Religion Today

In 622 BC King Josiah's Priest Hilkiah found a scroll, the "Book of the Law" which is thought to be Deuteronomy chapters 12-26 with a few additions.   King Josiah read it and instituted major political and religious reforms, including changes in the Temple and local worship.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner describes the two views of Josiah's reforms:  (1) the people, the Dead Sea Scrolls and 1 Enoch imply Josiah's reforms were not sanctioned by God, resulting in God allowing Josiah's death, Jerusalem and the Temple to be destroyed and the Jews exiled; and, (2) Josiah's reforms were good.  Martin describes why it is likely Josiah removed the original Menorah from the Temple, which was also called the "Tree of Life" and prophecies of its Latter-day restoration.

Jesus' words in Luke 11:50 imply the last of the "Old Testament" or scriptures in his day was the scroll, now known as the book of 2 Chronicles.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner provides other examples showing the scriptures in Jesus' day were very different from the Old Testament we have today. For example, Jude 14 quotes "Enoch the seventh generation from Adam[.]"  Earlier in Jude in some early manuscripts there is a quote of a description of Michael having a dispute with Satan over Moses' body.  This is a quote from an unknown work.  Matthew 2:23 says the prophets say, "He shall be called a Nazarene" but the source for this quote is now unknown.  These and many other examples are provided showing the scriptures at the time of Jesus and the Apostles were quite different from our Old Testament today. 

The remnants of the Tower of Babel described in Genesis chapter 11 have been found.  In this episode of Religion Today host Martin Tanner explains how many sources outside the Bible confirm The Tower of Babel account was based on Etemenanki, an ancient Babylonian Ziggurat (stepped pyramid) about 298 feet high, located 56 miles south of what is today Bagdad, Iraq.  Genesis 10 says Shen, Ham, gentiles and their descendants all had different languages.  Thus, Genesis 10 seems to contradict the Genesis 11 assertion that before the Tower of Babel, the people of the earth all spoke one language.

Have you wondered when and for what purpose the Old Testament was written; and how it got its name?  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner provides an overview of when the Old Testament was written in the form we have it (about 623 BC).  He describes how we miss the meaning of some of its narratives due to cultural differences.  Martin then describes way the Jewish Faith understand the Tanakh (Old Testament), and about major Bible translations, when they were written and for what purpose.

Have you heard of Howard Zinn?  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner describes how pseudo-historian and propagandist, Zinn, in his book "A People's History of the United States" through its influence on high school teachers and university professors, has turned young Americans against the U.S., its Constitution, religion, Christopher Columbus, Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Kennedy and other genuine heroes of history, by twisting the U.S. from a country based on freedom into a racist, imperialist nation.  Tanner suggests a source to combat against Zinn's awful book.

Host Martin Tanner interviews Egyptologist, Professor Kerry Muhlestein, PhD, on the Book of Abraham.  Prof. Muhlestein explains why the papyri on which the Book of Abraham text was written were burned in the Great Chicago Fire, and are not among the few fragments obtained from the New York Metropolitan Museum in the 1966.  Prof. Muhlestein also explains the Joseph Smith must be a true prophet because he correctly translated and described the meaning of ancient Egyptian beliefs, artifacts and ancient locations, all of which were entirely unknown during Joseph Smith's life time.

In this second of a two-part series on possible ways to understand difficult stories and versus in the Bible, host Martin Tanner explains how the real 2021 Newspaper and TV accounts of a New England lobster diver who was swallowed by a Humpback whale, and lived to tell about it, may help explain the story of Jonah in the Bible.  Martin also discusses what happened to those resurrected immediately after Jesus as described in Matthew, and how to possibly understand the "giants" mentioned in Genesis 6:2.

In the first of a series of shows, host Martin Tanner describes ways to understand difficult to grasp and understand Bible stories that seem strange, odd, bazaar and are difficult to understand.  These include the following:  How could Eve be created from Adam's rib?  How could a serpent or snake talk and tempt Adam and Eve?  Did sons of God (deity) come to earth and have children with human women as Genesis 6 describes?  Were they giants?  How could a bush burn but not be burned up, when Moses saw God of God's angel in Exodus?  These and other strange Bible versus are discussed.

The Old Testament is as relevant today as it ever has been.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner explains why it is still relevant and gives tips on how to more easily understand it.  "Genesis" comes from a Greek word meaning "beginning."  Genesis describes the beginning of the earth, heaven, sun, moon, stars, the human race, plants, animals, evil, Israel (God's people), the Jewish religion and many other beginnings.  Understanding Genesis and the other Old Testament books is much easier using the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) or Martin's favorite, the Contemporary English Version (CEV).  Do not look at Genesis as a scientific text-book, but instead a description of the model the Jews had to understand the beginning of everything.

Now in its 32nd year Religion Today begins 2022 with host Martin Tanner quoting the Apostle Paul about evil in the Last Days.  Brigham Young is quoted from the Journal of Discourses.  Ideas for New Year's resolutions are presented; and, about acquiring knowledge before being zealous in religion and politics.