these people need some psychological help...
2007-01-07 03:18:51 · 21 answers · asked by jongcr 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
If jesus took the OT literally then why would we need a NT?
2007-01-07 03:26:11 · update #1
Is the NT the "christian" text......
look quit being brainwashed by bigoted hicks. You people are causing enough trouble in this country.
2007-01-07 03:31:19 · update #2
Ahem...this evangelical Christian doesn't, and thanks for the generalization.
The Old Testament consists of different styles of literature, and to take the entirety literally, without regard for context or proper exegesis, is irresponsible.
2007-01-07 03:20:53 · answer #1 · answered by stronzo5785 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋
take a look at developmental psychology. People slowly develop wiser and deeper understandings of the world as they grow up. Taking stories literally is a stage that all children go throw at some stage.
It is also natural that some people reach higher stages of intellectual development and others are happy with the simple explanations. (some would say this is to do with reincarnation - see www.michaelteachings.com)
The people who take things literally will probably never stop taking things literally, and there is nothing much that can be done about that, but they really should not be priests and spiritual teachers. You need wise people for that.
2007-01-07 03:43:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because a lot of them are not really Christians, they are bigots.
There is little support for bigoted ideas in the NT.
That's why they ignore the words of Jesus in the NT and focus on the OT where the bigoted ideas are so prevalent.
Love and blessings Don
2007-01-07 03:24:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Why not? If we do not take our own book seriously, then how can we expect other people to do so?
If we didn't take the entire Bible seriously, then everyone would accuse us of being hypocrites who practice "cafeteria style" Christianity. Check out some of the other responses on this page.
Septics will never be satisfied; they will always find some reason to nit-pick at the Bible or Christianity, because you don't like God or his morality. Why should we care what you think about our sanity? We think the same thing about people like you.
2007-01-07 03:29:21 · answer #4 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It depends by what you mean when you say literally. Yes I think there was a literal arc. When it says He owns the cattle on a thousand hills I accept it is a metaphor and not that the cattle on hill 1001 belongs to someone else. Some of the Bible is literal and some is metaphors and we have been given a brain and common sense to deduce what is what.
2007-01-07 03:23:43 · answer #5 · answered by Pilgrim 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Not all evangelicals do. However, enoough of them do to cause problems in the real world..."Intelligent Design", opposition to stem cell research, objections to more than a dozen valid sciences based on their literalized dogma, and so on.
If these guys claim the Bible is the Word of God (literally), then they should prove it. Beyond their high-volume, high-octave say-so.
2007-01-07 03:25:20 · answer #6 · answered by Scott M 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Shalom,
Because they are carnal and like the pharisees express the oracles of God outwardly, that is to say they take every scriptures literal. Because being of the natural mind man is incapable of understanding the mysteries of God. Do they need psychological help? No, but I would say they need try to step up to a higher level of understanding. Just like how it is seen as sick for a grown man to breast feed off his mother so is it with fundamentalists breast feeding off the milk of the doctrine.
Peace
Aza
2007-01-07 03:24:50 · answer #7 · answered by Aza 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
the old testament is more literal than the new. The old testament is valuable to anyone in advise as to the right way to live life. The Ten Commandments, the diet that God gave to noah after the flood, how to raise your kids, treat your wife/husband...How to prioritize your life.
2007-01-07 03:26:51 · answer #8 · answered by mamadana 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
As a Christian Pastor I take the Old Testament the same as I do the New Testament.
The unchanging Word of God.
2007-01-07 03:22:12 · answer #9 · answered by drg5609 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Why do evangelical christians take the old testament literally?
Because it too is the Word of THE GOD!
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""these people need some psychological help.""
Your comment is but Your opinion and is of no consequence.
2007-01-07 03:21:08 · answer #10 · answered by whynotaskdon 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I take the OT literally because my leader, Jesus took it literally.
2007-01-07 03:24:39 · answer #11 · answered by Gee Wye 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋