I appreciate your sincere response, and we now have many points to juggle at the same time.
As I read your posts, I think perhaps a good theme is that you have your INTERPRETATION of the bible. That's fine, and it sounds like an interpretation I could largely agree with. But the point is that many Christians have different interpretations, and they use the bible as a sort of hammer to do evil things:
Thanks for taking the time to consider it.
I understand what you are trying to say, but the texts I used required no interpretation. That's an unnecessary problem created by those who don't really care about the Bible, but are interested in their own selfish interest - more often filling the pews with "rice Christians" so they can extract as much money as they can.
Contrary to that attitude, Jesus gave his followers a nice principle to follow.
Jesus said:
You received free, give free.
Matthew 10:8
However, that's a story that probably may be required to be told later..
- In AIDS-ridden Africa the church worked against the use of condoms.
- Many religious people declare gays "born a sin"
- The church shields its clerics from being punished for systemic pedophilia
- Religious people vote to allow corporal punishment in schools. Your counter argument is a false choice, an either-or that ignores more moderate and effective approaches.
- Christian loud mouths have made the teaching of evolution in the US a huge problem. A clear violation of secularism.
So the problem is that MANY people use the scripture to achieve bad ends.
Hup. The story apparently needs to be told now.
Jesus said:
Why do you overstep the commandment of God because of your tradition?
Matthew 15:3
Notice that Jesus did not say they used or followed God's word. He said they followed
their own traditions.
What a difference!
Those people do not use the Bible to carry out their action. They use their own twisted reasoning.
During the dark ages, when they were carrying out the inquisitions, they were not using the Bible. That was their twisted mind.
During the Rwandan genocide, they were not using the Bible. It was their twisted mind.
When people that call themselves Christian, are doing bad things, they are not using the Bible. Rather, they are doing what the Bible condemns.
When they are raping, and sodomizing, torturing, and terrorizing, and all the other things I mentioned before, it's not the Bible they are using.
This is the point Unveiled Artist was making earlier.
I think people are so opposed to the Bible simply because they don't want to follow its high standards of living, so they are looking for excuses to condemn the Bible by pointing the finger at it. They do the same with God. ...but I say, if one hates the Bible, and God, just say so, and leave it alone. There is no need to make excuses. God is not mock. We can't fool him. That's what the Pharisees in Jesus' day were guilty of thinking, and there are modern day Pharisees today, as well.
Are you with me?