Inside Life, Issue 2/2006 1 Inside Life A magazine of understanding Volume 1, Number 2, April 2006 4 CONTENTS Cover story: The Bible — Holy or 4 Holey? Yes, Give it a Go! 8 Relieving stress by growing a garden 8 Is Anyone Helping? 10 Voluntary organisations making a difference 3 Are you a ―Can Do‖ Person? 12 Making the most of your potential 10 12 9 Inside Life PO Box 2709 Auckland Phone: 489 8910 14 Email: [email protected] Editor: Rex Morgan Graphic Design: Lianne Trevarthen Inside Life is a magazine of understanding. Rather than just reporting on life, Inside Life seeks to delve inside the marvellous mystery that is life, to discover what it is all about. What does life mean? Where did it come from? How can we make the most of it? Inside Life seeks insight and answers to life‘s deep Our Cover: The Bible is revered by Christians questions and challenges, and aims to provide articles of as being divinely inspired, sacred, or holy. But lasting hope, help and encouragement for successful living many sceptics feel it is full of contradictions, in today‘s fast-moving world. errors, myths and legends, and rather than being Inside Life is published four times a year, free of ―holy‖, it would be better described as ―holey‖. charge as a community service. Who is right? Our lead article examines this © Worldwide Church of God 2006. All rights reserved. contentious but important issue. 2 Inside Life, Issue 2/2006 en thousand copies of the mystery that is life, and to examine blindly believing the Bible without first issue of "Inside Life" what it is all about. What is the proving it. T were distributed to house- purpose of life? Why are human holds around New Zealand at the beings on the earth? Is there some Our last issue tackled the baffling beginning of the year. We‘ve had a plan behind it? Is there a God? question of ―What happened before pleasing response, with coupons, What happens after we die? "Inside the Big Bang?‖, concluding that the letters and phone calls coming in Life" plans to tackle the deep existence of the intricate creation from addresses ranging from Whan- questions of life, in a simple, under- around us is powerful evidence of garei to Invercargill expressing standable way. the existence of a Creator God. (If appreciation and requesting a you missed this issue and would like regular free subscription to the new Mankind‘s knowledge has increased a copy, please contact us at PO Box magazine. phenomenally in recent years! But 2709, Auckland.) so also have our troubles! We don‘t A recipient in Wellington said that seem to be able to solve the prob- In this issue, we confront the ques- the magazine was ―very interesting lems of war, marriage breakdown, tion of whether the Bible can be and easily readable‖. A Whangarei suicide, depression, crime, poverty – believed or not. Have a look at the reader wrote: ―What a wonderful these conditions are still rampant, evidence provided in our lead article, paper! Things I learned as a child despite our much vaunted techno- and see what you think. and adult came alive. Please logical advances. We hope you will find "Inside Life" continue to send it to me and after I "Inside Life" intends to dig deep and adds a fresh new perspective to life have read it I will pass it on to look at the issues right at the heart, that will cause you to pause for someone else‖. Another reader or the ―inside‖, of life, asking and reflection, and will be of practical noted: ―The content is very interest- answering the important questions help to you. We welcome feedback ing, photos and graphics eye ap- of our existence. We also plan to – positive or negative. Please feel pealing…‖ include articles offering practical free to write to us using the ad- We will try to maintain a pleasing help and encouragement in living a dresses on page 2. appearance, but to the publishers of happier and more meaningful life. — Rex Morgan ―Inside Life‖, the content is the most How can we do this? The publish- important part of the magazine. We ers of "Inside Life" believe there is a intend this publication to have a spiritual dimension to life, and this unique approach. spiritual area holds the key to understanding the deep issues of Other magazines report on the our existence. We will seek to news, on the events, activities and explore this spiritual element of life interests of people. They generally by considering the Bible, which we provide information rather than believe is a handbook given by God insight. "Inside Life", on the other to answer the deep questions and hand, aims to be a magazine of challenges of life. But we have no understanding. Rather than just intention of being ―Bible bashers‖ reporting on life, "Inside Life" seeks with a ―holier than thou‖ attitude! to delve inside the marvellous And we don‘t see any value in Inside Life, Issue 2/2006 3 The Bible — Holy or Holey? By Rex Morgan one whole, with intricate themes Can the Bible be interwoven all the way through it. trusted? Is it really the he Bible is the world’s best selling book – by far. It has Imagine taking say half a dozen word of God, as it claims T been translated into over authors from just one country, New to be? Or is it just a 2,000 languages, and is easily the Zealand, and giving them just one collection of ancient folk most widely read and distributed controversial subject, such as book in history, with hundreds of whether GE or abortions should be tales, fables and millions of copies sold every year. allowed. How much harmony and superstitions? agreement would result? But take But can the Bible be trusted? Is it any subject you like, including really the word of God, as it claims difficult questions of morality and alignment. It begins with a garden, to be? Or is it just a collection of ethics, and the Bible contains a river, a tree of life and an ancient folk tales, fables and comments all through it that add up invitation, and ends, many superstitions? Is it just like any to a harmonious picture. It has one hundreds of pages (and years) other book, written by men, consistent central message, and later, with exactly the same containing some good ideas and even the minor details are all in themes. some bad? Or was it divinely inspired by God? Is the Bible holy, or is it holey – riddled with mis- takes, legends and contradictions? Let‘s take a look at some interest- ing facts about the Bible; some of the reasons people believe it is true. 1. The Unity of the Bible The Bible isn't really just one book, but a library of 66 different volumes, written by more than 40 authors who lived over a span of 1500 years. These writers lived in 10 countries on 3 continents, and represented 20 different occupa- tions, from farmers and fishermen to statesmen and kings. They wrote in a variety of styles, from history and law to poetry and romance. The subject matter Abundance of Bibles: In 2004 members of the United Bible Societies alone contains many controversial topics distributed more than 390 million scripture portions, including 25 million complete capable of strongly opposing Bibles. Additional millions of Bible “aids” and reference books are printed every year. But is the Bible worth studying? From where does it get its remarkable opinions. Yet the book has a pulling power, and its staying-power through centuries of opposition to its remarkable consistency and unity message? The accompanying article points out reasons Christians find the Bible throughout. It is bound together as worthy of study. 4 Inside Life, Issue 2/2006 2. Historical Reliability placed along with the very greatest the atmosphere and the hydrologic of historians.‖ water cycles of the weather, the Thousands (not just hundreds!) of suspension of the earth in space, archaeological discoveries have Another great archaeologist, William the spherical shape of the earth, the verified things written in the Bible. Albright, said: ―Discovery after countless numbers of stars, the Many of these finds have been discovery has established the importance of blood circulation, and catalogued in books such as The accuracy of innumerable details, and many groundbreaking principles of Bible as History, by Werner Keller. has brought increased recognition to good health. Halley’s Bible Handbook includes a the value of the Bible as a source of chapter listing discovery after history.‖ Do you have too many grey hairs? discovery that corroborates the Bible Would you like to do something writings. Websites such as christi- Nelson Glueck, a renowned Jewish about it? How about this for a ananswers.net list many examples. archaeologist, wrote: ―It may be recipe: ―To prevent the hair from Some of these instances have stated categorically that no archaeo- turning grey, anoint it with the blood confounded the critics. For exam- logical discovery has ever contra- of a black calf which has been boiled ple, it used to be claimed that the dicted a biblical reference.‖ in oil, or with the fat of a rattle- Hittites mentioned in the Bible never snake.‖ This recipe comes from the existed -- until the archaeologists Not only archaeology, but also the famous Papyrus Ebers, an Egyptian found their capital and records at writing of many historians, backs up medical book written in about 1552 Bogazkoy, in Turkey.