Christianity Uncovered: Viewed Through Open Eyes

CHRISTIANITY UNCOVERED

VIEWED THROUGH OPEN EYES

First Edition

Hugh Fogelman

AuthorHouse™

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Phone: 1-800-839-8640

© 2012 by Hugh Fogelman. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/24/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4685-3089-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-3088-9 (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011962946

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Photo Gallery

Introduction

This book is dedicated to my two Jewish daughters and to all other Jewish children who have not been raised with a formal Jewish education.

After the death of my first wife, I failed to teach my daughters the richness of Judaism, the commandments as the Torah instructed, and where Judaism fits in today’s Christian society.

I hope my daughter Gaye will read my book with an open mind and understand what I am teaching. The Talmud says:

"Anyone who saves a single Jewish soul is as if he saved an entire world" (Sanhedrin 37a)

This beautiful passage underscores the importance of Jews helping other Jews. Even if only one Jewish person were misled, our concern would be great. When you multiply this by thousands of Jewish souls who have fallen off into another religion, the concern is far more pronounced.

Gaye, the purpose of my book is not to convert Christians to Judaism but instead, to prevent unknowledgeable Jews like yourself from converting to Christianity because of misinformation and deceptive tactics that have been perpetrated by cunning Christian missionaries.

Too many Jews are assimilating into Christianity not because it’s a better religion, but because living in a Christian society, it’s so much easier to blend in. Friday night sports and dances mean fun—more fun then observing Shabbat and studying Torah. However being Jews, God gave us a special mission in life—to be the light to the Gentile Nations.

And we can only do this by being different—by being separate, and by keeping Torah.

By all means, I am not a true Jewish scholar with years of ‘higher Hebrew education’ in Jewish Law (halakhah), but with all my research and questioning I feel that I am capable to show the irreconcilable differences between Judaism and Christianity—dispelling the falsehood that Christianity is a continuation of Judaism¹.

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman wrote; In our times, it is crucial that every Jew who knows anything must be a teacher to others. Those who can teach children must teach children—but all must teach.

The most important institution in Jewish life and education is the Jewish home. The future of Judaism depends on new generations of Jews who understand Torah and their covenant with God. Only by education can the Jew understand where the Christian missionaries’ are coming from. Jews have to realize by not having the proper education to follow our beliefs, they will allow their children to be raised in another religion. God forewarned: "Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;" (Deuteronomy 6:14).

I want to provide information to Jews who may be considering abandoning the pure waters of Torah for the polluted waters of Christianity. I say polluted waters because many innocent Jewish deaths were the result of Christians who wrongly misinterpreted their Bible. My book will open Jewish minds that have been tricked into thinking they can still follow Torah and at the same time believe Jesus is their savior.

Christianity and Judaism are ‘two’ completely different religions—with ‘two’ different theologies—with ‘two’ different doctrines. It would be like mixing water with oil. They simply don’t mix. In fact you have to give up one for the other.

I also want to reach out to Christians and show them how they have been manipulated into thinking their religion is the only true religion, and to help Christians think logically, instead of relying strictly on emotional blind-faith.

I hope my book will open up some closed minds and make them think deeply about issues that I am addressing, such as what they believe is actually the mind control of the Church Fathers, not Jesus.

Pastor Craig Lyons² (Ms.D., D.D., M.Div.) agreeing with my findings that what Christians believe today were the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church Fathers from 325 CE on wrote;

In order to find the truth behind our inherited Roman traditions, with all the falsehoods given us by Rome, it becomes our sad duty to have to expose untruths before we can come to the glorious truths hidden behind such deception. Remember in all that you study and read not only from Bet Emet but other sources, that the only Religion that God ever gave man is TRUTH!

One important point is that there can only be one Original Bible—all the rest are just copies and versions. It was God Himself who established the original Jewish belief system at Mt. Sinai. God told His people He expected the message of Judaism to be available to all generations.

I have no desire to disrespect the Christian Bible, but instead, with Jewish eyes I will explain the fallacies’ in their bible when it conflicts with the Original Hebrew Bible. I realize Christians may be upset when I expose errors and misinterpretations in their bible. It is not my intention to upset them, but I will call a spade a spade, and not tippie-toe around any issue.

Whenever people get into a discussion on any subject matter it Is very important if all involved had a clear definition and understanding of the subject. For example, if the discussion were about a certain wagon, it would be imperative that we all had the same picture of this wagon. If not, I may imagine a little red wagon while in your mind; you have a large covered brown wagon. Both are capable of carrying things, both have four wheels; both have a yoke—yet they are quite different.

The same thing applies to discussing the Bible—we have to understand who’s Bible—the Original Text from God given to Moses at Mt. Sinai, OR which version of the Christian Bible, because there is the King James Version, the Mormon Version, the Jehovah Witness’ Version, and all the Modern Up to Date Translations of the Christian Bible, etc.

I keep on repeating myself when I say the so-called NEW testament. The term new is a mental ploy the Church wants to put into ones subconscious that the old has been replaced by something new and better. By misquoting the prophet Jeremiah 31:31, the Church makes the false claim that God made a new testament by replacing the old covenant. However, reading what Jeremiah wrote, he does not mention anything about a new anything. Instead Jeremiah wrote that this time God will put Torah in their hearts instead in their minds. It’s the same Torah—nothing new.

Since Christianity must use the Hebrew Bible to substantiate their Bible, I will use the true holy Hebrew Bible as the Source Bible.

When quoting scriptures, I will quote from the 2,800-year old Hebrew Bible (taken from the Hebrew Chabad Judaica Press, which has been approved by a certified Board of Rabbis). When comparing these verses to the Christian Bible, I then will quote from the 394 year old standard King James Version, and note otherwise when not.

I want to thank John Stone (www.jdstone.org Christianity Revealed) for all his research in our web site Christianity Revealed. I want to also thank Pastor Craig Lyons from Bet Emet Ministries for his permission to quote him, and special thanks to my wife Edie. Being born a Christian Edie edits my writings and gives me her input as to how a Christian thinks.

Because of her helping me with my book, I have opened her eyes and mind to now question what she has been led to believe all her life. I hope Gaye will also start to question what others have told her.

ENDNOTES:

¹ I have 6 Christian bibles on my desk—KJV, the NIV Study Bible, the Living Bible, the New American Bible, the Jerusalem Bible and the Abingdon Bible on my desk, plus the Jews for Jesus manual. I also have 3 Tanakhs, the Stone Edition with commentaries and the Chabad Tanakh, and the W.G.Plaut commentary of the Torah plus CD Rom’s on Encylopaedia Judaica, Chumash & Tanach with Rashi, and the Psalms and Isaiah commentary of the Jewish sages,—plus of course; Strong’s exhaustive concordance of the bible. I have also subscribed to the Christian Bible Review monthly magazine, and the Book of Jewish Knowledge and the History of the Jewish people helped in my research.

² Pastor Craig Lyons of the Bet Emet Ministries (bennoah 1 @veri zon.net) Craig Lyons M.Div. M.Div. Ms.D., D.D. [Doctor’s degree in Metaphysics and Divinity] 902 Cardigan, Garland, Texas 75040)

Chapter One

GOD AND RELIGION

What is God? The American Indians say God is the Great White Spirit, a spirit that cannot be seen. Islam calls God Allah, another unseen presence, and Judaism calls God Ein Sof, which translates as endlessness, again that which can’t be seen or indeed measured.

According to such descriptions, God is not comparable to other beings. Simply put, God is the Creator of everything and has neither mass nor form, but rather, is beyond the borders of space and time, the very coordinates that define form. The Creator God is "infinite," meaning without limit and containment. It, the Creator is the Alpha and the Omega. It, the Creator created everything.

In order that they know from the shining of the sun and from the west that there is no one besides Me; I am the Lord and there is no other. Who forms light and creates darkness. (Isaiah 45:6-7)

God is the Creator of the dimensions—of length, width, depth, and time. He created space, and everything that is in it, but God has no physical properties and is Himself beyond the laws of nature. God is, in short, King of the universe. God is omnipresent. God is ever present, and beyond comprehension by man.

According to Christianity, Jesus was God incarnated that came down to earth in human form. This is not even logical because throughout the Christian Bible Jesus was found talking to God, and will be discussed later. Since God is omnipotent, and sees into the future and is all knowing, this claim of Christianity is not even logical because why didn’t God tell Moses that his Torah would be replaced and He would have to come down to earth at a later time to die in order for mankind to be saved.

God cannot be more-than-oneness because any differentiation is a feature of physicality. Christian missionaries often give the example of water, steam, and ice as being from the same substance, but this analogy is not rational since that would reduce their God to a physical entity with physical properties that occupy space and time.

Our ancestor Abraham knew God could not be identified with the sun, moon, stars, or other natural phenomena. God said He would not be represented in physical form. Only his presence would be felt by all (Shechinah = Divine Presence). The Tabernacle in Exodus was full of Shechinah, but that doesn’t mean that God in body was in the Tabernacle—just His Presence. And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Mishkan (Tabernacle). (Exodus 40:34 Hebrew Bible)

Christians cite Genesis 18 in their Bible as proof God can come down to earth in human form, but Judaism teaches that Genesis 18:1-4 is about Abraham’s kindness in talking to and taking care of the needs of strangers—actually putting God’s Shechinah on hold.

Now the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre… And he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing beside him, and he saw and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and he prostrated himself to the ground. (Genesis 18: 1-2)

However, the first verse in Hebrew does not say God appeared to Abraham in the physical state, but His Shechinah (Divine Presence) was with Abraham and it was God’s Devine Presence that talked to Abraham. While talking to His Divine Presence, Abraham stopped to attend to the three strangers.

The Church, agreeing with Torah acknowledges that the three strangers were indeed angels, but the Christian NIV Study Bible had to add that one of those angels was Jesus that came down from Heaven during Abraham’s time. Notice that many Christian Bibles, not fully understanding Hebrew couldn’t make up their minds who was doing the talking by capitalizing and uncapitalizing the letter L within the same paragraphs. By the capital L it means royalty, in this case God. Christianity changed all the rules, claiming Jesus was God in human flesh.

This fact is similar to the circumstances that led to the making of the Golden Calf during the Exodus. (Exodus 12:37). Centuries before the Exodus, these people were subjected to statues of the various Egyptian gods, and because of that experience, it was natural for them to desire a god they could see. The result was the Golden Calf. Later, the Church understood this need for imagery, and when Christianity was made the official religion of the vast Roman Empire, Jesus was made into a god people could imagine.

In fact, if one accepts the premise that God has a physical form, it becomes easy to justify any form of idolatry,—any religion could then make an idol to worship. This is why God repeatedly made the prohibition against idolatry, one of the worst of sins. The idea that God would have a physical form is clearly repugnant to God.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth (Exodus 20:4 and repeated himself in Deuteronomy 5:7-9)

At the same time, God our Creator also gave man free will to form nations. The rabbis teach there were 70 families with 70 paths to follow. These seventy nations gave way to worshipping different things in order to gain favor from the elements surrounding them.

POLYTHEISM AND MONOTHEISM

Since God created the stars and the heavenly bodies placing them on high, with this free will these nations thought it was appropriate to praise them—glorify and to honor them. This, they felt, was the Will of God; to elevate and to honor those whom they thought God elevated and honored. The more favors they needed, the more gods they felt they had to worship. This was called Polytheism. Ultimately people soon forgot about God Himself, and they literally worshipped these other forces thinking that the sun and the moon were gods. Thus, the sun god and moon god concepts were born. Once Polytheism established this idea of honoring the heavenly bodies, they began building temples to the stars and offering sacrifices to them, thinking by bowing down before them it would satisfy the will of these gods. God, realizing man’s Free Will warned against this:

You shall neither prostrate yourself before them nor worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a zealous God… (Exodus 20:5)

The human race consisted of two groups—the Poly (many gods) and Mono (one alone God). The monotheistic people had the experience of hearing this one God speak to them at Mount Sinai and accepted His 613 Commandments. After accepting what God told them they became known as Israelites, the children of Israel! And all the people replied in unison and said, All that the Lord has spoken we shall do! (Exodus 19:8)

These people had a special purpose in life—to inform and to be a Light to the Gentle Nations.

Properly told, God never started any religion. What God did was to show mankind how to live in a perfect society. All mankind has to do is to follow His universal seven basic laws.

STARTING A RELIGION

One way to start a religion is to have a charismatic man tell his listeners that God spoke to him OR he saw a sign, and they should now follow him.

• Paul on his way to Damascus, claiming his men heard Jesus speak to him, but later Paul changed his story that they did not hear Jesus. (Acts 9:7 & 22:6-9)

Paul—Acts 9:7 "And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. Acts 22:9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me."

• Roman Emperor Constantine while on a bridge losing a big battle saw a cross in the sky and won the battle.¹

• The Mormon, Joseph Smith at age 14, saw God in a pillar of light spoke to him (before receiving the alleged golden plates).

• Mohammed received a message from God through the angel Gabrielle also having no reliable witness around to verify this event.²

• David Koresh in Waco, Texas claimed God spoke to him alone.

• Jim Jones (Jonestown) also claimed that God spoke to only him.

Of these men each had hundreds and even thousands of followers—but who witnessed God talking to them or seeing any sign? How easy to claim something that cannot be proven! Why didn’t God tell all the followers of those people to listen to their leader just as God told all the Israelites to listen to Moses?

And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I am coming to you in the thickness of the cloud, in order that the people hear when I speak to you, and they will also believe in you [Moses] forever." (Exodus 19:9)

There is an old Chassidic story of a Rabbi who died without leaving any instructions as to which one of his two sons he wanted to replace him as rabbi of his synagogue. This caused a big dispute in the congregation. One group wanted the oldest son while another group felt the younger was more suited. One day, one of the two sons called together the elders of the congregation telling them;

"Last night in my sleep, my father appeared to me in a dream and told me that he wanted me to call together the elders of the congregation in his name and tell them that it is his wish that you appoint me as his successor. One of the elders stood up and said, "You know, if your father wanted you to be his successor, he should have come to us in our dreams, not yours".

NATIONAL REVELATION

The second way of starting a religion is to have God tell everyone what He has in mind through a National Revelation—when God publicly communicates to an entire group of people simultaneously. Over 3,300 years ago, the entire people of Israel heard God speak at Mount Sinai, experiencing a national exposure as told in the Christian Bible and the Islamic Koran.

The event at Mt. Sinai was by far the most significant period in the history of mankind, because millions all heard God (Exodus 12:37) as verified by the two leading religions. It’s obvious, to avoid any doubts, God would have come to all the people at the same time.

God did not make a quiet, delicate appearance at Sinai. The event was spectacular, because the entire people saw the thunder." (Exodus 20:15) The mountain shook, lightning lit up the sky, thunder crashed, and the Divine voice reverberated through the galaxies. The world was shocked into silence. The Torah was literally given through an earth-shattering event.

Jews know the Torah is the Word of God because it tells stories that no man could make up.

How could Moses explain the parting of the Sea of Reeds (the Red Sea)—or the manna falling from heaven feeding the millions leaving Egypt?

• Or providing water for them and their livestock every day if it never happened?

• How did Moses know which 4 animals have a sign of a kosher animal, but not the other animals? (Leviticus Chapter 11)

• How did Moses know if male Jews went to Jerusalem to pray in the Temple three times a year as instructed in Torah, that their family and property would be safe? (Exodus 34:24; Deuteronomy 16:16)

• How did Moses know not to plant their crops in the seventh year? (Leviticus 25:3-6)

The issue is not what Moses knew, but that he had the confidence to trust God to save-guard their land and to provide a bumper crop. No person would invent such laws.

Moses wanted every member of the nation of Israel, even the new generation, to hear and understand the unparalleled revelation when the entire nation felt God’s glory and saw His thunder. In Deuteronomy God told them to remember and never forget the following:

• to remember the Events and the Slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:18-19; 15:5; 16:12 & 24:17-18).

• to remember the Exodus (Exodus13:3 and Deuteronomy 16:12).

• to remember receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 4:9).

• to remember the journey in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2).

• to be a witness to all that He did; to pass on these eye witness accounts (Deuteronomy 4:32-35; 5:1-3; 11:2-7; 29:1-5 & 29:9-16).

• to teach their children, as told in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 & 11:19).

• God instructed the Jews to observe the Sabbath to keep it holy (Deuteronomy 5:12-15)

What if those events never happened! This would have been the perfect spot for the children of the next generation to say, Hey, my father never told me about that. This would have been the time to announce this was just a giant hoax, and that would have been the end of Judaism.

The Israelites heard God tell them Moses had Divine authority and forever listen to the teachings of Moses. (Exodus 19:9) No other religion can make this claim that ALL the people heard God tell them to listen to their charismatic leader. Thus, began Israel’s religious and civil institutions of Torah that are still followed over 3,500 years later.

On the other hand, throughout the so-called NEW testament there are stories of Holy Spirits, Ghosts, angels, and dreams that no witnesses witnessed, knowing full well that no one can confirm or disprove their claims—all they need is faith—blind-faith.

When a person with great charisma convinces other people that he heard God telling him to spread his beliefs with no witnesses, it becomes a false religion with claims of a private revelation. Whereas Jews can confirm their claims of a National Revelation because they know their forefathers heard God instructing them to always remember this event:

". . . diligently keep yourself, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen . . . teach them [what they saw] to your children and your children’s children about the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb [Mt. Sinai] . . . Deuteronomy 4:9-10

HOLINESS

Christianity claims that all the writers of the NEW testament were inspired by God or His Holy Spirit. Who started that claim? Just because someone says their writings are holy, does not make them holy since anyone can make the claim that what they have was Godly Inspired.

People love numbers and feel that numbers make something right. Christians tell Jews there are over a billion Christians and only 13 million Jews, therefore proving Christianity is the ONLY true religion, because why would so many people want to belong to a faulty religion?

But, they have forgotten Islam, the fastest growing religion today. Islam also has over a billion followers making them equal