I have been wrestling with this for a couple of years with a focus on the scripture, "IF A MAN LOOKS UPON A WOMAN TO LUST AFTER HER, HE HAS ALREADY COMMITTED ADULTERY IN HIS HEART!" You realize who we are talking about here...your Father, your Sons, your Priest, Your nephew..No man on earth can pass this test. As human beings we can control what we do, BUT WE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT WE THINK..AND TESTOSTERONE IN ANY HEALTHY MAN'S VEINS WILL ENSURE THAT HE FAIL THIS TEST! It's unbeatable.

Would it make any sense then that Jesus would make a rule which he knows every man on earth will default on?

It occurs to me that the writer left a bunch of stuff out. These people were laying in wait..to ambush Jesus when he arrived at the temple..probably Sunday morning. Next, when would adultery most likely be committed.Not Sunday morning. Saturday Night..right? So this woman had likely been apprehended Saturday night, bound and held..terrified because she knew the penalty for adultery was stoning. Next, 2 people are required for adultery to take place, where was the man? I won't belabor this because you see the point I am making..lot's of the story has been omitted. When Jesus stooped and wrote in the sand..he already knew all about this woman. When he told her to "Go and sin no more", he was not telling her to never sin again because we all know that would be impossible. Jesus, knew all about her..this was not a one-time act she had been caught in..it was her way of life, she was a professional..it's how she made her living..Jesus was telling her "TO FIND ANOTHER LINE OF WORK!

I just watched a program on NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PRESENTS, entitled, "JESUS THE PREACHER". It points out some things I had never focused on before. The Gospel Writers themselves didn't agree on many things we are told that Jesus said:

(1) In the sermon on the mount, one writes "Blessed are the Poor", obviously addressing he many poor people surrounding him. The other quotes "Blessed are the poor in spirit"..VERY DIFFERENT STATEMENT! Which did Jesus use..if either one?

(2) Then there are two different versions of the Lords Prayer.

(3) One writes that they went up on he mountain for the sermon, while the other says they came down.

We must consider that when Jesus was speaking, there were very few, if any, who could write. The gospels were written some 40 years after Jesus Death..from memory.

Why are these things important? I'm sure we all remember Bill Clinton's testimony before the Gran Jury over his perjury of "I did not have sex with that woman". He quibbled over the word "IS"..DEPENDS ON HOW YOU INTERPRET WHAT THE MEANING OF THE WORD IS, IS! I HAVE HEARD MYRIADS OF RELIGIOUS ARGUMENTS FOCUSED ON JUST SUCH A RIDICULOUS FOUNDATION. People focus on 2 or 3 words from the bible..and we don't even know if those specific words are accurate. Why is it that we have hundreds of church groups, each claiming to be the one and only authentic group?

The purpose of this blog is to call your attention to the fact that we don't know if every word of the bible as penned by men some 40 years after Jesus death are in fact precise and true. It follows then that we should not base our belief on any short excerpt but take it as a whole. It follows also that if we have 500 different beliefs, each claiming to be the one and only...then 499 (at least) must be wrong!

I believe Jesus himself gave us a hint about this. He was asked, "HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD I FORGIVE MY NEIGHBOR, UNTIL 7 TIMES". Jesus said, "UNTIL 70 TIMES 7". He didn't really mean 490 times...He meant that one should not focus on such trivial details..that you should forgive him 470 times or 4700 times..as many times as he asks.