Limitations of Experts
It was suggested the other day that we present my analysis of the handwritings of HPB and JFK to expert handwriting analysts to see if they agree with me.
The only problem with this is that there are no experts I know of who know how to compare handwritings of two separate lifetimes for a probable match. Most authorities are only authorities in what they have been trained to look for.
And even in standard forgery work many experts disagree. There should be little disagreement in this area, however, for the detecting of forgery is close to an exact science. Even so, some judgment is required and there is still some disagreement. I’m sure you have heard of court cases where the experts disagree.
I remember a time many years ago that there was a big controversy over some early LDS documents and their authenticity, as it was claimed that Joseph Smith retrieved the Book of Mormon from a lost Spaulding manuscript. What was ironical was that the LDS experts interpreted known Spaulding handwriting in their favor and the anti Mormon experts interpreted against the church. I took a look at the two samples and saw immediately that the two samples were written by two different individuals just as the church had maintained. I noticed that the church experts didn’t seem to be making a good case, however, so I wrote up my analysis giving various handwriting comparisons similar to what I did on HPB/JFK and sent it to church headquarters.
I never heard anything back, but I did notice about a month later that the Church published another defense of their position, this time using some of the comparisons I sent them. I think it must have worked for I never heard of any more attacks along this line from the anti Mormons again.
It is also interesting that expert analysts have disagreed on whether the handwriting of the Mahatma letters was by H. P. Blavatsky. I’m sure that if I could look at them I could tell in a few minutes.
NOTE: I later did an analysis and have posted it HERE
See the link at the end of the post for Part II
Another area where the experts disagree is in the translation of the ancient Biblical Hebrew and Greek into modern English. These ancient languages seem so complicated to a beginner that many would never dare question a scholar or team of scholars it takes to do a biblical translation.
The fact is that many are too intimidated by experts and scholars and if the truth be known an average person with a little common sense is as good a judge as the experts if they have the right materials before them to examine.
For instance, the orthodox translation of Matthew 24:3 reads “Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
“World” her comes from the Greek AION from which the English Aeon, or eon is derived. This signified a definite period of time with a beginning and an end and is more appropriately translated as “age.” Even though this translation should be beyond dispute many of the experts still use the “end of the world” translation.
Over the years I have given you many mistranslations from the Bible that readers have been able to check with their own resources and discover that I spoke the truth and many of the experts were in error.
The sad fact is this. If you are forging new ground and then call the experts in they will often be less likely to see the truth an will the average guy with the facts in front of him.
This is why I painstakingly dissected the two handwritings and placed various elements side by side so you can see and judge for yourself. If you trust your judgment you will be able to be as accurately as many experts.
What do I think another handwriting expert may think if he looked at the web page? Some would find it quite fascinating and others would see the minor differences and go by their training based on comparing two samples living in the same time frame and then criticize my conclusions.
It doesn’t hurt to listen to a true expert, but much more important is to find out some of the details for yourself and get a feel as to how accurate the expert really is.
After all, many of the experts who have done Biblical translations have starkly left out entire words and phrases they didn’t agree with. An expert may have completed the translation, but the average guy with a little common sense will know that something is wrong when words and phrases that do not conform to a belief system are just left out or altered.
I thus designed the HPB/JFK analysis in such a way that the reader can look at the comparisons, use his own mind and come to his own judgment on the matter and be an expert in his own right.
Question: How can we believe the Bible when it is thousands of years old and been through so many translations?
JJ: Most people believe the Bible because they were taught by some authority figure that it is the infallible word of God and to doubt the Bible is like doubting God. Therefore, the safe thing to do is to accept it literally no matter what.
The first thing you need to know is that the written word cannot perfectly represent human thought, let alone the mind of God. To understand what a person is saying who is right next to you often requires reading between the lines. To read between the lines in the study of inspired words one must establish a degree of soul contact and read through the eyes of the soul. Without this the seeker may wind up handling snakes or beating his kid with the idea of pleasing God.
Any work that has spiritual teachings must be read with judgment through the eyes of the soul if true spiritual food is to be ingested. From this aspect the Bible is like any other book.
What makes it unlike most other books is that it has stood the test of time and many of its teachings are as applicable today as they were thousands of years ago.
Do not concern yourself with the Bible existing today exactly as it was first written down. Some passages are very close to the original while others have been altered. Only concern yourself with reading it (if so moved) and sensing the response from your inner being. When that response is positive then pay attention and reflect on what you have just received. Sometimes even a bad translation can turn on the light
Question: Was there a Mrs., Judas and what happened to her after Judas killed himself?
JJ: Has anyone ever thought of her before? Her fate would make an interesting novel.
I believe that Judas has a loosely attached working non married partner that stayed with the group.
The typical reaction for a dedicated spouse is to follow her mate through good or evil. A fictional book on this premise would make for interesting reading. I do not have time to write it but this is a good idea for aspiring writers out there.
“Suggestions, like propaganda, are boomerangs unless they are accepted by those to whom they are sent. So your world is a gift you have given to yourself.” Neville
Jan 12, 2004
Copyright by J J Dewey
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