The most controversial and debated topics of a generation expose its firmest held beliefs. The subject of abortion is a case in point. For one side, religion proves the murderous and godless nature of abortion. For others, abortion rights are pursued and defended with great religious fervor. The sad truth is that the religious nature of abortion is not new. In fact, the scripture says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the son” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). To understand this ancient controversy, consider its origins and opposition.
Many simply define nakedness as the absence of clothing. Yet, the Bible defines it as the absence of sufficient/appropriate clothing. This truth is borne out in the word’s historical use in the English language—nude, bare, empty, but also not fully clothed. Anything less than sufficient clothing was considered nakedness.
From a holy heart comes holy actions and as a result of holy doings come holy feelings. Anything else is a counterfeit holiness.
Apocrypha is the name for 14 books written between about 200BC and AD100. Apocrypha, meaning “hidden” or “secret”, refers to the mysterious nature of their origin. Neither their authors nor the circumstances of their writings are known. Neither the Jews nor the early Christians accepted them as inspired scripture. The books themselves do not claim inspiration. There are no “Thus saith the Lord’s”. Although the New Testament has 263 direct quotations from and 370 allusions to the Old Testament, there is not a single reference to the books of the Apocrypha. It was at the Council of Trent, on April 8th, 1546, that the pope declared tradition and the Apocrypha to be canonical and authoritative. These books teach several false doctrines and contain many inaccurate historical facts.
