Why do Christians pick and choose?

[Terrywoodenpic]

I do not think Christians do pick and chose. They simply believe different things.
Only a proportion of Christians Believe the Bible is with out error, or has all the answers. Even those that do, have widely ranging interpretations and dogma. Very few believe that Jewish law applies to Christians.

 

[dan p]

For exs might not be exactly what is believed today?

I have asked this before and so far no one has given me a reason to believe that certain parts of the Bible are still to be follow by Christians and why other parts are left to the Jews. I am not saying that anyone is wrong, but would like to know why many Christians seem to pick and choose what is still law today.

Hi Nerthus , and it will continue until Christians realize that the Old Testament was given to Israel , in what is called the Old Testament , also known as the Old Covenant .

The Old Covenant began 400 years after Abraham and ended at Acts 28:28 , and so-called Christians are not found in the Old Covenant and if they are , then they became Jews .

 

[linwood]

Didn't Jesus answer this? He boiled it down to six necessary commandments plus one:

I can see why many people would want to desperately ignore this, though.

It gets even better than that.

Matthew 5:17-20
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

To answer the OP..

They pick and choose for expediencies sake.

 

[linwood]

Very few believe that Jewish law applies to Christians.

Even though Christ himself repeatedly says they do?

Are you telling me Christians don`t actually read their own scripture or that Christians tend to ignore the words of Christ?

 

[tomato1236]

For example being gay is very wrong according to many Christians, because of Bible verses including that in Leviticus 18:22 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable/ an abomination' (depending on your version of the Bible), despite the fact that the original translation is unclean.

But Leviticus also mention, for example, that people should 'not let cattle graze with other kinds of Cattle' (Leviticus 19:19) or 'wear clothes made of more than one fabric' (Leviticus 19:19) or shouldn't 'cut your hair nor shave'. (Leviticus 19:27).

Then there is

'Any person who curseth his mother or father, must be killed' (Leviticus 20:9)

If a man cheats on his wife, or vise versa, both the man and the woman must die. (Leviticus 20:10).

If a man has sex with a woman on her period, they are both to be "cut off from their people" (Leviticus 20:18)

'For generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God, No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; no man with a crippled foot or hand, or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles' (Leviticus 17-20)

Anyone who curses or blasphemes God, should be stoned to death by the community. (Leviticus 24:14-16)

If you believe being gay is a sin and is wrong, then I also expect you to follow the rest of OT Law and not decide that as Christians you don't have to follow some of it that might affect yourself, conveniently, but believe in other parts that affect others. And, why can't people accept that there is more than one version of the Bible, and that the original translation of many words might not be exactly what is believed today?

I have asked this before and so far no one has given me a reason to believe that certain parts of the Bible are still to be follow by Christians and why other parts are left to the Jews. I am not saying that anyone is wrong, but would like to know why many Christians seem to pick and choose what is still law today.

Because the bible is really thick and it would take forever to read the whole thing. Much easier to just open it at random and pick and choose.

 

[pebble107]

It's still the same thing. All of the Laws in the OT came form God right? He didn't say 'here have a look through these and decide what is important in your day and age, and just leave out the ones that you think aren't'.

It seems that Christians can criticise homosexuality because it's in the Bible and they don't have to change anything about themselves. Yet will wear what they like, cut their hair, leave it uncovered in Church, eat what they like, when they like - because if they followed the same laws regarding these then they would have to change something about themselves.

Here's what I've been taught-

Basically everything that happened in the OT points to Christ. There was the law and it had to be followed (ex. no homesexuality, no disobeying your parents etc.) or else you were killed or (depending on the crime) you performed a blood sacrifice. This was to show the Israelites how much God hates sin and how serious it is to be good and do what He wants etc. The blood sacrifice is also symbolic of Christ's sacrifice on the cross much later on in history. So essentially the law was never meant be kept. It was to show humanity it was nothing without God and it could never reach perfection without Him. Enter Jesus.

Oh and the NT does mention homosexuality I Corinthians 6:9 and Ist Timothy 1:10

I will also mention I mean no offence by this post. This is just what I've been taught my whole life- and what I've read in the Bible.

 

[Nerthus]

Religion is based on fear, so in my opinion people will follow whatever the Bible says and persecute others, because they fear death for themselves. It isn't about love, or being good when you look into it, it's because if they don't do these things, and try and prevent gay marriage for example, they will be killed by God. The laws which involve being killed over, they will always maintain and those less horrible laws, seem to be forgotten a lot of the time.

Right now, that's the only way I can see it.

 

[Midnight Pete]

Religion is based on fear, so in my opinion people will follow whatever the Bible says and persecute others, because they fear death for themselves. It isn't about love, or being good when you look into it, it's because if they don't do these things, and try and prevent gay marriage for example, they will be killed by God. The laws which involve being killed over, they will always maintain and those less horrible laws, seem to be forgotten a lot of the time.

Right now, that's the only way I can see it.

You need to expand your view. But will you?

 

[Nerthus]

You need to expand your view. But will you?

If there is evidence to the contrary, then yes. But, from what I have read, researched and heard, I fail to see the 'good'.

 

[Midnight Pete]

If there is evidence to the contrary, then yes. But, from what I have read, researched and heard, I fail to see the 'good'.

I know. If you saw the good, you'd have to rethink your misanthropy.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Even though Christ himself repeatedly says they do?

Are you telling me Christians don`t actually read their own scripture or that Christians tend to ignore the words of Christ?

The Church fathers including James and Paul agreed that the law only applied to Jews and perhaps "Jewish Christians", but it did not apply to Gentile Christians. This is as early as you can get in the Christian churches existence.

Christians read both the Testaments old and new. We do not ignore the words of Christ, But neither do many of us believe that the Bible is without error.

There is no single Christian view, there are many Churches, and many versions of the Bible, which do not all contain the same number of books. If you add the various translations and interpretations of each book. The possible variations are staggering.
However Christianity is able to encompass them all in Christ.

 

[Nerthus]

I know. If you saw the good, you'd have to rethink your misanthropy.

I was a Christian for a few years. I know what is said about the good of God. But, when you actually look at the Bible as a whole, you cannot just forget or ignore the bad. It sounds very petty; you either follow His rules and do as He says, or die. Where's the love?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I was a Christian for a few years. I know what is said about the good of God. But, when you actually look at the Bible as a whole, you cannot just forget or ignore the bad. It sounds very petty; you either follow His rules and do as He says, or die. Where's the love?

one good reason I am a Christian and not a Jew
And would never even contemplate being a Muslim

 

[Nerthus]

one good reason I am a Christian and not a Jew
And would never even contemplate being a Muslim

Okay, so what are your thoughts on the killing in the OT? It's still there isn't it, despite Jesus?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Plenty of killing in the OT and other despicable acts at the supposed command of God.
"So the Jews often Got it wrong", and still do if they believe they should do that stuff.

As a record of the past I find it good reason to reject Jewish teachings, and I am not surprised that Jesus came to remind us that God is a God of love.

However you do not throw the baby out with the bath water... there are plenty of Good messages and teachings in the Old Testament as well.

 

[Nerthus]

Plenty of killing in the OT and other despicable acts at the supposed command of God.
"So the Jews often Got it wrong", and still do if they believe they should do that stuff.

As a record of the past I find it good reason to reject Jewish teachings, and I am not surprised that Jesus came to remind us that God is a God of love.

However you do not throw the baby out with the bath water... there are plenty of Good messages and teachings in the Old Testament as well.

Yes, there are good messages too. But, many of the bad things were commands from God, so even though they were Jewish laws, it's still the same God. So, how is He a God of love if He does those things?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Yes, there are good messages too. But, many of the bad things were commands from God, so even though they were Jewish laws, it's still the same God. So, how is He a God of love if He does those things?

They were never commands of God.
They were what people "said" were the commands of God.
It served their interest to say so....
That is a huge difference.

 

[Nerthus]

They were never commands of God.
They were what people "said" were the commands of God.
It served their interest to say so....
That is a huge difference.

The Bible is seen as the word of God, yes written by people, but usually thoroughly held to as being His word. Are you saying that nothing in the Bible is actually Gods command - because otherwise that would again be picking and choosing. It seems sometimes that the good things are from God, but the bad isn't.

Wouldn't Hell, especially the concept many Christians believe of eternal damnation in a fiery Hell, show that God does kill, that He does do bad things?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

The Bible is seen as the word of God, yes written by people, but usually thoroughly held to as being His word. Are you saying that nothing in the Bible is actually Gods command - because otherwise that would again be picking and choosing. It seems sometimes that the good things are from God, but the bad isn't.

Wouldn't Hell, especially the concept many Christians believe of eternal damnation in a fiery Hell, show that God does kill, that He does do bad things?

I do not believe anything in the Bible is the actual word of God. At best it is what the writers of the time thought was the word of God. or put into Gods mouth for their own reasons.
However they were no better at getting this right than we are. It is not an attribute or skill that has been lost. It is a skill we never had.
Those teachings that have come down to us from Jesus and his disciples are the best we have to go on. They are the nearest we have as a gold standard.

Picking and choosing is what we must do. It is what makes a Christian a Christian; Rather than a Jew or Muslim.

 

[Nerthus]

Picking and choosing is what we must do. It is what makes a Christian a Christian; Rather than a Jew or Muslim.

I thought believing that Jesus was the son of God was made a Christian a Christian.

Who decides what to keep then? Why not keep the law of not mixing fabric, or cattle, and covering hair in church?

I can't see how a loving God would throw someone into hell for loving someone of the same gender - they might have an otherwise, almost 'perfect' life - yet love is what will put them in hell.

II can't help but think that the laws that affect the majority - clothes for example, are ignored, yet what might not affect the majority - homosexuality is maintained. So that most people have nothing to lose or change.