1. Will be preceded by a messenger - Isaiah 40:3 - Matthew 3:1-3 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 2. He would perform miracles - Isaiah 35:5-6 - Matthew 9:35 & 11:4 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 3. Ministry to begin in Galilee - Isaiah 9:1-2 - Matthew 4:12-17 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 4. Would teach with parables - Psalms 78:1-4 - Matthew 13:34-35 - 460 BCE ]
[ 5. He would preach in temple - Malachi 3:1 - Matthew 21:10-12 - 443 BCE ]
 
[ 6. Enter Jerusalem on a donkey - Zechariah 9:9 - Matthew 21:1-7 - 518 BCE ]
 
[ 7. Stone of stumbling to Jews - Isaiah 28:16; Psalms 118:22 - 1 Peter 2:6-8 - 732 BCE ]
 
[ 8. Light to Gentiles - Isaiah 49:6 - Acts 13:46-48 - 732 BCE ]
 
Prophecies Concerning his Resurrection and Ascension:
 
 [ 1. Raised from the dead - Psalms 16:8-11 - Acts 2:24-31 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 2. Only begotten Son of God (YHWH) - Psalms 2:7 - Acts 13:32-35 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 3. Ascended to God (YHWH) - Psalms 68:18 - Ephesians 2:8-10; John 6:26 - 460 BCE ]
 
[ 4. Seated at the Right Hand of God (YHWH) - Psalms 110.1 - Hebrews 1:3-13 - 460 BCE]
 
Another remarkable prophecy that was very specific was the one given at Isaiah 44:28-29, "That saith of Cyrus, `He is' my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid." (ASV); and Isaiah 45:1, "Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:" (ASV), which secular history shows was fulfilled over two hundred years in the future as it does of the prophecy about how Cyrus would capture Babylonia at Isaiah 44:27, "that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers;" (ASV).  This fact can be verified in most world history books and in "Ancient Near Eastern Texts," edited by J. Pritchard, 1946, and of course in the Bible.
 
CANDOR OF BIBLE SCRIBES SHOWS THEIR TRUTHFULNESS:
 
Unlike writers of so called other 'holy books' the writers (scribes) of the Bible showed outstanding candor in their writings even testifying to their own shortcomings under divine guidance as shown at Numbers 20:12, "And Jehovah saith unto Moses, and unto Aaron, `Because ye have not believed in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore ye do not bring in this assembly unto the land which I have given to them.'" (YLT); and at Jonah 1:1-3, "Now the word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah." (ASV) clearly here the prophet Jonah is testifying in candor to his own lack of faith and wrong doing; and at Mark 14:66-67 and 71-72, "And Peter being in the hall beneath, there doth come one of the maids of the chief priest, 67 and having seen Peter warming himself, having looked on him, she said, `And thou wast with Jesus of Nazareth!'" and "and he began to anathematize, and to swear -- `I have not known this man of whom ye speak; 72 and a second time a cock crew, and Peter remembered the saying that Jesus said to him -- `Before a cock crow twice, thou mayest deny me thrice;' and having thought thereon -- he was weeping." (YLT).  Examples such as these are found throughout the Bible of candor on the part of the writers (scribes) which is definitely not found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Rig Veda, the so called holy book of the Zoroastrians, etc.; once more showing the great difference between the Bible, which is the only book ever inspired by God (YHWH) and so called other 'holy books.'
 
BIBLE DIRECT GLORY TO GOD AND NOT TO MEN:
 
Unlike many other so called 'holy books' the Bible directs glory to God (YHWH) and not to men such as the Egyptian Pharaohs, many ancient rulers, and the Roman Emperors  that claimed to be gods.  This is made vividly clear at Psalms 113:3-5, "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same Jehovah's name is to be praised. 4 Jehovah is high above all nations, And his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like unto Jehovah our God, That hath his seat on high," (ASV); and at Isaiah 40:22-23, "`It is' he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in; 23 that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity." (ASV); and at 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, "For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, `are called': 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; 28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, `yea' and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are: 29 that no flesh should glory before God. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: 31 that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." (ASV); and at many other places such as Revelation 7:12.
 
ARCHAEOLOGY HAS CORROBORATED MANY BIBLE ACCOUNTS:
 
So many Bible accounts have corroborated
 
 so many Bible accounts that it would require many books to significantly deal with them all.  However, but a few of these are Genesis 19:24-25, "and Jehovah hath rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah, from the heavens; 25 and He overthroweth these cities, and all the circuit, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which is shooting up from the ground." (YLT) has been corroborated by Geologist recently when they ascertained that the area mentioned had been involved in a catastrophic explosion followed by rain of sulphur.  Also, a recent expedition found extensive underwater remnants of a civilization that flourished and died app. 4,000 years ago that now is submerged beneath the south end of the Dead Sea.
 
Another example is Joshua 1:4, "From this wilderness and Lebanon, and unto the great river, the river Phrath, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great Sea -- the going in of the sun -- is your border." (YLT).  This has been confirmed by the discovery at an excavation at Boghazkeui, Turkey, the ancient site of the Hittite capital where over 10,00 clay tablets in the Hittite cuneiform script and other languages have been found.
 
Another example is 1 Kings 14:25-26, "And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem; 26 and he took away the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made." (ASV).   This was verified by a finding in 1830 of writings on the outer wall of Egyptian temple at Karnak that when deciphered was found to be a record of Shishnak's victory.
 
Another example is 2 Kings 3:4-5, "Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master; and he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel." (ASV).  This was verified with the finding of the Moabite stone in 1868 [now preserved in the Louvre, Paris] which gives King Mesha's version of his revolt against Israel.
 
Another example is 2 Kings 18:13, "Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them." (ASV).  In 1847 to 1851, Layard excavated Assyrian King Sennacherib's great palace at Kuyunjik, and uncovered clay cylinders, now called King Sennacherib's Prism, giving his boastful version of the invasion of Judah, [now preserved in the British Museum].
 
 
 
 
 
Another example is Acts 17:22, "And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that ye are very religious." (ASV).  The Ares, or 'Mars Hill," rocky hill northwest of Acropolis of Athens still remains to confirm the Beble record of setting for Paul's discourse, and a plaque there contains a copy of a part of his speech. 
 
Now if any want to know more, go and read one of the many books written on archaeology corroboration of Bible accounts, many can be found in any large metropolitan library.
 
THE BIBLE IN HARMONY WITH TRUE SCIENCE:
 
Let's review a few examples such as Genesis 1:11 & 21 & 25, "And God saith, `Let the earth yield tender grass, herb sowing seed, fruit-tree (whose seed `is' in itself) making fruit after its kind, on the earth:' and it is so." And "21 And God prepareth the great monsters, and every living creature that is creeping, which the waters have teemed with, after their kind, and every fowl with wing, after its kind, and God seeth that `it is' good." And "And God maketh the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, and God seeth that `it is' good.", all of which we all now know to be true do to the findings of scientist. 
 
And Job 26:7, "He is stretching out the north over the empty place, hanging the earth upon nothing." (New World Translation; NWT).  For many centuries it was believed that the sun revolved around the earth, and one so called Christian group, actually a counterfeit Christian group, actually burned an individual at the stake on orders from Rome, one Giordano Bruno, executed in 1600 for a belief and teaching of the Copernican's system, the belief that the earth revolved around the sun, as they taught as truth the Ptolemaic system, the belief that the sun revolved around the earth, can you imagine that.  Also, some religious groups and so called 'holy books' stated that the earth was supported by a giant turtle, can you imagine such nonsense; but the Bible contains no such nonsense in the legitimate canonical books.  And Isaiah 40:22, "`It is' he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;" (ASV).  For many centuries it was believed that the earth was flat and if you traveled too far you would fall off, but the Bible correctly said, "above the circle of the earth" revealing that it was a globe.  Once more proving the Bible always was in harmony with true science.   Of course this was NOT true for the many so called 'holy books,' the knockoffs from the Bible excluded.
 
 
ITS PRESERVATION IN FACE OF SEVERE OPPOSITION SHOWS THAT IT TRULY IS THE WORD OF GOD:
 
The fact that the Bible still exist after such severe opposition throughout the ages is testimony to the fact that it is the word of God (YHWH).  This fact was foretold in advance at Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever." (ASV); and 1 Peter 1:25, "'The saying of Jehovah endures forever."  Well, this is the 'saying,' this which has been declared to you as good news." (NWT).  Through the ages many efforts were made to eliminate the Bible and many individuals were burned at the stake for either publishing, distributing, and/or possessing a copy of the Bible, but we still have it as God (YHWH) made provisions for its preservation and today it has been translated into over 2,000 languages and more copies are in existence of it than any other book on earth; in fact more copies of it have been printed than all other so called 'holy books' sure says a lot.
 
SEE PART 2 IN VOL 363A.
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION AT   WWW.JW.ORG

COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2]    MANY IN ISLAM ARE CORRUPTED IN THEIR OUTLOOK AND WORLD VIEW DURING THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS – READ AND LEARN
 
[1]     SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 334A]
 
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.  10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.   Proverbs 9:9 – 10, [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
We do not want to displease our Creator, Almighty God (YHWH), and here are six steps that should be taken to please him as given in the Bible.
 
Step 1, John 17:3, [AV] “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
 
Step 2, John 3:16, [AV] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
 
Step 3, Luke 5:32, [AV] “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
 
Step 4, Acts 3:19, [AV] “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”
 
Step 5, Mark 8:8:34, [AV] “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
 
Step 6, Matthew 28:19 - 20, [AV] “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” 
 
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO, 
 
1) http://iris89.conforums.com/ 
 
2) http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/ 
 
3) http://religioustruths.lefora.com/ 
 
4) http://religioustruths.boardhost.com/ 
 
5) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/ 
 
6) http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/ 
 
7) http://religioustruths.forumotion.com/ 
 
To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study 
 
Your Friend in Christ Iris89 
 
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
 
[2]     MANY IN ISLAM ARE CORRUPTED IN THEIR OUTLOOK AND WORLD VIEW DURING THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS – READ AND LEARN
 
INTRODUCTION – Most of an individual’s thoughts about race, outlook on the world, and how they make sense of the world around them are developed very early in life before they ever go to school.  This REALITY is overlooked by many intentionally as they want to assign later behavior to schools or other institutions since they can not face reality that the parents, religious institutions, and acquaintances are really responsible.  As one expert group on development put it:
 
(QUOTE) “People develop best intellectually, emotionally and inter-personally when their formative years are free of repression, natural disasters, malnutrition, polluted water and armed conflict, according to UNICEF.  The formative years of a child differ, however, based on the specific type of development in question. According to PBS, when considering the development of attachments to caregivers, the first five years of life are the most important. PBS indicates that therapy helps some adults develop attachments even when they are deprived of connections during their first five years.   [[SOURC - RETRIEVED FROM   https://www.reference.com/world-view/ages-formative-years-child-e6eb4d1869967ad4  ON  11/21/2016]” (QUOTE)
 
PROJECTION OF AN INDIVIDUAL’S BAD QUALITIES ON NONE RESPONSIBLE CAUSES – Many try to project bad actions later on life on other entities instead of accepting reality as to the causative formative year learning.  This is especially so with respect to members of Islam.  Take for example, Iftikhar Ahmad, of the Islamic School of London, He tries to assign responsibility to state schools of the United Kingdom.  Yet he claims to be an expert on education with over 40 years of experience in that field.  However, he tries to assign radicalization of some Muslims to education received to state schools, and even tries to justify this erroneous conclusion by stating none of the students of a few Muslim Faith Based Schools in the United Kingdom became terrorist.  However, he overlooks reality since he fails to recognize these may not come from the same pool of Muslims in that country as the ones who became radicalized. 
 
Yes, the Muslims in the United Kingdom are not one monolithic pool or group, but made up of several who bring up their children very differently.  Many Muslims bring up their children in love and to hate violence such as members of the Free Muslim Coalition.  To learn more on this group, go to APPENDIX 1  On The Free Muslim Coalition – below.
 
However, many Muslims in the United Kingdom instruct their children knowingly or unknowingly to hate, love violence, and a disregard for the person and property of others.   This bad instruction at home during the formative years is further amplified in many mosques and by individuals they are around during their formative years.   The fruits of this become clearly evident years later with over 800 Muslims from the United Kingdom actually traveling to the middle east to become co-murders and/or partners in murder an terrorism with murder groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda.   In fact, ISIS actually used one such individual from London as their beheading executioner.  And as we all know the ones who were corrupted during their formative years blew up buses, tube carriages, and committed many other atrocities in the United Kingdom.    To learn more about how important the formative years are to the outlook and how individuals view the world around them, go to  APPENDIXES 2 TO  6  on THE FORMATIVE YEARS
 
No where is the fact that many children are corrupted with respect their future outlook and world view as many male adult Muslims view toward sex.   To wit, a view it as a right to have by rape or force with non-Muslim young females.    As shown in one article, “DESIRABLE VS. UNDESIRABLE IMMIGRANTS IN A ‘NUTSHELL’”
 
FORMATIVE YEARS AND SOME MALE MUSLIM’S OUTLOOK ON SEX:
 
Here are actual realities especially towards none Muslims of their bad actions due to bad influence in their formative years:
 
(QUOTE) “Muslim rape gangs that go out and systematically rape young girls of the host country.
 
Let’s look at some examples. Muslim Child-Rape Gangs in Britain, the facts.
 
While Muslim groups have sought to discredit the police investigations by claiming "Islamophobia," it recently emerged that British police had known for more than a decade that Muslim rape gangs were targeting young girls in England, but they ignored evidence because they were afraid of being accused of racism.
 
To learn more, go to, 
 
1) http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/muslim-child-rape-gangs-britain
2) www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3846
3) www.frontpagemag.com/.../britain-grapples...muslim-sex-gangs
4) www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZCQ9ZWfCuQ 
5) www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3068/muslim...rape-gangs-britain
6) www.caringforourchildrenfoundation.org/?p=21500 
7) www.mrctv.org/videos/dispatches-muslim-rape-gangs-england
 
ALSO, SWEDEN: 77.6% OF ALL RAPES ARE COMMITTED BY MUSLIM MALES, WHO TOTAL ONLY 2% OF POPULATION – GOV REPORT
To see account of this, go to   https://muslimstatistics.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/sweden-77-6-percent-of-all-rapes-in-the-country-committed-by-muslim-males-making-up-2-percent-of-population/  [this can be read in its entirety at http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209  OR
http://religioustruths2.yuku.com/topic/93/zzDESIRABLE-VS-UNDESIRABLE-IMMIGRANTS-IN-A-NUTSHELL#.VYWeJvlViko as of 11/24/2016] “ (QUOTE).
 
AND here is a news item on an actual court case in Australia that vividly illustrates the point of how many Muslim males are corrupted during their formative years to believe none Muslim females are to be taken for sex and rape is not wrong if the victim is NOT a Muslim.
 
(QUOTE) “By Sharon Lapkin
FrontPageMagazine.com | December 15, 2005
In Australia this week amidst anger over an Islamic man's rape conviction and the bashing of two Aussie life savers, working-class locals erupted in a rampage of anger and brawling in some of the worst racial riots in decades. But there is more to the story than is being repeated in the American mainstream media....
Four days after he set foot in Australia, the rape spree began. And during his sexual assault trial in a New South Wales courtroom, the Pakistani man began to berate one of his tearful 14-year-old victims because she had the temerity to shake her head at his testimony.
But she had every reason to express her disgust. After taking an oath on the Qur'an, the man - known only as MSK - told the court he had committed four attacks on girls as young as 13 because they had no right to say "no." They were not covering their face or wearing a headscarf, and therefore, the rapist proclaimed: "I'm not doing anything wrong."
MSK is already serving a 22-year jail term for leading his three younger brothers in a gang rape of two other young Sydney girls in 2002. In his own defence, he argued that his cultural background, was responsible for his crimes.[source - FrontPageMagazine.com, December 15, 2005, in an article by Sharon Lapkin]” (/quote)
 
 
 
APPENDIX 1  On The Free Muslim Coalition
 
The Free Muslims Coalition believes that there can NEVER be a justification for terrorism.

The Coalition believes that fundamentalist Islamic terror represents one of the most lethal threats to the stability of the civilized world. The existence of Islamic terrorists is the existence of threats to democracy. There is no room for terrorism in the modern world and the United States should take a no-tolerance stance on terrorism in order to avoid another tragedy, along the lines of 9-11. With the added threat of biochemical weapons, the call to defeat terrorism has never been so urgent.

Among Islamic scholars, the concept of jihad ranges in definition from the personal struggle against temptation to holy war. All calls for jihad to create an Islamic state should be rejected as heretic and a threat to modern society. The Coalition feels that the concept of jihad should be reinterpreted for a modern day context in which holy war is obsolete. No holy war needs to be waged; there is no clear and present threat to Islam; the only war that needs to be waged in the modern world is one against terrorists and extremists. As militant Islamic fundamentalism increases, the Coalition will wage a battle of minds as we bring Islam into the 21st century and introduce a doctrine which is compatible with democracy and modern living.

So far, the few Muslims who choose to speak up against militant extremist Islam have faced threats of violence and accusations of being anti-Islam. In effect, the message disseminated by radical Muslims is that merely discussing Islamic terrorism is to be construed as an attack on Islam.

More effectively, Muslim extremists have quelled criticism against them from peaceful Muslims by adopting popular Muslim and Arab causes. A case in point is the adoption of the Palestinian cause. The issue of Palestine and the suffering of the Palestinians is the single most important issue that unites the entire Muslim and Arab world. No issue evokes the passion of Muslims and Arabs as much as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is so important to Arabs and Muslims that every extremist group from Morocco to Indonesia that seeks legitimacy and a following, places the "liberation" of Palestine at the forefront of their agenda. For example, recall that Saddam Hussein responded to the world's request that he leave Kuwait by insisting that Israel first evacuate the West Bank and Gaza. Osama Bin Laden also invoked the Palestinian issue to justify 9-11. Iran has made the Palestinian issue its most important foreign policy priority since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. 

The clever adoption of the Palestinian cause has made it difficult for peaceful Muslims to attack terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda. The real aim of organizations such as Al-Qaeda is not just the "liberation of Palestine" but the creation of a fundamentalist Muslim empire made up of every Muslim nation. This desire to create a Muslim empire is based on the delusion that modernity is a threat to Islam and the idea that the Muslim community has strayed from God and if they were to return to a strict interpretation of Islam that the problems in the Muslim world would be solved. It is this exact mentality spurned of paranoia, ignorance and fear that inspired and supported the Taliban and the creation of a medieval society in Afghanistan.

The Coalition rejects the urgent desire by extremist groups to create a strict Islamic empire as a justification for terrorism. The coalition rejects the use of terrorism to help Palestinians. The coalition rejects the use of terrorism under any circumstances and will challenge the terrorists' propaganda machines head on.

The Coalition will seek to raise the peaceful voices of Muslims world wide. The terrorist and extremist Muslims will no longer go unchallenged. Their days of sympathetic leaching off the Muslim community are numbered.  [sourc - retrieved from  http://www.freemuslims.org/issues/terrorism.php   on 11/24/2016]
 
APPENDIX 2 on FORMATIVE YEARS:
 
Developmental status of children Access to good-quality care and education programmes outside the home are important in providing children with the basic cognitive and language skills they need to flourish in school. Such programmes can also help foster social competency and emotional development. In fact, it is widely recognized that early childhood care and education form the foundation of a high-quality basic education. Questions on attendance in organized early childhood care and education were first collected in the birth registration and early learning module during the second round of MICS (MICS2). For the third round of MICS (MICS3), conducted mainly in 2005 and 2006, information about preschool attendance was again collected in the birth registration and early learning module. Beginning with the fourth round of MICS (MICS4), questions on attendance in early childhood care and education were included in the consolidated early childhood development module included in the questionnaire for children under 5. Mothers or primary caregivers are asked whether each child aged 36 to 59 months living in the household is currently attending any organized early learning or early childhood education programme, whether public or private, and for how many hours per week. In some cases, the question is customized to make specific reference to relevant country examples of early childhood education programmes. Early childhood development is multidimensional, encompassing several aspects of a child’s well-being: physical, social, emotional and mental. In general, development takes place in a series of predictable and common stages: Children become progressively more independent and learn increasingly advanced skills and capacities as they grow older. However, children develop at different speeds and may reach developmental milestones at different times. What is considered normal child development also varies across cultures and environments, since expectations and parenting strategies may differ not only among countries but also among cultural, ethnic or religious groups within the same country. In 2007, UNICEF commissioned a review of existing tests, measures and items used to establish the developmental status of children aged 0 to 6 years, with a specific focus on those tested cross-culturally. This work led to a recommendation to create a set of age-specific indicators in five developmental domains: motor, language, cognitive, social-emotional and learning. In early 2008, a validation study of the recommended items was conducted with the goal of producing a reliable and feasible set of items to be used in the MICS. The validation study was conducted in two countries: Jordan and the Philippines, in close collaboration with local UNICEF offices. Data were collected from approximately 900 children aged 3 to 6 years in each of the two countries, with an even distribution between boys and girls. Both urban and rural regions of each country were also represented. A subsample of the total was also used for reliability testing (both testretest and inter-rater reliability). The recommended set of questions was tested alongside several other validated tools, including, for example, the Early Development Instrument,4 and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.5 All items used in the study were translated into the appropriate local languages. A series of factor analyses were also conducted to detect the underlying factors and item integrity (using all variables from each of the various instruments). These factor analyses resulted in a long (48-item) and short (18-item) set of items covering six developmental domains: language, cognitive, physical, social, emotional and approaches to learning, with each demonstrating excellent reliability and validity. Items are based on benchmarks that children would be expected to have reached if they are developing like the majority of children of the same age. Following discussion and consultation between UNICEF and a broad group of experts, the 18-item draft early childhood development index (ECDI) was field tested in February 2009 in Mombasa, Kenya. After the field work experience in Kenya, further revisions were made to the draft index and the number of items was reduced from 18 to 10. The original language and cognitive domains were collapsed into one domain (literacy-numeracy),  [[SOURC - RETRIEVED FROM   https://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/files/Brochure_-_The_Formative_Years.pdf  ON 11/21/2016]
 
 
APPENDIX 3 on FORMATIVE YEARS:
 
The Formative Years by Lisa Grajewski, MA American psychologist and behaviorist, B.F. Skinner said, “Education is not just the filling of a pail; it is the lighting of a fire.” University Synagogue’s Pre-School has been lighting a fire in the minds and souls of PreSchool students since 2006. Now in its fifth year, the program has gone from being a pre-school at University Synagogue to University Synagogue’s Pre-School. Directed by award winning early childhood educator Heidi Kahn, the Pre-School has grown into a diverse consortium of programs for not only its Pre-School students but members of the students’ families and PreSchool faculty as well. Just as the formative years of a child count as some of the most important years, so too have the first five years of the Pre-School proven to be salient to its growth. Kahn and the faculty have nurtured the school and helped it develop and grow into a healthy place for children to learn, grow and thrive. Kahn takes a holistic approach to early childhood education. The environment at University Synagogue’s Pre-School is warm, nurturing and provides requirements necessary to build strong, early development; however, she ensures that the staff and families are educated as well. One of the new programs the Pre-School is involved in for the 2011 – 2012 school year is Irvine Unified School District’s School Readiness Program. A partnership between University Synagogue and IUSD, the program provides support and services to the PreSchool, the students and families, ensuring the children’s readiness for kindergarten. Some of the specifics of the program include: teacher training and support; classroom strategies designed to work with the routines and environment of children; individualized interventions to meet students’ and families’ unique strengths and needs; and parent workshops ranging from kindergarten readiness to challenging behavior. Most recently, Sandy Avzaradel, M. Ed. (IUSD) and Haley Goldberg, MFT met with 40 of the Pre-School families, answering questions about kindergarten readiness and helping families navigate the transition from PreSchool to primary school. And there is also the traditional side of Pre-School. Kahn has creatively interwoven early childhood enrichments, including art, singalongs, storytelling, photography, creative dance, sports and even math and science into the daily curriculum. All of the Pre-School classes are taught by accredited, early childhood education staff, with special appearances made by December 2011 University Synagogue congregants and members of the greater Orange County community, which include other synagogues and Jewish organizations. Finally, in addition to the traditional developmental components of education, the Pre-School offers a warm and creative representation of the Jewish values and culture that provide its foundation. Regardless of the religion or culture of the student, everyone celebrates the Jewish holidays together in a way that is comfortable and welcoming. Understanding the importance of early childhood development and the formative years, the Pre-School also offers programs that are open to the public and provide outreach to every member of the student’s family and the greater community at large. The programs are designed to introduce the members and nonmembers to the environment and ethos of the Pre-School and build community within the framework of the Pre-School’s culture. Beginning at the age of three months, parents and their infants can join the Cuddle Club, a walking club that meets Wednesday mornings or join parents and toddlers in a warm and nurturing setting for Parent and Me. These programs also provide an opportunity for a child to make a comfortable transition into the academic environment, such as in the case of Nicole Green, who said, “Our experience at University Synagogue Preschool has been priceless. We have been at the school since our oldest daughter, Leah, was 6 months old. We participated in the Cuddle Club every week. It was wonderful! Leah got time to engage other babies, and I got time to engage other parents… As Leah grew into a toddler, we then participated in the weekly Parent and Me program… All of this great preparation made her transition into the two-year-old classroom nearly effortless last fall. Leah was surrounded by familiar faces and familiar routines, as now she would participate in her first classroom experience without me present three days a week. Yes, we had our days of separation sadness, which quickly became history as she realized she was still surrounded by people who loved her and cared for her and were really fun to be with… Now my youngest daughter Clara is 1½ years old and participating in the weekly Parent and Me program. I am once again amazed at how she has taken to the structure and music and crafts and snack time. I know she too will have a smooth transition into her independent class time next fall.” It is evident that all of the programs, from Cuddle Club to the Pre-School, provide an opportunity for parents to develop new friendships and for children to interact with children of similar age.” Within the community of families is a strong commitment and turnout by parents and family members. Parents and significant caregivers of students meet regularly to organize fundraisers for the school, support and promote programs, welcome new families and support Pre-School faculty. Andrea Norman, the mother of twin boys attending the Pre-School stated, “The experience [of having children in the school] inspired my volunteering as one of the Parent Committee presidents, so that I might be a small part of helping in providing the school and the teachers with the extras that are needed each year to give our children all that they do.” Nadine Dubery, a Pre-School parent, was recently pleasantly surprised by the dedication of parents, remarking, “You should know that this type of participation is unique and does not [always] happen at other preschools.” The dedication of faculty and staff is evident in the responses of parents. Norman went on to say, “University Pre-School has provided a safe, warm, loving, and creative environment in which my children have been nurtured for three years. They have grown and blossomed and love going to school.” For Dubery the Pre-School holds an extraordinary element. Her daughter Lili “just loves her teachers and her classroom, the yard and her new friends… each day is an awesome adventure in learning and becoming more self expressed for her… ” She went on to say, “Your [Heidi Kahn] leadership, love, warmth and energy are not taken for granted for even one second… We may have to adopt another child, so that we can continue coming to your pre-school when Lili is finished there!” Adding to the uniqueness of University Synagogue is the richness and diversity of students, family and faculty. Families represent almost every continent on the planet – a tribute to the openness and diversity of University Synagogue. And then there are the dozens of cultures across students and staff, creating an environment rich in cultural awareness and providing fodder for creatively educating the young minds and souls about the diverse world they live in. The first five years of life are formative – even a pre-school. It is important to have that guide or caregiver who can take one through developmental milestones, nurture, love, educate and discipline – sometimes all at once. Perhaps it is best said by another parent, Jennifer Anderson, a mother to three-year-old twins: “I feel so incredibly fortunate to send my children to this pre-school, and why I believe it stands out from the rest is something that I cannot even quantify, because it is a feeling; a feeling I get when I walk into this pre-school… every time I walk into University Synagogue Pre-School, I feel like I am coming home.”   [SOURC - RETRIEVED FROM  http://www.universitysynagogue.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Formative-Years.pdf   ON  11/21/2016]
 
 
APPENDIX 4 on FORMATIVE YEARS:
 
Neurological research shows that the early years play a key role in children’s brain development.
Babies begin to learn about the world around them from a very early age – including during the prenatal, perinatal (immediately before and after birth) and postnatal period. 
Children’s early experiences – the bonds they form with their parents and their first learning experiences – deeply affect their future physical, cognitive, emotional and social development. 
Optimizing the early years of children’s lives is the best investment we can make as a society in ensuring their future success.   [SOURC - RETRIEVED FROM   http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/importance-early-childhood-development  ON  11/21/2016]
 
Formative years critical for child’s development, success throughout life
 June 12, 2011, Sunday
GEORGE TOWN: The first five years of a child’s life often called the formative years, are absolutely critical for the development, performance and success of the child throughout his life, said Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
 
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: Rosmah (centre) sings with children at the opening of the International Conference on Early Childhood and Special Education (ICECSE). — Bernama photo
The Prime Minister’s wife said the importance of early childhood development had been acknowledged by economists, behavior scientists, educators, neuroscientists and biologists.
“The formative period was said to be the best window of opportunity that we must seize or we will forever lose the vast human potential that exists in these children,” she said in her speech at the opening of the International Conference on Early Childhood and Special Education (ICECSE), here yesterday.
She said recent neuroscience research shows that development of the brain over the first five years is more rapid, intensive and vulnerable to external influences or the environment.
“With the proper environmental stimulation, the child’s cognitive development can be developed early. For example, 80 per cent of the child’s intelligence at age 18 has been developed by the age of six,” she said.
Rosmah said from economic perspective, early childhood education and development was the foundation of quality human capital.
“Early childhood education is also said to have a snowballing effect in increasing the preparedness of a child to study,” she said.
Thus, Rosmah said, to promote early childhood education, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) was initiated under the banner of Permata Negara.
She said the Permata Pintar, Permata Seni and Permata Insan were launched to complement the ECEC programme.
“I am pleased to announce that the Permata Pintar children have been doing the country proud,” she said.
Rosmah said they won gold and bronze medals at the third Apec Future Scientist Conference in Taipeh this year, one was selected to enter the Genius Olympiad competition in New York and another student had received a scholorship to join a course on theory of numbers at Johns Hopkins University next week.
“Just yesterday we were informed that the Permata Programme is shotlisted for best global education which will be announced at a summit to be held in New Delhi,” she said.
She said  within a span of four years, 600 Permata centres had been established  throughout the country involving more than 20,000 children. — Bernama   [SOURC - RETRIEVED FROM   http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/06/12/formative-years-critical-for-child%E2%80%99s-development-success-throughout-life/  ON  11/21/2016]
 
 
APPENDIX 5 on FORMATIVE YEARS:
 
 
Preschoolers (3-5 years of age)
Developmental Milestones
Skills such as naming colors, showing affection, and hopping on one foot are called developmental milestones. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (like crawling, walking, or jumping).
As children grow into early childhood, their world will begin to open up. They will become more independent and begin to focus more on adults and children outside of the family. They will want to explore and ask about the things around them even more. Their interactions with family and those around them will help to shape their personality and their own ways of thinking and moving. During this stage, children should be able to ride a tricycle, use safety scissors, notice a difference between girls and boys, help to dress and undress themselves, play with other children, recall part of a story, and sing a song.
Positive Parenting Tips
Following are some of the things you, as a parent, can do to help your preschooler during this time:
* Continue to read to your child. Nurture her love for books by taking her to the library or bookstore.
* Let your child help with simple chores.
* Encourage your child to play with other children. This helps him to learn the value of sharing and friendship.
* Be clear and consistent when disciplining your child. Explain and show the behavior that you expect from her. Whenever you tell her no, follow up with what he should be doing instead.
* Help your child develop good language skills by speaking to him in complete sentences and using "grown up" words. Help him to use the correct words and phrases.
* Help your child through the steps to solve problems when she is upset.
* Give your child a limited number of simple choices (for example, deciding what to wear, when to play, and what to eat for snack).   [SOURC - RETRIEVED FROM   http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/preschoolers.html  ON  11/21/2016]
 
 
APPENDIX 6 on FORMATIVE YEARS:
 
Racism learned
New research suggests prejudices may form at a much earlier age, but it also offers hope that biases can be unlearned
New research suggests prejudices may form at a much earlier age, but it also offers hope that biases can be unlearned
For more than four decades, the notion that racism and physical prejudice don’t fully develop in humans until the teen or adult years has been at the root of research into racism. Popular scientific belief had been that children, who only develop the ability to express racial preferences at around age 3, gradually develop those preferences over time and only cement them well into their teen years.
But new research not yet published by Mahzarin Banaji, a renowned Harvard University psychologist, brain researcher, and racism and physical prejudice expert, and colleagues suggests that even though they may not understand the “why’’ of their feelings, children exposed to racism tend to accept and embrace it as young as age 3, and in just a matter of days.
“We have known for a very long time that children process information differently than adults. That is a given,’’ says Banaji. “But what has changed, where racism and other prejudice are concerned, is that we had far over-calculated how long it takes for these traits to become imbedded in a child’s brain. It’s quite shocking really, but the gist of it is that 3- and 4-year-olds demonstrate the same level and type of bias as adults. This tells us that children ‘get it’ very, very quickly, and that it doesn’t require a mature level of cognition to form negative biases.’’
Banaji’s study, conducted with two Harvard peers, examined how children and adults identified ambiguously featured faces as happy (smiling) or angry (frowning). They showed 263 white children, between the ages of 3 and 14, a number of graphically drawn facial images in different skin tones from very light tan to brown, and asked them to describe them as happy or angry.
Bottom of Form
One part of the test showed the children a set of faces that were an “inconclusive’’ light tan color that could have represented a white person or a black person. In that segment, most of the children, without prompting, described the faces as black, and also, no matter the facial expression in the drawing, as angry.
Conversely, those faces the children said they believed to be white - even the faces bearing frowns - were almost exclusively described as happy.
When the white children were asked to compare white faces with Asian faces, the outcome was the same: The Asian faces, and the faces that they perceived to be Asian, were described as angry. And the white faces were almost exclusively happy, the children said.
A group of black children tested in the study revealed equal favorability and negativity biases, regardless of whether they perceived the test faces to be black or white. In other words, the black children showed no pro-black or pro-white bias.
So the $64,000 question: Will the physical prejudices young children learn early in life stick with them into adulthood?
Maybe not.
“As children age, let us say past 10, environment begins to play a tremendous role in how they perceive in-group and out-group people - people who look like them, and people who do not,’’ Banaji says. “So the good news is that even a child whose parents make no conscious effort to teach [him] not to be prejudiced can shed that prejudice if he finds himself in a diverse enough place and consistently observes in-group and out-group people interacting positively and as equals.’’
“The odds of aging children losing or at the very least lessening their bias against out-group people are only increased, of course, when responsible adults in their lives consciously place their children in a position to see different groups interacting as equals,’’ Banaji adds.
“It is not the fault of the children that they grow up to see a majority of power and influence concentrated among one race,’’ she says. “So if we don’t act in their lives, as they age, to show context to that imbalance, they may continue to believe that one group is better or worse than the other, based on nothing more than color, features, or expressions.’’
James H. Burnett III is a Globe reporter. He can be reached at james.burnett@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesBurnett.   [SOURC - RETRIEVED FROM   https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/06/09/harvard-researcher-says-children-learn-racism-quickly/gWuN1ZG3M40WihER2kAfdK/story.html  ON  11/21/2016]
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE AND RELIGION AT   WWW.JW.ORG
 
 
 
 

COMBINATION OF [1]  THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY AND [2] Discourse on the False Doctrine of Apostolic Succession Claimed by Some:
 
[1]     SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 336A]
 
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.   James 4:4,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
The world hates the genuine true followers of the Prince of Peace, Jesus (Yeshua), and this is amplified at John 15:18 – 20, [AV] “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”  And 1 John 5:18 affirms, [AV] “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”  Yes, we must be on guard when all in the world speak well of you per Luke 6:26, [AV] “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”  
 
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RELIGION AND THE BIBLE, GO TO, 
 
1) http://iris89.conforums.com/ 
 
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4) http://religioustruths.boardhost.com/ 
 
5) http://religioustruths.forumsland.com/ 
 
6) http://religioustruthsbyiris.createmybb3.com/ 
 
7) http://religioustruths.forumotion.com/ 
 
To enjoy an online Bible study called “Follow the Christ” go to,http://www.network54.com/Forum/403209/thread/1417398076/last-1417398076/Digital+Book+On+18+Part+Follow+Christ+Bible+Study 
 
Your Friend in Christ Iris89 
 
Francis David said it long ago, "Neither the sword of popes...nor the image of death will halt the march of truth. "Francis David, 1579, written on the wall of his prison cell." Read the book, "What Does The Bible Really Teach" and the Bible today, and go to WWW.JW.ORG!
[2]      Discourse on the False Doctrine of Apostolic Succession Claimed by Some:
 
Introduction to a discourse on the Apostolic Succession which Is a false tradition:
 
Now the Apostolic Succession false doctrine is that the 12 apostles have successors to whom authority has been passed by divine appointment.   In the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), the bishops as a group are said to be the successors of the apostles, and the bishop of Rome, the Pope, is claimed to be the successor of Peter.  It is maintained that the Roman pontiffs come immediately after, occupy the position and perform the functions of Peter, to whom Christ is said to have given primacy of authority over the whole church, but this is really not the case, and is NOT SUPPORTED BY THE BIBLE.
 
Let's take the first argument of the RCC that Peter was the 'rock' on which the church was built when in reality the 'rock' was Jesus (Yeshua) Christ.  Let's now consider whom the Apostles Peter and Paul understood to be the 'rock,' the 'cornerstone as shown at Acts 4:8-12, " Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them: Ye princes of the people and ancients, hear. 9 If we this day are examined concerning the good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he hath been made whole: 10 Be it known to you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him, this man standeth here before you, whole. 11 This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved."(Douay Rheims Catholic Bible).  And this is further testified to at 1 Peter 2:4-8, "  Unto whom coming, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen and made honourable by God: 5 Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore it is said in the scripture: Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious. And he that shall believe in him shall not be confounded. 7 To you therefore that believe, he is honour: but to them that believe not, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner: 8 And a stone of stumbling and a rock of scandal, to them who stumble at the word, neither do believe, whereunto also they are set."(DRCB); And further affirmed that Jesus (Yeshua) is the 'rock' at Ephesians 2:20, " Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone:"(DRCB).
 
Last we look at Matthew 16:18 which the RCC tries to twist its meaning to be that Peter is the 'rock,' but as we have seen already, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ is the 'rock,' " And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."(DRCB) clearly affirming that he, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ was the 'rock' to Peter, so no apostolic succession here.
 
Let's see what Augustine had to say on it as reported in a Catholic source:
 
With respect the false doctrine of Apostolic Succession, Augustine had this to say per,   "In this same period of my priestthood< I also wrote a book against a letter of Donatus...In a passage in this book, I said about the Apostle Peter: 'On him as on a rock the Church was built.'...But I know that very frequently at a later time, I so explained what the Lord said; 'Thou art Peter, and upo9n this rock I will build my Church," that it be understood as built upon Him whom Peter confessed saying; "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,' and so Peter, called after this rock, represented the person of the Church which is built upon this rock, and has received 'the keys of the kingdom of heaven." For, 'Thou art Peter' and not 'Thou art the rock' was said to him.  But 'the rock was Christ," in confessing whom as also the whole Church confesses, Simon was called Peter." [source="The Fathers of the Church--Saint Augustine, The Retraction," (Washington, D.C.; 1968), translation by Mary I Bogan, Booi I, p. 90. }
 
The Bible clearly states that Jesus (Yeshua) Christ is the head of the congregation, that he is alive, so why would he need a successor(s)?
 
Hebrews 7:22-25 clearly says in the Douay Rheims Catholic Bible, "By so much is Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 23 And the others indeed were made many priests, because by reason of death they were not suffered to continue: 24 But this, for that he continueth for ever, hath an everlasting priesthood: 25 Whereby he is able also to save for ever them that come to God by him; always living to make intercession for us. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens: 27 Who needeth not daily (as the other priests) to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, in offering himself. 28 For the law maketh men priests, who have infirmity: but the word of the oath (which was since the law) the Son who is perfected for evermore."(Douay Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB).
 
This is ratified at Romans 6:8-10, "Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ. 9 Knowing that Christ, rising again from the dead, dieth now no more. Death shall no more have dominion over him. 10 For in that he died to sin, he died once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. "(DRCB); and further testified to at Ephesians 5:23-24, "Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject to Christ: so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things."(DRCB).   So the Bible shows that no successor is necessary as Jesus (Yeshua) is alive and needs no successor.
 
Now, if a group really were as the RCC claims the successors to the apostles you would expect they would be adhering to the teachings and practices of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ and his apostles.  A Catholic Dictionary clearly states: "The Roman Church is Apostolic, because her doctrine is the faith once revealed to the Apostles, which faith she guards and explains, without adding to it or taking from it." [source = A Catholic Dictionary," by W.E. Addis and T. Arnold, page 176, published in London in 1957].  Now the question is one of fact, is this group really not adding to or taking from the faith as revealed by Jesus (Yeshua)and the Apostles, let's see:
 
Commentary on the Apostolic Succession which s a false tradition:
 
Now the Apostolic Succession false doctrine is that the 12 apostles have successors to whom authority has been passed by divine appointment.   In the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), the bishops as a group are said to be the successors of the apostles, and the bishop of Rome, the Pope, is claimed to be the successor of Peter.  It is maintained that the Roman pontiffs come immediately after, occupy the position and perform the functions of Peter, to whom Christ is said to have given primacy of authority over the whole church, but this is really not the case.
 
Let's take the first argument of the RCC that Peter was the 'rock' on which the church was built when in reality the 'rock' was Jesus (Yeshua) Christ.  Let's now consider whom the Apostles Peter and Paul understood to be the 'rock,' the 'cornerstone as shown at Acts 4:8-12, " Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them: Ye princes of the people and ancients, hear. 9 If we this day are examined concerning the good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he hath been made whole: 10 Be it known to you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him, this man standeth here before you, whole. 11 This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved."(Douay Rheims Catholic Bible).  And this is further testified to at 1 Peter 2:4-8, "  Unto whom coming, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen and made honourable by God: 5 Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore it is said in the scripture: Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious. And he that shall believe in him shall not be confounded. 7 To you therefore that believe, he is honour: but to them that believe not, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner: 8 And a stone of stumbling and a rock of scandal, to them who stumble at the word, neither do believe, whereunto also they are set."(DRCB); And further affirmed that Jesus (Yeshua) is the 'rock' at Ephesians 2:20, " Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone:"(DRCB).
 
Last we look at Matthew 16:18 which the RCC tries to twist its meaning to be that Peter is the 'rock,' but as we have seen already, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ is the 'rock,' " And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."(DRCB) clearly affirming that he, Jesus (Yeshua) Christ was the 'rock' to Peter, so no apostolic succession here.
 
Let's see what Augustine had to say on it as reported in a Catholic source:
 
With respect the false doctrine of Apostolic Succession, Augustine had this to say per,   "In this same period of my priestthood< I also wrote a book against a letter of Donatus...In a passage in this book, I said about the Apostle Peter: 'On him as on a rock the Church was built.'...But I know that very frequently at a later time, I so explained what the Lord said; 'Thou art Peter, and upo9n this rock I will build my Church," that it be understood as built upon Him whom Peter confessed saying; "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,' and so Peter, called after this rock, represented the person of the Church which is built upon this rock, and has received 'the keys of the kingdom of heaven." For, 'Thou art Peter' and not 'Thou art the rock' was said to him.  But 'the rock was Christ," in confessing whom as also the whole Church confesses, Simon was called Peter." [source="The Fathers of the Church--Saint Augustine, The Retraction," (Washington, D.C.; 1968), translation by Mary I Bogan, Booi I, p. 90. }
 
The Bible clearly states that Jesus (Yeshua) Christ is the head of the congregation, that he is alive, so why would he need a successor(s)?
 
Hebrews 7:22-25 clearly says in the Douay Rheims Catholic Bible, "By so much is Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 23 And the others indeed were made many priests, because by reason of death they were not suffered to continue: 24 But this, for that he continueth for ever, hath an everlasting priesthood: 25 Whereby he is able also to save for ever them that come to God by him; always living to make intercession for us. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens: 27 Who needeth not daily (as the other priests) to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, in offering himself. 28 For the law maketh men priests, who have infirmity: but the word of the oath (which was since the law) the Son who is perfected for evermore."(Douay Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB).
 
This is ratified at Romans 6:8-10, "Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ. 9 Knowing that Christ, rising again from the dead, dieth now no more. Death shall no more have dominion over him. 10 For in that he died to sin, he died once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. "(DRCB); and further testified to at Ephesians 5:23-24, "Because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the saviour of his body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject to Christ: so also let the wives be to their husbands in all things."(DRCB).   So the Bible shows that no successor is necessary as Jesus (Yeshua) is alive and needs no successor.
 
Have you ever wondered or considered whether the Apostle Peter was ever actually in Rome, and what the facts indicate? Rome is referred to in nine verses of the Word of God, and interestingly NOT one of these says that the Apostle Peter was there. In fact, 1 Peter 5:10-14 shows he was NOT in Rome, but in Babylon, " But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you and confirm you and establish you. 11 To him be glory and empire, for ever and ever. Amen. 12 By Sylvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I think, I have written briefly: beseeching and testifying that this is the true grace of God, wherein you stand. 13 The church that is in Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you. And so doth my son, Mark. 14 Salute one another with a holy kiss. Grace be to all you who are in Christ Jesus. Amen."(Douay Rheims Catholic Bible; DRCB). Now some claim this was a cryptic reference to Rome, but would this be consistent with his assignment to preach to the Jews as indicated at Galatians 2:9, " And when they had known the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship: that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision:"(DRCB), since there was a large Jewish population in Babylon. The "Encyclopaedia Judaica," Jerusalem, 1971, Volume 15, Column 755, when discussing production of the Babylonian Talmud, refers clearly to Judaism's 'great academies of Babylon' during the first part of the Common Era.
 
Now, if a group really were as the RCC claims the successors to the apostles you would expect they would be adhering to the teachings and practices of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ and his apostles.  A Catholic Dictionary clearly states: "The Roman Church is Apostolic, because her doctrine is the faith once revealed to the Apostles, which faith she guards and explains, without adding to it or taking from it." [source = A Catholic Dictionary," by W.E. Addis and T. Arnold, page 176, published in London in 1957].  Now the question is one of fact, is this group really not adding to or taking from the faith as revealed by Jesus (Yeshua)and the Apostles, let's see:
 
The Identity of God (YHWH):
 
The Catholic Encyclopedia clearly says, "The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine of the Christian religion." [source = "The Catholic Encyclopedia," 1912 edition, Volume XV, page 47.  However the New Encyclopedia Britannica clearly states, "Neither the word Trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New Testament....The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies." [source = " the New Encyclopedia Britannica," 1976, Micropaedia, Volume X, Page 126].
 
The New Catholic Encyclopedia clearly states, "There is the recognition on the part of exegetes and Biblical theologians, including a constantly growing number of Roman Catholics, that one should not speak of Trinitarinism in the New Testament without serious qualification.   There is also the closely parallel recognition on the part of historians of dogma and systematic theologians that when one does speak of an unqualified Trinitarianism, one has moved from the period of Christian origins to, say, the last quadrant of the 4 th. Century." [source = "The New Catholic Encyclopedia," 1967, Volume XIV, page 295].
 
Also, the very concept of the Trinity, is shown to be just a myth in the New Testament (NT) at many places such as at many places, for example at John 17:3-5, " Now this is eternal life: That they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.   4  I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.   5  And now glorify thou me, O Father, with thyself, with the glory which I had, before the world was, with thee." (Douay Rheims Catholic Bible: DRCB), etc. clearly showing Jesus (Yeshua) as a distinct individual separate and apart from his Father (YHWH) and subject to his Father (YHWH) and carrying out his Father's (YHWH's) will.   Also, there are countless other scriptures clearly showing that the Trinity is nothing more than an impossible myth.
 
Celibacy of the Clergy of the Roman Church:
 
Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical, "Sacerdotalis Caelibatus," (Priestly Celibacy, 1967 in English), endorsed celibacy as a requirement for the clergy, but he admitted that 'the New Testament which preserves the teaching of Christ and the Apostles...does not openly demand celibacy of sacred ministers...Jesus Himself did not make it a prerequisite in His choice of the Twelve, nor did the Apostles for those who presided over the first Christian communities." [source = "The papal Encyclicals 1958-1981, published at Falls Church, Virginia, 1981, page 204].   The scriptures clearly show this NOT TO BE A RECOGNIZED PRACTICE AMONG THE APOSTLES in the 1 st. Century at 1 Corinthians 9:5, " Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas"; and at John 1:42, " And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone."(DRCB).  And at Mark 1:29-31 where reference is made to the mother-in-law of Simon, " And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  30  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.  31  And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. "(DRCB).
 
And the specific instructions with respect to qualifications of those seeking responsible positions in the congregation at 1 Timothy 3:2, " It behoveth therefore a bishop to be blameless, the husband of one wife, sober, prudent, of good behaviour, chaste, given to hospitality, a teacher, color](DRCB).
 
In fact, the requirement for Celibacy for priests, bishops, etc. is of pagan origin with the Buddist requiring it of their priest and monks before the Christian era per "History of Sacerdotal Celibacy in the Christian Church, by Henry C. Lea, London, 1932, fourth edition, page 6.  Even earlier, the higher orders of the Babylonian priesthood were required to practice celibacy, according to "The Two Babylons," by Alexander Hislop of the Scottish church, New York, 1943, page 219.
 
Interestingly 1 Timothy 4:1-3 says, " Now the Spirit manifestly saith that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error and doctrines of devils,
2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy and having their conscience seared, 3  Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful and by them that have known the truth."(DRCB).
 
The Bible Shows Separateness from the World not Attachment to It:
 
Pope Paul VI, when addressing the United Nations in 1965, said: "The peoples of the earth turn to the United Nations as the last hope of concord and peace;  We presume to present here, together with Our own, their tribute of honor and of hope." [source = "The Pope's Visit," New York, 1965, Time-Life Special Report, page 26.  
 
But John 15:18-19 clearly shows true Christians do NOT belong to the world, " If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (DRCB); and James 4:4 says, " Adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world becometh an enemy of God."(DRCB) clearly showing if the Pope was truly the successor of the Apostles he would not be saying, " the United Nations as the last hope of concord and peace," but would recognize Jesus (yeshua) Christ was the actual last hope as clearly shown in the Douay Rheims Catholic Bible and in The New American Bible (Catholic).
 
Jesus (Yeshua) Clearly Showed That Christians Do Not Resort To Cardinal Weapons in Their Warfare:
 
Catholic historian E.I. Watkin writes: "Painful as the admission must be, we cannot in the interest of a false edification or dishonest loyalty deny or ignore the historical fact that Bishops have consistently supported all wars waged by the government of their country.  I do not know in fact of a single instance in which a national hierarchy has condemned as unjust any war...Whatever the official theory, in practice 'my country always right' has been the maxim followed in wartime by Catholic Bishops." [source = "Morals and Missiles," London, 1959, edited by Charles S. Thompson, pages 57 and 58].
 
Now, let's consider what the Bible clearly says at Matthew 26:52, " Then Jesus saith to him: Put up again thy sword into its place: for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword."(DRCB); and 1 John 3:10-12, " In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever is not just is not of God, or he that loveth not his brother.
11 ¶ For this is the declaration which you have heard from the beginning, that you should love one another.   12  Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and killed his brother. And wherefore did he kill him? Because his own works were wicked: and his brother's just."(DRCB).  
 
Therefore, in the light of the foregoing, it is readily apparent that those who claim to be the successors to the Apostles are NOT because they are neither practicing what Jesus (Yeshua) and his Apostles did, NOR are they teaching what Jesus (Yeshua) and his Apostles were.
 
Now, the Catholic church claims "the keys" were entrusted to the Apostle Peter, but what does the Bible show with respect to the "the keys" and what they were?  Let's go look at the Bible evidence on this subject.  First, the Biblical verse in question so all will know what is being referenced to, Matthew 16:18-20," And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  19  And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.  20  Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ."(DRCB).   The Catholic church claims that when Jesus (Yeshua) said, "thou art Peter," and he was the 'rock' on which the church was to be built, but as previously shown, the 'rock' was Christ himself, and the expression 'thou art' was a common method of expression, then, as shown at John 1:49 and many other places, " Nathanael answered him and said: Rabbi: Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel"(DRCB).
 
Revelation 3:5-8 actually makes certain just who "the key" is when Jesus (Yeshua) is shown as referring to the symbolic key used to open up privileges and opportunities to humans as himself, Jesus (Yeshua), and he only used the Apostle Peter as his agent to open up the way for the Gentiles, " He that shall overcome shall thus be clothed in white garments: and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. And I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.  6  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.  7 And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia write: These things saith the Holy One and the true one, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, shutteth and no man openeth: 8  I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name."(DRCB).  [Brief detail on the Law of Agencies which is basically as follows, "Jesus (Yeshua) was God's (YHWH's) appointed agent in accordance with the 'Biblical law of agency' described as, "Scripture mentions something being done by Person A, whilst another mentions it being done by Person B. This is best understood when we grasp the Schaliach Principle, or the Jewish Law of Agency, which is expressed in the dictum, "A person's agent is regarded as the person himself." Therefore any act committed by a duly appointed agent is regarded as having been committed by the principle." (The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion, R.J.Z. Werblowski and Geoffrey Wigoder)].
 
Now, the Apostle peter was entrusted by Jesus (Yeshua) to open up to the Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, the opportunity to receive God's (YHWH's) spirit with a view to their entering the heavenly Kingdom as shown by Acts 21:14-39, " But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words.  15  For these are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day: 16  But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel: 17  And it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord), I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.  18  And upon my servants indeed and upon my handmaids will I pour out in those days of my spirit: and they shall prophesy.  19  And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire, and vapour of smoke.  20  The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord to come.  21  And it shalt come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him, in the midst of you, as you also know: 23  This same being delivered up, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you by the hands of wicked men have crucified and slain.  24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the sorrows of hell, as it was impossible that he should be holden by it.  25  For David saith concerning him: I foresaw the Lord before my face: because he is at my right hand, that I may not be moved.  26  For this my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope.  27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell: nor suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.  28  Thou hast made known to me the ways of life: thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.  29  Ye men, brethren, let me freely speak to you of the patriarch David: that he died and was buried; and his sepulchre is with us to this present say.  30  Whereas therefore he was a prophet and knew that God hath sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins one should sit upon his throne.  31  Foreseeing this, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ. For neither was he left in hell: neither did his flesh see corruption.
32  This Jesus hath God raised again, whereof all we are witnesses.  33  Being exalted therefore by the right hand of God and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath poured forth this which you see and hear.  34  For David ascended not into heaven; but he himself said: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou on my right hand, 35  Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.  36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know most certainly that God hath made both Lord and Christ, this same Jesus, whom you have crucified.  37 ¶ Now when they had heard these things, they had compunction in their heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles: What shall we do, men and brethren?  38  But Peter said to them: Do penance: and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  39  For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, whomsoever the Lord our God shall call."(DRCB); and Acts 8:14-17, " Now, when the apostles, who were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John.  15  Who, when they were come, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost.  16  For he was not as yet come upon any of them: but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  17  Then they laid their hands upon them: and they received the Holy Ghost."(DRCB).
 
And Acts 10:24-48 highlights this, " And the morrow after, he entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, having called together his kinsmen and special friends.  25  And it came to pass that when Peter was come in, Cornelius came to meet him and falling at his feet adored.  26  But Peter lifted him up, saying: Arise: I myself also am a man.  27  And talking with him, he went in and found many that were come together.  28  And he said to them: you know how abominable it is for a man that is a Jew to keep company or to come unto one of another nation: but God hath shewed to me, to call no man common or unclean.  29  For which cause, making no doubt, I came when I was sent for. I ask, therefore, for what cause you have sent for me?  30  And Cornelius said: Four days ago, unto this hour, I was praying in my house, at the ninth hour and behold a man stood before me in white apparel and said: 31  Cornelius, thy prayer is heard and thy alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.  32  Send therefore to Joppe: and call hither Simon, who is surnamed Peter. He lodgeth in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea side.
33  Immediately therefore I sent to thee: and thou hast done well in coming. Now, therefore, all we are present in thy sight to hear all things whatsoever are commanded thee by the Lord.  34 And Peter opening his mouth, said: in very deed I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons.
35  But in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh justice is acceptable to him.  36  God sent the word to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all).  37  You know the word which hath been published through all Judea: for it began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached.  38  Jesus of Nazareth: how God anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.  39  And we are witnesses of all things that he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem: whom they killed, hanging him upon a tree.  40  Him God raised up the third day and gave him to be made manifest,  41  Not to all the people, but to witnesses preordained by God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him, after he arose again from the dead.
42  And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he who was appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the dead.  43  To him all the prophets give testimony, that by his name all receive remission of sins, who believe in him.  44 ¶ While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word.  45  And the faithful of the circumcision, who came with Peter, were astonished for that the grace of the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the Gentiles also.  46  For they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God.  47  Then Peter answered: Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we?  48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they desired him to tarry with them some days."(DRCB).
 
Now did heaven wait on Peter to make decisions and then follow his lead?  Not hardly as clearly shown by Acts 2:4, " And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak." And Acts 2:14, " But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke to them: Ye men of Judea, and all you that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known to you and with your ears receive my words."(DRCB).   And Acts 10:19-20 follows up with, " And as Peter was thinking of the vision, the Spirit said to him: Behold three men seek thee.  20  Arise, therefore: get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them."(DRCB); and Matthew 18:18-19, " Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.  19  Again I say to you, that if two of you shall consent upon earth, concerning anything whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by my Father who is in heaven."(DRCB).
 
Now, is Peter the judge as to who is worthy to enter the Kingdom as claimed?   Well 2 Timothy 4:1-2, explains that the judge is NOT the Apostle Peter, but Jesus (Yeshua) Christ, himself, " I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming and his kingdom: 2  Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine."(DRCB).   This Biblical fact that Jesus (Yeshua) is the judge and not the Apostle Peter is highlighted even further at 2 Timothy 4:8, " As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice which the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day: and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming. Make haste to come to me quickly."(DRCB).
 
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[1]    SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY [VOL. 338A]
 
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.   2 Chronicals 16:9,  [authorized King James Bible; AV]
 
Yes Almighty God (YHWH) observes all that is transpiring on earth as shown at Proverbs 5:21, [AV] “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.”  And this reality is echoed at Hebrews 4:13, [AV] Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.“  And at Zechariah 4:10, [AV] “For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” 
 
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[2]     Religious Research and Its Products
 
INTRODUCTION:
 
First, the purpose of research can be any of the following four and/or a combination of them:
 
[1] To Explain or Instruct, i.e., requires providing further information to make a matter clear.
 
[2] To Convince, i.e., calls for giving reasons showing why a thing is so along with evidence presentation.
 
[3] To Refute or Show Error, i.e., involves a knowledge of both sides of the issue along with a careful analysis of evidence.
 
[4] To Motivate. i.e., involves moving others to action and/or an attempt to do so.
 
Usually the purpose of research is a combination of these.
 
Usually religious research involves first examining the context such as what do the items put forth or statement put forth conjure up, and the development of a hypothesis to be either proven correct and/or incorrect.
 
A STATEMENT IS MADE BY ANOTHER AND WILL BE TESTED:
 
In this case one member of Islam quotes Sura 19:33 which is per three different versions/translations of the Quran is as follows;
 
017.033 AL-ISRA (ISRA', THE NIGHT JOURNEY, CHILDREN OF ISRAEL)
 
Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the Law). [YUSUFALI]
 
PICKTHAL: And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden save with right. Whoso is slain wrongfully, We have given power unto his heir, but let him not commit excess in slaying. Lo! he will be helped. [PICKTHAL]
 
 And do not kill any one whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause, and whoever is slain unjustly, We have indeed given to his heir authority, so let him not exceed the just limits in slaying; surely he is aided. [SHAKIR]
 
He also said, from a Hadith [he failed to mention which Hadith, but was from Muslim b. al-Hajjaj] as follows:
 
Book 019, Number 4294: [ Muslim b. al-Hajjaj]
It has been reported from Sulaiman b. Buraid through his father that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) appointed anyone as leader of an army or detachment he would especially exhort him to fear Allah and to be good to the Muslims who were with him. He would say: Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils; do not break your pledge; and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies; do not kill the children. When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of Muhairs and inform them that, if they do so, they shall have all the privileges and obligations of the Muhajirs. If they refuse to migrate, tell them that they will have the status of Bedouin Muilims and will be subjected to the Commands of Allah like other Muslims, but they will not get any share from the spoils of war or Fai' except when they actually fight with the Muslims (against the disbelievers). If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah's help and fight them. When you lay siege to a fort and the besieged appeal to you for protection in the name of Allah and His Prophet, do not accord to them the guarantee of Allah and His Prophet, but accord to them your own guarantee and the guarantee of your companions for it is a lesser sin that the security given by you or your companions be disregarded than that the security granted in the name of Allah and His Prophet be violated When you besiege a fort and the besieged want you to let them out in accordance with Allah's Command, do not let them come out in accordance with His Command, but do so at your (own) command, for you do not know whether or not you will be able to carry out Allah's behest with regard to them.
 
Now let's examine both of these with respect their intent or purpose:
First, the Quran is saying in effect that wrongful slaying is wrong, and the heir has the right to go kill the one committing the slaying.
 
Second, The Muslim b. al-Hajjaj [Hadith] is saying when boiled down to its essence, that a military commander [Muslim] should be good to those with him, and fight against those who do not believe in Allah.   Also, to make 'holy war' and to pillage, but not to mutilate or break pledges or to kill children.   But to take spoil.
 
NOW WHAT IS TO BE TESTED?   THE HYPOTHESIS:
 
First, The validity of the two sources, i.e., the Quran and the concept of Hadith.
 
Second, Adherence of Muhammad (pbuh) and members of Islam to either and/or both of these.
 
VALIDITY OF THE QURAN AND THE VARIOUS HADITHS:
 
First, Let's check the real source of much of the Quran and not the legend that it came from an Angel.  The Bible which is NOT the product of one committee or strongman is the source of much of the data used by Muhammad (pbuh) in writing the Quran.
 
The Bible has over 40 individual writers who wrote under divine inspiration/guidance putting the thoughts of God (YHWH) into the words of men much as transcribing secretaries today taking transcription and then later typing it out. In other words one real author, God (YHWH), and many scribes each of whom wrote in his own style over a period of approximately 1,600 years. All of what people call or consider inconsistencies are really not such, but most often just a problem of translation and/or understanding, i.e., lack of understanding of what the original writer writing in his own language and culture meant/said in his original writing. What is remarkable, is the writers over such a period of time all wrote in harmony when even most posters on threads on this forum can not even stay on track or subject over a period of a few days and/or weeks at most with the original subject of the thread. This fact of harmony over a period so great as to almost stagger the imagination shows that it had one guiding force or author who divinely inspired its writers as humans of their own volition can not keep on track over short periods of time.
 
To wit, the Bible is the ONLY book God (YHWH) ever inspired men to write as his scribes. In other words, God is its author and men only put his thoughts given to them by divine inspiration into their own words, the words of men. Not only that, all the other writers of later so called religious guidance books borrowed from it and made changes in accord with their strong man or so called prophet. Take the example of Joseph Smith who borrowed from it to write the Book of Mormon, but failed to give credit or source to the Bible and twisted some borrowed things into bizarre distortions. Other examples are of course the bizarre writings of David Koresh the Prophet of the Branch Dividians of Waco, Texas; and the Quran, etc.
 
So as can be seen, the Quran is nothing but a distorted knockoff of the Bible and can only be correct when its author, Muhammad (pbuh) correctly copied which in many cases he failed to do so.
 
Second, Let's consider the Hadith, or more correctly the many Hadith's, and what it is.   An encyclopedia says, <<" Hadith (Arabic: ??????? ? translit: al-h?adith) are traditions relating to the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad. Hadith collections are regarded as important tools for determining the Sunnah, or Muslim way of life, by all traditional schools of jurisprudence.
The Arabic plural is ah?adith (Arabic: ??????? ?). In English academic usage, hadith is often both singular and plural.
Muslim scholars classify hadith relating to Muhammad as follows:
* What Muhammad said (???) (qawl)
* What Muhammad did (???) (fi'l)
* What Muhammad approved (?????) (taqrir) in others' actions
There are also hadith relating to the words and deeds of the companions, but they may not have the same weight as those about Muhammad.
Western scholars note that there is a great overlap between the records of early Islamic traditions. Accounts of early Islam are also to be found in:
* sira (stories, especially biographies of Muhammad)
* tafsir (commentary on the Qur'an)
* fiqh (juristic reasoning)
Some of these accounts are also found as hadith; some aren't. For a Western historian, these are all simply historical sources; for the Muslim scholar, hadith have a special status. They cite sura 7:157:
Those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures),- in the Law and the Gospel;- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper. (Yusuf Ali translation)
They take this and other Qur'anic verses to require Muslims to follow authentic hadith. However, a small number of "Quran-only" Muslims disagree with this view and interpret these verses differently; they argue that the hadith are of human creation and have no authority." [source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]>>.
 
So we can see the Hadith consist of tradition and the purported words of Muhammad (pbuh), and lack fact.   This is further shown by the fact that there is NOT one Hadith, but many used by various flavors of Islam.   Let's look at the principle ones in brief:
 
Sunni's use the following:
 
Six major Hadith collections, used by Sunni's includes:
[1] Sahih Bukhari, collected by al-Bukhari (d. 870), included 7275 hadiths
[2] Sahih Muslim, collected by Muslim b. al-Hajjaj (d. 875), included 9200
[3] Sunan Abi Da'ud, collected by Abu Da'ud (d. 888)
[4] Sunan al-Tirmidhi, collected by al-Tirmidhi (d. 892)
[5] Sunan al-Sughra, collected by al-Nasa'i (d. 915)
[6] Sunan Ibn Maja, collected by Ibn Maja (d. 886).
 
Shia's use the following:
 
[1] Usul al-Kafi
[2] Al-Istibsaar
[3] Al-Tahzeeb
[4] Mun La YahDuruHu al-Faqeeh
 
Ibadi Islam uses the following:
 
Ibadi Islam (found mainly in the Arabian kingdom of Oman) accepts many Sunni hadith, while rejecting others, and accepts some hadith not accepted by Sunnis.
 
Ibadis is al-Jami'i al-Sahih, also called Musnad al-Rabi ibn Habib, as rearranged by Abu Ya'qub Yusuf b. Ibrahim al-Warijlani. A large proportion of its narrations are via Jabir ibn Zaid or Abu Yaqub; most are reported by Sunnis, while several are not. [resource - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia].
 
Now the validity of the various Hadiths which are completely different writings and NOT mere versions/ translations must be questioned.   Why?
[1] The various Hadiths are NOT in agreement with each other, and the various flavors of Islam recognize different ones as being valid.   For example, the Shi'a Hadiths actually contradict much contained in the Hadiths recognized by the Sunni so how can any reasonable person believe these writings that sometimes contradict each other and which various flavors of Islam recognize different ones?
 
[2] The Bible clearly shows that the traditions of man stand in the way of true godly devotion.   Let's look at some scriptural evidence:
 
Mark 7:8-13, "For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.  9  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.  10  For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:  11  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.  12  And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;  13  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." (Authorized King James Bible; AV).
 
Colossians 2:8, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (AV).
 
Matthew 15:2, "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.  Mt 15:3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?  Mt 15:6  And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.(AV).
 
From these scriptures and Hadith contradictions, Hadith to Hadith, we can see tradition is NOT a reason to transgress the word of the true God (YHWH) of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, and of course should not be relied on.   We all know men over time do NOT accurately remember what was originally said, so anything in any Hadith is of course NOT an accurate reproduction.
 
So the two sources used have been shown to lack validity and NOT to even have harmony within.   Now let's deal with the other hypothesis, the adherence of Muhammad (pbuh) and members of Islam to either and/or both of these.
 
THE ADHERENCE OF MUHAMMAD (pbuh) AND MEMBERS OF ISLAM TO EITHER AND/OR BOTH OF THESE:
 
As previously stated with respect to the Sura 19:33 and Book 19, Number 4294: of the Muslim b. al-Hajjah (Hadith).
 
Now let's examine both of these with respect their intent or purpose:
First, the Quran is saying in effect that wrongful slaying is wrong, and the heir has the right to go kill the one committing the slaying.
 
Second, The Muslim b. al-Hajjaj [Hadith] is saying when boiled down to its essence, that a military commander [Muslim] should be good to those with him, and fight against those who do not believe in Allah.   Also, to make 'holy war' and to pillage, but not to mutilate or break pledges or to kill children.   But to take spoil.
 
First proposition, did Muhammad (pbuh) violate either and/or both of these?   Let's look at history that clearly shows he raided a camel caravan.
 
<<" The Battle of Badr (Arabic: ???? ????), fought March 17, 624 CE (17 Ramadan 2 AH in the Islamic calendar) in the Hejaz of western Arabia (present-day Saudi Arabia), was a key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point in Muhammad's struggle with the Meccan Quraish[1]. The battle has been passed down in Islamic history as a decisive victory attributable to divine intervention or the genius of Muhammad. Although it is one of the few battles specifically mentioned in the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an, virtually all contemporary knowledge of the battle at Badr comes from traditional Islamic accounts, both hadiths and biographies of Muhammad, written decades after the battle.
 
Prior to the battle, the Muslims and Meccans had been engaging in several smaller skirmishes and by late 623 and early 624 the Muslim ghazawat had become more frequent. Badr, however was the first large-scale engagement between the two forces. Muhammad was leading a raiding party against a caravan when he was surprised by a much larger Quraishi army. Advancing to a strong defensive position, Muhammad's well-disciplined men managed to shatter the Meccan lines, killing several important Quraishi leaders including Muhammad's chief antagonist, Amr ibn Hisham. For the early Muslims the battle was extremely significant because it was the first sign that they might eventually overcome their persecutors in Mecca. Mecca at this time was one of the richest and most powerful pagan cities in Arabia, fielding an army three times larger than that of the Muslims.
 
Following the hijra, tensions between Mecca and Medina escalated and hostilities broke out in 623 when the Muslims began a series of raids (called ghazawat in Arabic) on Quraishi caravans. Ghazawat (s. ghazw) were plundering raids organized by nomadic Bedouin warriors against either rival tribes or wealthier, sedentary neighbors. Since Medina was located just off Mecca's main trade route, the Muslims were in an ideal position to do this. Even though many Muslims were Quraish themselves, they believed that they were entitled to steal from them because the Meccans had expelled them from their homes and tribes, a serious offense in hospitality-oriented Arabia.[3] Also, there was a tradition in Arabia of poor tribes raiding richer tribes. It also provided a means for the Muslim community to carve out an independent economic position at Medina, where their political position was far from secure. The Meccans obviously took a different view, seeing the Muslim raids as banditry at best, as well as a potential threat to their livelihood and prestige.[4]
 
In late 623 and early 624, the Muslim ghazawat grew increasingly brazen and commonplace. In September 623, Muhammad himself led a force of 200 in an unsuccessful raid against a large caravan. Shortly thereafter, the Meccans launched their own "raid" against Medina, although its purpose was just to steal some Muslim livestock.[5] In January 624, the Muslims ambushed a Meccan caravan near Nakhlah, only forty kilometers outside of Mecca, killing one of the guards and formally inaugurating a blood feud with the Meccans.[6] Worse, from a Meccan standpoint, the raid occurred in the month of Rajab, a truce month sacred to the Meccans in which fighting was prohibited and a clear affront to their pagan traditions.[4] It was in this context that the Battle of Badr took place." [source - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia].
 
Second, with respect that Muslims shall not mutilate, let's look at recent occurrences, <<" The New York Times published an article titled New Violence, Old Problem. By Neil MacFarquhar. (June 6, 2004)
He wrote:
 
"KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia - A recent fatwa posted on a popular Islamic Web site in Saudi Arabia explains when a Muslim may mutilate the corpse of an infidel.
 
The ruling, written by a Saudi religious sheik named Omar Abdullah Hassan al-Shehabi, decrees that the dead can be mutilated as a reciprocal act when the enemy is disfiguring Muslim corpses, or when it otherwise serves the Islamic nation. In the second category, the reasons include "to terrorize the enemy" or to gladden the heart of a Muslim warrior.
 
The religious ruling was evidently posted to address questions about the conflict in Iraq , but is not limited by geography. In fact, in each of two gruesome attacks in Saudi Arabia last month that left 25 foreigners and 5 Saudis dead, a Western corpse was dragged for some distance behind a car. One was the body of an American engineer in Yanbu on May 1, the other a British businessman in Khobar last weekend."
 
The above was posted by a cleric, which explains how the most radical interpretations of the Quran flourish in Saudi Arabia .
With ruling such as "To terrorize the enemy or to gladden the heart of a Muslim warrior" it is hard to imagine when mutilation can not be justified.
In the "Ask the Scholar" section of the popular Islamic site (www.islamonline.net) it was asked: - "How Islam views the issue of mutilating dead bodies of enemies." Sheik Faysal Mawlawi, the deputy chairman of the European Council for Fatwa and Research answered by declaring that mutilation is "not allowable" under Islam. But then came the loophole:
 
"It is possible to mutilate the dead only in case of retaliation. . . . If he inflicts any physical damage on anyone, he should be retaliated against in the same manner. In case of war, Muslims are allowed to take vengeance for their mutilated dead mujahids (fighters) in the same way it was done to them." This, then he explained, is the teaching of the Koran (16:126), which recommends patience but authorizes revenge.
June 19 2004 Saudi Arabia: Paul Johnson an American Engineer was behead and the gory picture of his severed head was posted on the Internet.
May 2004, Iraq: Nicholas Berg an American citizen in Iraq was caught and beheaded. The gruesome act was shown in Arab television Al Jazeerah.
 
February 2002, Pakistan: Daniel Pearls suffered the same end. His assassins, video taped their grim crime proudly and showed to the world the level of savagery to which they can stoop.
 
Mutilations, decapitations and other horrendous acts of barbarity have become the hallmark of Islamic terrorism. But where these Muslims "fighters" get their inspiration from?
 
To answer this question we have to look into the history of Islam and more importantly the examples set by Muhammad, the founder of Islam who repeatedly urged his cohorts to follow his examples and do as he did. "
[source - "A World Apart" by Ali Sina http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sinaawa40621.htm ]>>.    Really says it all with respect the fact that members of Islam do not act in accordance with the Quran which they claim to believe, nor with the Hadiths.
 
Third, more ancient wrongs in violation of Quran 19:33 and Book 19, Number 4294: of the Muslim b. al-Hajjah,
<<" THE FRUITS OF PLUNDER: WEALTH AND WOMEN
By now, though Muhammad had two women in his harem, he was not yet content. From his new base in Medina he began a series of forays in which he ambushed passing caravans. In one successful raid he gained possession of stolen commodities valued at more than one hundred thousand dirhams (the unit of money in Arabia in those days). He took one-fifth of the booty for himself, according to Allah's ordinance in the Koran, and divided the rest among his followers: "... whatever ye take as spoils of war, lo! a fifth thereof is for Allah, and for the messenger...." (Koran 8: 41)
 
As chief of this marauding band Muhammad suddenly found himself financially in a better position. From the wealth of the plunder, he was able to acquire another wife. 'Umar, his close friend and companion, had a proud widowed daughter, Hafsa, a charming but temperamental eighteen-year-old woman. 'Umar was delighted to hear that Allah's apostle was interested in her; therefore, the marriage contract was drawn up between the father and the bridegroom, who once again was some years older than his father-in-law. The wedding was not elaborate, but he spent three nights on a honeymoon with his new wife.
 
In the fourth year after his emigration to Medina, Muhammad found a poor excuse to raid a Jewish tribe in the same town, known as the Banu Nadir. He besieged their quarters and let no water or food reach them. Then he set their crops on fire and ordered their fruit trees to be cut down, which was against all the prevailing customs of the Arabs at that time. When his followers objected and reminded him that felling trees and burning crops in that part of the world, where only a few inches of rain fall each year, is an unforgivable crime, he immediately invented the following passage: "Whatsoever palm trees ye cut down or left standing on their roots, it was by Allah's leave, in order that He might confound the evil-doers (the Jews)." (Koran 59: 5)
 
The Jews of the besieged tribe sent someone to negotiate peace, but Muhammad would not accept unless they left all their property behind and moved out. Each family or household was permitted to take along only a camel-load of their necessities excluding silver or gold wares. After they were forcibly banished from Medina, the Muslims, on direct order of Muhammad, took over the homes, farms, orchards, and gardens of the ill-fated people, plus their goats, sheep, camels, mules, and whatever was left in their homes.
 
This may be the first time in history that a man claiming to be a prophet, saint, and teacher of ethics was also a lawless marauder.
 
As a result of such a quick and easy victory, Muhammad was no longer willing to divide the rich booty among his followers; he therefore revealed the following verse: "That which Allah gave as spoil unto His messenger from the people of the townships, it is for Allah and his messenger and for the next of kin." (Koran 59: 7) By this simple device of revelation he was able to deny all of his followers the benefit of the foray and keep as much booty for himself and his relatives as he wished.
The rich fortune of the Jewish people of Banu Nadir provided Muhammad with enough means to contemplate expanding his harem once more. In less than six months after this episode, he married two women from his clan, the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, both of them younger than thirty years old. His harem now included five young women.
In the fifth year after the Hegira, Muhammad decided to destroy the remaining Jewish population of the town (known as the Banu Qurayza) and take over their property. He therefore surrounded their quarters and began a siege that continued for some time until the elderly people of the tribe finally decided to surrender in order to save their lives from his dreadful vengeance. Muhammad, however, did not want them to go unpunished. He therefore demanded that they be judged by an arbitrator, a man whom he knew, deep in his heart, was not very amiable to the Jews. The man who was nominated by Muhammad to act as an arbitrator was Sa'd ibn Mu'az, who happened to be suffering from a wound inflicted by the enemy's arrow in a previous battle and was really on the verge of dying. Aware of the enmity between the man and the ill-fated tribe of the Banu Qurayza, Muhammad could easily guess what the sentence of the dying man would be, especially since Sa'd ibn Mu'az was led to believe by some Muslims that his fatal wound was the result of the Jews, who had been secretly in touch with the enemy.
Muhammad ordered the dying man to be carried over in a stretcher from his house to a meeting in which the representatives of the besieged tribe were present. The arbitrator, Sa'd, gave his verdict as follows:
1. All the adult males of the defeated Jewish tribe must be slain.
2. Their women and children must be sold as slaves to the highest bidder.
3. All their property (camels, goats, horses, farms, orchards, household furniture, etc.) must be divided among the Muslims.
 
After Muhammad heard this barbaric verdict, he cried out in jubilant words: "You have judged according to the very sentence of Allah above the seven skies."
According to the above statement, which has been affirmed by the early biographers and chronologists, Muhammad's Allah is seemingly as cruel and ferocious as his Prophet. "The women and children, torn from their protectors, were placed under the charge of renegade Jews."
The arbitrator did not live long enough to see the outcome of his judgment; he died that very day. Muhammad ordered his men to dig deep trenches in the marketplace of the town, to be used as "common graves" for the slain Jews. The captured Jews, with their hands tied behind their backs, were led to the edge of the trench in groups of ten.They were forced to kneel down and, with unprecedented savagery, were beheaded one by one while their kinfolk watched in horror and wailed in agony.
 
The dreadful show continued the whole day in the presence of Allah's apostle, who seemed to be delighted. His close male relatives,' Ali, Zubayr, and others, acted as executioners in this barbaric pageantry. The butchery started in the morning and continued until the evening under torchlight.
The number of murdered men, according to various accounts, was between six hundred fifty and nine hundred; most Islamic sources agree on seven hundred and fifty. Among the captured was a young smiling woman who had thrown a stone from the roof of her home onto the Muslim soldiers. Muhammad ordered his followers to bring the woman to the trench and decapitate her, which they did. The chivalry of the pre-Islamic Arabs was lost forever after the advent of Islam.
 
After the trenches were filled with the heads and bodies of the victims, he instructed his men to fill them. The ditches were quickly smoothed over the remains and the carnage was thus trampled underfoot by the steps of the devotees. The captive women and children were paraded before Allah's apostle, who with the vainglory of a victorious bedouin chieftain, reviewed them with contempt. To him they were merely the booty of war.
There was a charming young girl among them by the name of Rayhana, who had lost her husband and all of her male relatives in the massacre. As soon as Muhammad's eyes caught sight of the wretched Jewess in the long line of women and children, an irresistible passion to possess her came over him. He signaled his soldiers to bring her as his share of the booty. "As they passed before the conqueror, his eyes marked the lovely Raihana, and he destined her for himself."
 
The girl is reported to have been around nineteen and as she refused to embrace Islam, she was sent to his harem as a concubine: the honeymoon started the very night of the massacre and lasted three days.
 
The women and children were distributed among the male believers and some were sold in the slave market. The property of the ill-fated people consisted of camels, goats, sheep, armor, clothes, and household furniture.
 
The massacre of the Banu Qurayza tribe proved that Allah's apostle was a bandit, a vengeful political leader, a merciless executioner, and a slave merchant. It also cast a long shadow over Islam. If this new religion was dedicated to advancing the cause of one god, as its founder claimed, against the idolatry and polytheism of the desert Arabs, why did Muhammad so relentlessly persecute first Judaism and later on Christianity and Zoroastrianism, all of which were monotheistic religions? With his increase in power, the real character of Allah's messenger began to manifest itself. One suspects that his underlying motive was power, not religion. As the leader of a gang of robbers, he sent his followers on numerous expeditions to raid caravans, ambush the different tribes of the desert, slay innocent people, seize their property, and enslave their women and children. The booty in these forays was enough motive for the greedy desert Arabs to join him.
 
In order to become a shareholder in the spoils bestowed by Allah, one needed only to affirm that Allah is the only deity and Muhammad is his messenger. By this simple formula the robber chief of Medina was able to gather more men around him and keep his little force in high spirits by giving them more share of the booty. He promised them both paradise after death and wealth and women in this world. With these incentives the desert Arabs who followed him had nothing to lose.
 
Gradually, as he got more powerful in his new headquarters of Medina, the peace-loving preacher of Mecca disappeared and in his stead the party leader and authoritarian ruler of Medina came to light. His former themes of mercy and compassion are replaced with the unyielding decrees of the tyrant. Among the deeds of the great founders of religions, such as Zoroaster, Confucius, Buddha, Moses, and Christ, one can find nothing comparable with Muhammad's plundering of caravans, ambushing of tribes, massacring of prisoners of wars, and enslaving of the women and children. Nor did any of these religious leaders have as many wives as Muhammad. In these and similar performances, Muhammad is unique and unparalleled. No man of God was changed so much in so few years and in such a barbaric way. "  [source - "Women and the Koran: The Status of Women in Islam. Contributors" by Anwar Hekmat, published by Prometheus Books, 1997] >>.
 
Hypothesis has been proved correct that neither Muhammad (pbuh) nor his present day followers are in compliance with either Quran 19:33 and Book 19, Number 4294: of the Muslim b. al-Hajjah,.
 
CONCLUSION:
 
Both hypothesis,
 
First, The validity of the two sources, i.e., the Quran and the concept of Hadith.
 
Second, Adherence of Muhammad (pbuh) and members of Islam to either and/or both of these.
 
Have been researched and the findings were:
 
[1] Neither the Quran nor the Hadiths have validity.
 
[2] Neither Muhammad (pbuh) nor his modern day followers has adhered to either Quran 19:33 and Book 19, Number 4294: of the Muslim b. al-Hajjah,.   Or as 'Fruits of Plunder' put it, <<" Among the deeds of the great founders of religions, such as Zoroaster, Confucius, Buddha, Moses, and Christ, one can find nothing comparable with Muhammad's plundering of caravans, ambushing of tribes, massacring of prisoners of wars, and enslaving of the women and children. Nor did any of these religious leaders have as many wives as Muhammad. In these and similar performances, Muhammad is unique and unparalleled.[source - "Fruits of Plunder" http://pnews.org/PhpWiki/index.php/FruitsOfPlunder]>>.
 
Why such a lack of regard for others?   Because Muhammad (pbuh) and his modern day followers failed to head something written over 500 years before Muhammad (pbuh); to with, Matthew 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  38  This is the first and great commandment.
39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (AV).   But were led away from truth by vain deceit and traditions of men per Colossians 2:8, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (AV).
 
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