Of Fundamentalists or Fools?
Many years I have heard fundamentalists mocked and made
fun of with remarks like, "They actually believe the Bible, word for
word" or "The Old Testament was written by man and is just symbolism
and yet they believe it." Is Torah true? Did YHWH instruct what was to be
written there?
After the terrible shuttle tragedy, the following exchange took place between a leader of an E-Group and myself. You decide for yourself, am I a fundamentalist or a fool? Which should I be or should I be neither?
The exchange began here: (My words are in blue) (Scripture or concordance references are in red)
From: "Shmuliq"
To: <*****@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 7:23 AM
Subject: The shuttle disaster
Shalom,
I recall standing in front of the memorial at the Kennedy Space Centre to
all those brave men and women who have died while fulfilling the human dream to
step out among the stars. I remember asking myself, "Would I be prepared to
die in the pursuit of this dream?" Every astronaut faces this same
question.
From childhood, I have loved the idea of space travel. Although I know I will
never have my dream realised, I still harbour the desire to travel out into
space. I firmly believe that humanity will one day explore and colonise other
worlds. I hope that when human beings first set foot on another planet, that
they will erect a memorial with the names of those who have died in the pursuit
of humanity's future, because it will have been their courageous lives that got
us there.
May their names be remembered for good. "YHWH gives, and YHWH takes away.
Blessed be the Name of YHWH!"
Shmuliq
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My Reply in the form of a question:
Shalom Shmuliq,
I also mourn the loss of these brave explorers but I have a question. Did not
YHWH give human beings dominion over the earth and seas alone? Did He allow us
dominion over space and other planets? Was that not why the events at Babel
occurred? Men were attempting to build a 'tower' to the heavens?
Shalom Sis YahChannah
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His Reply followed:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shmuliq"
To: <*****@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 4:03 AM
Subject: the Tower of Babel (Re: The shuttle disaster
Shalom Sis,
"Did He allow us dominion over space and other planets? Was that not why
the events at Babel occurred? Men were attempting to build a 'tower' to the
heavens?"
The Babel story has two purposes. The first is the ancient writer's way of
explaining how come there are so many languages if we are all descended from one
man and woman. Linguists nowadays know how languages evolve and develop from one
another through geographical separation and time, but back then they didn't.
The second purpose of the story (relevant to our discussion here) is to
illustrate how, if humanity in its arrogance tries to get too big for its boots,
then God will cut humanity down to size again. It is a lesson to warn us against
setting ourselves up to be better than God.
The key to understanding the story is the verse, "Come, let us build for
ourselves a city, and a tower atop it in the heavens; so let us make a name for
ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth".
(Gen11:4)
In this verse, `name' actually means `memorial'. Compare this with the
Hebrew phrase `Yad va-shem' - literally `a hand and a name'. In modern English
it is best rendered by, `a monument and a memorial'. In the story of the Tower
of Babel, the Tower is intended to be a gigantic memorial to themselves, in case
they should be scattered, and their achievements forgotten.
We can extrapolate that, in the author's mind, if this tower had been built to
the glory of God, then God would not have had any problem with it. It was
instead built to human arrogance - a way of saying, "Look here, you gods,
how great we are! We can even build a tower to reach up and touch your
abode!"
In total contrast to this, you will find that all space explorers are greatly
humbled by their experience; some of those who were not religious before they
went up, have returned with at least some sense of the Divine. Astronauts do not
go up there with arrogance, but with a sense of entering something far, far
greater than they could ever be.
I believe that there is also an international treaty that guarantees that
space exploration be undertaken only for peaceful purposes. Where space travel
itself is concerned, weapons are banned. Humanity is legally forbidden from
taking its mistakes into the heavens and to other worlds.
Whereas the mythical Tower of Babel was built in arrogance, in complete
contrast, space travel is embarked upon with great humility and a sense of awe.
Blessings
Shmuliq
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To which I replied:
Shmuliq,
I wish to try to respond to both your e-mails in one reply here. First, I thank
you for your replies.
In one e-mail you said.
"The other thing to remember is that, at the
time when the Torah was written, the ancients had no concept of Space; as far as
they were concerned, the sky was a metal dome (reqia`) into which the Sun, the
Moon and all the stars were studded, and above that dome was just water (see Gen
1:6-7). "
I was not there when YHWH created.
7549 raqiya` (raw-kee'-ah); from 7554;
properly, an expanse, i.e. the firmament or (apparently) visible
arch of the sky:
Gen 7:11
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the
second month-- on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and
the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
Do you believe this was real or just a story?
and in the other you said,
"The Babel story has two purposes. The first
is the ancient writer's way of explaining how come there are so many languages
if we are all descended from one man and woman. Linguists nowadays know how
languages evolve and develop from one another through geographical separation
and time, but back then they didn't."
Both these statements disturb me for they appear to presuppose that the words
recorded in Genesis are simply the words of man (with their lack of
understanding) rather than the words of man inspired by YHWH. If we see them as
not being words inspired by the spirit of YHWH then they have very minute value.
Then we are forced to accept evolution, random events caused by weather,
temperature, location, natural selection of the fittest and I do
not accept this. I concede that man never has the answers to all questions but
YHWH does. I find that too often this is being forgotten and too many no longer
'believe' either in YHWH or in Torah as He wishes for us to.
Ilan Ramon took a Torah into space. Owning Torah, holding Torah, taking Torah
with us everywhere we go is of minimum importance unless
we understand it and make it a part of us. Even if we do not have Torah within
our hands, the Psalmist said, "Your word (Torah) have I hid in my heart
that I might not sin against You."
When we begin to believe that the TN'K contains nice little stories written by
nice men who just did not understand, I fear we are in deep trouble.
Perhaps you are correct in saying the Astronauts themselves were very humbled by
their explorations into the heavens but Americans in general are not necessarily
humble or humbled. Too many statements were made with
references such as, "Space flight, the shuttles, and the brave men and
women will be humanities salvation when the day comes we must leave the earth to
dwell on other planets."
May we forever remember that Torah is the gift of YHWH's words to men.
Deut 7:7
7 YHWH did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in
number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people:
All comments are welcomed and in fact are solicited.
Thank you again for your response
YahChannah
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I received the following in reply:
Shalom Sis
I am truly saddened, disappointed and shocked by the confrontational approach
you have taken in responding to this message; for using a sad occasion as an
opportunity for preaching fundamentalism. As our Heavenly Father is
compassionate and merciful, so should we also be.
I have therefore temporarily suspended your membership of the group. I am deeply
suspect of your motives for being here. You know that this is a group for
moderates, but you have entered another person's house and are trying to
rearrange the furniture. I would not do the same if I entered your house.
If you can reassure me that the next call for compassion will not be another
opportunity for you to trample pearls underfoot, then I will readmit you to the
list. I have put your membership to a vote of our sanhedrin ha-shalosh.
Shalom, in YHWH's name
Shmuliq
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My final reply:
Shmuliq,
I am amazed and dumbfounded by your response. I am just as saddened by the
tragedy as you but I think that if when tragedy strikes we learn nothing, the
lost lives have been wasted. I will pray for the group. If you do not
believe Torah is truly the word of YHWH then I cannot make you but I am saddened
by this to an unbelievable extent.
Rickey, you said, "As our Heavenly Father is
compassionate and merciful, so should we also be."
He is compassionate and merciful so He gave us His Torah, His Word to guide us.
What we do with it is our choice.
You also said, "...you have entered another
person's house and are trying to rearrange the furniture. I would not do the
same if I entered your house"
If you would not try to share what you see as truth, it is because you do not
care enough about me to try and move the sofa from in front of the fire escape.
Do not bother with the following for I am not interested in a game, I am
interested in learning YHWH's lessons whether they be hard or easy...
"I have put your membership to a vote of our
sanhedrin ha-shalosh."
Shalom YahChannah
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I leave this for you and YHWH to judge. Please feel free to respond to my
personal e-mail, if you wish.