I think you and I might be on a similar page - I consider myself a pre-Nicaean Christian in that I don't believe that just because a bunch of bureaucrats decided that the books of Biblical canon were the inerrant word of God, that that makes it so. I furthermore reject all forms of hierarchy within the Church. Basically my dogma is limited to the words of Christ as recorded in the gospels. I think that in context, the epistles and letters to the Church constitute good advice, and I think that the Old Testament is mostly poetry and allegory.
What are your thoughts on those views?
Are you reading the same Old Testament as me? because the one I read is full of psychotic violence and arbitrary "morals" that don't make any fucking sense. Also I don't see how you can throw out some parts of the bible and not others. Either it is the word of god, or its not, either its all true or its not, and if you claim some parts are really from god then you need some evidence of why all the other parts aren't from god. Why believe a book that says there is a omni-max super being who created the universe but not believe it when it tells you to its okay to beat your slaves as long as they don't die on the same day?
Kill People Who Don't Listen to Priests
Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT)
Kill Witches
You should not let a sorceress live. (Exodus 22:17 NAB)
Kill Homosexuals
"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)
Kill Fortunetellers
A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death. (Leviticus 20:27 NAB)
Death for Hitting Dad
Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:15 NAB)
Death for Adultery
If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10 NLT)
Death for Fornication
A priest's daughter who loses her honor by committing fornication and thereby dishonors her father also, shall be burned to death. (Leviticus 21:9 NAB)
Kill Sons of Sinners
Make ready to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their fathers; Lest they rise and posses the earth, and fill the breadth of the world with tyrants. (Isaiah 14:21 NAB)
More Rape and Baby Killing
Anyone who is captured will be run through with a sword. Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes. Their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes. For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off. The attacking armies will shoot down the young people with arrows. They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for the children. (Isaiah 13:15-18 NLT)
Real poetic.
More murderous bible quotesRape in the BibleOld and New Testament SlaveryAll the, "the bible can be a good book to live your life by" sentiment makes me fucking sick. As if humans where so desperate and uncaring that they needed an book to tell them its wrong to hurt people.
The
vast majority of Christians ignore or disobey the
vast majority of rules and commands in the bible. I would put money that no one in this forum follows over 50% of the rules in the bible, you would have to be a fucking psychotic to commit to such a level of hate and violence.
People are moral IN SPITE of the Bible, not because of it. I've never been to a religious ceremony, I've read the bible once in my whole life and found it to be a horrible book of bullshit, yet somehow I've managed not to harm or steal from anyone. From what I hear from the religious, without a strong religious faith my life should be in chaos, I shouldn't know right from wrong, and I should have no meaning in my life.
According to the Bible I should be dropping people left right and center for infractions against god, but even the fundies don't really buy into it 100% (
with a few exceptions). Humans innately understand its wrong to kill people who haven't harmed you, which explains why the majority of religious people don't follow all the murder commands in their holy books, and why there isn't a huge immorality rate for non religious people.
It's just a book of old myths, just like any other major religion. I've never seen any evidence to
prove one religion to be more likely than another, and if you can't prove your religion over others then you have no reason to believe "your" religion over others. If someone has evidence that backs up their belief, I'd like to see it and if you don't think its important to be able to prove your beliefs then that's fine to.
edit : MacFall, this post isn't to rag on you, your line on the old testament being mainly allegory set me off, although I am interested in your views on why you don't buy into parts of the OT but you buy into the idea of god presented in the same book.