My Formal Introduction To Steemit Community

Hello everyone

This is my formal introduction to the Steemit space. My name is Philip Joseph Brenman according to my certificate of entry this time around and my earthly coordinates are as follows. I was born in from Denver, Colorado, USA (39.7392° N, 104.9903° W), but have been living in Arequipa, Peru (16.4090° S,71.5375° W) with regularity since 2009.

STEEMIT 2 .jpg

Arequipa is located in the southeastern part of the country and really is one of the major commercial hubs on the South American continent, primarily because if you are traveling by land transport from the north on the Pacific side and you want to get to the Atlantic side, then the quickest and most direct route is through Arequipa.

Well… I’ve had a long history with this country that may go into another lifetime--- who knows? Nevertheless, Peru has always held a fascination for practically anyone who has ever laid their eyes on a photo of Machu Pichu or the Nazca Lines.

For me, of course, there has always been that pull, but how I came to be here is another story. It was in 1993 when the seed was really planted by sponsoring a child through an organization called Compassion International, a nondenominational evangelical ministry that provides support for children in over 28 countries around the world and when asked from what country I would like to sponsor a child, I said Latin America. A few days later a child packet showed up in the mail -- back in the days before email -- with the photo of an 8-year old boy named Natanel Rojas Gutierrez. So I came to Peru to visit him and his family for the first time in 1999, as well as making my pilgrimage to Machu Pichu. I have yet to go back and how greatly I desire to do so. Below is a photo of Natanel and me with his three younger brothers in the jungle town of Satipo on the east side of the Andes taken in 2004.

Satipo (1).jpg

At that time, I was a regular churchgoer, studied the Bible a lot and I thought I wanted to be a missionary. That trip really defined the second half of my life as I connected with some missionaries that opened up the door to come to Arequipa. Yet sadly my adventure here has not turned out the way one might expect it to be. Cultural adaption to the realities of another country can be quite the challenge especially when one comes expecting to find the same efficiency of the United States to be exactly the same here. Things that might be accomplished back in the States in one day can often take upwards to several weeks or even more here in Peru.

During this time, as a result of my church-goings both in Peru and back in the States, I inevitably came to the conclusion that I was never going to fit in with any these so-called religious organizations because I always asking the pastors the difficult questions they could never answer. Finally, in 2012, I sat down and cranked out a 20,000-word exposition summarizing my reasons for exiting the church scene and titled it: “Exposing the Blind Spot of the Evangelical Church/ If the blind lead the blind they both fall into the ditch.”

Though I was somewhat satisfied with what I had written, I knew the road to making it suitable for publication plus the promotion of it would be much more of a task than what I had done so far, so it was put up on the top shelf and forgotten about. Two years later, I shared what I had written with a close friend who was very supportive of the content encouraging me to continue with what I was doing so I produced another 20,000-word dissertation bringing new material to be considered and this time I called it the “ The Relevance Today of Biblical Archaeology and Scholarship.”

Nevertheless, my attention, for the most part, had been focused on recouping some money from a business project that I initiated in 2004 in which I started out with the highest expectations; but ultimately, in the end was faced with the recognition that it was a "dog that was never meant to hunt." In 2016, the project reached its natural closure where I recovered only a very small portion of the total money invested. It had consumed 12 years of my life; ironically, the length of time it takes to go from kindergarten to graduate from high school. In December my father passed away at the ripe old age of 98. Below is a photo of him and me back in 2003 just prior to one of my departures for Peru.

Dad and I. Oct2008 _0001.jpg

As I look down the final stretch of this year, it is very clear that that now is the time to integrate the ideas which I have offered for consideration in each writing project by eliminating sections that overlap while bringing other material together which complement and support the arguments being introduced, this time calling it: “Rethinking Christianity in the Light of the Scientific Method and Honest Biblical Research.”

My objective really is to bring to the table many important facts of history concerning the book which has essentially been the linchpin of western civilization with the intent to receive feedback from the Steemit community who recognize their importance in putting the pieces of the puzzle together regarding the true origins of Christianity.

Below is a general table of contents of the format to be presented, hopefully, on a weekly basis.

  1. Is the Bible Truth? Challenging some basic assumptions
  2. Reason and the Scientific Method applied to Biblical Study: There are two approaches to studying Scripture: one leads to truth and the other leads to error
  3. Geology, Astronomy and Archaeology and the interpretation of Scripture
  4. Can the Bible be relied upon as an accurate historical document?
  5. Fact or Fiction: the Exodus, the Conquest of Canaan, the Rise of the David and the Golden Age of Solomon
  6. The Historicity of Jesus Christ as represented in the Gospels: Did those events really happen?
  7. Is the Bible a book of the Roman Church?
  8. Why People come to Christ
  9. Being Right as Opposed to Knowing who we are
  10. The Doctrine of Eternal Torment: Does Hell Exist?
  11. Did the Early Church believe Reincarnation?
  12. Is Gnosticism the true Christianity? Where do we go from here?

It can never be underscored too many times the importance of developing a panoramic scope of our history, which includes an overview of the various doctrines of Christianity. Ultimately it is about understanding our true origins as the human species – what is the true significance of creation story and the garden of the Eden? All of us are awakening to the reality that most everything we have been told is a lie and much our work is about untangling ourselves from the convoluted system of beliefs we have accepted as truth. These systems of thought rather bringing humanity together so that we might solve the important problems confronting us as a global community continually are used as a wedge to drive us apart. So irrespective of your faith -- Christian Buddhist, Muslim, agnostic, or atheist we will be digging into the heart controversy to find out the truth.

This is a summary of my intellectual and spiritual journey spoken out of necessity and obligation. I really have no choice but to give a clearer and more precise understanding concerning the path I have walked and my conclusions as to how the spirit of truth works within us. Its function primarily is to guide the thought processes of the mind to think with absolute clarity on the subject at hand; additionally taking into consideration all previous knowledge and experience into the equation so that we might make a fully informed decision as the direction we need to move in. That is pretty much it, in a nutshell.

So if you are intrigued by what I have presented so far, please give me a vote up.

With highest regards to the Steemit community. I am really humbled by this opportunity.

Philip J Brenman

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Welcome to this wonderful community @pjbnikao

This is great, I'll keep my eye on you! Combining the fields of science and theology has been something that has interested me since I was a teenager. They fit together in my head at least!

I live full time in Colombia; I like the Southern part of America even better than the north, even if I have to take a bus for six hours to get to the Colombian version of home depot, HomeCenter.

I'm actually involved with a not-dissimilar project called Batman and Jesus. I can't wait to read more of what you've written and maybe exchange notes.

Oh jeepers I posted the link to the old trailer.

I'm following you, my husband and live in Tulsa and as soon as business here is finished, hopefully by the end of 2018, we want to move to Peru. You have written a wonderful introduction. Wishing you the best!

You want to move to Peru? Do you have any particular place in mind?

Somewhere on the outskirts of Lima, we've been talking rather seriously about moving where the cost of living won't eat up our retirement savings. We have researched how much retirement funds we need to move to Peru easily. I guess the country likes retired Americans that have a healthy savings account. I also have friends that live in the city of Lima from Europe and they love Peru. There is a very nice Dzogchen community which are students of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, he is also one of my Buddhist teachers. http://melong.com/chogyal-namkhai-norbu-in-peru/

I grew up in on the Cascade Range of Oregon, way in the backwoods on a little hill farm with an outhouse when I was younger and iffy electricity...hahaha so South American adventures sounds like it may bring back childhood memories.

Tulsa, OK. That's right smack in the middle of bibleville. Anything in what I presented in my introductory letter grab your attention.

Your waking up to dysfunction in religious institutions corruption but that's just the institution, scaffolding, that's all...

I've woken up to that a long time ago. What I intend to present is just a summation of my thinking put down on paper a couple of years back. When I stumbled into Steemit, it seemed to be a worthwhile platform to stimulate converssation.

Steemit will be a good place to store your paper, blockchain is forever lololol
I will read your papers! My favorite Christian book is Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis🌀

Scaffolding! How apt!

Wow... Fascinating read. I've followed you to see more of your posts. Kindly follow back

I've noticed that you haven't posted anything at this point. What really caught your attention?

hi there :) welcome to steemit!

Hi Philip, That is a monumental post. I tend to think that your realisations, while revelatory to you personally, are a much traveled road.

You've obviously done a lot of writing over the years to set out your thoughts; I wonder what reading you've done. I tend to think you will find many kindred souls out there, as well as serious scholarship on the matter. To be more than a lone voice shouting in the wind, you need to engage with the ideas of others and situate your work in context with the work of others.

Now, you may have done this, but it's not mentioned in your post here. You refer only to your own personal experiences and writings. I didn't see anything of what you may have read, or what other like-minded, or other-minded authors you have researched or engaged with.

Please take this as advice, rather than just criticism (though I hope that it is constructively critical advice). I've spent some years teaching philosophy at a university, so you can even look at it as freebie professional advice.

Good luck to you!

well... I've posted what I have written in the religion section hoping to stir up some conversation there, but haven't gotten a response yet. Concerning interesting reads, I might recommend the Bible Unearthed by Israel Finklestein... he sits at the head of the archelolgy department at the University of Tel Avi. For anyone who wants to get their historical model of Israel as represented in the Old Testament shattered, this book will do it. Bart Erhman is pretty good when it comes to textual criticism. There is so much information out there that completely destroys the Bible as an accurate historical document, it is rather mind blowing , if you want to go looking for it.

If you're waiting for substantive response to your ideas, steemit might not be the best place. I'm only new here too, but so far I have the impression that the system encourages a lot of fast interaction - upvotes, resteems, "Hi, your post is good! Follow me back!" as I think you're already noticing with the majority of replies here. In depth interaction may be possible, but I think we'll have to spend time and effort and time waiting for those with similar interests, who are willing to spend the time (again) to find each other and read, think and engage.

As for your subject matter, what are you aiming at? Why is the historical accuracy of the Bible important? Surely, it's the message that's important; messages can be conveyed through allegory, often better than through truth. Are you trying to convince others? (tip: you will never convince anyone who believes - they will always shift the goal posts, no matter what evidence you present) or are you still trying to convince yourself?

Has your loss of faith in institutions and literal translations also caused you to question your faith more broadly? In the wake of the beliefs you have lost, are you still trying to work out what to replace them with? (Disclaimer: I am an atheist.)

I don't consider myself an atheist. Theologically speaking I might consider myself a Deist of whom Thomas Jefferson and many of the founding fathers who wrote the Constitution. I would probably say I lean towards gnosticism which the Rome had to destroy , in order that ecclesiastical order would reign supreme. That is very clear in the historical record which I cover in what I have written. The human machine and brain is such incredibly refined piece of machinary to say that we all what happened by accident.

I'm not an American, so not familiar with the particular religious beliefs of US founders. Gnosticism covers a wide range of beliefs (as does Christianity itself); does your version include Christ? The historical record of Roman Catholic intolerance of anything they considered heresy is widely known and accepted.

I will take issue with you on your last comment, though. The "happened by accident" line is one often put forward by 'intelligent design' proponents, but it's what is known in philosophical terms as a 'straw man argument'. That's where you misrepresent your opponent's argument to make it easier to refute.

Evolution does not advance by accident. It is a teleological process: the goal being survival. Each singular mutation may be accidental, but which mutations make it through to the next generations is not an accident.

Just imagine you had a jar of different coloured jelly beans. You hate yellow jelly beans - this gives yellow jelly beans a high chance of surviving. You take out a handful. You eat most jelly beans, but throw the yellow ones back. You come back later, take another handful, throw the yellow ones back, and so on. After a while, any colour other than yellow will be very difficult to find. Uniformity has been created from diversity by way of a targeted campaign carried out on each random sample.

In this process, the jelly beans you take out on each occasion is like the mutations: what is in your hand is random. But the survivors that live on are not determined randomly, they are determined by selection - being non-yellow takes that bean to an early death, removing it from the 'gene pool'.

The brain is incredible machinery, and it is difficult to comprehend how it could be the result of natural processes. But, if you think about it, a creator is even more incredible. I've never understood why people think that coming up with something even more incredible is a good way to explain the first incredible thing.

Very thoughtful exchange beachhermit! On teleology: you are suggesting that the drive is completely natural? Unlike, say, Ken Wilber, who asserts some mysterious​ eros?
And what about the idea that humans are not dealing with God per se; but rather, intermediary beings whether E.T. or Archons. In such a case God would not be relevant​, but​ maybe some kind of impersonal nondual ground.
If you're​ interested head over to Integral World and read some of Joe Corbett's metaphysical speculations as far as new ideas in science.

Oh, yes, Philip, I've long considered Christian Gnosticism ( not to be confused with Judaic Gnosticism) as being a more coherent view of the Kristo's, but there are problems with that, too; namely, even a Gnostic Jesus who wasn't born of a Virgin, or die on the cross for sin had to have existed as a human! And, there is mounting evidence no such person existed, period........It wouldn't necessarily mean Gnosticism isn't true, but would really muddy the waters as far as trying to figure out the who of all these shenanigans.....
A longtime​ Christian friend of mine showed up last year claiming Alpha-Draconian lizards and Grey aliens are responsible for all this religious madness (control mechanisms...​.

Let's not say mounting evidence. I would be more inclined to say overwhelming evidence is that the Gospel records are complete and total fabrication out of Rome. There is an interesting book which I have not read – called “Cesars Christ” which aligns the ministry of Jesus with the intinerary of Titus when he came and conquered Jerusalem.
You can really begin to see into Roman history from their point of view . The way it really it was back then. Christians view the Roman times through the Gospels… they make the categorical error of assumimg it is an accurate historical record.
The reality is Roman had a problem with the Judeans who would not bow their knees to them so they had the Romanized Jew --- Josephus—totally connected on the inside aristocracy of Rome to put together a story. We are constantly being fed stories by the FakeNews network , right. The doctrine of eternal torment—let’s keep them in fear Ecclesiastis says: “There is nothing new under the sun.” It’s same old, same old, same old.” The question is how do we get off the fucking merry-go-round.
Gnosticism is about direct experience with the cosmoslogical Chrsit... who is seated at the right-hand of the Most High. Churches can screw up your thinking but you just can't through the baby out with the bath water. You'll just have to follow my next post. Our authority is truth... wherewe find it, Light exposes darkness,

Hi Andrew. Thanks. It seemed to make sense when I wrote it but it was getting pretty late; so nice to learn that it resonated with someone.

I'm not familiar with Ken Wilber, but is it something like a Gaia hypothesis, where some sort of collective spirit guides for the good of the planet?

There are so many ways to provide an over-arching story that ties together what we see: gods, aliens, spirits. I think that those stories are there because, just as nature abhors a vacuum, the human mind abhors a lack of purpose. We are desperate to tie the strings together in neat, elegant bows.

When I was in my teens, I sometimes thought how wonderful it would be to have the surety that belief brings. The Hari Krishnas always look so happy banging their drums and dancing down the street; evangelicals take enormous comfort, even in hard times, that things are as they are for the best of reasons. I never could bring myself to believe wholeheartedly in anything, though.

I believe in what is measurable. I acknowledge that there are plenty of things we can't explain yet, but if it's a choice between saying, "I don't know" and "something mysterious and invisible did it", I go with the first choice every time.

Concerning evolution I've never really considered it. You’ve got two camps -- the creationists and evolutionists. You are no doubt familiar with Zacharia Sitchen and the Annunaki and that we the human race are actually the result genetic manipulation of Neandrathal man. Look at where we are in genetic science where can actually begin to design our children in advance. Mind blowing concept isn't. Nothing has changed and the Annunaki needed intellegent yet obedient slaves to mine gold for them. There are just so many unanswered questions out there, sometimes I just don't know where to go when I am minining for truth. Thanks for extending your hand and showing an interest in what I've put together. I really want to create a community here on line which I've never done before. Right I got to figure out a way to start generating some income. I’ve just suffered a huge loss on my crytos – fortunately, not all, but right now it is proceed with caution.

Evolution is a fact although we still do not know what was there or what happened at the very beginning of the scientific worldview (known as the big bang).
Yes, I read all of Sitchen in the '90's. I consider the God hypothesis to be consistent with alien overlords. But as far as proof of that assertion? It doesn't fare much better than religious claims.
Yes, well, we are all being demonetized by the billionaires as they suck​ up the 'wealth of the commons' into their pockets.....

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You sound like a fascinating fellow! Welcome :)

I'm looking to create a community of friends. Please read what I have written and give me some feedback.

I did read your post and found your questioning of mainstream religious "givens" interesting, and I have found myself deep in thought on topics along those lines as well. As far as your fondness and connectivity with Peru, I relate to that as well, though another place captures my attention like no other. I think, for me at least, that it is a result of energy from other incarnations. :)

Welcome to the exciting Steemit community @pjbnikao. I look forward to more posts from you.

Well, religiosity is an evolutionary fact. But religious claims from the axial age as interpreted literally are fallacious; we know this, it's indisputable.
I do take it one step further and not only call into question the historicity of Jewish tribal mythology, but also question the historicity of The Buddha, too....
Having said that, I do believe things are extraordinarily​ strange on this planet and believe, personally, as speculation, that humanity is dealing with Archons.
Interesting post:)