Why do so many christians pick and choose which parts of the bible they believe?

Question

If I ask a question about the parts of the bible where god tells someone to enslave,rape or kill (they are all in there) suddenly I am taking things out of context or that's the old testament it doesn't count.
Today I asked if the bible was the definitive word of god and the response from believers was a resounding yes.
That being the case,shouldn't you accept the whole thing and not just the parts you like?

Answer 1

Excellent question

I have asked this to many, many theist. I find it amusing how they edit the bible according to what is convenient to them.

Asides from saying it's out of context or like you said, "but that's the OOOOLD testament" they also like to say that I should look at it from a metaphoric perspective.

Someone please tell me where the metaphor is in hateful passages such as Leviticus 20:13

Let's not forget the ultimate cliche, "God works in mysterious ways"...this one seems to be the Get Out Of Jail Card of the religious monopoly.

Answer 2

Dear rosbif,

The Bible is the definitive word of God. But it also must be studied in its proper context. Yes there are parts of the Bible where God uses Israel, or a neighboring country to execute judgement. Yes there are laws in Leviticus that are superseded by later revelation in the New Testament where those principles do not apply.

Hermenutics (how to study the Bible) has the #1 rule of - context, context, context. If we don't understand the Bible in its proper context it is very easy to misintrepret what is being conveyed.

i agree that we should accept the whole thing- but we must also correctly understand the whole thing and not pick parts to take out of context- and question the validity of the whole thing...

Kindly,

Nickster

Answer 3

J.W's consider the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation. No part is ignored. Jesus himself had access to the 'scrolls' of the Old Testament, kept safe at the temple [ built by Solomon] and he knew their contents thoroughly. He denied NONE of it. Even using some of the stories as examples in his own teaching.
An example is;
(Matthew 24:36-39) “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.

Jesus proves the flood really happened.

Answer 4

The whole Bible is there to teach us. No one has a right to remove anything from the Bible to fit their own lives. Either they need to accept what it says or not at all. Everything has a purpose within the Bible. You are trying to start a debate. The Bible isn't debatable. It's what it is. It says what it says. Respect it. Trust it. Abide by it. We are understand the New Covenant. When Jesus came the law was fulfilled. Meaning that alot of things done in the OT were no longer required by God because Jesus' blood did it all.

Answer 5

The old Testament is the Law which was given to man to show his weakness and his need for What was to come, presented in the new Testament, Grace. This is an extremely short answer but the Bible is a whole...what is written in the Old Testament is explained in the new.....took me years to realize and recognize that.

Answer 6

Of course you should accept the whole thing, as long as you understand that many of the parts must be understood in context and that you also understand the Bible has been translated many times and may contain some human errors. I agree many pick and choos parts to believe in, usually because it supports their way of life, or would destroy their beliefs otherwise.

Answer 7

a rather good variety of professed Christians do %. and decide which text fabric to have self belief, and which to discard. Why do they try this? The Bible itself provides us and answer. Matthew 15:6 - "And so which you have made the word of God invalid because of the fact of YOUR custom" many human beings have a view on something that became handed down, and additionally they placed their faith in that concept, twisting what verses would look to help it, whilst ignoring the time-honored reality in the Bible. everyone who takes this type of stand isn't a real Christian. a real Christian searches the scriptures to locate the actual, if it ability being corrected. They don’t seek the scriptures to coach their preconceived techniques and notions.

Answer 8

I suppose that you should either accept the Bible as a whole or reject it as a whole. Unfortunately, people are fallible and sometimes do not study the Book as diligently as they should. Then again Deuteronomy classifies bats as birds...kinda weird.
Of course the Book is based on documentation of an oral history, it is possible that a few mistakes crept in over time.

Answer 9

You make a good point. During the flight from Egypt. God told the people to leave anyone born with a deformity out in the wilderness to die. It seems that people pick and choose what they want to live by and believe from the Bible.

Answer 10

No... they don't do that..
im a christian.. but the thing is that in the old testament is the word of God.. yes it is! but we don't follow it now... B/c of the new testament...
The new testament has all the things we should follow and rules... And you have to understand that before in the old testament there was no JEsus now there is .....
I wish i could explain better.. but im at work and i need to continue working...
but if anything... we will tlak later...