How can Christians gloss over all the bad parts of the bible?

Question

Like God killing sooo many people including but not limited to:

-The first born of the Egyptians
-Everyone in the Noah's Ark story (including babies)
- And entire cities, just because they were using the free will he gave us

Or how he lays out rules for having slaves, now sure he never says he endorses slaves, but wouldn't regluating slavery endorse it.

Or the fact that the bible shows women as second rate many many times.

Or that even Jesus calls non-Isrealites dogs.

Or the fact that God is against homosexuality, though approx. 10% of his creations are gay.

I can quote the bible to prove all of these if you wish.

This and the fact that i can't live a good life and get into their heaven unless i accept Jesus (who called me a dog) as my saviour.

Yes there are good parts of the bible, but you have to accept your God is not all loving, and compassionate.

“God is loving and hates sin. We now have a chance to repent of sin.”
So the babies of Egypt were sinners cause their Pharaoh wouldn’t let the Israelites go?

“You don't like the answers because the truth is that YOU want to be God.”
Oh this is good, ‘I want to be God’ Well maybe, but if I’m not I’d want God to be compassionate, and help us live a good life, and accept us for who we are and not kill us for worship someone else.

“Tell me, do you love your mother? …… But, what if you just focused on when you fought or when she grounded you. Would you still love her? You take the good with the bad, but when you talk about her, you only mention the good. Am I right? It's a lot like that.”
My mother never killed ANYONE let alone almost everyone. My Mom never kicked me out of the house for eating an apple either.

“The thing about the dogs is a metaphor/simile.”
Well I know they weren’t really canines, but if I said you were a dog, would you want me as your lord and saviour?

“But that's only because you and them both think that there are bad parts of the Bible.”
Um there are bad parts, and if you didn’t gloss over my question like the bible you would have noticed I did say there were good parts.

“He is all loving and can do whatever he wants. Who are you to question his motives?”
I’m the one he gave free will to, to question his motives.

“He punished those people because they were evil.”
Even the babies, those evil evil babies.

“We're supposed to use our free will for Him, not for ourselves.”
That’s the opposite of free will

“And plz show me where you found in the Bible that Jesus called non-Isralities dogs.”
Matthew 15:24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

"The Isrealites, Jews, were God's chosen people - like it or not, that's how it was. But now salvation is now offered to all - thank God."

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Another example of a glosser:

“Pharo ordered all of the first born Egyptians killed not GOD”

So Moses said, "This is what the LORD says: 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. 5 Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl,

Answer 1

Real Christians don't gloss over any of the Bible. Yes God killed a lot of people - that should be a warning to us that He will keep His promises and if we're not following His Word then we can expect the same fate. Yes He addressed slaves and women in the Bible - which was WAY ahead of the times - although He didn't fight the governmental views on these people at the time - the simple fact that they are addressed in His Word AT ALL is awesome when many others at the time ignored and/or abused them. Yes Gentiles, non-Jews, were not offered salvation until after the Jews had their chance. The Isrealites, Jews, were God's chosen people - like it or not, that's how it was. But now salvation is now offered to all - thank God. Yes God is not in favor of homosexuality and He expects us to resist this temptation if we are faced with it, just as He expects us to resist sex outside of marriage if we are straight. Everyone faces temptations in one form or another. None of this changes the fact that God is love and full of compassion. Nor will it change the fact that He is a perfect God and will keep His promises - including allowing anyone to go to Hell that rejects His Son and the salvation He has offered to us. Perhaps this is harder for some to accept than others but that's what the Word says - the pleasant and the unpleasant. If Christianity were easy and perfectly pleasing then we'd all be a major part of it. Some things people just don't like about it - that's our challenge - to get over it and accept God's Word as is. I pray that I can grow stronger and do this each day with the issues I struggle with that I see in the Bible and I pray that you and others can grow stronger and deal with "unpleasant" issues in the Word as well.

I saw that you replied to my answer with a verse from Numbers, you didn't really say why you put this verse, but if you are trying to say that salvation is not offered to all men now because God can't change His mind...I'd like to remind you that He has not changed His mind - from the beginning God planned to create man, knew man would fall, and had a plan for salvation which would be offered first to the Jews and then later to the Gentiles. He never changed His mind - it was the plan from the beginning and remains the plan now. You might argue that He shouldn't have created man at all knowing that we would mess up - but that is His prerogative. However you really can't argue that He changed His mind at all. He definitely keeps His promises whether we think them pleasant or not. And in case you are wondering where the Bible says that all have the chance to be saved now, check out these verses - Galatians 3:6-8 & Acts 13:25-27. There are lots more but those two verses pretty well sum it up - even Gentiles (like us) can be considered "sons of Abraham" now.

Answer 2

you have many points in your question so ill start at the top and work my way down.
--how do christians gloss over etc.
to gloss over would imply that everything but the good stuff would be coverd up, true? then how did you find out about the bad stuff? i mean its there in the bible for any one to see.
probably you mean that some born again christian said how wonderfull how marvelous how compassionate and forgiving is my God, and he was right ,the bible says if we repent and confess the lord jesus as our savior then He is swift to forgive ,and we are grafted iinto the family of god.

point 2-like killing soooo many people.
im sure you would agree that free will (and in this case the free will you speak of was sinfull behavior including but not limited to the murdering and sacrificing of children and sexual depravity of all kinds)has its consequences.right? I mean you can jump off a cliff its your free will! right do you ? no! because the consequences are too great. for every action there is a reaction.it only makes sense. well its the same for sin,sadly the consequenses for sinfullness often effects those around us.even innocent children.
point 3--
if you read the rules you speak of concerning slavery you see that the type of slavery refered to was more of an indentured servant type you could actualy buy your freedom after a time.not to be confused with the practices of slaveholders in our own country.
point4--women
again consequences for sinfull behavior
point 5--- dogs and this is my favorite one.
the jewish people considered the the nonjewish people to be as dogs. without understanding of spiritual matters nor the ability to learn such.they were forbidden into the inner yards of the temple where the teachers taught.so had little oppurtunity to learn spiritual matters.Christ was actually spurning the self rightous teachers warning them in a way that because they would reject him the dogs would end up with the feast prepared for them.

point6-- i too can quote the bible the difference is ive studied it seriously and have understanding of it as a whole not picking the parts that i think discredit God.
point 7----
Ill let GOD answer this one
john 3-16

for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life;
if you are seriously concerned about your soul(as i am). find someone to study the word with.
may god bless you with clarity

Answer 3

Some Christians do gloss over parts of the Bible. But that's only because you and them both think that there are bad parts of the Bible. The Bible is truth from front to back. Either you've been misinformed or you've read it wrong. God is the ruler of the universe. He is all loving and can do whatever he wants. Who are you to question his motives? He punished those people because they were evil. We're supposed to use our free will for Him, not for ourselves. And plz show me where you found in the Bible that Jesus called non-Isralities dogs.

Answer 4

Pharo ordered all of the first born Egyptians killed not GOD
Noone in Noah's time believed in God except Noah and his family. If you would read all the scriptures you will see that God tried to get them to turn to him but they refused therefore he sent the flood and started over with Noah.
You have missed the boat on all of your statements. God sent his only son to the earth that we may better understand him and turn to him, instead we killed him by hanging him on the cross. If you would study and read the bible more then these things would become more clear to you.

Answer 5

God also stated that He is jealous and that we should have no other gods before Him.

These people were destroyed because they disobeyed God.

Your parents give you rules. You do what you want. You break the rules. You are punished. But you are still loved. God is the same only far greater.

The thing about the dogs is a metaphor/simile.

God loves His creation, but He is not pleased with our choices.

Answer 6

I respect your question because more people need to realize that we worship a God that is not fair. The Arminian would have this happen, and will twist scripture around to make it so. I do not follow a feels-good theology. God rules his universe, and does as He pleases with His creation. He saves who He pleases (predestines them, in fact). Man cannot subject God to his will by accepting Him. So you're absolutely right, God is not all-loving and compassionate.

Answer 7

Actually, I don't gloss over that, and nor does my church. We just focus more on what God means then what you complain about.

Tell me, do you love your mother? She's a good woman, right. Loves you, takes care of you, fed and clothed you. But, what if you just focused on when you fought or when she grounded you. Would you still love her? You take the good with the bad, but when you talk about her, you only mention the good. Am I right? It's a lot like that.

Answer 8

God is not all loving- He despises some of the choices we make, hence the destruction of those cities you mentioned. However God is love, and the greatest example of this is when he sent his son Jesus Christ for each and every one of us. God is just and judge, he doesn't come to us, we come to him. He's creator, we are creation.

If you love your children, you discipline them right? Or do you let them keep on making bad choices and get themselves into greater and greater trouble? All loving doesn't mean there isn't judgment and discipline.

Answer 9

They don't just "gloss over it" They accept them in the context they are written. On that note, some of your information is incorrect. God is love, but He is a God of justice and vengeance too. Some are going to suffer the wrath of God, such as those who did not accept Jesus and the free offer of His mercy and grace..

Answer 10

What an excellent question. I have been asking "christians" how they justify the atrocities in the old testament. have not received an acceptable excuse yet.
Their is a father/creater waiting for us to return. The only requirement is to choose "love/fellowship" in all your doings, and desire to leave this place upon death. If you practice dominion/evil and do not desire to leave this place then you will not.