Why do even devout Christians not follow the Bible, only parts they like?

Question

To begin with, this is not some Athiest trying to piss off religious people. It's a genuine question that I would like an answer to. I'm very interested in theology and am always looking for good, intelligent opinions on the issues seen concerning the bible.

Now then.
Leveticus quotes that homosexuality is an abomination, and many religious people are quick to throw this around. But it also states that shaving is a sin, as is eating pork, wearing polyester, and having a vegetable garden.
It also says that God commands mildewy clothing to be burned and adulterers to be stoned and cut off from their people. The breaking of some of these results in death or excommunication.
But of course, these sins are commited daily across the board.
I wonder, is there something I missed that states these are no longer sins? Or are they just sins people have decided to commit anyways, not following the word of God?

Leveticus 19:19
"Keep my decrees.
Do not mate two different types of animal.
Do not plant your field with two types of seed.
Do not wear material woven of two types of cloth."

Might have got the wording wrong there, it's from memory, but yeah. Close enough.

Thank you veyr much, answerers. I thought there was a good chance I missed a part or misunderstood, I'll go read again and try to understand where laws were changed.

For other answerers, yes, I understand we're all human and sin...this was relating how it seemed parts of Leveticus were pick-and-choose.

Answer 1

Friend You are using OT scriptures, Do you know how to bring the OT up with the NT, Romans 10:4 For CHRIST is The what? The end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now NO condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. 2: For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin & death 3: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh & for sin, condemned sin in the fleash. The bible also says that the law was a shadow of things to come. Colossians 2:16-17 Let no man therefore Judge you in meat(pork) or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or in the new moon, or of the sabbath days, (Saturday & Sunday)17: Which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ. So therfore, I am doing what the bible says to do & not just some of it.

Answer 2

I am a Christian and try my best to avoid as much sin as I can but the fact is...I am only human and I, just like every other christian, will sin. That is why Jesus died...for our sins. If you really study your Bible and find out when and where things in the Bible happened you will see that God does not want us to stone people or put anyone to death. At the same time, he does not want us to judge either. Many people in general (not just Christians) listen to what they want to here. I have been working on this problem for a long time. I mean, when I first started my journey I only read into the Bible as I wanted to (I didn't realize that was what I was doing at the time). Much of the old law in the Bible was put there for the safety of God's children. If you look into history you will see that much of it is not necessary anymore. The world is different. We don't have the same problems people from the OT had. Many "religious people are quick to throw" around many points in the Bible. Some have no idea what they are talking about, others do. We are all just human. Christians make just as many mistakes and sin just as much as non Christians. The only difference is that non Christians will pay for their sins were as Christians have been saved by the blood of Jesus. I pray today that you will soon accept Jesus into your heart. Have a blessed New Year!

Answer 3

>>>Leveticus quotes that homosexuality is an abomination, and many religious people are quick to throw this around. But it also states that shaving is a sin, as is eating pork, wearing polyester, and having a vegetable garden.>>>

Yes, but the New Testament also states that homosexuality is an abomindation.

The NT doesn't say anything about shaving or eating pork or wearing polyester or having a garden.

Jesus had something to say about adulterers being stoned in John 8.

But Jesus said nothing to refute or supercede Leviticus' teaching on homosexuality.

That's the difference.

.

Answer 4

Most feel that some of the rules are inappropriate in today's society. The world is trying to teach tolerance while the Bible teaches rules and the definition of sin. True followers of the Bible will look at the things Christ reestablished during his ministry. There are also things that Christ condemned during his ministry. We have to look at all the information within the Old and New Testaments to know for sure what was changed with the coming of the Christ and the gifts of the Spirit.

We know that Jesus told his disciples that the food that we eat will no longer make you unclean, that it's the word coming out of our mouths that will.

Answer 5

This was a big problem before the Bible was translated in vernacular. Before the Reformation, the church translated the Bible for the people and only translated the parts that they wanted the public to know, twisting the original words around.

Today, people still do it. I completely agree with you on thre subject. People will single out certain aspects of the Bible and nearly tear them to shreads. They act as if they know the Bible inside out, when many parts of the Bible, they probably wouldn't understand or agree with. I don't know why they do this. But the world is not perfect, and people will continue to twist things around. There is still the problem with whether the Bible should be taken literally or not, and I think this has a lot to do with what rules people are following. People seemed to have formed their own religion out of it, saying which rules are valid and which ones are not. Who knows if we'll ever find out how to follow the Bible and its rules. It's one of the many mixed up things in the world.

Answer 6

Peace!
If you mean divine teaching like the 10 commandments I agree with you. But if you mean the Bible in its entirety, I beg to disagree with you.
"Biblical inerancy, then, is the Bible's privilege of never teaching error. Does this mean that every statement in the Bible is divine teaching? Of course not! THE BIBLE DOES NOT ALWAYS TEACH. There are many statements in its various books that are there for historical, geographical, poetic or other reasons. However, whenever a biblical author intends to teach us something, the Holy Spirit intends that too. Everything that the Bible teaches is without error, but everythign in the Bible is not meant as teaching. Each author was left free by the Lord to express himself according to the IDEAS OF HIS OWN DAY. It is revelation contained in the Scripture that is important."
Your next question might be: How do I know when the Bible is teaching? Did God appoint a teaching authority to interpret the Bible for us? Yes he did and that happens to be the Catholic Church - the church he established through Peter. Let me cite some verses (there are many) to prove my assertion. Talking to his disciples Jesus said, "And so I tell you , Peter: you are rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit in earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven." - Matthew 16, 18-20

Answer 7

It depends on what doctrine a Christian tries to follow. The rules you are mentioning were given by God to the Israelites to give them direction and help them attain to knowing and following God. These rules are known as the "Old Law". When Jesus came, he was the manifestation of the "Old Law", perfect in every way, and his example was to show humanity how impossible it was to attempt to know God through following rules alone. His death did away with the old law and ushered in the "New Law". To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and spirit. God still hates sin, Paul in the first book of Romans condemns homosexuality, Galatians mentions more sins which will keep you from knowing God. In short, God hates sins, but through Jesus He has given us an avenue for forgiveness. Notice how today Christians do not go around sacrificing lambs or offering incense to God, Jesus was the "Lamb of God", his sacrifice was the last one needed. Just a note, I am by no means a biblical scholar, just someone who has read and studied the Bible.

Answer 8

Most of those laws are for the Jews, which practice them today. Jesus came and didn't abolish the law, but fulfilled it. So did Jesus kill the adulterous woman? No. We should follow His example. Acts follows this up when the question came up with the Jewish converts and the newly converted Gentiles. Basically they said why lay a lot of law on the Gentiles which even the Jews had a hard time keeping, but they should be free of sexual immorality and not eat blood, strangled, or animals sacrificed to idols.

Answer 9

Some rules in the Bible were meant to be only for a limited time, and some were meant to be forever. The 10 Commandments are forever, but the diet that God told the Jews to eat was a practical thing because they lacked the refirgeration and cooking equipment we have now.

Answer 10

Very good question.

There is a bible scripture that says " all scripture is inspired of God and is beneficial for teaching and reproving and setting things straight."

Jesus never really did away with the Leviticus's law. Most of that law was about sacrifice. To God that provision was given to person only because of our imperfections. If a person really pays attention God really says it is better to be obedient. thus no need for many of the scarifies.

But anyway, Jesus gave a simpler law for us. But because his sacrifices, many of those 'laws' were no longer needed. They served as an example for Gods people. Jesus himself spoke to the point much of the Leviticus laws are no longer needed.

Laws that are still in "effect" are idolatry, adultery, misuse of blood, illegal business practices, and also excommunication so these old laws were repeated in the Greek Scriptures. So as the bible says love covers a multitude of sins. Point being we don't need to kill animals anymore and many of the laws like pork are not need. If you research the clef on an animal helped secret toxin(s) that were harmful to persons.