Chapters 6 & 7

Chapter 6

1) On page 191, why does Jacobs refer to the red heifer as not just "zany" but also "potentially dangerous"? What is his hang up with this particular idea of the bible?

Jacobs views the red heifer as potentially dangerous because when it arrives, it means that the Jewish people must rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. This would not be that bad, IF the place where the temple was, is vacant. BUT this is not the case. The dome of the rock lies on the ruins of the temple, which is where Mohammed ascended to heaven. So to rebuild the temple the Jews would have to tear down the dome of the rock to do it right.

2) How does the following verse describe the author's dilemma as he is half way through his "spiritual journey"?

Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment of men by rote.

This describes Jacob's dilemma because he is praying to God everyday just like the bible says, but he doesn't have faith yet. He is still skeptical of God and religion, so he cannot be completely involved in the religion.

3) How does the author compare the Bible to wikipedia? Do you agree? Explain.

He compares the Bible to a Wikipedia entry by saying that it has evolved just like an entry. He thought is that things in Wikipedia are put together by different people, and just kind of pieced together. The Bible is like this because many different people wrote the stories that are in the Bible, then they have been translated and transformed into modern language. This shows that the Bible is like Wikipedia because both are pieced together from many different authors.

Chapter 7

1) On Page 208 Jacobs is told to stop using the Bible as a "self help" book. Based on the the information given by his adviser Yossi what is the role of religion and why is Jacobs on "thin ice?"

Yossi says that religion is not just about helping yourself, but praising God as well. Yossi says that Jacobs is on thin ice, because he is looking to the Bible for self help when he should be glorifying God and Praising him.

2) On page 219 - 220 Jacobs describes his experience of being "hit" with a realization like a punch in the stomach and then he "praises the Lord." What was his realization and how does this reconcile a problem he previously had in his search of religion?

Jacobs earlier problem was that he wasn't able to praise God sincerely. This realization opened the door for him to do that. He understands now that God did not create everything and make everything so good for his benefit, but for ours. This allows Jacobs to connect on a deeper level than he has before with God.