Holy books?

Question

Holy books instruct us to kill people for working on the wrong day (Exodus 31:15), or because they're homosexual (Leviticus 20:13), and millions believe these are the words of God, so is it possible that religions inherently breed violence, or is it just some religions, or do they only do so if people really take their religions seriously? Most people would condemn a person who said these things, so why do they worship gods who say them?

Thoughtful answers, please.

Some of you are either not reading ALL of the question, are scared to answer it truthfully or are blinded by hate or arrogance to assume I am speaking about any of you in particular-where in the original question did I reference to any of you in person? Nowhere.
There ARE millions of 'christians' who rigidly stick by these calls to kill, regardless of whether they are 'still in effect' or not and regardless of what YOU believe. Are you just too ashamed to see that?
Christians in general, love to chastize and condemn Muslims for example, for scriptures that amount to the same ideas, yet refuse to see the same within their own religion. THAT to me, is just plain hypocrisy.
Obviously you cannot see how refusing to ponder upon this question just puts yourself and your religion in a bad light.
Those that have so far not thought before answering don't need enemies...you already have the worst one you could have-yourselves.

Answer 1

The Bible is ridiculous. Read other examples. The mythology creates monsters:

What the Bible says about Capital Punishment

For Adultery

"And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death." -- Lev.20:10

For Beastiality


"Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death." -- Ex.22:19

"And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast." -- Lev.20:15

"And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." -- Lev.20:16

For Blasphemy

"He that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him." -- Lev.24:16

For Breaking the Sabbath

"Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death." -- Ex.31:14

"Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death." -- Ex.31:15

"Six days shall work bedone, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death." -- Ex.35:2

For Disobedient children


"He that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death." -- Ex.21:15

"He that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death." -- Ex.21:17

"For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him." -- Lev.20:9

For Homosexuality

"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." -- Lev.20:13

For Incest

"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." -- Lev.20:11

"And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them." -- Lev.20:12

"And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you." -- Lev.20:14

For Murder

"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." -- Gen.9:6

For Rape Victims who don't cry out loudly enough

"If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you." -- Dt.22:23-24

For Stealing Slaves

"He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death." -- Ex.21:16

For not being a Virgin on the night of the wedding

"If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her ... and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid: Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate.... But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you." -- Dt.22:13-22

For Witches

"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." -- Ex.22:18

For Worshipping another god

"He that sacrificeth unto any god save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed." -- Ex.22:20

Answer 2

Exodus 31:15 is God instructing Moses what to do with his people in the desert. It is clearly not meant for all times...
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2031%20;&version=31;
Leviticus 20:13, also is instructions from God to Moses about the Israelites...
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2020%20;&version=31;
Taking passages from the Bible out of context to illustrate whatever point that you are trying to make is pretty lame, howevever traditional it might be. The Bible is a history, like it or not. If this is all you get from it, the loss is yours. You can look at anything and take it out of context to make it appear stupid. This is a great technique for children argueing, but it is not so good for finding truth. You are quoting from a book that you never read.

Answer 3

People of other religions take the bible for what it is especially the O.T. I believe other religions are inherently breed violence because of what their being taught not for as the Holy scriptures but defended their religion,land and etc... A pure example is what happen in Miami with the Muslims plotting to bomb the Sears Towers mainly in the name of religion but not by the Holy books.Unfortunately, certain religions do take everything to extreme. Good bless!

Answer 4

Do Religions/Holy books inherently breed violence?

The issue here is how to punish those who violate the law.

The basic options re:
i) Kill them;
ii) Banish them for a period of time;
iii) Inflict physical pain/damage to them;
iv) Require restitution;
v) Confine them to a specific place, for a period of time;

* Killing somebody as punishment, is the most cost effective way of dealing with the violation of the law.

* Inflicting pysical pain/damage is the least cost effective way of dealing with the violation of the law. [If the damge is too severe, the person becomes a ward of the state, thereby incurring additional expenses to the state.]

* Restitution enables the victim to recover the expenses involved in being restored to to the situation they were in, prior to the violation of the law. This works if, and only if the perp has the financial means to make restitution.

* Banish them for a period of time. This approach makes your problem, the problem of your neighbour. Your neighbour becomes the dumping ground for the riff raff in one's society. This does not make for good diplomatic relations, especially since it provides the neighbour with an army that has nothing to lose, by invading your country.

* Confine them to a specific area. This requires the state to spend money on places of confinement, and people to ensure tht the confined person stays there. It puts a significant burden upon the state, with no productive results.

The biggest deterrent to violations of the law, is certainty of punishment. Not the degree, or type of punishment, but that they will be punished.

The specific laws of a group, depend upon the desired social aims of the group. One underlying aim of every religion, is to increase the number of adherents. To that end, actions which do not have that result, are looked down upon. Another underlying aim, is to ensure that all transactions are transparent, and correctly described. To that end, all misrepresentation is punished.

Religions typically take one of three approaches to punishment:
i) Kill the perp;
ii) Banish the perp;
iii) Require the perp to pay restitution;

Religions tend to either kill the perp, or banish the perp. In those instances where both are done, the killing is done as a form of restitution.

This gets back to "What punishment is acceptable for what violation of the Law"?

Killing leads to the conclusion that life is cheap, and therefore worthless;
Banishment gives the neighbors the idea that the country is easy to invade;
Restitution seems to make everybody happy, if the perp can afford to pay the restitution --- which seldom is the case;

So which penalty is inflicted upon which violation of the Law?

The Tanakh typically takes the "kill the perp" attitude;
The New Testament takes a "pay restitution" attitude;
The Q'ran alternates between "kill the perp", and "physically punish the perp";
Daoism recommends banishment for both the perp, and the lawmakers.
Tibetan Buddhism alternates between "banish the perp", and "confine the perp";
Thelema adopts a "kill the perp" attitude;
Wicca, adopts a "banish the perp" attitude;

These attitudes can all be explained, in terms of the social aims of the theology that the religion espouses. The attitude does not correlate with how seriously the adherents take the religion.

Most people don't consider these issues, until they want revenge for a wrong done unto them. How much people would condemn somebody who laid out those penalties, depends upon how the penalties were framed.

As to why they worship Gods who say them, the overwhelming majority of people do not pay attention to the commandments of their God. This across _all_ religious beliefs. They do the minimum that they think is required, to go to wherever their religion says they go to, when they die.

One other thing to keep in mind, is that the laws, and commandments of a religion, are enforceable only upon the adherents of that religion.

Answer 5

The old testament was the old law. They were put to death for their wicked sins because it was better for them to die then to continue on in life living in sin. There were sins that were not as bad that you could make a sacrifice and find forgiveness. But really there was no forgiveness till after Jesus died for our sins. There no longer is death because he was the ultimate sacrifice. Sacrifices were meant to be symbolic. Shed the blood of something innocent that you may receive forgiveness. Jesus was the most innocent because he was sinless. He declared to love you enemy, and to turn the other cheek when some one smite thee. Study out the religion a little more before making assumptions such as the one you did. It is assumptions like this that cause people to not even bother learning religion.
I hope that you choose to study it out more so you can more throughly talk on this subject, and not throw religion out into left field.
Peace,
Thomas

Answer 6

if you notice the scripture that was quoted was in the old testament. after the death of Christ we were under a set of new laws. however, the new testament certainly forbids homosexuality.i dont think the bible tells us to kill them. it only states it is against the will of God. and true Christians dont worship godS..there is only one true God and that is who we worship. Peace be with you and may u find all the answers u seek

Answer 7

Peace be with you,

That is because the Bible and Torah have been changes so drastically they are no longer the words of GOD in the original complete form.

The Quran tells us only to fight when someone comes after you and they go to strike you first.

Islam condemns all unlawful killings. Referring to the first murder of Abel by his brother Cain Quran says, “For this We enjoined upon the Children of Israel (and this includes Jews, Christians and Muslims) that whosoever kills one person (unlawfully, or without his causing disruption in the land) it is like killing the whole of mankind, and whosoever protects life to one person it is like giving life to whole mankind“.(5:39). As regards value of Life Islam even prohibits unnecessary killing of animals much less humans. Islam places highest value on human Life, allowing even eating of Pork when inevitable for survival. Even during war Islam prohibits killing of women, children, old persons, non-militants and even destroying crops and property.

Suicide for any purpose is prohibited in Islam. Quran says, “Do not put yourself to destruction with your own hands” (2:195). A Tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) says, “And if somebody commits suicide with anything in this world, he will be tortured with that very thing on the Day of Resurrection.” Suicide bombing involves killing oneself as well as others. So it is obviously condemned.



Jim, you are right about your Quotes which is why the Quran was given to us by GOD to fix mankind if you read it correctly.

Answer 8

Well, the things that are bad and against God shouldn't be stood for and let happen. I'm not suggesting death, I'm saying it needs to be stopped anyway.

Answer 9

God said those things to keep the sins from spreading.

Answer 10

bravo...schneb,judy v, and thomas...right on the money, many here definitely need a LOT more study before discussing anything found in the Bible....ignorance breeds foolishness.

Answer 11

Yep, the law was a pretty mean task master. That is why we needed a Savior.