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1) INTRODUCTION


Both read the Bible day and night.
But thou read'st black where I read white.
--William Blake--


Everyone has some conception of Christianity, whether one
is a believer or not. The Christian doctrine is amenable to
many different interpretations and, indeed, many have taken
advantage of this amenability. As early as sixty-five years
after the time of Jesus, for instance, Paul, who had never met
Jesus, debated with the original Apostles in regard to Jesus'
teaching: Paul thought that Jesus' advent freed the people
from following the Old Law, that faith alone was required.
Meanwhile, the Apostles taught that Jesus came to enforce the
Old Law, and that faith without work is dead.


The faith/works polemic has been going on for
centuries. And countless forms of "Christianity" have emerged
as variations on this theme. The subject became so confused by
the time of Martin Luther(1483-1546) both faith and works were
hard to find. The Popes of the Renaissance epitomize this
confusion. The deMedici Popes were considered the most
debauched men in the history of religion. The original Pope
John XXIII was deposed for "notorious incest, adultery,
defilement, and homicide." In 1415, while still a chamberlain,
he openly kept his brother's wife as a mistress. In an effort
to squash the scandal, his superiors promoted him to cardinal
and sent him to Bologna, where "two hundred maids, matrons, and
widows, including a few nuns, fell victim to his brutal lust."
In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII was elected. he was nicknamed "the
Honest" because he was the first Pope to acknowledge his
illegitimate children publicly. This whole farce reached an
unquestionable peak when, in 1724, the Roman Catholic Church
banned the confessional requirement that men name their
partners in fornication when it was discovered that priests
were actually making carnal use of the information. Seeing the
iniquities of the Papacy, Martin Luther proposed an egalitarian
solution: "Each man should have his own divine right to
interpret holy scripture." While this new version of
Christianity released many believers from the dictates of
insincere leaders, a new problem arose: Many would interpret
the scriptures with some ulterior motive (both consciously and
unconsciously). And this is the problem that exists today. Many
are using the scriptures to rationalize [his/her] habits,
activities that God would never ordain.

Readers of this pamphlet--Christian and non-Christian--are
advised to view the following with an open mind, possibly
achieving a fresh outlook. The distinct feature of this work is
that it is not beleaguered by vague or popular translations of
the Bible. All Bible verses are rendered with references to
Reuben Alcalay's Complete Hebrew/English Dictionary for the Old
Testament, and to Nestle's Greek/English Interlinear for the
New Testament. The importance of a word-by-word translation
should not be underestimated. Ambiguous and aesthetically
pleasing--but inaccurate--translations are at the heart of
Biblical interpretive problems.

We are, of course, working with the premise that the Bible
has not been drastically changed (this is obviously an
important ***umption when delivering textual criticism).
Otherwise, all Biblical texts become meaningless. An opinion
that is not uncommon.

Still, America is basically a Christian country, and all
Christians base their conception of Christianity on the Bible.
For such persons, this pamphlet should prove useful; with
exception of a few editorial notes, we will allow the bible to
speak for itself.

The ultimate purpose of this work, however, is to show the
harmony that exists between the Bible and the more-ancient
Vedic texts of India. The essential message of the Bible and
the Vedas is one: to love the Lord with all of ones heart, soul
and mind. This message is revealed to different people
according to time, place, and circumstance; based on these
considerations, specifics may vary. Still the essence remains
the same--it is simply delivered according to the capacity of
the audience.

For instance, that which is taught in a primary math
course differs greatly from that which is taught on in a higher
level. In elementary mathematics, one is taught that numbers
can not be subtracted from smaller numbers. And this premise
should be accepted by all who study basic arithmetic. However,
in advanced mathematics, you learn that you can subtract larger
numbers from smaller ones: the results are negative numbers.

Similarly, prophets and sages reveal religious truths
selectively, for the benefit and gradual upliftment of their
audience. And, on minor points, you may find that one prophet
deprecates a certain activity, while another, from another
tradition endorses it.

In this way, persons of different cultures can advance
gradually, according to their means. Revelation itself comes
gradually. And the ultimate revelation is that religion is one-
-for God is one. If this short pamphlet can induce even one
person to reach this conclusion, the author will have
considered this work worthwhile.

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