is ALL of the Bible literal truth and God's law?

Question

there are many contradictions, outdated and just down right wrong statements in the Bible, ex.~ women are treated as property- Thou shalt not covet your neighbors wife...thou shalt not kill, but it's ok to stone certain people, kill your disobeying children, etc...

& can anyone give examples of these?

david- i think your "spiritual eyes" might be the rose colored glasses of religious programming...
i have the heart of humanitarian and believe in the inter-connectedness of all. my heart could use spiritual improvement, just as with most unenlightened beings, and i am working on that. i wish the same for you~ a better heart and the eyes to see

Answer 1

I would suggest you read some of Neale Donald Walsch's books, such as "The New Revelations - A Conversation with God."

First to consider the Bible as literal truth, you must believe that it was handwritten by God (man had nothing to do with it).

But it was written over many centuries by many men. Scholars can prove that with works by authors not included in it referring to individuals who are in it. Moses was a man and he is openly acknowledged as the author of Genesis.

Answer 2

Every thing in the Bible is literal, including the 10 commandments of God. What was nailed to the cross, what Jesus came to do and to die for, was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, and the fulfillment of the Mosaic laws, none of the Mosaic laws are in effect, but the Laws of God have never been done away with. Thou shalt not kill, the word kill was misinterpreted on purpose, the word means 'to do murder', it is a completely different concept.

Answer 3

Why do ones take issues out of content textile, the single faith that stoned, burnt on the stake or in simple terms elementary murdered distinctive for no longer believing like them is the Catholic faith, their murderous acts are traditionally recorded. immediately we've the regulation, whilst one breaks the regulation they receive a punishment, for individuals that have committed severe crimes they get the loss of existence penalty. those have been shot in a firing squad, hung with a rope, gassed or electrocuted, that's spoke of as capital punishment. The Jewish u . s . a . had rules that have been for the Jewish u . s . a ., you would be able to disagree with the guidelines even though it exhibits your lack of expertise to blame God. In maximum folk's minds adultery replaced right into a severe crime in those days, immediately maximum are so immoral committing adultery or fornication is not any distinctive than kissing somebody, our ethical have fallen contained in the sewer. Adultery is devastating to a relatives, immediately it incredibly is a daily prevalence, immoral relatives have extra approximately venereal affliction some that outcomes the relatives existence have been it may under no circumstances be reversed. yet you attack the capital punishment of the Jewish faith. in case you opt for criminals punished for the crimes they commit on your block and then criticize the stoning they did back in Bible situations you're a hypocrite. actual Christian do no longer punish individuals that believe distinctive than them, they prepare what's declared at Mark 12:30-31 and you ought to love Jehovah your God mutually with the entire coronary heart and mutually with the entire soul and mutually with the entire suggestions and mutually with the entire power.’ 31 the 2d is that this, ‘you ought to love your neighbor as your self.’ there is not any different commandment greater desirable than those.” How can everyone who claims to be Christian reason harm to their neighbor for any reason no longer to point in simple terms because of the fact somebody believes distinctive. actual Christian won't even pass to war and kill in simple terms because of the fact their government tells them too. Now fake faith will kill, and do the flaws you stated because of the fact their chief is devil and that they think of they're following God, they have been blinded by using devil(2 Co 4:4).

Answer 4

This is why so many Christians pick and choose what is literal and what is "symbolic" based on nothing, but what suits their needs so they can believe all the gibberish that's in the Bible.

This "pick and choose" method is very stupid. If one must do that then the whole Bible should be done away with.

That, and the people who do this method, but insist their morals come from their god... well, that just makes no sense. If their god gave them their morals then the whole Bible should be taken literally and said to be moral all throughout.

Is this the case? No. They say the passages where people get killed/murdered are "symbolic" but the "thou shalt not kill/murder" commandment is literal. And whenever we show those passages of the former they say we're "taking it out of context" yet when they do the same they say it's NOT out of context. What the...?

To PICK AND CHOOSE means you have your own morals from elsewhere (where EVERYONE gets it - Natural Selection, culture, parents and society) and do not AGREE with your "perfect" god's words in the Bible. They're hyprocrites.

Answer 5

I believe the Bible to be the absolute truth, not the literal truth...many of the contracictions you mention are outdated and should be interpreted according to the time we are living (ex Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife...should also be applied to husbands, and other relationships)

"THou shalt not kill" is directed to the people so they won't just cap somebody for stealing their gum. The second half of what you list are punishments for disobeying God's law, laws that established by God to be enforced by God's directive. There wasn't just a bunch of guys sitting around making up punishments for the disobedience of mankind.

Many of the punishments are not necessary now that the new covenant established by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. b/c of His sacrifice these punishments are not as necessary as they were intended centuries ago...Jesus died so that we have the opportunity to approach the very throne of God and ask for His Almighty forgiveness for the wrongs we do, and the resurrection of Jesus ensures our (after)life eternal with God the Father once we place our faith in Jesus' sacrifice.

Answer 6

Of course it has been changed many times.
But don't worry, Jesus in Revelations says that the ones who add or remove any part of the Bible will receive an ugly punishment. And if that's also false, then think that nothing happens if God doesn't want to. And if that's false, then it would be really difficult to believe.

Answer 7

I believe it is entirely possible to be a devoted Christian and NOT see the Bible as the literal word of God. Now, clearly many disagree with my opinion, and that's fine.

But I'm with you: The Bible is filled with many contradictions and other statements that I find quite frightening, as well as inconsistent with Jesus' overall message of love and forgiveness.

The Bible is a "book" of letters and stories from devoted men from years past. Their words are capable of bringing us closer to God, but they are not literally God's words.

Your question is a key one in Christianity today, and clearly there is much disagreement among Christians. For further ideas, I encourage you to read The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg.

peace

Answer 8

the contradictions are seen with the eyes of the world. Spiritual contradictions arent there if you have spiritual eyes to see.

We are now in the new Covenant.....stoning people no longer is OK....Jesus proved this when He said "let Him who is without sin throw the first stone"

And no one is without sin, as per the Bible also.

Pray for spiritual eyes and a new heart. It will make perfect truth.

Blessings,
David

Answer 9

The Bible is just a collection of stories and legends from the various Hebrew tribes that wondered around Mesopotamia several thousand years ago.

Answer 10

God told moses and his general Joshua to smite their enemies. Many bible believers condemn the Koran for similar passages. The bible isn't God's law. It and such writings are a reason to be better than and to justify war against the other.