The Devil Made Me Do It!

Dum, da dum, da................... I don't believe in Jesus.
............da da dum dah! I don't believe in Buddha
dum, dum da da,...............I don't believe in the Bible.....,
I don't believe in Beatles..............!
I just believe.... in me.......... Yoko and me!........And that's reality!

That's what John Lennon said, way back in another lifetime, about religion!

Flash forward about 35 years and we find that the world has changed in some ways kids, and stayed the same in others.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that as I've aged, my thoughts about living and dying, as well as God and the afterlife, have changed quite a bit as well!

Let's look at the Biblical concept of God and the Devil from a modern 21st century context. (About 29 A.L. - After Lennon!)

Both of these guys (God and the Devil) don't make any sense to me as far as their description in the Bible is concerned.

You either agree with me or not on this one folks, the topic is not really open to discussion. This is why.....!

(And also a lead-in to five of the Guantanamo Bay detainees)

In my book "The Plain Truth About God" we discuss what is factual and what is allegorical about the Bible and reach some startling conclusions.

** At the end of the first century C.E. The “Alexandrian School of Thought,” of which Origin and Clement of Alexandria were part, taught that there were three possible approaches to be taken to the scriptures.

(That there were already discussions of this magnitude and significance tells us a lot of the early Christian movement.)

The first approach was the literal translation, the second was symbolic, or allegorical, and the third was spiritual.

1. The first/ literal was described as simplistic and solely for the un-educated.

2. The second/symbolic was the use of parables to convey a deeper meaning.

3. The third/spiritual transcended the mortal plane and bought us closer to God.

Unfortunately at that time, as now, the un-washed masses cried out for a ready-made, simplistic, popular faith.

A faith that can best be described as closer to a romance novel than any serious attempt at theology, history and philosophy.

(This is also the reason that the “Resurrection” was proclaimed as the basis for Christianity. This version of the “Faith,” when combined with the Roman gift of organization and brute force, led to the “Christianity” that has been handed down to us.)

So, if the Bible was put together for the unwashed masses, then the description of God and the Devil are designed to appeal to them as well.

Being an Agnostic, this sits well with me since I can't come to terms with a Biblical God and certainly not with a Biblical Devil.

What we are left with is a God that I prefer to call "First Cause," and a Devil that is thrown on the scrap heap of history. (Sorry Charlie!)

This might not sit too well with all the religious types, but trust me on this one folks, I don't think I'm too far off!

And now we get down to the reason for this article!

IF..... there was such a thing as the proverbial DEVIL, then he would sure be present in these guys........!

The five detainees at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison camp charged with plotting the September 11 attacks have filed a document expressing pride at their accomplishment and accepting responsibility for the deaths of nearly 3,000 people, The New York Times reported on Monday.

The document, which the newspaper said may be released publicly on Tuesday, describes the five men as the "9/11 Shura Council," and says their actions were an offering to God, according to excerpts of the document read to a reporter by an unidentified government official, the report said.

"'To us,' the official read, 'they are not accusations. To us they are a badge of honor, which we carry with honor,'" the paper said.

The document is titled "The Islamic Response to the Government's Nine Accusations," the military judge at the U.S. Naval base said in a separate filing, obtained by the Times, that described the detainees' document.

The document was filed on behalf of the five men, including Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who has called himself the mastermind of the attacks.

You will notice that these men explained their actions as being "an offering to God," but I have to tell you that if there is ever a case to be made for an actual "Devil," then he was working through these guys!

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-I love your perspective allan!!!
arleen hodge

-Interesting article. It is composed of a bit of the truth and a bit a the inane. Perhaps you have something to say about the Cuban Five or the illegal hunting of whales?
Clifford Colpitts

-The Inane.......! Are you insane?
Allan Janssen,

-Alan, you are so right. I, in my own way have tried to convey the same ideas in some of my posts re: the Christian Right and Evangelists and so forth.
i, try and try again to say that the Bible is not to be taken at a Fundamentalist level, it was for the 'simple' people and seems it still is!
Thanks you. And yes, the Gitmo bunch had evil on their side!
Georgiana S

-Allan, This notion that an all-powerful Being could not see to it that the Book is what he wishes it to be, is nonsensical. I realize you don't believe He is real, but that does not mean He is feeble, if you happen to be mistaken. If He is real, then He can inspire both people to write what He wishes, and select what He wishes to be preserved. That's just the way all-powerful heart-knowers get to operate.

It is not a separate argument, to my mind, as to whether the Book is genuine, and whether the God of the Book exists. Naturally, if He does not, the Book is a pack of lies. If He does, there is absolutely no reason to doubt He could "author" and "deliver" a message to us, the people of the world He made. Splitting those two concepts up, may make for some cool bitching and accusing, but it lacks a logical basis, in my opinion.
John Knight

John.... John, John, John! A gotta tell ya buddy....... you're giving me a headache!


Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don't want you to know......!) and is available as an E-Book H E R E ! and as a paperback H E R E !

Visit the blog "Perspective" at http://allans-perspective.blogspot.com