a question for the true believers?

Question

Congressman William Jennings Bryan said "If the Bible had said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I would believe it.".  That is to say "what the bible says goes".  So if that be the case how do you resolve yourself to scriptures such as...

"Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."

Moses-Numbers 31:17

or

 "But if the thing is true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the young woman, then you shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones..."

god-Deuteronomy 22:20

In the first case brutal violence and  the exploitation if not rape of young girls is condoned by a biblical hero and in the second the stoning of a woman who has sex out of wedlock condoned by god.

I know...context is important but this is pretty straight forward stuff that needs to be pretty twisted around to be in context with modern morality.

I'm really curious to know how those that truly want to live by the scriptures make this work in their moral code...or is what is being suggested here just fine with you.

U Shoulda bought a Fern instead · Accepted Answer

I'm not sure what your take on 'true-believers' is, but I'ma try and answer the question as best I can.

I'm a Christian. I follow the teachings of the Christ figure in regards to how I live my life. Unfortunately, the only place I can find the teachings of the Christ figure is in the New Testament of the Bible. If there were alternative sources, I would use those, but alas, there are not. So, as far as the bible goes ~ I'm not a bibleist. If I'm looking for guidance as to what I'ma do in my life I look only to the parts that are about the Jesus character. Sure, they are all in the same book, but I'm not reading the parts that don't apply to Christ, and thereby do not apply to my CHRISTianity. 

This is just my own personal take. Apparently I'm the bane of most every other Christians existence because instead of picking and choosing the bible and claiming I do not I'm pretty forthcoming with the notion that there is only 'one part' I am interested in as far as lifestyle goes.

Gary B · Answer

Yep.  These things happened.  The Bible is historically accurate in these matters.

The problem is,  YOU assume that we must "make this work" in or current morality.

YOU are wrong.

If YOU had a true understanding of the bible,. you would know that ALL of those things in the Old Testament have been done away with through the sacrifice of Christ.  Jesus came to FULFILL all those Old Testament law, rules , and regulations.

Now,. ANY law has two parts:  The definition, and the punishment.  The Definition tells you what the law says: Don't sleep with your brother's wife, don;t walk more than 1/2 a mile on the Sabbath, kill the homosexual and the witch -- also, don't run red lights, don't speed through a school zone, and don;t rob a bank.

The PUNISHMENT phase MUST be included.  if you break this law, you MUST be punished.  So what good is a law with no punishment defined?
Judge: "You, Sir , have been found guilty of killing your mother."
Criminal: "But I;'m really really sorry!"
Judge: "That is not important."
Criminal: "So, what are you going to do? What is my punishment"
Judge: "well, let's see....There is this law, but there is no punishment listed.  So I guess I will give you a lecture using strong words, and send you home."

There MUST be a punishment, or the law is toothless..

And the punishment for breaking God;'s Law is TORTURE leading to DEATH (just as just have described above).  yes, that IS the way God taught those people.

But God ALSO made THIS promise in Isaiah 43:
"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

The day will come when God Himself will forgive EVERYONE.  No more sacrifices will be necessary.

AND that day came with Jesus!  Jesus died to pay the price for all of YOUR sins.  And because of that YOU can be forgiven -- IF you will accept it.

Now, when you break a law , you MUST fulfill the punishment.  If the law says you have to do 5-to-10, then you do 5-to-10.  If the law says lifetime with no parole, then you do a lifetime,.
 
And if the law says DIE, then you die.

BUT . . . they law does not say WHO must pay that price!  This happens all the time.  YOU get arrested, but the Bail Bondsman pays the price -- and you eventually pay him back.  Doesn't matter WHO paid the price -- YOU get out of jail!

Now, in the case of Jesus, Jesus said that HE would pay the price for your sins, and GOD says that the price for sin is DEATH.

So Jesus, the Son of God, DIED to pay YOUR price for sinning.

ANd , since your price has been paid,  YOU are forgiven.  And Jesus paid the price for ALL sins for ALL mankind for ALL time --THEREBY FULFILLING ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT LAWS, RULES, ADN REGULATIONS. Jesus offers this forgiveness as a GIFT to you, a gift of love.  But like any gift offered by anyone else -- YOU have to accept it.

This makes the Old Testament irrelevant for purposes of doctrine.  As the book of Hebrew explains, the Old Law is passing away, to be replaced with the New Testament (law) of Jesus.

If you were truly interested in understanding the bible, you could make MUCH better arguments than that which you have presented.  In the future , PLEASE be sure that you have fully researched your remarks BEFORE you go exhibiting you ignorance on the internet.

? · Answer

This is where those who are of God and His Holy Spirit are guided and can discern what the Bible means when unbelievers who are not of the Holy Spirit can not.  The Bible is true and the Word of God for those who believe because they can understand and discern and not take bits and pieces out of context and out of the history and throw it around to make a point.  Those that are blessed with God's gift of His Spirit have a divine mind to interpret and understand the Bible.  Until then, means nothing and is used as you are here.

C Y · Answer

Yes, I applaud the congressman. He is right.

The Bible also says the Old Testement is the old school master which we were under law. But now we are under grace because of the Blood. In other words, it is the new dispensation.
So we all should follow what the Bible says and move on to higher spiritual plane. Not on spiritual primitive plane.

In the age of grace when we look back we realise it is sin, but now God covers it for us. I guess it would be a disgrace not to accept this grace. To do so will only expose us to damnation again.

Anonymous · Answer

"Congressman William Jennings Bryan said "If the Bible had said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I would believe it.". That is to say "what the bible says goes". So if that be the case how do you resolve yourself to scriptures such as..."

My name is not William Jennings Bryan. Nor am I a nutty US Congressman.

dagomithost · Answer

Jesus fulfilled the law when he cme. He is quoted as saying so. Christians follow Christ. Jesus also said "let the sinless cast the first stone", ie., no one can carry out these punishments.

Anonymous · Answer

Not everything in the Bible is meant literally. One can better know which parts of the Bible to take literally and which not to by praying the rosary regularly. See the following promises.

The rosary is explained here:
http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/Prayers/rosary/how_to.htm

The fifteen promises of Mary to Christians who recite the rosary:
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in Paradise.
9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

God bless!
Dave

Anonymous · Answer

“Fundie is sick and depraved
Its mind is saturated with GUILT and FEAR.
It is programmed to believe it is a sick, evil, depraved, wicked person born of and in sin and forever a sinner; it even calls any sex as fornication.
What hope has it for any type of normality after such negative programming?
It's a wonder more are not crippled by insanity.”
~

a question for the true believers?

8 Answers