Why do people believe certain parts of the bible, but not the whole thing? (i.e. slavery, pigs, shellfish)?

Question

1. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual cleanliness - Lev.15:19-24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.

4. Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don.t agree. Can you settle this?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn.t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev.20:14)

Answer 1

Hi you ask good questions. As a person who believes in the whole bible (only the old test.) I'll try to answer you.
First you should know that the 613 commandment in the old testament are meant for Jews. Non-jews have 7 commandments that they must keep, so if you are not jewish most of this doesn't apply to you anyway.
1. In the past, before the holy temple in Jerusalem was destroyed the Jewish people brought sacrifices to there. In fact they were not allowed to sacrifice on personal altars (Deuteronomy 12:4-8)
so you see, your neighbors can't really complain about your sacrifices if you really believe in the whole bible.
2. Selling one's daughter as a slave isn't a commandment. In the past it was done, so the G-d tells us how it should be done. You should know that hebrew slaves had it easy compared to other slaves in the past because of all these laws.
3. In the jewish law (halachah) you are not allowed contact with a woman unless you are married to her and before marriage every woman is supposed to cleanse herself. And yes, it's hard to keep these laws if your wife doesn't help you out. In this law you need the women's word.
4. slavery isn't common today. The bible says you may have slaves but it doesn't mean that you must have slaves. It was talkink about a time when slavery was common.
5.No you are not. That is for the Judges and the court to decide. And today there is no court that goes according to the bible laws, so just let your neighbor be. Especially if he isn't Jewish, because he is prohibited to work on sabbath only if he is Jewish.
6. No one knows which commandment is stronger than another. Jewish people are not allowed to eat shellfish and no one is allowed to be homosexual.
7.If you are not a Cohen, a priest from the children of Aaron, then you are not allowed to appraoch the altar of God in any case.
8. First of all, if they are not Jewish then they are allowed to. If they are, then let G-d decide what to do with them. They probably don't even know that they aren't allowed to.
9.It's not that you aren't allowed to touch the dead pig. It's just that you are not allowed to come to the holy temple untill you cleanse yourself. And if you are a cohen then you aren't allowed to. But we don't keep these things today, since there is no holy temple anymore.
10.You are not allowed to go killing people like that. In the past these cases were brought before the court, the sanhedrin, and they decided them. It is more complicated than you think.
The jewish people have been keeping the 613 commandments since they were given. You must understand that it's impossible to understand them by reading the bible alone. That's why we have things that are not written in the bible, but were given to moses orally by G-d, and Moses passed them down to Joshua, etc. Till a Jewish sage named Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi (he lived in the 2nd century A.D.) wrote them down in the mishnah.
So religious Jews go by the old testament, and the Mishnah and Talmud which explain it.

Answer 2

All the things that you quoted from the Bible are correct but that was all Moses laws. If you go to the New Testament they'll tell you a whole bunch of stuff that Jesus tweeked a little when he came.. I am not totally sure but I think it's in Matthews...

Answer 3

The old testament was done away (abolished when Christ died on the cross. The 'problem' is created by people not discerning what the scriptural old testament is and the non-scriptural old testament is. The scriptural old testament is the law of Moses, which starts in Exodus 20. Unless I missed it, the scriptures you mention from Lev. are all scriptural 'old testament' which was done away (Hebrews).

Answer 4

Ah you are quoting the Old Testament law...

That law was only a tutor to prove that no one could be perfect.

We find perfection only and righteousness through the grace of God available to us by believing in Jesus Christ.

You will find "a new comandment" in the New testimant, "Love your neighbor as yourself" which is actualy not a new comandment but was with us from the begining of time.

But most importantly you must Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul, mind and strength.

The disciples of Christ begain to teach that new believers in Christ should abastain from blood and food sacrificed to idols, as well as sexual imorality. These are what you will find emphisised by the modern church. Basic morality as proscribed by God for our protection.

Answer 5

Oh heck, the only important parts anymore are in the new testament anyways, and about not being with a woman who's menstruating, just make sure you only go with women who have hit menapause, thus being pleasing to the Lord our God.

Answer 6

People like to be very selective with their bible-based beliefs. If something makes them feel uncomfortable, then they will find other verses that are more suitable to their beliefs. They will pick and choose the verses that they like, while saying that others are not relevant (such as not keeping the Sabbath, even though it is a commandment.)

It is "Designer Religion".

Answer 7

your questions are funny. kind of like the metephores they reprsent.every one of those quotes are metaphores for some thing deeper .like one having a defect in ones sight, surely you don't think that means literal sight??you must know that probably means one vision of truth.you can't take all that as the only meaning. we as men on earth must look deeper than what we see as black and white. i myself am not gifted enough to quote scrioture,but there are people out here that could explain the to you.try finding sites by t.d.jakes..the potters house. he could answer every question you presented.

Answer 8

It would appear that the word of an infallible god is not always correct eh?

By the way Chrisitans... Jesus didn't "tweak" anything. He said to follow the law (OT) and that it shall not be changed. Paul is the one who "tweaked" things... his claim to fame was a hallucination. The whole thing smells fishy to me. (no pun intended)

Answer 9

This is beautiful!!

Someone else answere the shelfish issue the other day, and I agree with what they said:

"mmm... abomination with melted butter!"

Answer 10

Hehehehehehehehehehe!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're quoting LEVITICUS???? Hehehehe! (I love Leviticus. It makes me laugh.)

That's in the Bible because it's part of our Jewish heritage, but we follow what Jesus had to say. Check out Mark, chapter 7.
(Go to www.usccb.org, click on "Readings," & go to September 3. It's the Gospel for last Sunday.)

Peace!!!