A Flatfile of the World's Major Religious Texts and Their Relationships to the Decalogue (NLF) for Mathematical Epistemology and Missiometrics 

by
Dallas F. Bell, Jr.

Theological beliefs are the singularity for necessary finite understanding of the eternal past and eternal future (eschatological magnitudes) to determine what is to be epistemologically considered good and evil.  That epistemological vector calibrates all knowledge input according to the basic options or parametrics for all possible individual human behavior called the Decalogue.  The Decalogue is also known as the Ten Commandments.  In systematic political science it is often referred to as Natural Law of Freewill (NLF).   

The first NLF deals with the option of either believing in the infinite God of the first cause or not.  The sixth NLF deals with either believing in intentionally taking innocent human life or not.  Those two examples illustrate that NLF must either be accepted or it must be rejected (Matt. 5:19).  There are no other options for pursuing individual human needs.  That fact gives rise to de trop false premises.  For example, since religions address the same common realities it may be incorrectly concluded syllogistically that all religions have the same God.  There must be a further understanding that the infinite God could only be related to by His finite creation through grace (John 3:16) and people that employ works to become more acceptable to their god(s) indicates finiteness.  Those two types of atonement point to distinctly different theologies (Prov. 28:4).  A syllogism beginning with the acknowledgment of NLF will deductively conclude with the acknowledgment of the infinite God of grace and thereby expose other god(s) as finite and thus inconsistent with truth. 

Mathematical epistemology deals with the relationship between theological beliefs and the epistemological compliance with NLF or noncompliance with NLF.  This relationship is most easily found in the religious texts of the world's major religions (1 John 4:1-3).  The chosen beliefs of adherents to a religion are often codified in their accepted text.  Adherents may choose to oscillate from the text, but will logically use it as their epistemological anchor for reasoning and rationality (Matt. 7:1-5, Luke 6:37). Adherents can then be identified and beliefs/behavior plotted to determine likely decision-making and subsequent probable behavior using the 3-D META formulae.  This information may be useful for both social simulation and for the new field of missiometrics.  The missiological term of missionmetrics was recently coined by David Barrett.  Missiometrics is the collation of raw data relevant to Christian evangelizing for analysis regarding more efficient use of resources (Matt. 28:18-20).  It is hoped that this flatfile will be another tool for that effort (Mark 2:16-17). 

The raw data of this flatfile is organized into columns and rows.  Explanations and definitions of the columns will precede the flatfile whereas explanations and definitions of the rows can be found after the flatfile. 

Explanation and Definitions of the Columns 

--The first column numbers the rows to be explained after the flatfile. 

--The second column is the estimated number of religious adherents in 2007 derived from a variety of credible sources.  Beyond intentional over counting of adherents by a religion, a problem is that adherents may label themselves by more than one religion and inflate numbers.  Another problem is that an individual may consider themselves to be an adherent to a religion, but may not accept the relevant text negating there true adherence to that belief.  This deception would be common for Islam where nonbelievers are to be murdered or enslaved.   

--The third column is the list of the major religions of the world and their accepted text(s) that sets the standard and authority for their beliefs and behavior. 

--The fourth through the fifteenth columns are as follows.

La--The first category of NLF addresses the issue of the relationship between mankind and God.  It is to love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind.  Compliance is possible only if the New Covenant (NC) is complied with. [Matt. 22:37-38, Deut. 6:5]

1--to have no other god(s) requires compliance with the NC and La; [Ex. 20:3, Deut. 5:7]

2--to make no graven images; [Ex. 20:4-6, Deut. 5:8-9]

3--not to take God's name in vain; [Ex. 20:7, Deut. 5:11]

4--to keep the Sabbath day holy (sanctified); [Luke 13:14-17, Ex. 20:8-11, Deut. 5:12-15]

Lb--The second category of NLF addresses the issue of the relationships between mankind.  It is to love thy neighbor as thyself.  Compliance is possible only if the NC and La are complied with. [Matt. 22:39, Lev. 19:18]

5--to honor our fathers and our mothers; [Ex. 20:12, Deut. 5:16]

6--not to kill: [Matt. 5:21-22, Ex. 20:13, Deut.5:17]

7--not to commit adultery; [Matt. 527-28, Ex. 20:14, Deut. 5:18]

8--not to steal; [Ex. 20:15, Deut 5:10]

9--not to bear false witness; [Ex. 20:16, Deut. 5:20]

10--not to covet; [Ex. 20:17, Deut. 5:21] 

A nonexhaustive list of their subsets can be found in the paper titled The Basic META Corpora and Semantic Taxonomy of Systematic Political Science.  Obviously, all references are from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible due to the historic evidence of its authenticity.   

Symbols

(+) Represents a reasonable interpretation (not necessarily a consensus view) of the text in context to be compliant with the NLF.

(--) Represents a reasonable interpretation (not necessarily a consensus view) of the text in context to not be compliant with the NLF.

(?) Represents a reasonable interpretation (not necessarily a consensus view) of the text(s) potential for (non) compliance with the NLF. 

--The sixteenth and last column (Pot.) lists the highest potential societal level for a first world (1W), second world (2W), or third world (3W) system as determined by an analysis of the preceding relationship with NLF according to their religious text(s) in context.   (Given the systematic political science factors such as societal trust quotient (Q), distribution of natural resources (N), and intelligence levels (I), etc.) 

(Note:  Interpretation of the text in context means the whole text is analyzed and may contain seemingly conflicting passages which is usually prioritized by their respective religious leaders and scholars.  For example, the Qur'an has passages that discourages murder and stealing as well as encourages children to honor their fathers and mothers.  However, the text also commands the murder or enslavement (stealing labor) of nonbelievers and considers women (mothers) to be the property of men.  The primary leaders of Islam interpret the murder, slavery and gender inequity to have priority over the other conflicting passages.  That behavior of murder, slavery and injustice results in the lowest societal trust level of Q3.  
 

 
 

Explanations and Definitions of the Rows (Other resources will be needed to augment these introductory notes.) 

1.  There are thousands of Christian denominations that use the Old and New Testament Bible.

2.  The King James Version Bible is used by Protestants for clear compliance with all NLF (Matt. 7:13-14, John 14:6).

3.  Protestants that use extra biblical writing(s) do so because they are adding to or taking away from the Bible.  This is adverse to clear biblical standards (Deut. 4:2, 12:32; Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:18).  This means those adherents have another divine authority and standard for behavior than the biblically infinite God.  They also have a potential for noncompliance with all NLF.

4.  The Apocrypha is an uninspired addition to the inspired Bible.  The perjurer's rule says false in one, false in all.  This puts the adherents' belief in the infinite God of the Bible in danger as well as compliance with the rest of the NLF.  Because if one is false and all is considered false, an extra biblical source may be looked to for the authority and standard for behavior which makes that source the deity.  

5.  If the Apocrypha Bible is augmented by other authoritative writings this is evidence to prove that the adherents have a deity other than the biblical God.  This also creates the potential for noncompliance with all the other NLF.

6.  The definition of cults here describes a subculture of adherents to a dominate religion who interprets that subculture's beliefs to be spurious according to their religious text. All major religions have these subcultures of adherents.

7.  The Mormon's extra biblical writings reflect beliefs in a deity other than the biblical God.  They may in fact be compliant with the other NLF.

8.  Scientology has extra biblical writings that reflect beliefs in a deity other than the biblical God.  They have potential to not comply with other NLF since they do not force beliefs as true.

9.  Rastafarians, largely of Jamaica, clearly have a deity other than the biblical God but may comply with other NLF.

10.  Islam has a deity other than the biblical God and do not comply with other NLF such as not to murder or not to steal through enslaving other people.  However, they may comply with some NLF such as to not make any graven images.  It split into Sunni and Shiite divisions over divergent beliefs in religious leaders.

11.  The largest Muslim group, Sunni adherents emphasize some writings and have subgroups.

12.  The Shiite adherents emphasize some writings and have subgroups.

13.  (See definition number 6 above)

14.  The American Black Muslims have adopted writings that make them unacceptable to the majority of Muslims in the Middle East.

15.  This category is referred to as Quasireligious on page 489 of World Christian Trends, David Barrett and Todd Johnson, William Carey Library, 2001. Todd Johnson explains, "I don't know of a scholarly resource that makes the distinctions" between beliefs beyond the subgroup's statistics of atheists and agnostics such as Darwinists etc.  For the descriptive purposes of this flatfile the category is called Dissonant.  The Dissonant category encompasses the group of finite adherents to faith in finite human authorities and standards for behavior that is anti-God and all NLF on a situational basis.  Thought they reject God, the incongruous adherents must dissonantly relate to the realities of God's NLF and His divine attributes such as love and justice (Psalms 14:1, 53:1, Titus 1:16).  If the decision is made at an early age to be an adherent to this category the adherent will choose to only develop empathy toward a few people (sociopath) or will choose to not develop empathy toward anyone (psychopath).  (The preceding quote is an excerpt from an e-mail exchange in April 2007 between Todd Johnson and Dallas F. Bell, Jr.)

16.  The label of atheist or agnostic tells us what their finite adherents oppose, but does not specifically provide their source of faith in finite human authority and standards for behavior.  Usually they must follow the beliefs like those contained in the writings of Darwin, for an old universe and evolutionist principle, Nietzsche, for making themselves 'superman', Marx, for supporting their oppressive dictatorship form of government, and Russell, for rejecting the Bible for its warning of noncompliance with NLF. 

17.  Adherents to Hinduism may be slightly more than listed.  They reject many NLF but have the potential to comply with some NLF.  The largest Hindu subgroup is Vaishnavism.

18.  Chinese Tradition has the potential to comply with some NLF but rejects most.

19.  Confucianism's adherents are followers of the leader Confucius.

20.  Taoism's adherents accept many teachings found in Confucianism.

21.  Buddhism adherents have the potential to accept some NLF while rejecting many others.  Because they believe man is part of nature or god, man's choices are divine.

22.  Satanism is supremely anti-God and intentionally rejects all NLF as much as is humanly possible for survival.

23.  Paganism is the anti-God rejection of all NLF.

24.  Neo-Paganism adherents attempt to give ritualized structure to their anti-God behavior.

25.  The Neo-Pagan category of Wicca has an insidious writing to give Satanism acceptance as a religious category (John 8:44).  For example, on 20 April 2007 the United States Department of Veterans Affairs approved the addition of the Wiccan satanic pentacle to the list of religious symbols allowed on U.S. veteran's headstones.  (The only legal U.S. theology in 2007 is Darwinian evolution.  See number 16.)

26.  Adherents to Spiritism have writings to give structure to it anti-NLF beliefs.

27.  This category has traditions that codify its noncompliance with most NLF.

28.  Sikhism is a blend of the beliefs found in Hinduism and Islam.  Sikhism adherents have the potential to comply with some NLF while rejecting most.

29.  The writings of the murderous Kim Jong Il are behaviorally compulsive in North Korea and does not likely reflect the true beliefs of its listed adherents.

30.  Judaism does not accept the New Testament and therefore cannot comply with some NLF while it does comply with most NLF.

31.  The largely Middle Eastern Baha'i Faith seeks to combine the beliefs of many religions and so has the potential to be compliant with some NLF while being noncompliant with most

32.  Jainism adherents comply with some NLF and do not comply with others.  They are vegetarians and vegans whose symbol is the swastika.

33.  Japanese laws have required Shinto registration at shrines and thus their numbers are usually considered inflated.  They have the potential to comply with some NLF but reject other NLF.

34.  The relatively new religion in Vietnam of Cao Dai combines Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.  The adherents accept some NLF and reject other NLF.

35.  Adherents to Zoroastrianism may accept some NLF but have the potential to reject many NLF due to the practice of not denouncing other religions as untrue.

36.  Adherents to Tenrikyo have Shinto and Buddhist beliefs while allowing Christian influences.  They have the potential to comply with many NLF and reject others.

37.  The Unitarian Universalism adherents began with some Christian underpinnings but reject the Bible along with all other religious texts.  They have a rule to accept no text as dogma.  The logical result is the general rejection of all NLF. 
 

----------------ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007 DALLAS F. BELL, JR.----------------