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The FFRF (Freedom From Religion Foundation) has posted the following quiz (What Do You Really Know About the Bible?) on their web site.  The quiz is misleading, inappropriate, and it makes some foolish assumptions.  Therefore, I've corrected and explained it.

If you like how I've clarified the misleading propaganda in this quiz, then you'll also like a book I've written called, "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained."  It clarifies over 3,000 Bible difficulties!  You can see it here: http://skepticsannotatedbible.org.

False claims can be refuted by using some standard, hermeneutical guidelines.  I've articulated 10 of these guidelines on a web page.  Please see them here: http://jcsm.org/Education/hermeneuetics.htm.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

1. What is the last of the Ten Commandments?
Answer: C

1. Don't steal.
2. Don't covet your neighbor's wife and property.  --This is the final commandment as listed in Exodus 20:2-17, the version often used by Protestants and Catholics. However, these are not the "ten commandments." (See below.) Notice the biblical sexism: women are the property of men.
3. Don't boil a young goat in the milk of its mother. --Believe it or not, this prohibition in Exodus 34:26 is the official tenth commandment, from the only set of stone tablets that were called "the ten commandments." There were three sets of commandments:

   1) The first time Moses came down from Mount Sinai with commandments, he merely recited a list (Exodus 20:2-17), which is the version most churches today erroneously call the "Ten Commandments," although they were not engraved on stone tablets and not called "the ten commandments."

   2) The first set of stone tablets was given to Moses at a subsequent trip up the mountain (Exodus 31:18). In this farcical story, Moses petulantly destroyed those tablets when he saw the people worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32:19).

   3) So he went back for a replacement. God told Moses: "Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest." (Exodus 34:1) Here is what was on the replacement tablets (from Exodus 34:14-26):

   1) Thou shalt worship no other God. 2) Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. 3) The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. 4) Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest. 5) Thou shalt observe the feast of weeks. 6) Thrice in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the Lord God. 7) Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven. 8) Neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left until the morning. 9) The first of the firstfruits of thy land shalt thou bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. 10) Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

   Keep this in mind next time you are tempted to boil a goat. This list differs, obviously, from the one in Exodus 20 (was God's memory faulty?), but it is only this list that is called the "Ten Commandments": "And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments." (Exodus 34:28)

4. Love your neighbor as yourself. --Even Jesus was unclear about the exact set of commandments. In Matthew 19:18-19 he listed them as: 1) Thou shalt do no murder 2) Thou shalt not commit adultery 3) Thou shalt not steal 4) Thou shalt not bear false witness 5) Honour thy father and thy mother 6) Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. For the Jews, loving your "neighbor" meant loving your Jewish neighbors: it did not mean loving the neighboring tribes or other outsiders, as the intolerant and bloody Old Testament (and Christian) history proves.

Corrected and Explained:

* If you don't boil goats, then I wouldn't worry about this commandment.  It was meaningful to the ancient Jews, though.

* Jesus wasn't confused about the commandments.  He simply listed a few.  He never claimed to be trying to recall or say all of them.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

2. What is the penalty for working on the Sabbath?
Answer: A

1. You will be stoned to death. --Isn't this an excessively violent punishment from a supposedly "Good Book?" What is the harm in working on the Sabbath? It seems the only harm is to the ego of the Sovereign, who demands respect with no respect to human needs.

   "Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whoseoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day." (Exodus 35:2) For the chilling application of this law, see Numbers 15:32-36, where a man who picked up sticks on the sabbath was stoned, "and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."

2. Neither you nor your offspring to the 5th generation can enter the tabernacle.
3. You should sacrifice two unblemished she goats.
4. You will be disinherited from the kingdom.

Corrected and Explained:

* This law was for the ancient Jews because God wanted them to worship Him on the Sabbath and avoid work.  It indicated how important it was to set aside time for God.  God surely hoped that His people would love and obey Him without the need for punishment.  However, like any parent knows, sometimes consequences need to be announced, so that the children will obey.

* God is the giver and taker of life.  If someone sins before a completely holy God, then He can rightfully punish them.  Incidentally, everyone sins (possibly, daily), so we don't have the authority to tell the perfect judge how to do His job.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

3. What is God's name?
Answer: A

1. Jealous. --This is a petty self-described insecurity from a supposedly all-wise leader.

   "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:14)

2. Righteous.
3. Holy. --Sometimes the name of God is described as "holy" (see Psalm 99:3), but the name itself is not "Holy." In Isaiah 29:23, the name of God is given as "The Holy One of Jacob."
4. Jehovah. --The name "Jehovah" is a Christian mistake. It was forbidden to pronounce the name "YHWH" (Yahweh), and readers of the Hebrew scriptures were supposed to say "Adonai" in its place. "In written texts the vowels of Adonai were combined with the consonants YHWH to remind readers to pronounce Adonai instead of Yahweh. The incorrect hybrid, 'Jehovah,' arose from Christian misunderstanding in the late Middle Ages."(Harper's Bible Dictionary)

Corrected and Explained:

* God has a great number of names.  God knows that our worship and obedience to Him will keep us safe and help us to be successful.  So, like worshiping Him, putting Him first has a therapeutic benefit to the obedient soul.  He knew that we needed Him an His jealousy (wanting us to worship Him above any other) is in our best interest.  Is there another god that is more worthy than the Creator?

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

4. How should parents treat a stubborn and rebellious son?
Answer: D

1. He should be beaten seven times with a whip made of horsehair.
2. He should be stripped and humiliated at the gate of the city.
3. He should be expelled from the family.
4. He should be stoned to death. --This cruelly excessive Mosaic law was actually enforced at one time by the Massachusetts colony and has been used to justify child abuse and murder.

   "If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them; Then shall his father and mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of the city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear." (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)

   "And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death." (Exodus 21:17) "For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he that cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him." (Leviticus 20:9)

Corrected and Explained:

* Once again, this consequences was a deterrent to children who were considering disobedience.  He wanted them to respect their parents.  Disobeying parents that are obeying God can produce disastrous consequences.

* Do we have any biblical records of children being stoned by their parents?

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

5. What happens if you are not a virgin on your wedding night?
Answer: D

1. Your father must pay 100 shekels of silver to your husband.  
2. You can never approach the altar.
3. You must dress in black and leave your husband for one year.
4. You will be stoned to death. --This barbaric punishment is still being followed in some parts of the Moslem world, which share some of the teachings of the Hebrew bible. There is no such penalty, needless to say, for a groom who is not a virgin. The fact that Christian women who have engaged in premarital sex are not being stoned to death today shows that even believers recognize cruelty and absurdity in their own "Good Book."

   "If any man take a wife, and go in unto her . . . and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid . . . and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die . . ." (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)

Corrected and Explained:

* This is an unfounded and absurd accusation.  Why would the Muslim world follow Jewish traditions or laws?

* This law was for the ancient Jews.  This is why we don't see people following it, today.  Death wasn't God's first choice for these people.  Abstinence was His desire.  Unfortunately, according to the way God has acted in the past, severe consequences were sometimes necessary to deter abominable behavior.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

6. What does the bible say about witches?
Answer: A

1. Witches should be killed. --Tragically, tens of thousands, if not millions, of innocent women in Europe and the American colonies were cruelly accused, tortured and executed because of one single bible verse:

   "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." (Exodus 22:18)

   "A man or a woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:27)

2. Witches are people possessed by demons and they are forever damned.
3. Witches can be saved if they are exorcised.
4. Witches are part of the mythology of idolatrous tribes.

Corrected and Explained:

When reading the Bible, it's important to ask this question: "To whom was the author writing?"  Not every verse of the Bible is for 21st century Americans.  Not every verse of the Bible is even to non-Jews.  The Bible is a book full of different kinds of writings.  It contains poetry, historical narrative, didactic treatise, etc.  Therefore, we cannot simply say that this command is for us and appropriate for implementation, now.

God hates evil and people that practice witchcraft are going against God by trying to use demonic power.  This was and still is detestable to God.  In the Old Testament, He didn't want His chosen people to be witches.  Therefore, He commanded a very severe consequence for this kind of disobedience and rebellion.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

7. Which of these foods does the bible expressly permit you to eat? (The others are "abominations.")
Answer: C

1. Pork. --"And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7)
2. Shellfish. --"And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you . . . ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination." (Leviticus 11:10-11)
3. Locusts. --Since ham and lobster are verboten to bible believers, how about some barbecued grasshopper or steamed locust for dinner?

   "Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind." (Leviticus 11:22) "And the same John [the Baptist] had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey." (Matthew 3:4)

4. Rabbit. --"And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And the hare . . . he is unclean unto you." (Leviticus 11:5-6) Notice that the biblical writers erroneously thought rabbits chew the cud.

Corrected and Explained:

* First, this was a dietary law for the Jews.  Asserting that "ham and lobster are verboten to 'bible' believers" is false and wrong.  It is making a false assumption to try and prove a biased viewpoint.

* In the 21st century, we consider "chewing the cud" regurgitating partially digested materials and chewing on it (like cows do).  This is called "rumination".  However, this isn't necessarily the same meaning and definition of this Hebrew word ("gerah") that the ancient Israelites had.

* Rabbits practice "refection".  They chew on their dung which consists of partially digested food and partially undigested food.  Therefore, there is a similarity even between our current understanding of "chewing the cud" and an ancient understanding of it.  They both chew undigested food.  At any rate, the Israelites didn't use different words for rumination and refection, so "cud" had to suffice.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

8. When the Israelites conquered the Midianites, what part of the spoils of war was given to the priest as "the Lord's tribute"?
Answer: D

1. 50 sheep. --It was actually 675 of the 675,000 sheep. (See Numbers 31:37)
2. 30,000 asses. --It was actually 61 of the 61,000 asses. (See Numbers 31:39)
3. 32,000 cows. --It was actually 72 of the 72,000 beeves. (See Numbers 31:38)
4. 32 virgins. --Of the 32,000 virgins that were kept alive as "booty" for God's warriors, 32 young captives were handed to the priest. The bible brutally sanctifies war crimes against girls and women that continue to this day. Who could possibly respect a dictator who behaves like this?

   "And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was 675,000 sheep, And 72,000 beeves, And 61,000 asses, And 32,000 persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him . . . of which the Lord's tribute was 32 persons. And Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord's heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses." (Numbers 31:32-41)

Corrected and Explained:

* The ancient Israelites were a nomadic people.  They wandered the desert, fought in some wars, etc.  Therefore, they didn't have any sort of welfare system or rehabilitation program for pagan women and children that survived a war.  Keeping some of the undefiled women with them was a blessing to the women because it ensured their survival.  If they didn't allow these women to join them, they would have quickly died in the desert.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

9. What is the origin of the "mighty men" giants known as nephilim?
Answer: A

1. They were the offspring of God's angels and young women. --Can't God maintain better control over his libidinous troops? This is scandal in high places.

   "And it came to pass . . . That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. . . . There were giants [nephilim] in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown." (Genesis 6:1-4)

   This is obviously mythical. The "sons of God" were angels: "the expression clearly refers to divine beings." (Harper's Bible Dictionary) The word nephilim "could mean 'fallen ones' and allude to stories in related cultures of rebellious giants defeated by the gods in olden times (cf. Isa. 14:12)." (Harper's)

   Some suggest this is why Paul admonished Christian women to keep their heads covered in church, so as not to sexually tempt the angels: "For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels." (I Corinthians 11:10)

2. They were the result of an earlier, botched creation.
3. They were monsters from the evil nation of Nephi.
4. They were part of the "blessing of Abraham" that ensured military victory to God's chosen people.

Corrected and Explained:

* The evil, fallen angels had intercourse with human women.  While God is sovereign, He also allows a number of things to happen because people have a free will.  Unfortunately, people often make poor choices.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

10. What happened to Korah and his family, Israelites who thought they could talk directly with God without a human intermediary?
Answer: C

1. They became priests.
2. They were expelled from the nation of Israel.
3. The earth opened and swallowed them up. --See Numbers 16:1-50 for the whole story, in context, of God killing 15,000 of his own people for daring to question the authority of Moses:

   "And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment . . ." (Numbers 16:20-21) ". . . And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation . . . and there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. . . ." (Numbers 16:31-35)

   But it gets worse! Some who thought this was pretty harsh treatment were killed by a plague:

   "But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord. . . . And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces . . . for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun. . . . Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah." (Numbers 16:41-49)

   Is this kind of leadership worthy of admiration? For documentation of numerous mass murders commanded, condoned, and committed by the god of the bible, see the reading list at the end of this quiz.

4. They were stripped of all their belongings, houses, and livestock.

Corrected and Explained:

* This wasn't a simple dispute between Korah and Moses.  These 250 leaders of the congregation gathered against Moses and Aaron.  They wanted the priesthood and tabernacle jobs to be extended to them and other non-Levites.  This was wrong and an abomination to God.  He had already given these positions to the priests and Levites.  Therefore, these wicked dissenters and potential usurpers were judged with their lives.

* God judges the Israelites for complaining.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

11. According to the bible, who created evil?
Answer: C

1. Adam.
2. Eve.
3. God. --Now we know who is to blame.

   "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)

   The word "create" above is bara, the same word used in Genesis 1:1. The word "evil" is ra, such as in Genesis 2:9, "the tree of knowledge of good and evil." Some versions, such as the NIV, have unjustifiably softened the implications of this verse by translating ra as "disaster" or "calamity," although ra is used repeatedly throughout scripture to refer to moral evil. (See Isaiah 7:14-15: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil [ra], and choose the good.") But even if the "disaster" interpretation were allowable, the verse still depicts God as a troublemaker.

4. Satan.

Corrected and Explained:

* This Hebrew word that is translated as "evil" in the KJV can also be translated "calamity", "bad," and "affliction".  God is the judge of all.  He judges sinners with suffering and even death.  This verse is simply referring to God's ability to judge sinners with hardships and affliction.

* This verse does not indicate that God created evil, in the creation week (or at any other time), when He created all things.

* God is so sovereign that when He allows something to happen, it has been said that He did it.  This doesn't necessarily mean that He did it, though.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

12. According to the bible, what is God not able to do?
Answer: C

1. Save the very worst sinners from hell.
2. Make a rock so huge he can't lift it.
3. Repel chariots of iron. So much for omnipotence.

   "And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron." (Judges 1:19)

4. Make people tell lies. --"Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee." (I Kings 22:23) "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." (II Thessalonians 2:11)

Corrected and Explained:

* This verse indicates that Judah could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley.  Incidentally, Judah simply perceived that they could not drive out these people.  God had already given them the land and told them that they would be victorious in battle.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

13. According to the bible, where does God live?
Answer: B

1. On a throne in the seventh heaven.
2. In darkness. --How can the "God of light" live in darkness?

   "Then spake Solomon, the Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness." (I Kings 8:12. Repeated in II Chronicles 6:1) "And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies." (II Samuel 22:12) "He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies." (Psalm 18:11) "The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice . . . clouds and darkness are round about him." (Psalm 97:1-2)

   This contradicts I John 1:5: "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all . . . If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another."

3. Above the clouds.  
4. On a planet between the sun and the stars. --The Mormon religion, in fact, considers God to be a natural being living on a planet.

Corrected and Explained:

* The Lord is everywhere.  Therefore, He dwells everywhere He wishes.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

14. According to biblical biology, what is a bat?
Answer: A

1. A bird. --Biblical biology rates an 'F.' Bats are mammals, not birds. This is another good reason to keep bibles out of science classes.

   "And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, And the vulture . . . And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat." (Leviticus 11:13-19, where "fowl" is oph. Repeated in Deuteronomy 14:11-20, calling the same list "birds" [tsippor] and "fowls" [oph])

2. A mammal. --The biblical writers did not understand the classification of animals, and the concept of "mammal" is absent from their writings. The bible was clearly not inspired by an all-knowing god.
3. An insect.
4. A mythical creature.

Corrected and Explained:

* As far as eating laws were concerned, the bat was considered an unclean bird.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

15. According to biblical anatomy, where does thinking happen?
Answer: A

1. In the heart. --Biblical anatomy also rates an 'F.' The heart is an organ that pumps blood--it does not process thoughts, although the biblical writers erroneously thought it did. The word "brain" appears nowhere in the bible.

   "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5) "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7) "And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him." (Luke 9:47) "For the word of God is quick, and powerful . . . and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) See also Deuteronomy 15:9, Judges 5:15, I Chronicles 29:18, Esther 6:6, Job 17:11, Psalm 10:6, Psalm 33:11, Jeremiah 23:20, Isaiah 10:7, Daniel 2:30, Acts 8:22.

   The word "heart" in the bible was not used in the modern sense of "emotion" because it is depicted as having thoughts, intentions, and imaginations. The emotions were usually considered to be in the kidneys (see below).

2. In the brain. --Tellingly, the word "brain" appears nowhere in the Bible. The bible was clearly not inspired by an all-knowing god.
3. In the kidneys. --In biblical times, the kidneys ("reins") were the seat of the emotions. "Reins" was used roughly then as "heart" is sometimes used today: "Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins." (Psalm 73:21) "Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. Let not my heart envy sinners." (Proverbs 23:16-17) "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways." (Jeremiah 17:10) "All the churches will know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts." (Revelation 2:23)
4. In the lungs.

Corrected and Explained:

* These verses were not giving a scientific discourse.  They were indicating that God saw their heart or intentions.  Humans see appearances and cannot see motives, intentions, thoughts, etc.  God does, though.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

16. How did Gideon demonstrate his family values?
Answer: C

1. He lived with a young boy named Jether.
2. He and his wife Ophrah had three sons who became spiritual leaders.
3. He fathered 71 sons through many wives plus a mistress in Shechem. --So much for monogamy and fidelity. Is this how the hotel-bible Gideon Society expects us to demonstrate family values?

   "And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech." (Judges 8:30-31)

   Did Gideon not have any daughters? Perhaps daughters were just too insignificant to mention.

4. He remained single, becoming the inspiration for St. Paul.

Corrected and Explained:

* The number of his sons is correct.  Incidentally, these verses do not praise him for his multiple wives or concubine.

* Many women and daughters are mentioned in the Bible.  Therefore, they surely are not insignificant.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

17. After Jephthah was victorious in battle, what sacrifice did he burn on the altar, as he had vowed to the Lord?
Answer: D

1. Himself.
2. His livestock.
3. Two unspotted lambs.
4. His virgin daughter. --Another example of family values from the "Good Book." Jephthah's nameless daughter is burned as a sacrifice in order to appease the wrath and flatter the vanity of God, who tacitly accepts and never denounces this horrible practice.

   "And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. . . . And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; . . . And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed." (Judges 11:30-39)

   The bible sanctions child sacrifice here. Notice how everyone assumed the correctness of Jephthah's actions: there is no denunciation of this pointless murder from God, or from anyone in Jephthah's community, or from the biblical writers. It was the right thing to do.

   The ultimate child sacrifice, of course, is the story of Jesus being put to death to appease the wrath of his offended father. Ruth Green, author of The Born Again Skeptic's Guide to the Bible, puts it this way: "If the concept of a father who plots to have his own son put to death is presented to children as beautiful and worthy of society's admiration, what types of human behavior can be presented to them as reprehensible?"

   The biblical god often requested and accepted human sacrifice: "And he [God] said [to Abraham], Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." (Genesis 22:2) "For thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors; the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me." (Exodus 22:29) "But the king [David] took the two sons of Rizpah . . . and the five sons of Michal . . . and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest . . . And after that God was intreated for the land." (II Samuel 21:8-14) "We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ . . . But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God." (Hebrews 10:10-12)

Corrected and Explained:

* This is the tragic account of the foolishness of making a rash promise to God.

* In Genesis 22, Abraham was tested and Isaac did not die.

* Exodus 22 was not referring to human sacrifice.  It is referring to consecration.

* 2 Samuel 21 doesn't indicate that David's action was ordained or commanded by God.

* Hebrews 10 reveals our one way of salvation; through faith in Jesus Christ's sacrifice.  He was the only, perfect person and the only sacrifice for sins.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

18. What price did David pay King Saul for his first wife?
Answer: C

1. 500 cattle.
2. The heads of 100 Philistines.  
3. The foreskins of 200 Philistines. --David is supposed to be a biblical role model; but how does massacre and mutilation show moral leadership? What would Saul want with 200 foreskins? Possibly proof that his new son-in-law was a truly macho man for his daughter. (More likely, this reflects the pagan practice of offering foreskins as a rain/fertility ritual.)

   "Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife." (I Samuel 18:27)

4. The swords, shields and horses of 300 Philistines.

Corrected and Explained:

* The Philistines were their wicked, pagan enemies.  Therefore, Saul wanted David to kill some of them before he gave him his daughter in marriage.  God was still judging these pagans for their sins and the Israelites were His sword.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

19. How many regular sexual partners did King Solomon have?
Answer: D

1. One wife and 300 concubines.
2. One wife. (The concubines were servants.)
3. 300 wives.
4. One thousand sexual partners. --At least one thousand. Another fine example of family values from one of God's favorites.

   "But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites . . . And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines." (I Kings 11:1-3)

   Notice that this lifestyle is never denounced by God, Jesus, or the biblical writers. Solomon, supposedly an ancestor of Jesus, was praised by Jesus: "all his glory" (Matthew 6:29), "wisdom of Solomon" (Matthew 12:42). Jesus compared himself (not so humbly) to Solomon's greatness: "a greater than Solomon is here." (Luke 11:31)

Corrected and Explained:

* All throughout the Bible, we see that marriage is between one man and one woman.  This is true in Genesis and even in Jesus' time.  See Genesis 2:24, Matthew 5:31 and 32, etc.

* Solomon is not praised for his many wives and concubines.  He is praised for his wisdom.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

20. What happened to 42 little children who teased God's prophet Elisha for being bald and he cursed them in the name of the Lord?
Answer: C

1. They were whipped by their parents.
2. They and their descendants to five generations were forbidden to enter the tabernacle.
3. Two bears came out of the forest and killed them all. --Note that this bloody execution for a childish prank is the work of the God of the bible. Is a person like this worthy of worship? Is this "pro-life"?

   "And he [Elisha] went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them." (II Kings 2:23-24)

4. They were forced to work seven years for the Levites, as child slaves.

Corrected and Explained:

* These children were mocking Elisha and blaspheming God.  When they said, "Go up, you bald head, go up you bald head!", they were blaspheming a miracle of God (Elijah's assumption) and taunting them both.  Therefore, God punished these children for their wickedness.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

21. What reason did God give for tormenting Job?
Answer: C

1. "Job was a sinner. He deserved it." --Job was not a sinner: "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." (Job 1:1) "And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (Job 1:8) "In all this Job sinned not." (Job 1:22)
2. "I didn't torment Job. Satan did it."  
3. "Satan dared me, so I destroyed Job for no reason at all." --This is a damning confession. In a court of law, this would be enough to convict God of the highest reckless crimes against humanity. In addition to ruining Job's livelihood and inflicting him with a debilitating illness, God murdered his 10 children and his servants--"without cause."

   "And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause." (Job 2:3)

4. "I wanted to see how far a man would bend before breaking."

Corrected and Explained:

* Job 2:3 reads, "Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.'"  God allowed Satan to test job.  God didn't "destroy Job for no reason at all."

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

22. According to the bible, what does Satan look like?
Answer: B

1. A skinny red man with horns and a pointed tail.
2. A red dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns. --Are there still adults in the 21st century who believe in the existence of Satan? If they do, they are forced to picture him as a mythical 7-headed dragon, the only physical description of Satan given in the bible:

   "And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth . . . And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:3-9)

3. A garden snake. --The talking serpent that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-16) is not identified as "Satan" in the Old Testament, nor does Paul make such a connection (II Corinthians 11:3). Talking animals, by the way, are the stuff of fables (see fable in the dictionary). See documentation at the end for a deeper analysis.
4. An angel in a black robe.

Corrected and Explained:

* Satan is a spirit that fell from Heaven.  Revelation 12 doesn't, specifically state that Satan has a material body that looks like a seven headed dragon with ten horns.  There is a lot of symbolism in Revelation.  We have every reason to believe the description of this dragon is symbolic.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

23. How does the biblical god treat haughty women?
Answer: B

1. He makes them barren.
2. He puts scabs on their heads and uncovers their private parts. --This is sexual harassment and molestation. "Secret parts" (below) is poth, which means "hinged opening" (vagina). This is just one of many biblical instances in which women are debased, immorally or cavalierly treated as male property, subject to purchase, sale, abduction, and even sexual assault. No wonder the biblical writers never disapprove of such crimes when they are committed by God himself. How can anyone possibly pretend to love a god who would say such a thing?

   "Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover [lay bare-ASV] their secret parts." (Isaiah 3:16-17)

3. He takes away their gold and expensive clothing.
4. The Holy Spirit causes them to feel shame for their arrogance.

Corrected and Explained:

* Isaiah 3 indicates how God would judge some women that were embracing a multitude of sins.  Since God is perfectly holy, He has the right to judge His sinful creation.

* If other scriptures were mentioned, that argue for the alleged mistreatment of women, then they would be addressed.  However, no argument is being presented, so no rebuttal is necessary.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

24. In dollars (shekels), how much is a woman worth?
Answer: A

1. Half a male. --Modern sexism and inequality have their roots in the Bible. Depending on age, a female is worth approximately half as much as a male:

   "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the Lord by thy estimation. And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. And if it be a female,then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels. And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver. And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels." (Leviticus 27:1-7)

   This devaluation of women is reflected in the "double uncleanness" of giving birth to a daughter:

   "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. . . . But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks . . ." (Leviticus 12:1-5)

   More documentation of the bible's treatment of women at the end of this quiz.

2. The same as a male.
3. Twice as much as a male.
4. Irrelevant. The Bible does not put a dollar value on human life.

Corrected and Explained:

* These verses are referring to vows and giving money to God.  They aren't talking about the monetary worth of human life.

* God gave the ancient Israelites instructions regarding childbirth.  He never indicated that girls were twice as dirty as boys.

* Since these laws are thousands of years old and directed to the ancient Israelites, we do not know or understand all of the reasons for them.  However, there was surely some spiritual significance to God's laws.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

25. What happens if a man rapes an engaged virgin in the city, and no one hears anything?
Answer: D

1. The man should pay her father 100 shekels of silver.  
2. The man is stoned to death.
3. The woman is stoned to death.
4. They are both stoned to death. --What if she was gagged, or had laryngitis, or the neighbors were out of town? Is it fair to punish the victim of a crime, much less mete out the death penalty to a victim of violence?! The bible primitively and unfairly frames rape as a crime committed by a man against another man's property.

   "If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of the city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you." (Deuteronomy 22:23-24)

   And if the woman is not engaged, she is forced to marry her rapist! The rapist simply pays a fine:

   "If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days." (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)

Corrected and Explained:

* (Verses 23 and 24) These verses have nothing to do with the loudness of a betrothed virgin's cry.  They are indicating what to do if a betrothed virgin willingly fornicates with another man.

* (Verses 28 and 29) These verses are not talking about rape.  A man who rapes a woman is to be put to death.  This is clear from verse 25.

* These verses are referring to consenting individuals (one is an unbetrothed virgin).  A man is to marry a woman that he decides to sleep with.  He is also to pay her father and avoid divorcing her.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

26. What is the Mosaic Law punishment for being handicapped?
Answer: C

1. You will be stoned to death.
2. You must sacrifice two additional doves on the altar.
3. You are not allowed in church. --This is an ancient, unenlightened view, treating the disabled as inferior people. Shouldn't an all-loving God be bigger than this?

   "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. . . . a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous. Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbacked, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire . . . he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the Lord do sanctify them." (Leviticus 21:16-23)

4. You must bathe for two months before entering the tabernacle.

Corrected and Explained:

* God had high and specific standards for His priests.  This isn't simply referring to people going to church.  This command was for priests.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

27. According to the Bible, when may a husband have sex with his wife?
Answer: B

1. As often as he likes. She is his property.
2. Not during her menstrual period. --Another example of biblical sexism: women are "unclean." This is also an example of disproportionate punishment, as being "cut off" from the tribe for this "crime" (see below) was likely a death sentence in a nomadic culture.

   "And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days . . . and if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers [impurity] be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean." (Leviticus 15:19-24) "And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among the people." (Leviticus 20:18)

3. As often as he likes until the first son is born, then by mutual agreement.
4. As often as the wife allows it.

Corrected and Explained:

* God had spiritual and practical reasons for His commands.  In this case, He wanted His people to stay away from blood.  The ancient Israelites didn't have advanced medical knowledge, advanced medicine, immunization shots, etc.  Therefore, it was simply easier to avoid blood.

* God's people were not to eat blood.  They were also to respect animal sacrifices that were required by God.  Therefore, we also see some more reasons why blood was to be avoided.

* God wanted His people to multiply and fill the Earth.  It has been well documented that women do not get pregnant while having intercourse during menstruation.  Therefore, this command was also, likely a way to get the Israelites to populate the Earth.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

28. How should you feel when you dash babies against the rocks?
Answer: A

1. Happy. -- Is this "pro-life"? This is one of numerous examples of god-ordained genocide. Even if you coldly feel there is justice in killing the innocent infants of people deemed "evil" by your religion, would you be happy to do it, as the bible declares? If this is not evil, then what is?

   "O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." (Psalm 137:8-9)

2. Ashamed.
3. It depends if the babies were guilty or innocent.
4. Nothing. It is all in God's hands.

Corrected and Explained:

* The preceding verses in this chapter explain the context of this statement.  Verse 8 sums it up: "O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, happy the one who repays you as you have served us!"

* Contrary to the leading question, this statement is not written to you or me.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

29. How many human generations were there before Jesus?
Answer: D

1. "More numerous than the stars."
2. 144,000.
3. 412.
4. 62. --The bible got it wrong by two orders of magnitude. History and archaeology prove that there were more than a mere 62 generations before Christianity. The species Homo sapiens has existed for 100,000 - 200,000 years, which would be at least 5,000 generations.

   Luke 3:34-38 lists 20 generations between Adam and Abraham: Abraham, Thara, Nachor, Saruch, Ragau, Phalec, Heber, Sala, Cainan, Arphaxad, Sem, Noe, Lamech, Mathusala, Enoch, Jared, Maleleel, Cainan, Enos, Seth, Adam. Then Matthew 1:17 gives 42 generations between Abraham and Jesus: "So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations."

   Matthew and Luke also contradict each other: both genealogies claim to go through Joseph, the father of Jesus (Matthew 1:16; Luke 3:23. Why Joseph? Wasn't God the father?), yet their lists disagree in length and in names--except for Shealtiel and Zerubbabel, an intersection that proves they were not intended to be separate lines. They also contradict the Old Testament genealogies, conveniently deleting and adding in order to make the numbers fit a pattern.

Corrected and Explained:

* History and archaeology do not prove that humans or any lifeforms are over 10,000 years old.  If this weren't an argument by assertion, then more evidence would be provided.

* These genealogies never claim to be exhaustive.  Therefore, it is entirely possible that they skipped people.  The Greek text indicates a clear lineage and it does not show "father and son" relationships for each pair of people listed.  For instance, two, consecutive names could represent a son and a great-grandfather; not necessarily a son and a father.

* There are some omissions in the genealogies.  However, this is no problem and is, in fact, to be expected because the authors were clearly showing lineages and not simply father/son relationships.  These genealogies were never intended to be exhaustive.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

30. What Christmas tradition is expressly forbidden in the bible?
Answer: C

1. Singing carols house-to-house.
2. Exchanging gifts.
3. Christmas trees. --Many other Christmas traditions have their roots in pagan practices, such as the holly wreath, a fertility symbol. Even the date of Christmas, near the winter solstice, is linked to sun worship. Modern Christians have stolen Christmas from the pagans.

   "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. . . . They are altogether brutish and foolish." (Jeremiah 10:2-8)

4. Kissing under the mistletoe.

Corrected and Explained:

* These people were making idols from the trees.  This verse isn't about Christmas trees.

* Jesus Christ came to earth hundreds of years after this passage.  Therefore, Christmas (notice the word "Christ" in "Christmas") trees weren't a topic of discussion and this passage has nothing to do with them. 

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

31. According to Jesus, what must you do to have eternal life?
Answer: B

1. Obey the law and keep all the sacraments.
2. Sell everything you have and give all the money to the poor. --Heaven will be very empty, it seems. How many Christians take seriously this direct command of Jesus?

   "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? . . . Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (Matthew 19:16-21. See also Luke 12:33)

3. Attend church regularly and tithe ten percent of your income to God. --Christian tithing is difficult to support biblically. In Old Testament times, when church and government were united, the tithe was the state tax, often used to support the non-working Levites (priests). But there is no consistent explanation of tithing in Hebrew scripture or in other nations. Babylonians used the tithe as a secular tax for royal purposes. In America, where state and church are separated, Christians should not tithe--unless they want to be doubly taxed! There is nothing in the New Testament to support tithing. Jesus mocked the scribes and Pharisees who tithed (Matthew 23:23). The writer of Hebrews affirmed that the tithe was to be paid to the Levites, admitting that times are different now: "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." (Hebrews 7:5,12)
4. Confess your sins and ask Jesus to come into your heart.

Corrected and Explained:

* Jesus never mentions eternal life.  Jesus tells this man what he needs to know because he needs to give his riches to the poor.  Jesus also mentions "treasure in Heaven."  Jesus never mentions eternal life, though.  Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the man was putting his money ahead of God's desires and needed to submit to God.

* The doctrine of salvation is obvious from the New Testament scriptures.  A person needs to repent and trust, believe, and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

* All of our belongings are God's.  We are merely stewards of God's riches.  Therefore, we should submit 100% of our things to Him.  Giving 10% (which is the definition of a tithe) or even 20% to churches and Christian ministries is a great start that will please God.  However, believers should be striving, willing, and able to give God everything.

* There are numerous scriptures about eternal rewards.  Obeying God's command to give money to Him and needy people will result in earthly blessings and eternal rewards.  However, the doctrine of salvation does not depend on or include one's giving.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

32. According to Jesus, how should Christian disciples treat their parents?
Answer: C

1. Parents should be loved, honored and cared for.
2. Parents should be taken care of by the church community.
3. Parents should be hated. --More family values from the "Good Book."

   "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26) The word "hate" here is miseo, the Greek word for "hate," from which we get the prefix in "misanthropy" and "misogyny." The same writer uses miseo in such verses as: "Blessed are ye when men shall hate you." (Luke 6:22)

   The concept of devaluing your family is reflected by Matthew: "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37-38) Why not love your family first? This sounds like something an uneasy dictator would say.

4. Parents should be ignored--"Let the dead bury the dead"--because when you are born again, God becomes your true parent.

Corrected and Explained:

* This Greek word for "hate" is better translated "love less."

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

33. According to Jesus, how should slaves be treated?
Answer: B

1. They should be beaten daily to keep them in line.
2. They should be beaten for disobedience, but not more severely then they deserve. --Jesus never denounced slavery: he endorsed it! He incorporated it into his teachings as if it were the most natural order (which it was for the biblical writers who didn't know any better). Why doesn't the bible--supposedly inspired by an all-loving deity--ever hint that there is something wrong with such a brutal social institution? If it were not for the influence of the bible (see answer 'd' below), the appalling American slave trade might have been curtailed, along with the bloody Civil War.

   "And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes." (Luke 12:47-48) The entire context (Luke 12:41-48) shows that this is not part of a parable--it is the explanation of a parable, after Peter asked a question. But even if it were a parable, it would carry the same weight as a teaching of Jesus.

   The word "servant" above is doulos, which means "slave" in Greek, and is correctly rendered "slave" by the NRSV, NAS, Scholar's Version, and others. "Shall" meant "should," as Jesus adds: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." (Luke 12:48)

3. They should be treated humanely, as members of the family. --Paul did urge Philemon to treat his slave Onesimus as a brother (Philemon 15-16), but he was not speaking for Jesus, and Onesimus was a special case, a personal friend. Paul never denounced slavery.
4. They should be set free because slavery is wrong. --The Bible nowhere states that slavery is wrong. Slavery is ordained by the Bible: "Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, . . . and they shall be your possession . . . they shall be your bondmen forever." (Leviticus 25:45-46) "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing . . . And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do." (Exodus 21:2,7) "Servants [slaves], obey in all things your masters." (Colossians 3:22)

Corrected and Explained:

* The word "slave" is not mentioned.  The word "servant" is mentioned.  Simply because a couple translations may agree with FFRF, it doesn't mean they are better than all the rest.  In fact, the Greek text and definition surely allows for this word to be translated "servant."

* God did not condone or command slavery.  There are no, clear scriptures that indicate God approving of slavery.  If there were, then they would surely be listed here!

* The issue of servants to the Israelites is very similar to the issue of divorce among Israelites.  God never wanted slavery and never wanted divorce.  However, He made laws that curtailed these practices.  He would have made laws that outlawed these practices, but the Israelites had hardened their hearts, so He met them where they were.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

34. What did Jesus say about peace?
Answer: B

1. "Peace on earth, good will toward men." --This Christmas message from Luke 2:14 contradicts Jesus himself.
2. "Don't think that I came for peace on earth. I came to start wars." --Are these the words of a good man?

   "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34) "I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division." (Luke 12:49-51) These words, by the way, come immediately after Jesus talked about beating slaves. (See Question 33)

3. "Each person makes their own peace, according to their faith and how they treat others."
4. "There is no peace apart from God." --Paul sometimes wrote about peace (see Romans 15:33), but this also contradicts Jesus.

Corrected and Explained:

* Jesus never states that He came specifically to destroy families.  However, He does say that families will be divided over Him.

* Jesus brought peace to the ones that repent and trust, believe and accept Him as their Lord and Savior.  However, to those that do not, they will not have peace with God.

* Jesus is also emphasizing the need to love and follow Him at all costs.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

35. Which one of these phrases did Jesus not say about witnessing?
Answer: B

1. "Thou shalt not bear false witness." (Matthew 19:18)
2. "God is my witness." --Paul wrote: "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son." (Romans 1:9) Notice that Jesus contradicts himself below.
3. "If I bear witness of myself, it is true." --"Jesus answered and said unto them, though I bear record [martyria] of myself, yet my record [martyria] is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and wither I go." (John 8:14) Martyria means "bear witness" (NAS) or "testify" (NIV, NRSV), the same word used in the contradictory John 5:31 (below).
4. "If I bear witness of myself, it is not true." --"If I bear witness [martyria] of myself, my witness [martyria] is not true." (John 5:31) Martyria means "bear witness" (NAS) or "testify" (NIV, NRSV), the same word used in the contradictory John 8:14 (above).

Needless to say, Jesus was not very reliable, nor was he very clear.

Corrected and Explained:

* Jesus was very reliable and clear.  However, He was making two, different points with the two, different statements recorded in John 5:31 and John 8:14.

* If your logic is good, then you would have to avoid making seemingly contradictory statements for your entire life; even if you were making different points, addressing different people, using different points of reference, etc.  In short, this is an unreasonable standard.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

36. What personal sacrifice for "the kingdom of heaven" was Jesus talking about when he told his disciples, "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it"?
Answer: D

1. Leave your family.  --Yes, Jesus did encourage followers to leave their families (Mark 10:29-30), but not using that phrase.
2. Pluck out your eyes. --Yes, Jesus did talk gruesomely about plucking out eyes and cutting off hands (Matthew 5:29), but not using that phrase.
3. Become poor. --Yes, Jesus did encourage poverty (see Question 31), but not using that phrase.
4. Castrate yourself. --No wonder we don't hear sermons from the entire New Testament--how many preachers actually take this ghastly advice seriously?! Although some have prudently tried to interpret this as celibacy rather than castration, the early church father Origen read it literally and took a knife to himself. There were entire monastic orders, and church choirs in need of sopranos known as "castrati" based on this teaching of Jesus. Literal or not, the face value of this verse is physical mutilation:

   "But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs from the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." (Matthew 19:11-12) The Scholar's Version has: "There are castrated men who castrated themselves because of Heaven's imperial rule. If you are able to accept this (advice), do so."

   Tragically, every year there are reported cases of Christian followers mutilating themselves because "the bible tells me so."

Corrected and Explained:

* This Greek word that is translated "eunuch" in some translations doesn't only refer to a person who is castrated.  It has a wide variety of usages.  It can also mean an unmarried person.  See http://www.jcsm.org/StudyCenter/kjvstrongs/STRGRK21.htm#S2135.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

37. According to New Testament medical advice, what should you do if you are sick?
Answer: B

1. Seek medical help from doctors ordained by God.
2. Ask the church elders to apply oil to your skin and pray for you. --Verses like these have resulted in the needless deaths of adults and criminal-neglect deaths of children from treatable illnesses that were left untreated because of prayer. Why couldn't the biblical deity have dispensed some useful medical advice to the human race instead of placebo prescriptions for prayer?

   "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." (James 5:14-15)

3. Ask Jesus or the elders to exorcise the evil spirits from your body.
4. Kneel down before a brass serpent wrapped around a pole. --The Old Testament contains this absurd alternative medicine remedy for snake bite: "And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." (Numbers 21:9)

Corrected and Explained:

* This wasn't "New Testament medical advice."  This was spiritual advice.  These verses do not tell people to avoid medical treatment.  However, what kind of medical treatment was actually available 2,000 years ago?  At any rate, these verses emphasize the importance of prayer and the spiritual.  They do not tell us to ignore our medical needs.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

38. What does Paul prohibit a woman from wearing in church?
Answer: B

1. A hat, or any head covering. --(See Question 9)
2. Gold. --How many Christian women know they are breaking God's law by wearing gold wedding rings to church? Or pearls or braids or expensive clothing? This is all part of the biblical plan to keep women in their place (see Question 39).

   "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety; not with broided [braided] hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." (I Timothy 2:9) Paul was not simply giving his own personal advice here; he introduced these verses with: "Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity." (I Timothy 2:7)

3. Necklaces, bracelets or anklets.  
4. Men's clothing. --The Old Testament indeed prohibits cross dressing: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all who do so are an abomination unto the Lord thy God." (Deuteronomy 22:5) Are women's pantsuits and men's earrings an abomination?

Corrected and Explained:

* In this passage, Paul is talking to certain people about the way they dress.  In fact, he is referring to a specific type of Grecian clothing called the stola and the catastola with the Greek word "katastole."  See http://www.jcsm.org/StudyCenter/kjvstrongs/STRGRK26.htm#S2689.

* Paul is warning the women against exposing their body.  He is also warning these women about adorning their Grecian stola with gold in order to draw attention to themselves.

* We don't see these verses referring to all believers or all types of clothing.  However, the overall principle still remains intelligent and pertinent to modern-day churchgoers.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

39. According to Paul, what is the role of women in the church?
Answer: C

1. Women are equal to men in all respects.
2. Women do the praying, singing and testifying, while men handle the preaching and finances.
3. Women must keep silent. They should learn from their husbands at home. --This sexist admonition continues to be invoked by Catholics and patriarchal Protestant denominations to turn women into second-class citizens.

   "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." (I Corinthians 14:34-35) "I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." (I Corinthians 11:3) "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord." (Colossians 3:18) "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." (I Timothy 2:11-15)

   For more on this topic, see Woe To The Women: The Bible Tells Me So at the end of this quiz. For a word analysis showing that Paul indeed commands women to be in "subjection" to men, see "The Rising of the Women" at the end of this quiz.

4. Women are not allowed in church except on high holidays.

Corrected and Explained:

* The verse begins with "Let your women be silent in church."  These verses were directed to specific women in the Corinth church that had problems with authority and learning the Bible with diligence and respect.  We do not see Paul addressing all women or future women.  However, being silent when others are speaking and when you are trying to learn is a wise thing to do; for any sex.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

40. What does Paul say about marriage?
Answer: A

1. "I wish everyone were single like me." --As author Ruth Green put it, the "Christian family" is a "Christian fantasy." Paul's belief that "it is good for a man not to touch a woman" (I Corinthians 7:1) led to the doctrine of celibacy and other warped teachings on sexuality. Nineteenth-century feminist author Matilda Joslyn Gage pointed out that this teaching directly led to such woman-hating abuses as the witch-hunts.

   "For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I." (I Corinthians 7:7-8)

2. "Celibacy is a pagan practice."
3. "Elders and deacons may have more than one wife." --Paul seemed to acknowledge that some Christian men below the rank of Bishop or Elder had more than one wife: "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife." (I Timothy 3:2) "Ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children." (Titus 1:5-6) But he did not prohibit or permit polygamy.
4. "If your feelings are only sexual, then don't get married." --On the contrary! According to Paul, if you can't contain your sexual urges, you are better off getting married: "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn." (I Corinthians 7:8-9) Is this what parents should teach their children?

Corrected and Explained:

* 1 Corinthians 7:1 refers to unmarried men.  It is good for an unmarried men to avoid touching a woman.

* Paul says a number of things about marriage.  He never condemns it.  In fact, he gives us a number of fantastic principles for marriage relationships.

* A person who does not get married can spend 100% of their time in devotion to God.  They do not have to consider a spouse.  This is all Paul was affirming.

* Paul doesn't tell people to get married solely based on sexual feelings.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

41. Paul forbids divorce, but Jesus allows it under one circumstance. What is that circumstance?
Answer: B

1. If the husband has sex outside of marriage.
2. If the wife has sex outside of marriage. --Sexism illustrated: in Christianity, only a male can divorce a cheating spouse.

   "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." (Matthew 5:31-32) Not only did Jesus contradict Paul (I Corinthians 7:10), he admittedly contradicted the Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 24:1), which allowed divorce on much broader grounds.

3. If either has sex outside of marriage.  
4. If the wife fails to produce a son.

Corrected and Explained:

* Mark 10:11, Luke 16:18, Matthew 5:32, and Matthew 19:9 are all different statements, made by Jesus, about divorce. They don't contradict each other, though. They complement each other.

* First, Jesus makes it clear that God created man and woman to enter into a covenant with God to stay married. He quotes Genesis, too. This is the ideal.

* Here are the things that we learn from these four statements by Jesus:

1) If a husband or wife divorces the other and marries another, then they commit adultery (Mark 10:11). Since no reasons or circumstances are given, Jesus is obviously talking about divorce without fornication.

2) If a husband divorces his wife and marries another, then he commits adultery. If the divorced wife marries another, then she commits adultery (Luke 16:18). Once again, Jesus is talking about divorce without fornication being the cause.

3) If a husband divorces his wife for any reason besides fornication, then he causes her to commit adultery. Whoever marries this divorced woman commits adultery (Matthew 5:32). Now, Jesus is giving instructions about a married person who commits fornication.

4) If a husband divorces his wife for any reason besides fornication and marries another woman, he commits adultery. Whoever marries this divorced woman commits adultery (Matthew 19:9). Once again, Jesus is giving instructions about a married person who commits fornication.

* It is obvious from the text that the first two verses are toward people who have not committed fornication. The third and fourth verses are given to people who have committed fornication. These don't contradict each other, but they give instructions to people in different circumstances. Furthermore, they aren't taken from the same times and places in Jesus' ministry, so they cannot be misquotes or omissions.

* 1 Corinthians 7:15 addresses another circumstance. Paul gives instructions to spouses who have an unbelieving husband or wife that abandons them. They are no longer in bondage to them.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

42. What group of people will make it into the heavenly choir?
Answer: D

1. Those who are "poor in spirit."  
2. Those who confess their sins and accept Jesus as their savior.
3. God's chosen people, the Jews.
4. 144,000 male virgins who have not been defiled with women. --No women allowed! Notice the sexism: women "defile" men.

   "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. . . . And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth." (Revelation 14:1-4)

   No Christians allowed! These singers are made up of 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:4-8).

Corrected and Explained:

* These 144,000 are Christians Jews.

* These men are virgins.  The fact that they are undefiled simply means that they had not engaged in premarital sex with women.  They had obeyed God's command to remain pure.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

43. Which one of these words is in the bible?
Answer: B

1. Trinity. --Although the word "trinity" is used by most Christian groups, it appears nowhere in the bible, and the concept is difficult to support biblically. It was first used by Christians more than a century after the birth of Christianity, probably by Tertullian (145-220). The current doctrine of "one God in three persons" is not found in the bible, although some think they find it in verses where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned together. (See II Corinthians 13:14).
2. Liberal. --In the King James version of the bible, "liberal" is a good word. The word "conservative" appears nowhere in the bible.

   "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." (Proverbs 11:25) "The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful." (Isaiah 32:5) "But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand." (Isaiah 32:8) "Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men . . . Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift." (II Corinthians 9:13-15)

3. Christmas.
4. Rapture. --"Rapture" is a term used by some Christians to refer to what will happen to believers when they are "caught up" to heaven: "The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (I Thessalonians 4:16-17. See also I Corinthians 15:52.) The word "rapture" does not appear in bible. Notice also the primitive flat-earth cosmology: heaven is "up in the clouds."

Corrected and Explained:

* Even though the word "trinity" isn't used in the Bible, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are revealed.  The doctrine of the trinity is obviously present in the scriptures.

* The Latin word "rapturo" is present in the Bible.  This is where we get the modern word "rapture."  In Greek, this is illustrated by the word "harpazo."  See 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and http://www.jcsm.org/StudyCenter/kjvstrongs/STRGRK7.htm#S726.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

44. Where does the bible say that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights?
Answer: D

1. The laws of Moses.
2. Jesus's Sermon on the Mount.
3. The Book of Revelation.
4. Nowhere. --Nowhere in the bible will you find an acknowledgement that human beings have inherent rights to life, liberty, happiness, dignity, fairness, or self-government. In the bible, humans are sinners, worms, and slaves--God has all the rights.

   "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12) "Lean not unto thine own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5) "Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (II Corinthians 10:5) "Captivity" is not freedom. The U.S. Declaration of Independence is a humanistic, anti-biblical document.

Corrected and Explained:

* There are all kinds of verses regarding the treatment of humans.  "Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32)" is one example.  See 1 Corinthians 13 for an entire chapter devoted to how people should love one another.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

45. Should Christians allow nonbelievers into their homes?
Answer: No

Yes.

No. --Acting inhospitably is the Christian thing to do. Notice how this verse unfairly equates unbelief and diversity with evil: "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." (II John 10-11)

Corrected and Explained:

* The scriptures warn against forming deep relationships with those that do not believe.  They Bible calls it being "unequally yoked."  You can see more on this here: http://www.jcsm.org/biblelessons/UnequallyYoked.htm.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

46. Should Christian men kiss each other?
Answer: Yes

Yes. --Why do we not see men kissing in church, then? "Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss." (I Thessalonians 5:26. See also Romans 16:16; I Corinthians 16:20; II Corinthians 13:12; II Peter 5:14)

No.

Corrected and Explained:

* Many cultures greet one another with a kiss on the cheek.  Perhaps this is the "holy kiss" that was mentioned 2000 years ago.  It's not popular in American culture, but it is in other places.

* It is likely that Paul was using a tradition of that day to illustrate that (not how) we should be loving and greet one another.  If the cultural tradition uses a handshake or a hug (or hopping on one leg with a speak), then so be it.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

47. Should Christians always give what they have to anyone who asks for it?
Answer: Yes

Yes. --In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: "Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again." (Luke 6:30, repeated in Matthew 5:42) Try asking Christians for their houses and possessions, and see how faithful they are to the teachings of Jesus. Borrow a Christian's car and see if they ever ask for it back. Modern believers know that Jesus was wrong and the bible is not to be taken literally.

No.

Corrected and Explained:

* Jesus was referring to giving to the poor; not allowing atheists to steal from Christians.

* Christians need to see all of their possessions as God's property.  God blesses us with things and we are entrusted with them; not to horde them, but to use them for God's purposes.  If a needy person asks for something, then we should give it to him.

* Notice that this verse doesn't say: "When a wealthy pagan American doesn't believe in Me, and has his own car and house and asks for yours, give him your house and car, so you can pass his test."

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

48. Do the Ten Commandments prohibit incest or rape?
Answer: No

Yes.

No. --The "ten commandments" (see Question 1) do not condemn any sexual acts. The only sexual practice prohibited by the list in Exodus 20 is adultery, which, although a valid marital concern, is a legal act between consenting adults. The violent and degrading crimes of rape and incest surely should have rated a "top ten" list, but they do not appear. Adultery in the Old Testament was considered a crime that could only be committed by a wife. Harper's Bible Dictionary explains: "The law was probably intended to ensure that any child born to the wife was really the husband's child, since it was considered crucial for the husband to have offspring, so that the family name could be perpetuated." Adultery had bearing on the patriarchy, while more violent crimes did not.

Corrected and Explained:

* It doesn't matter if the 10 commandments condemn certain sexual acts.  There are more than 10 commandments for those that wish to please God.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

49. If you lose a lawsuit, should you pay exactly what the court decides?
Answer: No

Yes.

No. --You should pay twice as much! In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands: "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain." (Matthew 5:40-41) Are bible-believing Christians really paying double court-ordered child support? Or are they wiser than Jesus?

Corrected and Explained:

* This verse is illustrating how Christians shouldn't be dependent on material things.  This is the spirit of the message.  If you wanted to take the message literally, then it could only refer to someone suing for a coat; and it could only refer to giving that person your cloak with your coat.

FFRF's Claim and Perversion:

50. Can Christians ask their boss for a raise?
Answer: No

Yes.

No. --It is unChristian to ask for a raise: "And [John the Baptist] said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? and he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages." (Luke 3:13-14) Modern Christians who love their families know better than this: it is not responsible to deny yourself a fair market wage, especially if you have children to support. Real family values transcend the bible. [John the Baptist was "preparing the way" for Jesus when he supposedly spoke these words.]

Corrected and Explained:

* John is addressing Roman soldiers in this passage.  The Greek word used for wages refers to both the money that was given to the soldiers and the supply of food that they were given.  John was specifically talking to the Roman soldiers about an issue that pertained to them.  Using this passage to forbid Christians from asking for raises is absurd.