“For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Mt. 12:37

     Brother James isn’t against everything in Fossilized Customs, but has made statements in his article that affirm what I've revealed in my book; but then he went on to make statements that show that he has misunderstood other things I had to say, for example, about the "cross" symbol.  The “cross” symbol was brought into the Christian faith during the reign of Constantine, and was never a symbol of anything but sun worship before that; but James chooses to believe otherwise.  The word CRUX was introduced in the latter 4th century when Jerome translated the Greek texts into Latin, producing the word and idea of “cross” for the first time (in the worship of YHWH).  The underlying Greek had nothing but “pole” (stauros) in the place of this word.

James Lloyd: ”Curiously enough, Lew White actually defends the falsely named “star of David” even as he reviles the cross of Jesus!  Regarding what Stephen called “the star of your god Remphan,” author White erroneously states “The ‘star’ is really Dawid’s NAME, written in two palaeo-Hebrew letters….” (page 127).”

     Notice how that is phrased;  I never intended to say that I believe the "star" mentioned by Stephen was Dawid's NAME, but I did say the the seal or "star" used by the Yahudim today represents the name of Da'ud (David), written in two palaeo-Hebrew letters, and is disassociated with the "star" of a Pagan deity.   It seems that James is under the impression that the “star of Rompha” (or Kiyyun) mentioned at Acts 7:43 by Stephen was the seal of Da’ud used by the Yahudim today.  But, it is my opinion that it could have been the symbol of Shamash, the solar deity of the Sumerians, which looks exactly like the “star of Bethlehem” seen in many illustrations.  Who’s right?  I wouldn’t attack brother James over his opinion of the seal of Da’ud, but why is it that the two triangles are in fact the ancient Hebrew letter “dalet”, which later became the Greek letter delta?  Da’ud (called “David” today) is spelled dalet-waw-dalet.   The "star of David" is not a star, but the king's seal.

Here is a necklace-piece showing the "star" of Shamash, discovered in the land of Israel:

  Do you suppose there's any chance that this is the "star" mentioned at Acts 7:43?

     In his statement quoted above, the way brother James has framed his words, it seems that I “revile” the fact that Yahushua has given His life and covered us with His atoning blood.  This is far from what my book says; I revile the Pagan origin of the cross symbol which was brought into the faith centuries later when men were attempting to blend-in Pagan customs.  “Missionary adaptation”, "syncretism", or “inculturation” are the official words used for the revisionism foisted upon men’s minds in order to camouflage or bury the original meanings behind customs and symbols.  James, like most other innocent victims of these conspiracies, has chosen to just accept the symbol of the cross.  The real facts are hard to take:

“Thanks to Constantine, the symbol of Christianity is the cross symbol.  The 1965 World Book Encyclopedia vol. VII states:

The ancient symbol of life to the Egyptians was the crux ansata, or ansate cross (ankh or anchor), and began to be embraced by Coptic Christians from their Pagan surroundings.  The 1945 Encyclopedia Americana states,

“The symbol of the cross was used throughout the world since the later Stone Age; Greek pre-Christian crosses were the tau and swastika; the cross first became a symbol of Christianity during the reign of Constantine.”  quoted from Fossilized Customs, page 95.

     For people who slow down and actually read my book, the implication that we’ve been lied to and deceived in a variety of ways over the centuries is both shocking and challenging; but if a person goes into attack mode to defend what should not be defended, then they are simply in denial. I know how much it hurts to learn the truth, but I chose to let go of the guile, and hold fast to that which is true. The Messiah’s work stands firm and unchanged in the record; but we need to correct the flaws and leave the errors of traditions behind us.  The Truth will set us free from errors that would otherwise lead us astray or confuse.   So, the Catholics who readily admit they gave us "Sun-Day" for the Sabbath, also gave us the ancient solar symbol of Shamash, the CRUX.    Surely brother James would like to know he wasn't being brainwashed or programmed by Catholic doctrine.   But, they are the only source for any idea like a "cross" being mixed-up with our Messiah.   Yahushua was hung on a tree, and carried the BEAM (Hebrew, NAS, Greek, STAUROS) on which He was lifted up.   Pagan associations, including symbols used by Pagans, are very disturbing to Yahuah (Dt. 12).   He told us not to adopt them, nor worship Him in any way that Pagans have used.    So, that makes me a rebel  -  against the Catholic programming.   By the way, the same century that the "CROSS" came into the faith, Constantine's mother Helena journeyed to Yerushalayim and claimed to have dug up the original "CROSS", and brought it back with her.   What a handy mom.  Since that time, the Catholics dispersed chips of this "cross wood" by placing a small piece into each of their "altars".   They are fabulous relic collectors, which includes human remains;  each altar slab contains 5 relics which their priesthood kiss during their ritual called the "mass".  There are bits of bone, clothing, and "cross wood" in these altars.  How scary is that?   Today, it has been estimated that for each Catholic altar to contain even a small fragment of the "cross wood", if the chips were brought together in one place, they would fill several railway cars.   Maybe it's like the loaves and the fishes  --  or some people are being lied to   --   you choose.   If they lied about anything, then don't trust anything they say that's connected to that lie  --  and the "cross" is definitely a Catholic article.

     In regard to the "star of David", I only conceded that it is a secular symbol, the name of the king; it's the Christians who have given it an evil reputation, mostly due to their anti-Semitism.  Since Pagans adopted it too, much later on, as they did the symbol of the serpent on the pole, Christians have assumed the seal of Da’ud originated in Paganism. (Note here that Yahushua referred to the “pole”, not a crux, at Yn. 3).  If I tell people that the seal of Da’ud represents the name of Da’ud in 2 palaeo-Hebrew letters, that’s not a justifiable reason to condemn me before the whole world.  All of this is only a smokescreen for the real reason for this disagreement: we will be reviled before men for primarily two reasons: the Name, and the Commandments.  It's refreshing to see that I'm being attacked on these two points also.  Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities of wickedness that seek to blot out Messiah’s true Name, and mislead people by annulling His Commandments.  "Lashon hara" (Hebrew for the "evil tongue") is activity we don't engage in toward others -- it would be best to suffer in silence as our Rabbi Yahushua (or Yahusha) did. If we are correct, and suffer persecution for it, we will be rewarded in the resurrection. We must love our enemies. The word “Christian” is used 3 times in Scripture, and it is a GREEK word.  When I wrote that the first disciples were called Natsarim (Acts 24:5), brother James went into attack mode again:

James Lloyd: ”For example, at one point he attempts to make a sharp distinction between the “Nazarenes” as the true followers of Yahshua (the Hebrew name of Jesus), and the “Christians” spoken of in the book of Acts. The “sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5) is only mentioned once, as is the verse that says “…the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). In this context, he states “The Nazarenes existed for centuries before a ‘Christianity’ did.” (Fossilized Customs, page 71) This is ridiculous, for the sect of the Nazarenes was a first century group of believers that was essentially synonymous with the early Christian church.”

     I beg to differ, since even the early Christian “Church Fathers” spoke of the Natsarim, and considered them to be heretics:

“It is important to say something about the Nazarenes, as documentation of their existence and beliefs gives us much insight on how the early believers in Messiah thought and lived. The fourth century 'Church Father', Jerome, described the Nazarenes as "those who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease to observe the Old Law" (Jerome; On. Is. 8:14). Yet another fourth century Church Father, Epiphanius, gave a more detailed description of them:
“We shall now especially consider heretics who.. call themselves Nazarenes; they are mainly Jews and nothing else.   They make use not only of the New Testament, but they also use in a way the Old Testament of the Jews; for they do not forbid the books of the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings ... so that they are approved of by the Jews, from whom the Nazarenes do not differ in anything, and they profess all the dogmas pertaining to the prescriptions of the Law and to the customs of the Jews, except they believe in Messiah ... They preach that there is but one God, and His Son Yeshua the Messiah.   But they are very learned in the Hebrew language; for they, like the Jews, read the whole Law, then the Prophets ...They differ from the Jews because they believe in Messiah, and from the Christians in that they are to this day bound to the Jewish rites, such as circumcision, the Sabbath, and other ceremonies. They have the Good news according to Matthew in its entirety in Hebrew. For it is clear that they still preserve this, in the Hebrew alphabet, as it was originally written”. (Epiphanius; Panarion 29; translated from the Greek).  There is evidence that the Nazarene Sect continued to exist until at least the 13th century. The Catholic writings of Bonacursus entitled 'Against the Heretics', refers to the Nazarenes, who were also called 'Pasagini'. Bonacursus says: “Let those who are not yet acquainted with them, please note how perverse their belief and doctrine are.  First, they teach that we should obey the Law of Moses according to the letter - the Sabbath, and circumcision, and the legal precepts still being in force.  Furthermore, to increase their error, they condemn and reject all the Church Fathers, and the whole Roman Church.”]”  Fossilized Customs, pg. 85.   A man named Marcion forbade the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, and emphasized only what was written in the “New Testament” - thus a marked division of Scripture was established, and Hebrew writings were hunted down and destroyed as a matter of policy. Even today, the Dead Sea Scrolls are feared by many Catholic and Christian nicolaitans - for what they may reveal.

     The Greek word “Christian” is found in the Greek texts, which people have been told is the “original” inspired text - but this is a myth that is exploding.  The disciples spoke in the Hebrew dialect, Aramaic, and would shudder to have to speak the corrupt tongue of Greek; the conversation of Shaul (Paul) and the Roman commander that took him into custody reveals subtle insights.  When Shaul asked the commander if he could speak to him, the commander said:

Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: “ Acts 21:37-22:1

     If Shaul wanted to speak to his people, he had to speak to them in their language.  Shaul knew several “tongues”, due to his education.  Shaul was a Natsari, not a Christian, since Christianity is entirely of Gentile origins, liturgy, and doctrine - leaving out the core teaching of Yahushua Who came to write His Covenant on our hearts and in our minds (YermeYahu 31, Hebrews 8).  The Christians (originally Catholics) adopted the SCRIPTURES of the Natsarim, yes;  but they pick and choose how they apply them, and have mixed-in (or acculturated) Pagan practices, symbols, and even names as they found ways to do so.   How about that Roman calendar?   It certainly looks suspicious to me.   The distortions they have made are a real piece of work, winding through the Scriptures and flipping away whatever they don't like by simply saying, "Oh, that's Jewish  --  we're Christians;  that was done-away with".   We are to engraft into Yisrael, not Christianity  --  the Covenant is central to our walk, and Messiah Yahushua writes it upon our hearts as our circumcision.   The redeemed of YHWH will find this Truth.

     To accurately determine what I actually wrote in my book, I invite readers to judge for themselves whether I’m a heretic, or rather offer to them a way to break through to a new level of understanding by properly evaluating and testing everything that is taught through tradition, be it symbols, interpretations, language, or the doctrine of salvation.  The book Fossilized Customs is only a threat to the traditions of men, and it will confirm the truth of Scripture 100-fold for those who want their faith to be founded on the ROCK, without any extra padding provided by human interpretations.

     In regard to brother James’ misunderstanding of the two houses of Israel and how Gentiles are engrafted into the Covenant, I refer the reader to look at the web page cited above, www.fossilizedcustoms.com/critic.html.

     In conclusion, I hope brother James will be more discerning of my true intentions for revealing the Pagan influences embedded in Christianity, and know that I hold no ill-will against him in the least.  The initial response to the Truth is understandable after being taught lies that have been handed-down for a thousand years.  When the Truth comes along, it sounds like the rantings of a raving madman.  One bit of advice to James, and all others who seek to prove or disprove doctrines: use the Scriptures for correction.  Scripture is the only thing we absolutely have to follow, and must be used to correct, rebuke, and train us in what is right (correct living).  Our opinions about symbols or even what we call ourselves based on translations (like Greek) need to square with reality - and our Messiah doesn’t have a Greek name or title — men provided that much later.  The original Name should be something any sincere follower would be interested in, not trying to conceal.   Remaining Pagan in our practices wasn't part of Yahushua's plan at all.   The word "Pagan" came into use during the 4th century CE, from the word "pagus", meaning "rural", due to the ignorant folks who came into the cities who believed in all sorts of old deities.   To bring them under the influence of the "new" faith, many of their symbols, ideas, and practices were brought in.  The sophists (like the Church Fathers) used convincing sermons to make it seem all right to do this.

Yahuah bless you all,

brother Lew