BY JONIQUE GAYNOR, Staff Reporter
I HAD THE displeasure of overhearing a very blasphemous conversation the other day. If I had any doubts that these were the end times, this conversation got me right back to thinking so. And no, this is not about the high crime rate, the many earthquakes and tsunamis or even war. It's about the way some people view Christianity and the notion of God -like a joke
The discussion I overheard was centred around the Bible. The persons involved were mostly males and among them, was one self-professed believer. He was being pressured by the others who were challenging him about certain stories in the Bible. It's normal for us to want explanations and to question certain things. But as it relates to the Bible, however, this should be done with caution.
We were always taught never to question the contents of the Bible and to simply have faith. But as the doors to knowledge open, and people are exposed to other thoughts, doubts and questions seep in. The manner in which our questions are put forward then become crucial. These people, however, were being outright disrespectful and blasphemous. Simply irreverent.
HAD SEX
First they attacked the story of Samson and Delilah. They claimed that Samson's hair was not cut but that he lost his strength because he and Delilah had sex. Their rationale was, "Nobaddi hair cant tek three days fi grow back, a sex im an Delilah did a sex. When a man have sex, it tek im three days fi get back im strength, a dat it mean." The believer tried in vain to get them to see it his way. They were convinced that in this case, the Bible was not to be interpreted literally.
Then they began the all-too- familiar debate about whether Mary was indeed a virgin. They laughed and made jokes, and suggested that she may have been "injected with sperm." In defence of all their jokes and teasing, they said the Bible was a fairy tale. The Bible did warn that in the last days, men would become doubtful and would seek to persecute believers. This is a manifestation of that prophecy.
But this debate is just one of the many that have recently become popular. Several documentaries focus on unearthing what they describe as "new evidence" and attempt to shake the foundation upon which many Christian beliefs are based.
They use scientific research methods to try to prove their many theories. In a recent documentary on the History Channel, the researcher brought forth the idea that Jesus was not an only child, but that he had many brothers and sisters, some of whom belonged to Joseph's first wife. This is a new notion that he came up with. He also suggested that Mary could not have been a virgin.
The story of the virgin birth is one of the pillars of the Christian faith, and if this is to be challenged, what then must we believe in? Science? Artificial insemination?
All I can say is that Christians will now have to be more fixed in their beliefs and will have to develop enough confidence in their faith, to not be shaken by "new evidence" and jokers.
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