How is it possible to claim to be a member of a religion if one does not follow its religious text literally?

Question

if the text is outdated, doesn't that just mean the religion is outdated? afterall, the word of god should be timeless.

Answer 1

Because not all religions see scrolls and scriptures the same way.

Some put great emphasis on the texts, such that the text itself very nearly constitutes the religion in its entirety - you see this most amongst evangelicals and Muslims. For the most part, they do depend on the scriptures being completely reliable as history, anthropology, and science.

Other faiths take a more nuanced view of scriptures. Yes, they are God's word, but they are not plainly written instruction manuals. The inspired writers are writing from a cultural context, and it becomes important to consider that context when parsing the meaning of the scripture in question. Those religions that do this (I am thinking here of Judaism and more traditional Orthodox/Catholic Christianity) call this process "exegesis."

Then there are other faiths where the texts are plainly acknowledged as not necessarily being divine in origin. Buddhism does not have a God, so the various Sutras obviously are not thought to be the "word of god" per se.

Answer 2

Luckily, you are only a little ignorant about this issue. The text is not outdated, just not easily read and followed in it's original Hebrew, Greek, and Aremaic languages. There have been many scholars that have gone to those texts and translated them in to the most common language, resulting in new "versions" of the Bible. If you are asking about the literal Old Testament commandments, as Christians, many believe Christ freed us from those literal commandments, and the important ones were reiterated in the New Testament.

Answer 3

If god existed by definition it would be beyond human understanding, therefore people would have to read religious texts as metaphor and symbols. Doing anything else violates the idea of god and means that you have a superficial understanding of your creator. Why would god be anything like a human? god has to be outside the physical laws of nature. how can we understand anything outside of our experience?

I find people who take holy works as literal truth do not understand what the real definition of God is.

Answer 4

The trouble with the church is that it has been taken over by fundamentalists and other extremists.

The God in the bible was kind, loving, considerate and wise. Not words you would associate with modern Christians.

Follow your religion as your heart leads you and close your ears to the extremists!!!

Answer 5

why would you want to claim to be a member? the religious system is perverted- we no longer follow God- but man and his made up version of what religion is- go back to your Hebrew roots and study the Word of God and He will show you the way... bless you

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Yes, but the interpretation of such text is always being reconsidered, therefore it and its members is not outdated.

Answer 8

Um.

Well, for one thing, there's the part where people recognize that most religious text is written in metaphors. It's not supposed to be taken literally. e.e

Answer 9

The God of the old testament is the god of the new testament. Plainly spoken, God was, is and always will be. He is alpha and omega, beginning and the end.