The cost of illiteracy is high, but there is no form of illiteracy that has as high a cost as the inability to read, and understand, the Holy Bible,- the words of Almighty God. There is more at stake than eternal life in heaven or hell, as if that weren't sufficient. Being biblically illiterate affects every area of your life on earth, in addition to eternity.
Today, unless you were brought up under a rock, or in a stone age tribe in a jungle somewhere, you know in your heart that there is a book called the Holy Bible, that you should be reading. Biblical illiteracy is 99.9% a matter of choice. You don't have the time? You'll have plenty of time in hell to think of what you should have given up, in order to have time to read God's word! And you'll have plenty of troubles and sickness on earth as well. You don't believe it? You will believe it, either now or later! I have yet to meet, or even communicate with, a person who had read the Bible thru a number of times, and could honestly declare that he or she didn't believe it.
As the scripture says, " Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. " Unless you are among the few who are truly illiterate, you choose whether to read, and heed, the words of God. You are without excuse.
" For this they willingly are ignorant of that by the word of God the heavens were of old... "
( 2 Peter 3:5 KJV )" For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword... "
( Hebrews 4:12 )" So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. "
( Romans 10:17 )When people begin to read the Bible, they frequently find that what they read does not agree with what they have been taught by their religious leaders. If you find that to be the case, it is the religion that is wrong, not the Bible. But, don't jump to quick conclusions. The Bible frequently uses a way of reasoning that is not common in our western culture. Frequently an idea is stated,- then it is either affirmed, or negated. If you take only a verse or two, from the initial stating of an idea, you can make the Bible say just about anything. This is one source of the many cruel and unbiblical practices, done in the name of religion.
Much of the Bible relates to what we call today, " lifestyles ". Smoking, for instance, is a selfish practice that is financially irresponsible, a practice that frequently keeps not only an individual, but an entire family in
poverty. In addition, smoking makes the human body more susceptable to many different illnesses and conditions. No, the Bible doesn't say," Thou shalt not smoke. " But it does have a lot to say about the wise use of financial resources, responsibilty to family, and remaining healthy.Another lifestyle is homosexuality. The Bible says it is a wrong lifestyle, and that it will lead to problems in the human body. And, doesn't it? Ever heard of AIDS, and numerous other sexually transmitted diseases?
To continue doing what the Bible says is wrong, is to invite health problems, financial problems, and emotional problems, not just in eternity, but in this lifetime. Is this an alternate lifestyle? Is it a matter of personal choice? No! It is a matter of rebellion against God. Many families are destroyed by this practice. And, modern medicine will never cure all the problems associated with it.
Another popular lifestyle today, is the use of alcoholic beverages. The basic ingredient in alcoholic beverages is a chemical called ethanol. The handbooks which list dangerous chemicals, describe the dangers of ingesting ethanol. Drinking anything beyond a very tiny amount, is a dangerous consumtion of something that is basically a poison. The human body was not designed to efficiently metabolize alcohol.
I know. I have friends who have died from drinking an excess of alcoholic beverages. I used to live across the street from a retired amateur boxer, and a pretty good one. He was a small town police chief. But he had a weakness for alcoholic beverages, and they killed him. No, the Bible doesn't say, " thou shalt not drink," but it does contain many, many warnings against drinking too much. Check out Proverbs 23:29-35.
" Drinking " is a selfish misuse of personal and family resources, a practice dangerous to human health, just to " feel good ". The " feel good " is a lie! You don't feel better. You just aren't as aware of your problems. After the effects wear off, you find that you still have all the old problems, plus the problems brought on by the use of the alcoholic beverages. Knowing what we know today about alcohol, it is better to use it as a fuel in vehicles, not as a beverage.
What about drugs? Drugs are simply chemicals. As such, most of them are poisons, which taken in small amounts, produce various effects on the body. Small amounts of specific drugs may be beneficial in isolated
cases. However to arbitrarily use these substances without expert advice is highly dangerous. Each year, many people die of " over doses ".I am not comfortable with the government banning drugs which may have an important benefit to individuals with certain rare conditions. The recent decision of the US Supreme Court to ban the use of medical marijuana was a very bad decision. 99.9% of the people should never touch marijuana, or any other similar drugs,- nor should they be legalized for anything other than strictly supervised medical use,- prescribed by a person who thoroughly understands the biochemistry that is involved. As a lifelong chemist, with a strong interest in biochemistry, I know that there are many chemicals, which in carefully prescribed amounts, may be beneficial for medicinal use. The Bible indicates the use of many herbs,- the source of many of our modern drugs, as being acceptable.
Having said all this, the use of drugs or chemicals for " recreational " use is a very dangerous and selfish practice, that is the epitome of evil. It needlessly sends people to jail, breaks up families, enslaves people in poverty, and leads to many kinds of illnesses,- and death.
To live the longest, happiest, healthiest, and most productive life, one has only to become spiritually literate, and follow God's commandments. This is accomplished by reading, and heeding, the teachings in the Holy Bible. The ten commandments ( see Exodus 20 ) are a good place to start. Once you know and understand God's word, you will be qualified to judge the various religions,- and whether their teachings are correct, or not. Without this background you can't even judge religious teachings wisely. Once you are well grounded in the teachings in the Bible, you will know the difference between false religion and true religion.
Here's the bottom line. What will you choose? Will you choose the lies, and evil practices of this world? Or, will you choose the truth of God's word? Will you choose a long, happy, healthy, productive life,- or a life of suffering and misery? The choice is yours!
