Favourite Bible Verses

The vast majority of verses in the bible book of Numbers are NEVER mentioned in any sermon nor taken as a favourite bible verse.  One only has to look at the Top Verses Bible link and check - http://www.topverses.com/
The top verse from Numbers is Numbers 1:2  is ranked: 801 * (800 verses more popular)
"Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one." (NIV)

The lowest verse from Numbers is Numbers 7:62 rank: 31076 *(31075 verses more popular.  There are 31,102 verses in the bible.) "One gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense" (NIV)

Compare this to ....

Top 10 Books
1. Ephesians
2. James
3. Titus
4. 1 John
5. 2 Peter
6. John
7. Philippians
8. Colossians
9. Romans
10. 1 Peter

Top 10 Chapters

1. 2 Peter 1
2. Psalm 1
3. John 2
4. James 4
5. Romans 12
6. Isaiah 53
7. John 3
8. Romans 1
9. James 1
10. Acts 1

One knows that one will hear these verses repeatedly in sermons and quoted by Christians though they make up a small percentrage of the bible.

I note that the very least quoted bible verse is 1 Chronicles 25:23 Rank: 31105
"The sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and relatives, 12" (NIV)

Evidence for Adam's existence

That Jesus or Paul or the editors of the Genesis narrative (Elohist and Yahwist) may have believed that Adam existed is no proof that Adam actually existed in time and space history.

Assuming that fundamentalist Christians are correct and that Adam was created 4000 CE, then the "proof" they offer up for his existence is all hearsay written at least 3000 years after Adam's supposed  creation, Genesis 2  ( written 960 BCE - Elohist editor) and as late as 4000 years after his supposed creation, I Timothy ( written 100 - 150 CE - a forgery).

Thus the oral tradition about Adam must have survived 3000 to 4000 years completely unchanged to when the bible stories were written ...... and pigs might fly.

PRAYER ON THE OCCASION OF UTTER BOREDOM IN CHURCH

PRAYER ON THE OCCASION OF UTTER BOREDOM IN CHURCH

Oh Lord,

This service is so dull that I think I must be dead. But if it be, Lord, by your grace and favour, that I am not in fact dead - merely stunned into mind-numbing oblivion by the overall tedium, and general inconsequentiality of the proceedings - grant your servant this: grant that the Vicar becomes 'called up yonder'* to that 'place which you have prepared for him' right away ... if that not be too forward a request, of course.

Amen.

* Note: For those whose theologies allow, "raptured" may be substituted here.

From Martin Wroe & Adrian Reith "101 Things to Do With a Dull Church: the Complete Guide For the Bored Again Christian" (Minstrel, Eastbourne, E. Sussex: 1989) pp 32-33.

Christianity and the 2011 Australian census

The Australian 2011 Census figures show a decline in Christian belief from 64% to 61% of our population. This goes along with the steady decline since 1901:

1901 96.1%
1911 95.9%
1921 96.9%
1933 86.4%
1947 88.0%
1954 89.4%
1961 88.3%
1966 88.2%
1971 86.2%
1976 78.6%
1981 76.4%
1986 73.0%
1991 74.0%
1996 70.9%
2001 68.0%
2006 63.9%
2011 61.1%

In just over a hundred years Christianity has lost 35% of the population in Australia. Obviously the Christian church is doing something wonderful to continue in this downward spiral.

The category of "No religion" is up from 18.7% (2006) to 22.3 %.

In a blow to Islamophobia the decline in Christianity (2.8%) was more than the percentage of Muslims in Australia (2.2%).

Australian Christian Lobby & "True Christians"

I note that the Australian Christian Lobby states :
"- That 12.7 million, or 64% of Australians declared themselves as Christians in the 2006 ABS Census.
- That over 2 million Australians attend a place of worship every Sunday"

That means that a mere 10% of the Australian population attend a church weekly. Some the 64% who classified themselves as Christians name themselves as Christians because that is the religion they were brought up in. Most never attend church, don't read the bible, don't think much about their particular denomination or Jesus or God and don't adhere to the man-made dogmas of their denomination.

When Christians want to add people to their church denomination they have extremely strict rules as to who is acceptable and a "true Christian". When they want to lobby politicians to support their causes then they add any person who claims to be a Christian. Quite strange!

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Church - Jesus social club

The church is a social club for Jesus where you pay to listen to a monologue, sing Jesus Jingles, attend brainwashing sessions and do free volunatry work for the Jesus social club. I left it many times till I finally wanted, and got, a divorce from Jesus. When you divorce Jesus and permanently leave the Jesus social club your fellow Jesus social club members no longer want to associate with you.