Are there more good lessons in the bible or bad to be learned?

Question

For good, I refer you to stories regarding Jesus' tolerance of others, the good samaritan, the idea of faith in general can more or less be boiled down to hope. For bad, I refer you to stories of incest, rape, dashing children's heads against rocks, revenge, sacrificing animals to God

Answer 1

I have no problem with people taking away positive MORAL lessons from reading the bible or other scripture. What gets my hackles up is when:

1.) a particular group acts like their religion has a monopoly on good, moral behavior (the platitudes espoused in the bible can be found in just about every religion among every people throughout history);

and

2.) When theists attempt to make authoritative statements about non-philosophical disciplines (history, cosmology, physics, biology) using their scripture as their "proof".

Answer 2

As with anything in life, Selnyk, the Bible's lessons are only helpful to the reader if he or she walks aways with true understanding.

For example, if the reader only wants to point to "stories of incest, rape, dashing children's heads against rocks, revenge, [and] sacrificing animals to God," he or she will walk away with the notion that God is unjust, ruthless and a sadist.

If the reader wishes to understand God and look deeper into His thought processes, they will understand God repeatedly warns us against immoral acts such as incest, rape and unrighteous revenge. In each instance, we are shown the negative implications of the violator's actions, which sometimes impact his or her progeny, too.

As far as "dashing children's heads against rocks," there are instances where this was done unrighteously and instances where this was a part of God's judgement on a pagan and sinful people. There are at least two instances in the Bible of which I am aware that this "dashing" is not literal, but figurative.

Sacrificing animals to God is another matter altogether. The sacrifice of animals for attonement (literally, "covering") of sins is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Messiah. Unless the people first understood that God requires repayment in some form, they would not be able to understand Jesus' sacrificial death.

Overall, I think each of the Bible's lessons are good ones. Admittedly, they are not all easy to receive.

Peace.

Answer 3

THE BIBLE IS A RULE AND GUIDE OF FAITH. BASIC INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE LEAVING EARTH. THE BIBLE has these stories of both good and evil to make many wonder as you do why these evil stories are contained therein. they are to educate one who reads with more wisdom and knowledge than they had before. one realizes like you have these are actions which are evil and destructive to the happiness joy peace and rights of people everywhere. by learning these lessons no one should tolerate these actions in their culture and society.

Answer 4

If you have enough insight and common sense you can sort out the wheat from the chaff-you can discern the pearls of wisdom and divine truths from the meaningless dogma. Not all of the bible is about teaching morality however-Song of Solomon for example is just straightforward erotic poetry.

Answer 5

Getting truth from a bible is like trying to squeeze custard out of a weasel's butt.

Answer 6

there are plenty of lessons left in the bible because the older you get,the more you read and understand,the more you will learn that some of what you've already learned is new again.

Answer 7

yes i bet u are not a christian try being one and see the difference the bible uses bads to teach us good thing

Answer 8

it is up to you what you perceive as good or bad,homosexuals found reasons in the bible for their choice,so it is up to the individual to find good or bad according to what they believe right?i believe the bible is a tool like anything else for me to use to find my good or bad i believe in.if i do not have the real god in my body,soul and spirit anything is good or bad but because i know the real GOD i know bad or good and bad or good are tools for us to use for our growth so everything is good as long as you learn and grow from it right?

Answer 9

never did talley them up, and as is one you mentioned there may be more that are debatable, whose idea was it to sacrifice animals, it was a temporary measure until the perfect came.

Answer 10

The bible is a poor example of a moral guide.

It is a human-editied, socially-constructed series of documents written when only a handful of men had rights...