Alternative to Bankruptcy
03.20.09 | Comments Off

You would perhaps be shocked at the total number of individuals that deal with monetary issues in their lives. Because of this, outstanding debt will likely crop up. Families sometimes can confront these issues due to loss of employment, divorce, bereavement or just poor individual money supervision. Businesses characteristically run into these difficulties within the initial 2 years of operation. At fault for a business bankruptcy can stretch from greater competition, accidents, loss of big accounts to identify a few. Whatever the cause, bad debt could maybe lead to bankruptcy. Conversely, there are alternatives to bankruptcy that may preserve your individual credit and your business credit.

Insolvency is often definable as the inability of an organization or an individual to fulfill monies owed to their creditors. If or when an organization files, the debt holder is bound to release all non-exempt inventory and property for sale. While private possessions are preserved, you will also promise a bound portion of your earned income to the creditors based upon a decided repayment agreement. Your credit bureau scores will become low for a long time, which implies that you won’t be in condition to acquire funding for any private or business for a long time.

Problems such as outstanding debt may stimulate trouble. Insolvency proceedings are extremely harsh and may result in rough thoughts and deeds. Searching for beneficial ways out of a painfulsituation prior to going to insolvency lawcourt is advisable. Debt settlement could be the option for you.

You may ask: “How come my creditors are are willing to allow for debt settlement?” The truth is that most any alternative is advantageous to the lender compared to insolvency. Alternatives to financial insolvency are valuable to both the lender and yourself. The lender will be able to recoup at least a portion of the moneys that they are owed and you’re capable to handle. Allowing a debt settlement plan that is often less than the beginning total you initially owed is far better than zero.

Debt resolution is a manageable option for individuals attempting to find advice with debt problems. When even a single is neglected, almost all credit lines incur an exceedingly significant rate hike that has an impact on the existing amount due. This rate increase will make it increasingly challenging to pay off the credit in the months ahead which will likely send your debt spinning out of control. Debt negotiation will allow you to pay off your debt with simply a fraction of what is owed without destroying your credit rating for a decade.

How Do Printer Ink Cartridges Work?
03.20.09 | Comments Off
Category: Printer Stuff

Printer ink cartridges mainly contain one or more partitions to reserve ink, besides a chip that communicates with the printer. The quality of printing by an inkjet printer largely depends on the smooth and continuous flow of ink. So, once the flow of ink slows down, it is important to change the printer inkjet cartridges. Various types of inkjet printer ink cartridges are available including costly printer inkjet cartridges manufactured by original equipment manufacturers as well as non-branded compatible or re manufactured printer inkjet cartridges.


Workings Of Printer Ink Cartridges

Most printers, including Canon and HP, use thermal inkjet while Epson use Piezoelectric Inkjets.
In thermal inkjet printer cartridges, each ink reservoir partition contains a heating element that responds to the signals provided by the printer when it warms up. This heating leads to the vaporization of ink surrounding the heating element into a tiny air bubble that moves to the nozzle. However, if if there is insufficient ink in the printer ink cartridges is less, the quality of printing will neither be . The ink in the printer inkjet cartridges also acts as a coolant for the heating elements .If it dries up it can result in damage to the printer head.

In the case of Piezoelectric Inkjet printers, each nozzle contains a piezoelectric crystal and throws out ink for printing.


Types And Pricing Of Printer Ink Cartridges

Although most printer manufacturers recommend using only inkjet printer cartridges manufactured by them, several cheaper options are available on the market. Inkjet printer ink cartridges manufactured by OEMs are generally quite costly, so many people prefer to use cheaper versions that are not only compatible with their printers but also provide good quality printing.

The cheaper inkjet printer cartridges are brand new products, with new components, and claim to provide the same quality as do OEM products. An alternativeoption available for printer users is the professionally re manufactured inkjet printer cartridges that have been used once, emptied, cleaned and refilled to match OEM standards.

Lighting Up Your World
03.19.09 | Comments Off
Category: Uncategorized

It’s pretty evident that lighting makes lots of difference when it comes to how you feel about a room. To really make the most of your decorating ideas, choose lighting and use light fixtures carefully. Take a look at a few of the options that can truly enhance your décor.

Track lights - Track lights became popular over the past few decades as a way to bring some particular object into focus. There are plenty of places where track lights can be beneficial. Use track lights to highlight a wall or shelf, bringing the attention immediately to that area. The items you’re highlighting don’t have to be high-dollar art. Use track lighting to accent a family portrait wall or your collection of antique tea pots.

Recessed lights - Recessed lights are, by their very nature, softer than most lighting options. Because the light actually originates above the line of the ceiling, the light will be greatly dispersed over the area. Recessed lights are less intense, so you may need several to provide adequate lighting, especially if you need light in the room. If this is to be a workroom or study area, recessed lights probably aren’t the best option.

Shelf lights - If there’s a large bookshelf in your room, there’s a good likelihood that the entire area is dim. Shelf lights mount on the bottom of a shelf, shining down onto the shelf below. This brings attention to whatever is on that shelf. Shelf lights should only be used when there’s something attractive to focus on - collections are ideal. Consider several shelf lights in a single bookcase to bring light to the entire wall.

Lamps - Never overlook the power of lamps when it comes to bringing life and light to a room. There are so many options to choose from that you’re sure to find lamps suitable for every room in your house. There are some points to remember when you’re shopping for lamps.

* Don’t choose large lamps unless you’re seeking to fill a space. * Color is also important. The lampshade will disperse the light and the color of the shade will be cast out into your room. * Lamps that point upward will light a large area with a softer light.

Overhead lights - Naturally, overhead lights are among the most important decisions when it comes to lighting a room. Lights on ceiling fans are a very popular option, but not the only choice by any means. From Tiffany style lights to chandeliers, designers and manufacturers have thought up thousands of different overhead lights.

Remember that the room itself is also important in your quest for the perfect light. Darker colors tend to absorb light, so you need additional light fixtures and brighter lights. Bright colors make it easier to provide a light environment. If you want to maximize light, use lots of glass and mirrors in the room as these tend to magnify the amount of light.

If you’re using an area for crafts, study or reading, ample light is a must. Regardless of the functional need for light, you can be sure that finding a light that also looks great is as close as your imagination.

The Evolution of the Sauna
03.18.09 | Comments Off
Category: Uncategorized

The Finnish sauna has been in existence for at least 2,000 years. In its early days, the sauna was regarded as a place to bathe, but for a time it became something of a multi-purpose room as people also used the sauna as a place to give birth and care for the sick.

While the people of Finland remain the nationality most closely associated with hot saunas, different versions of the sweat bath can be found in the histories of other cultures. Close equivalents include the Russian banya, the Roman thermae or public bath, the Turkish hammam or steam bath, and the Native American inipi or sweat lodge.

Experts contend that the first Finnish saunas were dug into hills or embankments. These evolved into above-ground saunas made from wooden logs. The hot air came courtesy of a collection of rocks heated by a wood fire set in a stone fireplace. Once the resulting smoke raised the air temperature to the desired level, the smoke was released from the sauna and the actual sauna bath could begin. From this method, the savu sauna or smoke sauna was borne.

Further evolution saw metal wood stoves and chimneys replace the original heating system. Additional elements that were introduced included steam vapor, produced by splashing water on the heated rocks, and bundles of leafy birch twigs, with which bathers slapped their skin to augment the cleansing process. The Finnish people named the steam and birch bundles loyly and vihta, respectively.

As time passed, the sauna changed in even more astounding ways. Electric sauna heaters debuted in the mid-20th century, followed several years later by far infrared saunas. Also known as infrared heat therapy rooms, far infrared saunas utilize far infrared energy to warm the sauna bather more directly than traditional Finnish-style saunas allow. While sauna enthusiasts remain somewhat divided on which type of sauna is superior, very few deny that the far infrared sauna has had an overwhelming impact on the worldwide sauna industry.

Today, facilities catering to fans of both traditional and far infrared saunas can be found in abundance. Because many health benefits are associated with regular sauna use, saunas are common amenities in health clubs, spas, clinics, and luxury resort hotels around the globe. As well, because saunas and sauna kits are available in good supply at affordable prices, saunas have also found their place in the basements, bathrooms and backyards of many homes throughout the world.

In other words, folks far and wide continue to warm to the age-old delights and benefits of the hot sauna.

Hurricane Lamps - A Brief History
03.16.09 | Comments Off
Category: Uncategorized

The hurricane lamp was originally an oil burning lamp with a glass chimney designed to protect the flame from drafts or winds. Today, all that has changed. These oil burning hurricane lamps are still very popular today not only for their aesthetic value but because of their basic practicality especially during periods of power outages and for use anywhere that has no electricity, such as camping, etc.

Today the hurricane lamp can be any lamp or even a candle including an electric lamp where the flame or light bulb is protected or enclosed by a glass chimney. The electric version of the hurricane lamp does not need the glass chimney for functionality but lamp manufacturers often include this feature as it is more authentic.

Glass chimneys today come in a wide assortment of sizes, shapes, frostings or clear, etchings and decorations as well as colors.

In addition to the glass chimney, many hurricane lamps have an additional decorative glass top which surrounds the glass chimney. These glass tops come in many sizes, shapes and colors. One very striking and popular type of hurricane lamp has matching bottom and top glass pieces which are intricately hand decorated with a clear glass chimney projecting through the top several inches.

Authentic antique hurricane lamps are highly sought after and very collectible. They commonly bring prices that range into the many hundreds of dollars and up.

- Jim Hoyle

First to Act in Poker
03.12.09 | Comments Off

When you’re playing Texas Hold ‘Em, your position at the poker table is a great indicator of how good your cards are. If you are last to act, you are in the best spot because you’ve got a bird’s-eye view of how everyone else is going to act at the casino. If you’re one of the first to act, however, you are at risk before the cards are even dealt because the rest of the table gets to see what you’re going to do before they have to bet. If you’re the first to act, you don’t get a preview of what’s anyone else is going to do, so you need to make sure that your hand has a good chance of winning before you decide to play it. The last thing that you want to do is throw away your bet before the flop on a 9-8 suited because someone after you decided to raise. If you’re the first to act, make sure that your hand has a good chance at winning before you risk any chips. Nobody wants to pay into a hand without seeing any cards, so unless you’ve got a poker hand that you’re hugely confident in, like high pocket pairs or some suited face cards, it’s probably a good idea to fold.

Wow! The Spanish Lottery
03.11.09 | Comments Off

On Dec 2008 eLottery brought the Spanish lotto to it’s product range, granting participants globally a immensely bettered chance of sharing in this immense Spanish lottery prize fund.

If it’s the first time you have come across the Spanish Lotto, let me highlight simply how all-important this lottery is to the vast majority of the Spanish population. The Spanish lottery has been a public obsession in Spain for a long time with massive interest generated by the Christmas lottery draw every year. Believe it or not 98% of the population play this Spanish National lottery each Christmas.

There are a couple of primary sound reasons why so many Spanish nationals join in the Christmas El Gordo lotto draw.

First, on that point is the incentive of the largest lottery prize fund of any world-wide lotto game - 2.20 Billion Euros! Secondly, there are more than 13 thousand money prizes to be won. Lastly, the probability of accumulating a money prize on the Christmas lottery draw are a highly attainable - one : six.

With the quantity of interest that is afforded to the Christmas Elgordo lotto draw, lots of people are oblivious that there are five extra Spanish Lotto draws every year too. These lotto games happen in May, July, January and November and March. Despite the fact that these five lotto games do not feature the enormous prize fund of the Christmas lotto draw, they are large nevertheless, ranging from seventy eight million Euros to six hundred and sixty six million Euros. Plus, these games offer almost three times as many prizes as the Christmas lotto draw plus odds of picking up a cash prize of an awesome 1 : 3.

The Spanish Christmas Lottery functions in a different way to virtually all other world lotteries. A whole lotto ticket ‘billete’ is very expensive, costing 200 Euros. However, these lotto tickets are divided up into 10 ‘decimos’ (tenths) costing twenty Euros apiece.

When purchasing your lotto tickets you have the option of purchasing one decimo, a complete ticket, or a share of a lotto ticket. If you don’t purchase the full ticket, someone else will purchase the remainder of your ticket. For example, if you buy 2 decimos, somebody else buys three decimos and somebody else purchases five and your lotto ticket wins one thousand Euros, then you will collect 200 Euros, 300 Euros and five hundred Euros respectively. Owing to the expense of purchasing a whole ticket, it is not unusual for families and acquaintances to incorporate their lotto cash and each purchase a separate ‘decimo’ (tenth).

The Benefits of Owning an Air Purifier
03.11.09 | Comments Off
Category: Uncategorized

The benefits of owning an air purifier are many. In fact, once you realize all of the benefits derived from owning an air purifier, not only will you want to buy one for your own home, you will be recommending them to all of your family and friends. Air purifiers can dramatically improve your health and with the affordability of the various types, no home should be without one.

For those individuals that are prone to allergies, an air purifier is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. A purifier can help remove allergens from the air by a filtering system and lessen the effects that such allergens have on individuals. Let’s face it; no one enjoys suffering through allergy attacks and if there is any way possible to minimize the effects of allergens, such measures are certainly a worthwhile investment. Thus, a purifier can help minimize the allergy attacks one may have during any given season and increase the health of the individual.

For those individuals with asthma, again a purifier is a need not a want. A purifier can reduce the number of dust particles and other lung irritants in the air that may trigger asthma attacks. There is nothing more frightening than an asthma attack, which makes the victim feel as if they can’t breathe and can leave them in a weakened state. With a purifier, the patient can reduce the number of asthma attacks they may have during the year and ultimately improve their overall health.

Those individuals with a weakened immune system will also benefit from owning one or more purifiers. Purifiers can help minimize the number of germs in the air and can thereby reduce the overall illnesses and other contagions one might otherwise be exposed to. By owning a purifier, you can immediately cut down on the number of illnesses you and your family may experience. Good health is one of the most important benefits one can derive from owning a purifier and the advantages that accompany good health cannot be overstated.

Purifiers are sold with a variety of different filtration systems. Some actually possess filters that require replacement from time to time, while others possess what is referred to as an ionic system. An ionic system will require that you regularly maintain the machine by washing the filter inside it from time to time. This may be a better buy because you will not constantly find yourself searching for and investing in replacement filters. Nevertheless, either purifier is better than no purifier, especially if you need it for your health.

In the end, purifiers are well worth the investment. A clear reduction in the number of allergy attacks and the number of asthma attacks can be immediately noticed with and use of an air purifier. Moreover, you and your family can significantly cut down on the number of illnesses you experience during the course of a year. If your health means a lot to you, it’s time to get a purifier today!

Preachers In America Will Cause America’s Demise
03.10.09 | Comments Off

American Preachers Are At The Forefront Of The Travesties Committed Against God.

We in America have been very fortunate in the many privileges and freedoms that we enjoy. We have more freedoms and opportunities to pursue our dreams and goals than any other population of people on earth. Our country was founded upon freedom; with one of the main objectives being: to be able to publicly practice any type of religion that we so choosebe it Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Gnosticism, or any other. We have truly been blessed of God thus far.

Unfortunately, many people have swayed from the moral and ethical guidelines that these freedoms were based upon, and are now pursuing personal desires rather than the desires of God. We are now transgressing very heavily against God in our conduct and in the abomination of redefining God’s Word, abandoning His Law, and replacing It with secular opinions.

This misrepresentation of God’s Word by America’s Christian leaders, coupled with their intolerance for other forms of religious worship, represents the main travesties committed against God. Instead of showing people the true ways to God, they are hindering the seekers of God, while they, themselves, are headed down a path that leads to Hell. Pride and greed are the main tendencies guiding many of America’s preachers, as they emulate each other, while seeking personal gain in the world.

Ninety five percent of the world’s Christian preachers live in America, or are influenced by American preachers. Most practice: promising worldly prosperity to the seekers of Godin direct opposition to the true teachings of God. Man cannot serve God and the world. God wants us to seek His ways and His Law, and to live our lives in total Faith in Him, not relying on things of this world to sustain or to deliver us.

These false prophets shall seemingly prosper only for a short time, before God’s Wrath will deal treacherously with them and with their lands. The Judgments that will befall America (referred to in the Scriptures as: ‘Babylon’ and ‘Babylon the great’), due to the mass transgressions of God’s Law by our leaders and people, will be so catastrophic that the world will be grieved and astonished.

These Biblical Scriptures depict the Transgressions of America’s Preachers:

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” - Matt. 23:13.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” - Matt. 23:14.

“Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” - Mark 7:7.

“And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” - Mark 7:9.

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” - IJohn 3:4.

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” - Rom. 1:22.

“And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” - Rom. 1:23.

“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” - Rom. 1:25.

These Biblical Scriptures depict God’s Judgment on America:

“Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;” - Jer. 51:1.

“The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.” - Jer. 51:42.

“We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the Lord’s house.” - Jer. 51:51.

“Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.” - Jer. 51:52.

“O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.” - Jer. 51:13.

“Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.” - Amos 9:8.

“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” - Rev. 18:3.

“For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” - Rev. 18:5.

“And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:” - Rev. 18:11.

The graven images and idols referred to in the Scriptures are the symbols of: the Crucifix, the Cross, and of peopleall artifacts found in Christian churches. God’s Word tells us that no images should be used in, or be the subject of any worship directed to God. God’s religion is not Christianity, nor is it any other manmade religionit is a total commitment to one God onlyno sharing with partners or images.

We true followers of Godthose who worship only one God, and who do not follow the world’s ways can be assured of salvation and deliverance when that treacherous Day of the Lord brings Judgment upon America, and the world.

More is revealed on this subject of: False worshiping, as well as on the subjects of: God’s Knowledge, Creation, and Judgments, in the Guide Book: ONE GOD ONE WORD: The TRUTH About The KNOWLEDGE and WORSHIP of GOD. Visit:
http://OneGodOneWord.com/ for additional information.

Clarence G. Wilson was called of God over twenty-five years ago, by the Grace of God, to be a servant of God. God has chosen to use Clarence in the service of propagating the true Word of God amidst all of the falseness that is so prevalent in America and in the world today. Clarence’s upbringing, which exposed him to the true Faith of God, and his life circumstances have played a major role in his God given mission. Through the Spirit of God, Clarence has been shown the Truth about serving God. The faith in, and love of God that Clarence learned in his early childhood, now help him to endure life’s ever changing circumstances, while giving God all the praise for bringing him through all of life’s situations. His life’s assignment and mission is to reveal this Truth to all of those souls who desire the Knowledge and the fulfillment of pleasing God in this life, which translates into Eternal Life for those sincere souls, when this life is over.

Belief from a Christian Perspective
03.09.09 | Comments Off

ABOUT GOD

In determining why Christianity seems to have done so much harm in society (the crusades, the inquisition etc), one has to distinguish between people who have a relationship with Christ, and the institution which calls itself Christian. An institution can never be Christian.

Suffering comes about mostly because of the gift God gave us, “free will”, which is the gift that allows us to choose whether to love, or hate, which if the latter is chosen could cause much suffering. Without free will, however, we could not really love voluntarily. And without voluntary love, you just become a robot who cannot possibly love. Also with free will, God chooses to limit Himself as to His power as well as to His foreknowledge of an individual’s future, although He does know the over-all beneficial future of society. As I say, most suffering is caused by our use of free will, but some suffering is also caused by creation limitations, and spiritual warfare (because you can’t see this really taking place, doesn’t mean it’s actually not taking place). But this free will is also somewhat limited for the individual in that one’s free will is greatly influenced by generation after generation of free will decisions made by their ancestors. And from looking at the world around us, one can see that many of these decisions went in the wrong direction.

But then how do you know that there really is a God overseeing all this? It’s in the creation. It’s illogical to assume that chance really created rationality, so since we were actually created with a desire for meaningfulness, which is a part of rationality and a creator is always greater than his creation, our creator must be greater in personhood (a God) than we are. And our physical smallness compared to what’s out there in the universe should be no criteria for our importance to God. After all, we do have rationality. Another arguement for God’s existence is that we being imperfect as we all know, but continually striving for perfection, must have developed this idea of perfection from someplace, and the most logical place that we developed this from seems to be from a higher power (a God, for instance). And finally, can you imagine a planet spinning around the universe in perfect unison allowing human life to evolve as it has for as long as it has without completely breaking up with all its earthquakes and volcanoes taking place without a God being in control.

So if there is a God, why doesn’t He seem to answer prayer? This is a difficult question to answer, but it’s probably due to the consequences of sin and spiritual warfare taking place around us, although in our prayers one can experience God being with us to comfort and heal us in any of the suffering we’re encountering. The basic function of prayer, however, is to build a faith relationship between God and ourselves, and petitionary prayer is only a small part of this faith relationship. But with petitionary prayer being the crux of the problem as to whether prayer works or not, you can never scientifically prove that petitionary prayer really works, because there are so many interconnected variables to look at in God’s scheme of things. Sometimes prayer seems to work, and sometimes it doesn’t, but here you have to realize our loving God has a much broader perspective as to what is really needed for society’s betterment, than we do while we’re here on earth. And as I said above, you also have to take into account the consequences of sin, and spiritual warfare

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

Who is Jesus Christ? According to Christians, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is also our Savior in that He saved us from our sin by suffering and dying on the cross and being raised from the dead. He was God’s sacrifice for us. It was like perfection saving imperfection. But we actually have to believe in all this so that we can then become wrapped up in our belief, or Jesus Christ, just like a Christmas package, so that when God looks at us, all that He can see is His Son (perfection), or Himself as if He were looking into a mirror. Now how do we know all this? By reading the Gospels. But how do we know that the Gospels are really trustworthy. To go into this, you have to look at the Gospels, not as the literal Word of God, but as historical documents. In doing this, you have to ask certain questions about these documents . 1) Do the documents portray eyewitness accounts. The Gospels do. 2) Do the documents contain irrelevant material not pertinent to the eyewitness accounts? Yes, they do. 3) Do the Gospels contain self-damaging material? Yes, they do. For example,the boldness of some of the women during this time period, and the statement Jesus made from the cross when He cried out” My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?” 4) Do all 4 Gospels have a consistency as well as a divergency in perspectives? Yes, they do. 5) Do the Gospels increase their legendary exaggeration? No, they don’t, even though they do have some supernatural events in them. 6) Is there any indication that the writers of the Gospels have an ulterior motive for writing them? No, there isn’t. In fact they could have faced persecution for writing them. 7) Can outside sources from that time authenticate the Gospels? Yes, they can and do. 8) Do archeological findings substantiate many of the Biblical events related to us in the Gospels? Yes, they do. And 9) Were there many opponents of the Gospels at the time that could disprove the Gospels, but couldn’t? Yes, there were. These are all questions that should be asked to determine whether a document has historical merit or not. And if the answers are all in the affirmative, except for questions 5 and 6, then the document has historical authenticity. In this case from the answers given above, the Gospels appear to be authentic historical documents and can be used as historical evidence for the life of Jesus Christ. But there still seem to be many historical discrepencies within the Gospels. This actually can be explained away by realizing that the Gospels were never intended to be a biographical sketch of Jesus Christ, although there was much biographical material contained therein. The purpose of the Gospels was really to convey a message of salvation for the readers. In doing this, the discrepencies then become irrelevent. And finally the authorship and date that the Gospels were written are not essential elements to the credibility as to what the Gospels actually say, although from the Book of Acts it does seem to say that at least the first three Gospels were written before 60 AD, and that the authorship of Luke is almost a certainty, whereas the authorship of the other Gospels are closer to a certainty than not. But the bottom line is that there is enough historical authenticity in the Gospels to make them worth-while reading.

As I say, in general, the Gospels are historically reliable, but how about the resurrection? Here too, you have enough historical criteria to indicate that the resurrection actually took place. For instance, 1) There are 5 independent sources to indicate that the event took place (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul),with each giving individual eyewitness accounts of the occasion. 2) Jesus’s tomb was empty with His burial clothes neatly folded inside the tomb. This could have been easily checked out at the time by those opposed to the story. 3) The church’s sudden growth a few weeks after the resurrection. 4) The resurrection accounts also have many irrevelant material and some self-damaging material (such as the role of women in the event) that are common to early eyewitness based accounts. 5) There is a total lack of theological reflection in the narrative which is not true for most legendary accounts. 6) The conversion of Paul is unexplained without the resurrection. 7)Paul lists over 500 witnesses to the resurrection (1 Cor 15) who could always be cross-examined. 8) The transformation of the Disciples which was a miracle considering their character before the resurrection. And 9) There is no motive for the authors to fabricate the story. They had nothing to gain, and everything to lose (their lives). Now does the resurrection prove that Jesus was also God Incarnate? No it doesn’t, but if you can take the Gospels as reliable historical documents, you find that Jesus does make such statements in them as, “I and the Father are one”, “If you see Me, you see the Father”, and “He who believes in Me, believes in the Father who sent Me”. This seems to show that Jesus really believed that He was God incarnate. And if the Gospels were fabricated, wouldn’t the story have ended differently before the crucifixion?

ABOUT THE BIBLE

What about the Bible? Can you believe all that you find in the Bible? But before this question is answered, you have to ask the question as to why God can’t be more obvious in what He really wants from us? The problem here is that even if He were, we probably would want to do our own thing anyway. There are several reasons for this. 1) The impression stupendous events have on us, such as miracles, are never permanent and fade away with time. 2) There are always other explanations available for anything you observe. 3) Divine things are never as clear in this world because of the spiritual warfare going on around us. And 4) God only wants a loving trusting relationship with us, and this requires a moral decision by us, not absolute proof which would require no moral decision having to be made whatsoever. Besides, nothing is ever absolute.

Now getting back to the Bible. It’s true that there are some unbelievable stories contained therein, but in a sense, you have to look at the Bible as a baby carriage carrying the baby, whereby the baby carrage can have many defects in it, while the baby cannot, although sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the two. Also many of these so-called defects are really not defects at all, but a way of making a point allegorically that couldn’t be made more effectively in any other way. After all, the Bible is basically not an historical or scientific book, but a book to show us how we could be redeemed. Now if you consider the Lordship of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels as authentic, you have to consider the Bible itself as being authentic, because Jesus uses so much of the Old Testament in His teachings In other words, the Gospels’ authenticity lends itself to the authenticity of the rest of the Bible. Besides the Bible seems to have a unity of purpose despite the diversity of its authorship, prophetic, and archaeological accuracy in many instances, and the Bible as a whole has given many people tremendous spiritual uplifts thoughout the centuries. Therefore if you consider the Gospels as being historically authentic, you also have to trust the Bible as a whole in being historically reliable as well. But why so much violence in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, whereby sometimes whole groups of people are killed under a loving God’s direction? One has to realize that one has to measure one kind of evil against another, especially if the particular evil you want to stamp out is going to interfere with God’s universal plan for redemption Besides, you still have the after-life to sort out what’s right or wrong.

But with one authoritative Bible, why do we have so many Christian denominations with different translations and interpretations of the Bible? There are basically 3 reasons for this. 1) Primarily because of the sinfulness of the church, in that, despite the fact that Jesus prayed for unity among His children (John 17), our pride and arrogance insisted on our divisiveness. It’s amazing that Jesus can still minister through this sinful church. 2) Some churches view the authority of the Bible in different ways, such as the Roman Catholic Church which views the Bible, Church Tradition and the Pope as equal in authority, and the Fundamentalists
who view the Bible simply as a Supreme Legal Document. And 3) some churches have honest differences of opinion on how to interpret different portions of Scripture, such as the role women should play in the church,, due to the fraility of our human understanding. But the central message in all these traditions is still the same in that Jesus Christ died for our sins and saved all of us who believe in Him. And although the Bible is the prime source for this central message, God can speak to us in many other ways as well.

Now, what happens to those who aren’t Christians? I’m not sure, but you should investigate and study the non-Christian’s philosophy of life and belief, and see how it compares with that of Christianity to perhaps find out. Most belief systems do have much good in them, but do they contain as much truth in regard to this as Christianity does? I don’t think so, because no other belief system provides an adequate solution in how to handle sin the way Chrisitnity does. So whatever belief system you do choose, this will guide you in how you might want to live the rest of your spiritual life. But you really have to study all the belief systems in order to discover what suits you best.

ABOUT CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE

Most belief systems feel that a Perfect God could accept imperfect or sinful human beings into His Heavenly Kingdom, because, after all, He is Perfect and He can accept anybody He desires.. And those He desires are those on balance who are better benefactors than sinners. But the question remains, “Can Perfection ever accept imperfection, or sinners, into His Heavenly Kingdom? If God does, wouldn’t the sinners pollute His Kingdom. just as dirty water would pollute pure water. Many believe they wouldn’t, but if they would, Christianity has a way around this. Christianity says that God came down to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, mingled with humanity for awhile teaching them about God, died on the cross absorbing our imperfections or sinfulness within Himself, and finally was resurrected as Perfection after only 3 days.. And those who believe in this Jesus Christ have placed around themselves this perfection so that when God sees us He only sees His son, Jesus Christ. In other words, it’s like our being wrapped up like a Christmas present, with the wrapping being our belief in Jesus Christ, so that when God looks at us, He only sees the wrapping or Perfection (Jesus Christ), and not our own sinfulness. It’s similar to God looking into a mirror at Himself. We still remain sinners, but God really doesn’t see this. But as we put more and more of this wrapping around ourselves, the wrapping begins to seap more and more into our hearts, and as this happens we begin to change and become much more loving and forgiving. But you have to believe in Jesus Christ for this to happen and for you to enter into His Heavenly Kingdom.

But what about those who don’t believe in Jesus Christ? Do they go to Hell as the Bible suggests? According to the Bible, Hell is described as a gruesome place, and nobody in their right mind would want to go there. And being such a gruesome place, it seems that only those who have committed the most horrendous sins should ever go there. This creates quite a dilema for the Christian belief, because we Christians believe that those who don’t believe in Jesus Christ go there, but we also believe that God is very fair and just, and that He wouldn’t just throw these non-believers into such a horrendous place as Hell if they’re basically good people. After all, they never committed such horrendous acts whereby they deserved such horrendous punishment. God must have provided another alternative for them. Perhaps a type of Purgatory for them after death. Or perhaps Jesus died for them on the cross also, even though they did not consciously know Him or were incapable of knowing him, such as infants retards, or mental incompetents but did God’s bidding anyway to the best of their ability. But to make sure that they’re accepted by God, we Christian should still continue to share our faith with others. Hell, as I see it, is really only for those who have commited horrendous acts, such as Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Sadam Hussein, unrepentent criminals or assassins, and the political suicide bombers . And God’s not really putting them there. They’re putting themselves there by their own free will of so much hate and cruelty. And at the end of time, according to the Book of Revelation, they will be totally destroyed by God.

I was born in New York City in 1931, grew up on Long Island, graduated from Roanoke College in Virginia with a BA Degree in Political Science, and from New York Theological Seminary with a Masters Degree in Religious Education. I became a committed Christian in 1958, and after a number of years became a committed Ecumenical Christian. After my conversion though, my greatest sin of sexual obsession was greatly relieved by my discovering that being active in a social nudist (both sexes) camp for 3 years would do this for me. This changed my life most dramatically. In the secular world, I worked as an accountant in various companies for about 25 years in New York City, then moved down to Argentina and worked for about 23 years as a Business English conversationalist teacher with some of the top managers. I also became a Stephen Minister (trained counselor) while down here. Married twice (the last to an Argentine) widowed once, no children, one cat. You can contact me via (corbinwr@yahoo.com).