A recent CNN article entitled "Evangelist accuses Obama of 'distorting' Bible" discusses how Focus on the Family founder, Doctor James Dobson accused Sen. Barack Obama of distorting bibical teachings to fit "his own confused theology." Apparently Dobson had made these comments on his radio show wherein he criticized the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for comments he made in a June 2006 speech to the liberal Christian group Call to Renewal. The article goes on to say:

While Obama's comments revealed his obvious ignorance about the Bible, Dr. Dobson's comments were just as disturbing:

With all due respect to both learned gentlemen, the above comments reveal the proverbial "blind leading the blind" because the comments above reveal that neither gentleman has a good grasp of the "Old Testament."

Let's start by dissecting Senator Obama's comments, first:

• It would be impractical to govern based solely on the word of the Bible.

Impractical for whom? Since when is Yahweh's Word, sent by the Maker of all things, "impractical" to mankind? Isn't He our Creator, the One who made ALL the rules? Yes, let's not let GOD'S Word get in the way of MAN's politics.....

The problem is, most of mankind couldn't care less about YHWH (Yahweh) or His commands, and this includes Christians with their myriad deonominations, who have built an entire religion around the very much misunderstood writings of Paul! Christians (who don't have a clue as to what Torah is and erroneously insist it's the "law" that was supposedly abolished at the cross) as a whole have never stopped to question why the Name of our Savior has been changed, along with the actual dates of His birth, death and resurrection; nor have they asked why Christianity ignores God's commanded Biblical Feasts and instead has opted to celebrate the man-made "holy days" of Christmas and Easter - both of which are steeped in paganism!

• Some passages suggest slavery is permissible.

Senator Obama, as a black man conditioned to conjure up thoughts about America's slavery history, is apparently unaware that slavery in what Christians refer to as the "Old Testament" was not the same as the race-based slavery in the United States during the 1700-1800s.

A thorough reading of the Bible in CONTEXT reveals that man set up the idea of slavery; not God. God no more condoned slavery than He condoned polygyny (which even some Messianic rabbis are attempting to pass off as God-ordained via their limited human mindsets). Fact is, in ancient times some people actually chose to be slaves so as to have all their needs provided for by a master. Others voluntarily sold themselves into slavery (indentured servitude) in order to get out of debt. YHWH never, ever commanded or condoned slavery, especially when it came to the Hebrews/Israelites! But since MAN had come up with the idea, He provided guidance on how to treat the slaves (Deuteronomy 15:12-15; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1).

YHWH made it hard to keep slaves, freeing them every seven years and putting in standards for their proper treatment (which was, by the way, also a common theme with the Apostle Paul; see Galatians and Philemon). MAN'S limited human mindset kept getting in the way THEN and it's STILL getting in the way!

• Eating shellfish is disgraceful.

Senator Obama tossed that tidbit out to make it sound like a bad thing! According to YHWH's Word, shellfish are "unclean" and that fact has never changed! Many Christians insist those rules only pertained to the Jews, but the thing is: If you're a grafted-in believer in Christ, you MUST do exactly the same as His natural children (Numbers 15:13-16)! YHWH, like any other parent, does NOT have separate rules for His adopted children. One God, one set of rules - no matter how many "learned" human minds attempt to twist that fact.

And since God said not to dine on swine and shellfish, who are we to ignore Him and claim otherwise? What made those things "clean" in the meantime? Animals such as pigs and shellfish are the "bottom-feeders" - the garbage disposals of the world that eat dead and rotten meat and anything they can find. YHWH doesn't want those things in OUR systems! Improperly cooked pork and shellfish have KILLED people, so why would we deliberately want to ignore YHWH's command and eat those things?

• Stoning your child if he strays from the faith

Examples can be found in Deuteronomy 21:18-21, Proverbs 20:20, Leviticus 20:9 and Exodus 21:15. Yes, those commandments were meant to be literal although the Talmud states that the death penalty was rarely actually realized - And are there any actual scriptures that tell us so-and-so stoned his children to death? YHWH gave that command for the same reason He killed an innocent animal in the Garden of Eden to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve: To illustrate how awful deliberate disobedience is in the eyes of YHWH who is holy. In other words, "Pay attention, people! Your willful and deliberate sinning will always bring death."

While the Torah death penalties are valid, please notice that the method of execution switched from Israel's stoning people, to YHWH's executing folks for their sins at His own time. In other words, "the wages of sin is death" is a constant in BOTH COVENANTS (Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 6:23). And if it was current and valid for the Apostle Paul, guess who else it's current and valid for?

Surely Senator Obama would never have made that casual statement if he had been aware of the fact that there were numerous criteria laid down in the Torah and Talmud that had to be fulfilled before the death penalty of a disobedient sinner could come about. Briefly summarized, there had to be two witnesses to the actual act, the sinner had to be warned by the witnesses seconds before the act and be made aware of the possible ramifications of his actions. After that, he would have had to be tried by a court which had to have a unanimous guilty verdict in order to pass down a sentence of death.....

And now let's concentrate on Dr. Dobson's misguided response:

• Obama should not be referencing antiquated dietary codes and passages from the Old Testament that are no longer relevant to the teachings of the New Testament.

Question for Dr. Dobson: When, exactly did YHWH abolish the dietary codes? At the cross, you say? Well, that's another Christian misconception, because Yeshua ("Jesus") was the Final SIN Sacrifice; not someone who came to do away with His Father's original DIVINE teaching and instruction!

What passages from the "Old Testament" are no longer relevant to the "New Testament"? Do you, or do you not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - the same Being Yeshua prayed to and obeyed? If so, you need to remember that you are a grafted-in son who is to do exactly the same as the natural children. Why? Because He made His "New Covenant" with the Houses of Israel and Judah, not with the Gentiles or the Christians, or anyone else - He made it with those He had commanded to be TORAH OBSERVANT:

Numbers 15: 13 "'Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 14 For the generations to come, whenever an alien or anyone else living among you presents an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, he must do exactly as you do. 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD: 16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.'"

Contrary to popular belief, Yeshua never, ever said He came to abolish the Torah; He came to abolish man-made, rabbinical ideology! He even SAID SO:

Matthew 5: 17 Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah - not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot (words/commands) and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Has everything happened that must happen? Have heaven and earth passed away yet? Since when does the word "complete" (or "fulfill) mean "abolished"? Why would God abolish His own original divine teachings which He said were to last FOREVER? Did Jesus come to make a liar out of YHWH, God the Father?

And Dr. Dobson - When Yeshua quoted scripture, from what resource did He quote? Certainly not the "New Testament" because the "New Testament" wasn't around then! Yeshua ALWAYS quoted from the Tanach, that ol' "irrelevant" source you seem to have a problem with, which He Himself obeyed. If the "Old Testament" was good enough for our Savior, why isn't it good enough for us? After all, the entire NT points back to the OT!

And before you protest that this was "just for the Jews," please think about this: Where did God ever say He was going to treat His adopted children any different from His natural ones? Torah (the first five books of the Bible which contain all of God's original divine teachings and instruction) is our only blueprint for moral, godly living! The ONLY thing Yeshua "nailed to the cross" was the debt WE owed; the requirement to kill an innocent animal to atone for our sins - which in no way negates the need for Torah! YHWH Himself said that anyone who wants to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is to be Torah observant:

And in case you want to play the "we're under grace, not under the law" card because "God gave us a new covenant," please remember that while YHWH gave believers a "new covenant" He didn't say a thing about a new Torah! Jeremiah 31:32 tells us that Yahweh made His "new covenant" with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah; He did not make a "new covenant" with the Gentiles because He did not have an "old covenant" with the Gentiles. He did, however, extend His grace and mercy to the Gentiles who, once they become believers in Yeshua, automatically become part of "Israel"!

And YHWH told Israel: "I give you good instruction: Do not forsake my Torah" (Proverbs 4:2). And Paul reiterated this when he said: Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. (Romans 3:31)

Does that mean keeping the Torah will "save" you? Of course not! The ONLY thing that will get you into heaven is belief on the shed blood of Christ, our Final SIN Sacrifice!

• "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own world view, his own confused theology," Dobson said, adding that Obama is "dragging biblical understanding through the gutter."

Unfortunately, so are you, Dr. Dobson; sadly so are you....