Mageth

The Book of Job....one long "WTF???" Chapter 1 by itself would be enough of a WTF, but the WTFing doesn't stop there.

Gamera

First, I don't particularly mind inconsistencies in the text. Jesus was a jew speaking to jews about the law. The resurrected Jesus was speaking to Christians about a new covenant the supercedes the law. So on it's face, any inconsistencies might be expected.

Second, however, it's easy to explain away the inconsistency. Jesus is saying he's not abolishing the law -- anybody is welcome to try to uphold it. They will fail and need a savior, but God bless them. The option is the law or grace. That's totally consistent.

Finally, Jesus often spoke in parables and often used apparent inconsistencies to make a point. This is not an uncommon trope used by philosopher and teachers to make their disciples think "out of the box". That's what he's doing perhaps with his comments about the OT law. He's saying I'm not abolishing it, but I'm reinterpreting it in a more spiritual way, thus abolishing it.

The paradox is supposed to induce the listener to contemplate the meaning of the law in a deeper manner than was being taught at the time.

As to Jesus loving his parents, again, another trope. Jesus often spoke in exaggerated way to make a point: he talks about plucking out your eye, and hating your parents to join him, and mustard seeds being the smallest seeds in the world. None of this is to be taken literally, but is a common rhetorical trope.

Gamera

Well, you asked, brother!

Gamera

[QUOTE=Reanimator;3963168]Gamera,

Because they're nuts and don't understand Christianity 101. Evangelicals have no grasp of the gospel and seem more concerned with stoning gay and making money than following what Jesus actually said. I'd love to put on a red hood and excommunicate them from the church.


Paul answers this. The OT laws have no application to Christians, but they have some benefit in context:

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

I mean it really is a good thing in general not to kill and steal.

Bubba

This is one of the things that led to me questioning the bible.

Chris

Bubba

Not to mention about 9 million fundy chics from 16 to 60.

Chris

Jack the Bodiless

Judges 19, maybe?

A guy's house is surrounded by a mob who want to "know" his guest (rather like Job and his angel visitors). So this guy generously offers his virgin daughter and his concubine to be raped by them instead. They don't seem interested in the daughter, but they abuse the concubine all night long and she crawls back to die on his doorstep.

So what does he do? "And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds".

...WTF???

Llyricist

And ya know what? All of that can be found just in the book of Genesis!

And on top of that, in that book, where all those things that would be considered morally repugnant today, performed by every sort of character, from God to the most righteous people* on down, almost none of the specific immoral (by today's standards) acts mentioned is condemned in any way.

ETA: while many things we consider a virtue today are punished most vehemently

WTF?

*as denoted by the book in question

Aspentroll

I totally agree.:devil1:

Wisdumb

Its one thing to say you dont agree with many of the things said in the Bible, but to say there is nothing of any value at all is well.....a lie or at least a sign of immaturity. I mean that in the best way possible. :angel: