What EVERY Christian Does...

Okay. I will do that.

 

And Leviticus 20 And, well, most of the Bible, really. The only "comforting" bits are in the Gospel.

 

I question God many times, my faithfulness didn't just happen, I had rough time too.

 

I read that too, but while I am doing that, would you state what's your problem about that chapter?

 

Easily.

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. 3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4 If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, 5 I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek.

6 “‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.

7 “‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

9 “‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.

10 “‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife —with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.

11 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

12 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, both of them are to be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.

13 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

14 “‘If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.

15 “‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he is to be put to death, and you must kill the animal.

16 “‘If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

17 “‘If a man marries his sister , the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.

18 “‘If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.

19 “‘Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.

20 “‘If a man has sexual relations with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.

21 “‘If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.

22 “‘Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. 24 But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.

25 “‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those that I have set apart as unclean for you. 26 You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

27 “‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’”

 

You fight to hold onto it in spite of that part of you which knows better. You're mortal - face it.

 

I like the "secular" books such as Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and the Book of Wisdom and Sirach in the Catholic Bible. The best story about faith is in 2 Maccabees chapter 7. The most disgusting chapter is Judges 19.

 

Ah yes, what a lovely story! Ignoring what happened to the concubine that fateful night, isn't it remarkable also that this fellow even had a concubine to begin with? Isn't that simply old timey speak for a cum bucket? A woman to be used for pleasure, a sex slave.. It's no great wonder that the boyzz threw them out to be raped.

 

Leviticus 20:21 got tossed into the trash can fairly quickly. In Matthew 22:23-28 the Sadducees asked Jesus whose wife a widow was because she had married seven brothers. In verses 29-32 Jesus went off on a tangent saying that they didn't know the Scriptures of the power of God. He then came out with the resurrection spiel.

Notice that Leviticus 20:21 doesn't allow for any loop-holes (dead brothers).

It's also interesting that that rule was passed after the Onan-Tamar story in Genesis 38:8-10. In that instance Onan was forced to marry his brother's widow against his will. When he didn't get her pregnant he was killed.

 

A holy commandment because of a poor union? Say it ain't so!

Onan.. I think he's actually the namesake for, ähm, spilling one's seed, if you know what I mean. The German verb for it is onanieren.

 

You seem very spiritual. I really like your post. It is a pleasure to read them.

 

This could be said of how people cope with life in general.

1. We take some things we learn about or experience literally (very small percentage, actually)
2. Simply discard some things, altogether.
3. Interpret the vast majority of things within our scope of reality in the way we are most comfortable with or in a way which suits our own needs.

The Bible is a book. A good one. But it can be used in any way the reader chooses.

I really think most christians are good, even though I am not one. If anyone takes the bible literally and considers the new testament the word of God, they will listen to a humane speaker.

 

What a great post! I hadn't thought of that analogy but the logic is solid. Kudos.

 

There are some real Sons of Bricks in the Bible but that guy has to rank within the top two.

 

You hit the nail on the head.

 

That doesn't address my point.

 

You just have to smack them back down. Become stronger than they are. They will lose the war. Let's stop being so afraid to fight one with them.

 

Originally Posted by Durandal: "Because I'm distressed at people believing in something unreal simply for emotional support. People then try to harm others because of their unfounded beliefs."

This is an interesting dynamic. I've seen many atheists who feel they are persecuted by Christians. They wished Christians would just let everyone be and not worry about the beliefs or lack thereof, in others. Stuff like that.
So now it's the atheists who feel that there should be some kind of "war". That people who are unlike atheists, should be "smacked down".
It seems the atheists have become exactly what they used to complain about.

 

Right.

... and who is saying this?

 

Interesting that you deleted this from the post you quote:

"You just have to smack them back down. Become stronger than they are. They will lose the war. Let's stop being so afraid to fight one with them."

I quoted verbatim.

 

I hit the quote button and replied, so how would I leave anything out?

Who are the so called atheists you are referring to? Please address the point.

 

It's a war of ideas.

 

Forget it. If you can't figure it out, then NM.

Too bad it couldn't be an exchange of ideas instead.

 

It is, of course, but each side tends to be battling the other all the same. The war has real effects where things like gay marriage are concerned, incidentally.

 

I have a pretty simple view on what my Teacher has given me: Whatever your race, religion, orientation, whatever you believe or don't believe, it is my responsibility to try show you as much love and respect as possible. After all, I'm a Christian.