Cronus Malor

One thing about the Bible is that living according to it will assure you long life and good health, as much control over it as one can possibly have. Just as an example, the Bible spoke out against homosexuality, which ended up causing one of the most destructive epidemics since the black plague. How did the Biblical authors know that this was going to happen? They had no way of knowing. Name one thing the Bible forbids which is known to be beneficial to your health in some way. If fact, name one one thing it suggests that is detrimental to your health.

Grumpy

Mark 7:15 "Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him." (NIV)

There you have it. Jesus Christ's opinion on whether smoking cigarettes leads to cancer.

Pantera

</strong>

Actually, AIDS is mainly spread by heterosexual sex, especially in the places where its extent can be compared to the black death (Africa). But hey, why let facts get in the way of a little bigotry?



Can you provide any evidence that they did?



Starting a fire on the Sabbath. Perhaps we should just sit and shiver instead.

<strong> Chopping off your hand if it causes you to sin.

NEXT!

[ February 05, 2002: Message edited by: Pantera ]</p>

pug846

It also appears Jesus was pro-butt sex.

Vorkosigan

Hmmm...well, the Bible seems a bit divided on the issue of alcohol. Should we drink or not? That might have some health effects.

Then there is biblical approval of slavery. Slaves are well-known to have shorter-than-average lifespans.

Also, the Bible says that we should kill our wives if we find out they are not virgins. Kinda tough on the wife's health, that, and maybe ours too, if the little wife's relatives get ticked off.

The Bible also says that madness is caused by demons. Since that is not the case, and many forms of mental disease are treatable, well, you draw your own conclusions. Also, if you are a leper, the Biblical cure doesn't help much. It'd be better to follow modern medicine on that one.

And there is all the bigotry it leads to. This causes much social strife, in turn shortening lifespans.

In short, the Bible, while in the main sensible, contains areas of gross misinformation and error. It cannot be relied on as a textbook for living a healthy life.

Michael

-DM-

GE 1:29 Every plant and tree which yield seed are given to us by God as good to eat. (Note: This would include poisonous plants such as hemlock, buckeye pod, nightshade, oleander.)

GE 3:16 Women should suffer pain during childbirth. (Note: This verse was used by the Church to oppose the use of anesthesia during childbirth.)

NU 5:12-31 A woman suspected or accused of adultery is to be tested by making her drink the "water of bitterness," or holy water mixed with dust from the floor. (Note: There is no such test for men.)

NU 31:18, 35, JG 21:12 Young virgins are considered a spoil of war and can be taken for the use of the victors.

DT 22:13-21 A bride in whom "the tokens of virginity" are not found is to be put to death. (Note: The bridegroom who falsely accuses his bride gets off with a fine.)

MT 5:29-30, 18:8-9, MK 9:43-47 If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. (Note: Many believers insist that this admonition, and others like it, are to be taken figuratively, although others take even this admonition literally. The problem is that there is no clear and decisive method to determine whether a passage is meant to be taken literally or figuratively. God could have foreseen this problem and should have provided an unambiguous solution.)

MT 5:38-44 Turn the other cheek. Love your enemies. Do good to those that hate you.

MT 6:25-34, LK 12:22-31 Take no thought for tomorrow. God will take care of you.

MT 19:12, RO 8:13 Men should consider castration, thereby making themselves eunuches, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. If you live after the flesh, you shall die, but if you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. (Note: During the dark and middle ages, saints castrated themselves by the thousands in order to become more godly. Even now, the practice continues in some sects.)

MK 16:17-18 A believer can handle snakes or drink poison and not experience any harm. (Note: Many unfortunate believers have died as a result of handling snakes and drinking poison. This kind of assertion negates the Bible as a useful guidebook for life.)

RO 13:1-4, 1PE 2:13-14 Be subject to every human institution. All authorities (laws and governments) are from God. (Note: This would include those of a Nazi Germany, yet believers seldom follow this injunction. Even Jesus and his Disciples violated this principle.)

Toto

From <a href="http://www.ffrf.org" target="_blank">the Freedom From Religion's</a> Bible Quiz:


37. According to New Testament medical advice, what should you do if you are sick?
Answer: B

A.Seek medical help from doctors ordained by God.

B. Ask the church elders to apply oil to your skin and pray for you. --Verses like these have resulted in the needless deaths of adults and criminal-neglect deaths of children from treatable illnesses that were left untreated because of prayer. Why couldn't the biblical deity have dispensed some useful medical advice to the human race instead of placebo prescriptions for prayer?
"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." (James 5:14-15)

C. Ask Jesus or the elders to exorcise the evil spirits from your body.

D. Kneel down before a brass serpent wrapped around a pole. --The Old Testament contains this absurd alternative medicine remedy for snake bite: "And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." (Numbers 21:9)

RyanS2

Let's not forget about Bible verses telling "true believers" to handle snakes, walk on scorpions, drink poison, and things along those lines. This was another trick that saints liked to perform, and the side effects weren't always successful. Dang it, there was a really funny parody called, "The Christian Olympics", with sports like "Foreskin gathering".

<a href="http://www.chaosmatrix.com/lib/humor/colymp1.txt" target="_blank">http://www.chaosmatrix.com/lib/humor/colymp1.txt</a>

It's a ten part series at:

<a href="http://www.chaosmatrix.com/lib/humor/" target="_blank">http://www.chaosmatrix.com/lib/humor/</a>

Funny, but homosexuality was supposed to be prominent during Roman and Greek times, (conservative Christians constantly tell us about this), surely they would have known about AIDS? Other good health practices? How about when the Christians killed the Jews who weren't suffering from Black Plague, because they knew the secret of washing themselves?

Kosh

Too bad there's no advice about feeding
trolls.

excreationist

Ok, let's talk about the OT first. What about all of the offences that God commanded the death penalty for? How does that promote long life?
These offences include:
Exodus 19:12 - touching Mount Sinai
Exodus 21:15 - attacks mother or father
Exodus 21:16 - kidnaps and sells someone
Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9 - curses mother or father
Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:15-6 - bestiality
Exodus 31:15; 35:2; Numbers 15:36 - working on Sabbath
Leviticus 20:10 - commits adultery
Leviticus 20:13 - homosexual sex
Leviticus 20:27 - mediums and spiritists
Leviticus 24:16 - blasphemes God's name
Numbers 1:51; 3:38 - non-Levites that go near the tabernacle
Deuteronomy 13;18:20 - false prophets
Deuteronomy 17:2-5 - worships the wrong god

There is also the death penalty for more serious crimes, such as murder.

And as far the NT goes, consider the theme of these verses:
Matthew 10:39 - "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Matthew 16:25 - "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."

Mark 8:35 - "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."

Luke 9:24 - "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."

Luke 17:33 - "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."

John 12:25 - "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

This is encouraging Christians to be martyrs, like Jesus, Stephen (Acts 22:20), John the Baptist (Matthew 14:8), Paul (almost was) and James (Acts 12:1-2).

This is not encouraging long-life.

And following its advice, you're meant to put to death those who have homosexual sex. So the life-expectancy of gays would still be low.

What about these verses?

Leviticus 11:39-40 - "If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean till evening. Anyone who eats some of the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening."

Leviticus 17:15-16 - "Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean. But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, he will be held responsible."

So it is ok to eat animals that have been torn by wild animals as long as you wash your clothes and have a bath otherwise.