Why does Christianity change so often?

Question

It seems like Christianity has changed its morals over the centuries. Why is there no more slavery, wife beating, crusades, or witch burning as was preached of commonly in the past? Has the bible been forsaken?

Is it true that some churches are beginning to embrace gay marriage too?

Answer 1

The Scriptures and the major doctrines of the Christian faith have not changed during its history. How it has been practiced has been affected by the societies in which the people lived.

Take the issue of slavery for example. At the time the New Testament was written, slavery was a fact of life, and the Christian church - at that time - had no power to change it. If you read the New Testament teaching on slavery, it says that if you happen to be a slave to work properly for your master. Since you are in that situation, the Bible tells you how to survive it. But nowhere does it say that as a Christian you should own slaves. Unfortunately, people have tried to twist the teachings to saying that it permitted slavery. Others properly read the scriptures and saw that it did not. The Christian faith was the source of the anti-slavery movement that has eliminated most of the slavery in the world.

So while people have attempted to USE Christianity to defend some evil practices, the scriptures have never changed from allowing to not allowing them.

Answer 2

People that called themselves Christians, beat their wife , the cat-o-lick church was behind the witch burning not real Christians. However some Christians did have slaves, most were slaves to pay off some form of debt, or to marry a mans daughter etc... speaking of debt most all Americans are slaves. debt slaves. Jesus the true God of Creation lead by example. The new testament church was started in the book of Acts. It is not recorded anywhere in the Bible that James, John, Mark, Luke or Jesus ever burned a witch! Besides most of the witches that was burned or murdered by the cat-o-lick a/k/a government were in fact real Christians who refused to except their teachings. Just like in Nazi Germany they murdered men, women and children under the pretense of Christian rule. Never was any of this authorized by the Creator. These are the gifts of the spirit, Ga 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Ga 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. There are only two types of Christians real and fake. The only time a Christian is authorized to take a life is in self defense.

Answer 3

The Bible has not changed. Man how ever has. I feel that many churches do change there morals but that's because if they don't bend on things then people will not attend there church. I think that people also get sick of the hypocrisy in religion. But if one is seeking to know God then one should read the Bible and you will find the truth there.
I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and before I started studying I ran into allot of things that I didn't like within many churches. I think when one is searching they should first pick up the bible and see what God thinks is acceptable. That way they are letting God lead them not man.

Answer 4

With all due respect my friend, you have never been to an Orthodox Christian Church have you?

Those who change the Faith (which as St. Jude says was once delivered to the saints) are known as either heretics or schismatics. The former change the Faith and thus put themselves outside of the Church. The latter cause division but are still within the bounds of the Faith. Sometimes schisms are caused with good intent although it is sad when the Body of Christ is affected by political pressures or power struggles as the Lord Jesus prayed that His Church (against which the gates of Hell/Hades will not prevail) would be one and taught humility.

Perhaps the reuniting of the Church is closer now than ever before as the Patriarchs of Rome, Alexandria and Constantinople are now at least communicating even if inter-communion may yet be a way off.

Specifically for you, the Christian Faith stays the same. It is rather this temporal world which passes away which changes. St. Philemon kept St. Onesimus as a slave, however not in the same sense as Americans kept slaves. (Historically slaves have not been treated as poorly as they were in America.) Generally slaves were people who had gone broke and worked as slaves/servants in order to pay off their debt. (There was no bankruptcy in those days.) The Apostle St. Paul taught masters to treat their servants well (Colossians ch.4). Christians might not keep slaves as such today but people are still employed by Christians in what may well be called a form of modern corperate slavery. Christians ought to treat their workers well. The system may have changed but the principals of the Faith remain the same.

The Christian Faith has always taught, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25). It is sad that other faiths teach that a man ought to throw his wife on a couch and beat her when they do not agree.

In regards to the Crusades please ask a Roman Catholic as the Orthodox Church does not look too fondly upon this part of history either.

In regards to witch (or any other) burnings, some people within the Church have at times thought it good to discourage certain poor souls from sending themselves to eternal flames by threatening them with temporal flames. Obviously threats must be carried through or else they are useless. Whilst the ethics behind this may be argued one can at least see the good intent of the people who used this policy. It should be noted that large parts of the Church have not used such methods though. If your objection was specifically to witches, the Church has always taught and still does teach that witchcraft ought not to be practised. In the Acts of the Apostles we read of such books being burned. (Please note that the books, not the people, were burned and they were brought willingly to be burned.) Witchcraft exists even if certain people don't know much about it. (Eskimos don't know much about giraffes but they still exist.)

It is noteworthy that people outside of the Church who use the Holy Bible of the Church in an attempt to convince others of their own views change frequently; even as such are tossed about with every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14) and, being unstable, do so wrest the Holy Scriptures to their own destruction (Second St. Peter 3:16).

The Holy Bible of the Holy Church which Christ founded has not, nor never shall be, forsaken. Even if you could destroy every fragment of the Holy Scriptures in existence the Holy Word would still live on as the people of the Church have it memorised. (That is not to say that everyone knows the entire Holy Bible but rather that the entire Holy Bible is known within the Church being distributed amongst the minds of various people.)

Hope that assisted and may you truly seek with your heart the ever unchanging Faith of our fathers that peace may abide with your spirit.

Answer 5

People interpreting the bible have changed, the bible never changes. The things you mentioned were never condoned in the bible. The bible never told us to go out and kill anyone who wouldn't convert, ignorant popes hungry for political power did that. The bible never said for men to beat their wives, and it never said to burn witches, men said that, pretending it was God's will. The bible never condoned slavery, but remember, biblical slavery wasn't what you might think. People sold themselves into slavery, more of indentured servitude really, to pay back debts, and it was for a specified time, unlike the slaves spoken of in Egypt, which were indeed slaves for life.

The bible never changes, but luckily, christians are evolving to better understand what its telling us.

Answer 6

Good observation. According to the bible, gods original plan for us was to be able to forcefully control our wives and children, have a few slaves, murder anyone who didn't share our beliefs, burn witches and unchaste women and stone to death all those pesky homosexuals getting so much attention in the media these days. Christians - read your bibles. You have clearly strayed from god's intended path. Are you going to continue to obey man's laws and forsake those of the good Lord? Shame on you. Repent and go back to way of the lord before you are all condemned to eternal damnation.

Answer 7

The basic beliefs of Christianity are the same. We believe in Jesus as Lord. That he died for our sins and that He is the way to the Father, where all will be judged. Jesus Christ, was never cruel to women or children by the way. The things you are speaking about were pagan customs from the OT.

Answer 8

These were not PREACHED from GOD's WORD, the BIBLE. They were man's laws and were forsaken by man in his wisdom. GOD has never given such ideas in the New Testament writings at all! Have a great Lord's Day.
Eds

Answer 9

TRUE CHRISTIANITY has not changed, not at all. Culture changes, governments have changed.

BUT..............

THE WORD OF GOD STANDS FOREVER!

for the recor........

we don't burn witches or anyone else, we let God take care of EVIL.

We don't beat our wives, that is SICK and that is NOT TRUE Christianity. Please see the Bible for the facts.

Ab Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr were both Christians, we are opposed to slavery and believe that ALL people were created equal.

The crusades were NOT about Christianity, it was about governments defending their way of life.

These facts have ALWAYS been and have NOT changed.

Answer 10

Evolution of Christianity: Four Phases Theory

http://www.usislam.org/60evol.htm

Peace and Love