A Book of Myths or a Misrepresented Guide?
A BOOK filled with myths could hardly be a dependable guide. Yet many ideas that are commonly attributed to the Bible are definitely not sound. Why is this? Is the Bible actually in error? Or, might it be that, while the Bible is a factual, dependable guide, many popular beliefs about its teachings are nothing but myths? Consider:
What People Have Attributed to the Bible
God created the earth and all life on it in six twenty-four-hour days. Do you believe this?
The undying souls of bad people go to hell, a place of eternal fiery torment.
What the Bible Says
The Bible does not define the creative days as periods of twenty-four hours each. Regarding God’s view of time, it says: “A thousand years are in your eyes but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch during the night.” (Ps. 90:4) “One day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.” —2 Pet. 3:8.
“All the souls—to me they belong. As the soul of the father so likewise the soul of the son—to me they belong. The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.” (Ezek. 18:4) “The wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23) “As for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” (Eccl. 9:5) “All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol [hell, “Douay Version”], the place to which you are going.”—Eccl. 9:10.
The man Noah pronounced a prophetic curse on his grandson Canaan, but no divine curse was ever pronounced upon the black race. (Gen. 9:25) The Bible opposes feelings of tribal, national and racial superiority. It says: “God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34, 35) “He made out of one man every nation of men.”—Acts 17:26.
“[God] will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.” (Isa. 2:4) “Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill.”—Luke 2:14.
“This is what Jehovah has said, the Creator of the heavens, He the true God, the Former of the earth and the Maker of it, He the One who firmly established it, who did not create it simply for nothing, who formed it even to be inhabited.” (Isa. 45:18) God will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” (Rev. 11:18) “The heavens and the each that are now are stored up for fire and are being reserved to the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men.”—2 Pet. 3:7.
So what does a comparison of some commonly held beliefs with the Bible reveal? That the Bible has been misrepresented. Do not, therefore, allow yourself to be prejudiced against the Bible on the basis of what others say about it or how those professing to follow it act. Why not see for yourself whether its guidance can point you to a happier life now and to a marvelous future?
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Some people say, ‘God cursed the black race.’
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As long as there are people there will be wars. Is this really so?
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The earth will one day be burned up.