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Of course none of us can strictly adhere to every single word
in the Bible. But you are aware-maybe not-that the Old Testament had different covenants in it and that in The New Testament the New Covenant was made upon the death of Jesus right?
posted by
PastorB
on January 21, 2005 at 12:45 PM
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Thank you Moohahaha
as usual you are too kind. This post was in direct reponse to a few recent comments left by others on the postings of others. Seems that those who claim to be living their lives in accordance to what they feel is the word of God in the bible are breaking the most rules laid out in the bible.
posted by
gomedome
on January 21, 2005 at 5:36 AM
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I think you raise some really valid points here.
I, too, have read comments saying the Bible must be taken as a whole. If the latter statement was saying you need to read both the old and new testaments to fully comprehend the old and new covenants and how one has affected the other, I wouldn't have too many issues with that in itself. But, like you point out, more often than not it seems that people are saying all of the Bible must be taken on and that if you don't, you are somehow not fully serving God. I personally think that's ridiculous. For example, I have long, uncovered hair (stone her, stone her!! ;) and I don't particularly feel like hiding myself in a red tent or being called "unclean" when ye olde crimson wave comes to town ;).
Good post, Gomedomed One :).
posted by
Moohahaha
on January 20, 2005 at 11:50 PM
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RAME -- I was beginning to agree with your comment until
you went into what the devil wants. The devil does not want anything from me because to me he does not exist. I appreciate the tone and sentiment of your comment however, I truly do as I feel you were trying to explain things in your own language.
posted by
gomedome
on January 20, 2005 at 8:27 PM
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pappy -- sometimes you speak as if you think what you are saying
is news to me. There is only one way to live one's life and that is to the fullest. Emphasizing the positive aspects becomes second nature with this mindset. Where some believe in prayer as a means of focusing that positive energy, I don't happen to believe that the prayers themselves do anything but the focus itself is vitaly important.
posted by
gomedome
on January 20, 2005 at 8:19 PM
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mysteria -- you are too kind
I do know what you mean. Sometimes when I read posting after posting extoling circular logic I find my head spinning as well.
posted by
gomedome
on January 20, 2005 at 8:12 PM
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gomedome
Thanks for giving my head a place to rest. It is very encouraging for me to know that there are smart people like you in the world.
posted by
mysteria
on January 20, 2005 at 4:50 PM
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gomedome
You will probably not be surprised, but you sound a lot like an old testament prophet. No one, no, not one human as ever been able to live by the book. The bible is a history book, a book of short stories by various authors about the most ancient of times in human memory. The problem is that even if someone WERE able to record history, and even if it were the literal truth when written; after a thousand years the times will have been forgotten, and there's no getting it back, unless....
Gomedome, the faith of modern men is not about an unknowable higher being, they want it to be about that to the credit of some, but what it is really about is taking the decision to have faith in faith itself. Up by ones' bootstraps is argued against it; that 'I' dare to act on that belief is often against it too. Do i believe in magic? Not really, but there IS luck that seems to come and go at strange intervals. And if you call upon the power of the positive side and oppose the negative, if only in principle, positive will come. The positive builds and adds upon itself, while the negative (whatever you know it as) can only destroy. The evil would be the more powerful of the two, but its nature is too destructive even for itself.
The Creator made a world NOT where evil is created, then penalized; but rather a world where evil punishes, and eventually helps destroy, itself. Don't worry, it all works out and I know how it ends; I read the book. The fire is warm, but if someone sticks their head in the smoke, it will be a killer and seem an evil.
posted by
pappy
on January 20, 2005 at 2:39 PM
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renigade
Exactly!
posted by
David1Spirit
on January 20, 2005 at 12:53 PM
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Everyone sins...
The ones who feel the most guilty about it take the Bible--twist it around--and scorn others just to share the misery.
posted by
Renigade
on January 20, 2005 at 12:44 PM
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You've made some good points but...
not everyone thinks that you must take the Bible literally word for word. Most people realize that much of it is written in story form by people who have been inspired by God and have the gist of it right but weren't around to witness all of the happenings themselves.
You're right that not many, if any, people live by the Bible word for word. Many don't live by it at all, and many claim to, but they in fact live only by the parts of it that they choose to live by and ignore the rest.
We are all human and we are all sinners. Our lot in life is to try to be more Christlike and avoid sin as much as humanly possible. We can do our best to live by the Bible and be truly sorry when we falter. When we falter, we need to be careful and not despair, thinking that we just can't do it. That's what the devil wants. That makes it easier for him to lead us into sin, deeper and deeper. We need, instead, to say I'm sorry to Our Lord and tell Him that we will try not to do that ever again and ask for His help, then move on with our lives, knowing that He has forgiven us.
posted by
RAME
on January 20, 2005 at 12:37 PM
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i really don't have anything to add
you've said it all
both of you
posted by
Xeno-x
on January 20, 2005 at 10:08 AM
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Damn
Sorry about all the typos there.
I got so caught up in hunting down my quote (I did not wish to mis-quote) that I forgot to proof read my comment.
posted by
kooka_lives
on January 20, 2005 at 8:46 AM
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Let's see
I have never been devorced. I credit much of this to the fact thatmy wife and I lived togther for a few years before we got married. I know that many seem to consider that a great sin, yet if living togther does not work out it is not as bad and life altering as when a marriage does not work out. The best marraiges I have seen have been with those who have lived togther for a time to get to know each and really see if they can make it as a couple. I would think oe woudl rather sin by doign somethign mild like living togterh above breakign an oath to God by gettign a devorce. Although this falls into the catagory of planned vs. unplanned sin. I wrote a post some tiem back abotu how Chaotlic girls were having an great increase in abortions over the last decade because of this. Using a condom was aplanned sin, while an abortions was an unplanned sin, and so it was better to be guilty of teh unplanned sins. Of coruse the chruch tried to explain that such a thign was nto so. One shoudl instead look at the outcoem fo teh sin itself and see what harm might be doen by it. I have not read anythign on if they were able to get a noticlabe change in that to happen. All in all it seems that many beleivers woudl ratehr nto have to feel the guilt of commit a sin willing, btu instead be abel to defend that they had to preform a greater sin because they were nto willing to commit alesser sin.
As for the rest of your psot I already knwo much of what is goignt o be said by those who believe. Youmsut remember that msot Chrisitans will onyl use the bits of pieces of the Old Testiment as they please. Accoridng to Jesus it is all outdated and need nto be followed, so Chrstinas often figure that means you get to pick and choose as you desire. You barely touched on waht is really said there.
Makes me think of the quote from Rev. Lovejoy of The Simpsons, "...everything is a sin. You ever sat down and read this thing? Technically, we're not allowed to go to the bathroom."
posted by
kooka_lives
on January 20, 2005 at 8:36 AM
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