This is going to sound like a debate question, but do you think we should throw out the Bible?

Question

And say it was written for those people at that time, and that it has good guidelines, but we don't have to follow them? That even if it WAS inspired by God, that it is outdated? Just seems like a LOT that I read writes off a ton of stuff as cultural. I agree with a lot of it, and am no longer that conservative (haven't been for a couple of years), but it does seem like an awful lot.

Serious question (I know a lot of my ?s sound like debates, but I really truly don't mean for them to. I am finally out from under my parent's thumb and am trying to figure things out for myself, especially on the controversial topics.)

sorry, I really meant the cultural aspects/commandments. Not necessarily the history or mythology, whichever you believe it is. Or even the moral teachings of loving our neighbor, etc. Just the specific things like women wearing coverings, all the OT laws, etc etc etc!

And yes, I am a confused little girl, though no one has accused me of that yet, lol. I am trying to get un-confused. :)

I really am TERRIBLE at wording questions, especially online where space is limited. I am better at answering them. Sorry for my lack of articulation skills. :)

Answer 1

You say you're "no longer that conservative," but think about the people that Jesus hung out with: "sinners". It seems that a lot of conservatives don't feed the hungry, tend to the sick, visit those in prison or other such things that Jesus did. Jesus is not a Republican or a Democrat or aligned with ANY political party. In fact, He should frustrate all of them because they can't claim to have a lock on the so-called "Christian vote." I consider myself a conservative Democrat, if such a thing exists, although unlike the Democratic leadership, I'm pro-life and pro-gun. On top of that, I'm an evangelical who believes in the inerrancy of the Bible because I haven't seen proof to the contrary, having examined the evidence. There are so many thousands of ancient documents that show the consistency of the Bible through the centuries--the earliest manuscripts we have date back to about the 2nd-century B.C., and those ancient texts have been compared to the Biblical translations taken from other ancient documents and have shown remarkable consistency. I don't see how we could think of throwing something out that has withstood the test of time even though in a lot of cases it has become far too politicized.

Having said that, I think a huge problem we have today is that people are trying to make their concept of God fit their culture, rather than letting Him change their hearts and letting His influence in their lives shape culture instead. I'm not talking about anything having to do with political affiliation or any of that stuff. I'm talking about people starting with the Word of God as their basis for truth and using it as our standard regardless of which direction society tries to pull them.

I've been doing a lot of writing about all kinds of issues that Christians deal with. Check out my blog at the link below and feel free to drop me a line at [e-mail]. Take care.

Answer 2

Questioning an establishment is a sign of extreme intelligence.
I would say to you the following:
The Bible is a set of rules and traditions for the Jews, and the Christian Jews.
The New testament is a set of examples in life to follow and a behavioral guideline for Christians
The Coran is a set of rules for Muslims

Whatever religion you have inheritated at your birth, you are not bound to follow its rules when you have the choice to set rules for your life the way you want and need (then you are a free person. Some call it Atheism or agnostic or...)

All those social rules are of course outadet as you say. What remains from the three religions is :
To be good and creative, and help yourself and your society to achieve a better well-being and development while securing your security and happiness. This is what MAN is, not a bag of flesh where religious rules and predicaments are fighting to make the person complicated and unhappy and bad to others.

I remember that old good philosophy teacher of mine(he was a jesuit priest) on the last day at high school telling us : I have teached you all philosophies that mankind mind has generated. You may belong to one of them, but me as a christian and a jesuit I want to leave you a legacy :
BE FREE whether you chose or reject what you have inheritated.
You dont have to be what you were given at your birth. You are not stones. CHANGE ... but always to the best, first for you then for the others around you.

Answer 3

"That even if it WAS inspired by God, that it is outdated?"

Come on, mountain_laurel. Do you know how silly this sounds? :)

Okay, so you're not that conservative anymore, and your point of cultural disparity is a good one. HOWEVER, the relationships described in the Bible, the Bible as an historical reference, the Bible as inspiration to Christians...aren't these good enough reasons to keep it around? Did you want to write a new one for Christians to follow?

Re: Cultural sources: No one says you have to live like an ancient Jew.

Old Testament - History of Nation of Israel
New Testament - Jesus and the creation of a New Covenant

I'm glad you're experiencing freedom and maturity and exploring things for yourself. Keep asking tough questions! :)

Answer 4

I don't think the bible will ever be outdated. I'm not religious... but I am very spiritual. I find a lot of the teachings and passages of the bible to very inspirational. The whole thing is meant to be about love and compassion for one another... Through many many years its been added to, subtracted from... misinterpreted and misunderstood. I say we treat it like a good spring cleaning... keep the good stuff and throw out the stuff that we can't use.

Answer 5

No.

Don't get me wrong; it's a work of fiction that has had nothing but a destructive influence on modern culture.

But that doesn't mean that it has no value, or that we should throw it out.

After all, we still teach our children about Greek myths.
It's still interesting, even if it's patently false.

Or do you mean, should we stop taking it seriously?
Oh absolutely. The bible, taken as a guide to life, is a trully horrid book. Especially (but not by any means exclusively) the old testament.
The sorts of ideas and values that it promotes aren't fit for savages, much less an enlightened society.

Answer 6

It is funny how many people seem to forget the fact that Jesus said to forget the old laws. The story of Cain and able is an allegory for the hunter gather verses farmer, just as the story of the knowledge of good and evil is for human consciousness. Just like someone else said, we can learn from the mythology of the past, but facing natural law is our ultimate truth. The here and now, the flowers, sunrises, sunsets, beauty and sorrow here and now!

Answer 7

Developing one's own faith is a personal thing. No one should make decisions for others on whether one should or shouldn't practice a faith or religion.

If you do not wish to, then fine, that's your decsion for your life. If others wish to keep their bibles and their faith, they should have that freedom also.

And also, the things listed in scripture (the do's and don'ts) are only binding when one enters into God's covenant on His terms. If you're not in His covenant, then none of the restrictions have any bearing on your life.

If you feel that certain things are outdated, then maybe you should seek out a different faith to follow. There are many beliefs and religions to pick from, and if you don't agree with the details of one, then go on to another until you find one you can live with. I don't feel its right to remove the bible from those who with to keep it just because you feel like throwing it out.

You have your own life, as you say you no longer live with your parents. So now go out, research different beliefs and religions until you find one you like. You're under no obligation to keep the same religion as your parents. That's the beauty of free choice.

Answer 8

The Bible has been the best seller for years and still is. No, we should not throw it out, for it has wisdom for all the ages. It has answers for every question ever asked. It contains good sense on everyday living and excellent stories of problem in life and the result of those problems. Not to mention it is the word of GOD!

Answer 9

It is not necessary to throw out the Bible if you are really old enough and out from your parents's thumb. You will know how to use it if you have good knowledge of life experience. You will choose the wisdom of life and can get rid of the cultrual traditionals lifestyle of the time. We liked to see happy ending movies when we were young but now we do not like it anymore cause we knew it was not true. We are learned to accept good and bad things together. arent we?
Btw, dont forget yr parent's endless love in yr life. good luck.

Answer 10

That's completely up to you. If you find that the Bible goes against most of YOUR personal beliefs then perhaps it's not the religion for you. I used to be a devout Christian myself but I couldn't for the life of me believe that a God that supposed to be loving would send gay people or non-believers to hell. I couldn't picture Ghandi or Anne Frank burning in hell simply because they were not Christians. Just take time out to ask yourself if you believe in the Bible because you feel you should or do you believe because it's truly in your heart.