Which book in the Bible causes the most embarrassment for Christians?

Question

Or alternatively, which book do you find describes God in ways that don't fit well with your conception of God?

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The count indicates that the following books embarrass some Christians:

Genesis
Judges
Job
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Gospel of John
Ephesians
Revelation.

That's 8 books out of 66, plus some passages included in the others. Kind of an interesting take on the book that many people consider inerrant.

I have enormous respect for those who are able to acknowledge that the Bible contains some shameful statement about God or human beings.

Thanks for participating, gang!

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Answer 1

I personally don't like the book of Job. I cant say it embarrasses me but I wish it wasn't there.

Answer 2

Probably the passages in some of the OT Histories where God commands the slaughter of other ethnic groups....

Also not a big fan of the anti-judaism in John.

And for the record, there are very different concepts of God that vary from Book to Book in the Bible. I mean, seriously, compare Exodus and Proverbs-- they may be the same God, but not the same take on God...

Answer 3

Probably Songs of Solomon. Lots of conflict there: God condemned coveting the wife of another and yet, most of Solomon's writings were love songs from him to Bathsheeba I believe... a married woman.

If adultery is a sin, then why is the love letters of an adulterous nature been set as scripture and adhered to as divine sanction and law? If all books in the bible were divinely inspired, did the divine inspire Solomon to have an adulterous affair in order bring out the writings... which in many ways breaks commandments also...

If God can inspire an adulterer to be one of the greatest kings to ever live, why shouldn't every gay person be given an equal chance.. I mean if being gay is a sin, so is being an adulterer, or a liar ( as Dr House says, EVERYBODY lies )... for all sins are equal non?

Answer 4

It seems many here are beyond being embarrassed.

God and the devil having a cosy chat in the the opening of Job should cause people to wrestle with interpreting the bible, for a start.

The ending of Mark's gospel...,(the question of whether we have it!)

But it's the uncriticised injustice, especially to females that should make people wake up.

The story in Judges 19 probably takes the biscuit.
Having sent his concubine out into the night to be raped in order to protect himself, the recorded words of the Levite on finding her huddled in the doorway the next morning?
"And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going."

There's just no hint of condemnation there in the text nor nearby. Was there no better story to put in this place? Clearly not. Which reveals a lot.

Answer 5

I suppose that the book of Genesis is the one that gets attacked the most by non-believers, so it is probably the most "embarrassing" book in the sense that it is the one that we Christians keep getting called upon to defend.

As for the second, the book of Hebrews; specifically chapter 10.

Answer 6

Probably the ones where that constantly use the word "a ss".

And the context of the word a ss is used in a funny way.

it's not really embarrassing, just funny.

with an accurate understand of the bible, there's nothing wrong with god's judgment.

Answer 7

Take this one from a born again christian who believes EVERYTHING in the Bible is holy and true: There is no one definite book in the Bible that embarrases me, BUT, I bite the bullet when defending Chapter 5:22-24 from Ephesians.

"Wives, SUBMIT to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, of which he is the savior. Now as the church SUBMITS to Christ, so also wives should SUBMIT to their husbands in EVERYTHING."

Now, check out the definitions for the word, submit: "To place under or yield to the authority, WILL, or POWER of another; SURRENDER. To GIVE UP; SURRENDER. To present for the consideration, decision, or approval of OTHERS."

2nd Timothy 3:16 makes it clear that ALL scripture is "God-Breathed," so this passage of the Bible IS right and holy, but my question is "why?" Thats the first question I'm going to ask God when I get to heaven: "why did you order us to give up and surrender our decisions to a sex that abused power before you're face for thousands of years?" The "great" leaders of world history all had this in common: their lust for power ultimitely destroyed them. Hitler, Charlemagne, Ceaser, they ALL had an insatiable lust for power and domination!! Heck, did you know that up until 1883 a woman could be frickin JAILED for REFUSING sex to her husband? How patriarchal could we have gotten?

So, I have a very hard time trying to defend why God lets men have MORE POWER. I can completely understand why they have a problem with that part of scripture, cause I do to! I still believe that there is a reason behind it that makes it holy and true, but I don't know what that reason is!

Answer 8

I would venture a guess to the (excluded) Book of Mary or Book of Judas. From my gleanings on the subject, they have been kept out of the conventional teachings in Christianity because they deviate from the "norm" set forth by the Catholic Church. BTW just remembered they are gospels, not books. Sorry.

Answer 9

Embarrass? None.
Confuse me? Revelation.

Answer 10

I'd think Job, i mean God basically makes a bet with a man's life and well being. And God just sits idly by and watches Satan do as he pleases to Job to see if he would lose faith. Imagine a parent saying "my kid will love me no matter what you do, creepy old pedophile man" Ummm they'd take that kid right the f away from you is what would happen.