A question for Christians?

Question

What do you think about some of the verses in the Old Testament, especially Deuteronomy and Leviticus, being violent and derogatory to women? I don't have anything against Christianity because it's no longer a fundamentalist faith, it has been secular for 200 years, and it generally brings out the best in people nowadays...Do you agree that it has moved on ahead of these verses a very long time ago, and that they pertain to the ancient world of the Old Testament?

Answer 1

You need to interpret Scripture from it's culture. Realize that not everything written back then applies to today. Some passages, such as the ones you're referring to, are dealing with an ancient culture of people and need to be interpreted as such.
Yes, I agree with you that these may pertain to the ancient world of the Old Testament.

Answer 2

Jesus said that the "old has passed away, behold, all has become new." In reference to the law, He meant that the new law was to Love God and Love your neighbor. If you think about it, no one would be violent or derogatory toward anyone if they loved them.
Also, I don't understand what you mean by Christianity being Secular, since most (if not) everything the Bible teaches goes against the Worlld's beliefs (example: money and worldly possesions means power to the World, and Jesus teaches that when we are weak[or powerless] we are strong, and that we must not store up earthly treasures). The Bible is God's Word given to man, so I don't think we can just dismiss the Old Testament, but we can use it to further understand and learn from our mistakes and God's grace to us.
Have a great day!

Answer 3

Where do you get this from?
"I don't have anything against Christianity because it's no longer a fundamentalist faith,..."

Are you not aware of the fundamentalism of the evangelicals?

Where does the hatred of homosexuality amongst the vast majority of Christian leaders than from Leviticus?

And there are so many other examples to give if I could be bothered.

Christians pick and choose what parts of the bible to believe and which to reject. It's just a fairy story to keep people who can't bear to think that life might be all there is comfortable as they go about their lives.
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Answer 4

The Old Testament, is basically the Torah. Or the Pentateuch.
The Jewish sacred scribes. Completed 300 years before Christ was born. With the Majority of it written by Moses nearly 1500 years before Christ was born.

As far as what I think about some of the verses. Well, as with any other history book, it tends to remind me how very Barbaric we all really are. =)

Answer 5

Hum . . . Would you want to be more specific?

I think the law is especially kind to woman.

I happened to read some Ancient Near east Law, Law equivalent to that period of time. They were discriminating the slave and women and uphold man and the Noble.

There is one law mentioned in those nations, that if some one killed another person, he/ must be punished. But if he is a man, he may redeemed himself at certain rate, and he is of noble family, he will have less punished. That is unfair.

But in Old T, Children of any heritage is equal. Men & women who sin are also treated equally. If women is rape in city, she and the rapist must be punished, but if she is rape in countryside, she is spared, and the male is punished.

That is fair isn't it? For in the city, if she make noise, people will come to help. If she is a good girl, she should not be out after the sun goes down. Even in today, people from south Asia still do not allow their unmarried girls to get out beside schools, let alone at night. That is the context.

I also remember another issue where people always said God is unfair to girls. That is, the temple is only for the girls. In fact, before Solomon's time, it was the Tabernacle (Tent). Why? So unfair?

If one is familiar to the situation of those days, the temple of the neighbouring nations have prostitutes (both male and female, more female) inside the temple serving the worshiper.

More so for the male, to use their sperm as offering, as a sign of fertility. The Greek and the Indian (Hindu) having the same kind of worship.

God does not want the girls of Israelite to be mistaken as prostitutes, or to be treated as one, thus forbitting the female to be in the inner court of the temple.

So, tell me how is it unfair to gals? I think God is very fair.

Again, if you notice, God even allow female to be prophets, and also as leaders some time. Look at Esther, Ruth, and one Female Judges in Book of Judges. If God is unfair to women, how is it so?

When we read an ancient text, please do not read in today context. Please remember that you are reading something written more than 3000 yrs ago. Please do not use today 'lenses' to view ancient text, just like the American, using their 'lenses' to view the whole world, and not been sensitive to the other culture.

Should you have any other issue, you may email me. Wish you well

Cheers,

Answer 6

There is nothing violent or derogatory in the new testament, the difference between my beliefs as a Catholic and those of Judaism is that Jesus came up with a new game plan, love thy brother/sister the Jews do not accept this change, please realize the different message between new and old testament although our beliefs use the old as a foundation and we love all.I am not secular..with me the bible is #1.Jesus renewed us and gave us a second chance.

Answer 7

Everything in the Old Testament only pertains to the time in which it occurred--before the birth of Christ. The whole point between the Old and New Testaments is that once Christ came to Earth to die for our salvation, the Old Testament rules no longer applied. This is why we don't sacrifice animals in order to be cleansed of our sins, etc.

Answer 8

yes they were writen in a patriarcle sosiaty wre men rulled and women had their place but the whole world has moved on since then and Jesus showed us that women are no less important than men. God never made a differance between us.

Answer 9

I believe the Bible as a whole to be the most liberating text regarding woman in all of history.
Neither Male nor Female, Jew nor Gentile, Slave nor Free, but all ONE in Christ Jesus.

You'd need to give me specific verse numbers and i can give you a better answer, but in general the OT laws do not literally apply to us anymore, only figuratively. (The big exception is the 10 commandments, because Jesus ratified and added to these in the Gospels).

Answer 10

The man is the head of the household and the woman is the caretaker of the family. That is what it says. It says nothing about hurting, defaming, controlling, defying, crushing, exploiting or anything else to women. This doesn't mean that women can't work outside the home. It doesn't say anywhere you can't work outside the home.