Does anyone else think the bible is outdated for the 21st century?

Question

I have two main problems with the bible in the 21st century. I strongly disagree about a women's place in the home if she has a family,and I strongly disagree that a women should only wear a dress to church. I am a 2rd year journalism student in college and I was told by the editor of our college paper to do a personality profile on a teacher at out college who has opened a church and is going to be minister to it. I am going to his first service to tonight to get a first hand view of how he preaches for my article. He says his church is non-demonational,but my editor said it is a pencostal church. I am wearing a pants suit regardless. I think god gave us free will for a reason and we can disagree with him if we must. If a man can't tell if a female is a female just because she is wearing a pants suit then he really needs to get his eyes checked. I mean we have breast, and softer features then a man for a reason.I could wear a dress but stubboness and hate for conformity won't allow me

Answer 1

The bible is pretty backwards, and it has been used to justify numerous wars, racism, sexism, authoritarianism, hatred, fear, and prejudice.

There are good ideas expressed in the bible, but they have been so misconstrued by greedy and fear mongering people, that they are very nearly useless now.

It has taken a long time for women to begin to get to the point where they are treated as equals, and it will be a long time before they are able to actually be considered equals. Demolishing the stereotype of a woman as a hysterical, mentally inferior, baby making machine that has been propagated by insecure 'god fearing' men has required endless continued efforts by women - only to be labeled as 'feminazis' by limp d**k mofos like lush rimjaughb.

Women couldn't vote in this country up until not too long ago, they couldn't hold property, and were for the most part slaves to their husbands/masters.

Answer 2

I understand EVERY bit of what you are saying. But do consider that just because it is not convienient or pleasant that the universe has no purpose does not make it so. Ah but to make another twist consider a Deist, like me, who will consider that God could, with his infinite time and wisdom, create our universe in this EXACT fashion from the Big Bang by arranging Higgs particles in an insane array to create a crazy chain reaction that eventually leds to the evolution of man!! You say that because man can think of a reason why something works it does not mean that it IS how it works. That is where you and I agree. To put some mind benders out there. Prove that you exist. See? You can't. Because the observed is fact of the observed, not proof of law. But the ultimae truth I've always told everyone is.. no one knows EITHER way.

Answer 3

I don't think the Bible is outdated. But you have to understand the concept of progressive revelation. The oldest books of the Bible reflect a primitive view of God as a local tribal Deity. As we move through time, the view of God and man in Scripture advances, until we arrive at the Gospel of John (probably the last book of the Bible to be written), which views God as a the cosmic Logos. The same is true for laws and customs. Understood in this context, the Bible is a systematic whole, and enables us to understand it in relation to modern society.

As for the role of women, read the Bible on this subject. The role of women also increases chronologically, and becomes more progressive. The passages that some Churches use to 'box in' the role of women are taken out of context. Paul was addressing specific people in specific Churches, and never would have imagined that people would be applying those statements throughout the Church. Paul recognizes the clerical role of women outside of the Churches that he addressed specifically, and women played an undisputed role in the early Church. Some of the most influencial saints in the Church have been women, such as the Empress Irene, who risked life and limb to overthrow the Iconoclasts in the Byzantine government.

Answer 4

Womens place in the home? Hmmmm. A womans place in the home is what she and her husband want her to be. If there is no husband then she can make her own decisions. I must advise that I consider myself an Evangelical Christian. One problem you must face when dealing with a very fundemental chuch, is one that is leaglistic. Belief in Christ is the main page when worshiping God, not worrying about a dress or pants suit. Your lifestyle relflects your belief and people will distinquish that themselves. How they judge you will be personal and the gossipers will judge. I believe there are guidelines for both man and worman in the bible, and I believe they are specific when it comes to certain things. I am sure people will still be able to distinquish you between male to female. Keep a mind on Christ in your story along with secular thinking and compare them. Are his teachings the truth, are they ethical, are the moral, and will they benefit all concerned? Blend them together and you will do very well.

Answer 5

I've never read anywhere in the bible where a woman must wear a dress to church. Sometimes I do but most of the time I don't. The bible will never be outdated. If you are a Christian, you must live outside the world. If you are a worldly person then you will always be miserable.

Answer 6

I'm shocked! Hpow dare you wear a pants suit to church! -LOL
Seriously, the Bible does ont tell you how to dress for church. In most cases it is appropriate to "dress up" a bit as church is a celebration. But even that is a cultural thing.
As for the wonan's place "in the hme" the ideal wife as described in Proverbs 31 does not exactly seem to be a home-body.
The "submission" text in Ephesians chapter 5, starts out telling them to be submitted to one another. Then it describes the loving relationship. The woman is not called to a slavish obedience. The two are really equal. Colossians and Galatians tells us that in Christ there is neither male nor female.
The Bible has been good for 20 centuries. It is still good.
Don't confuse present day interpretations of the Bible with the Bible itself.
Most of the rules for women have been made up or interpreted by men. Men have always wanted to tell women how to dress. That is why the great fashion artists today are men. We still have women dressing the way men tell them to dress! Their choice.
EDIT:
The Old Testament law about men and women wearing eachother's clothing was referring to pagan religious cross-dressing rituals. In the same way as cooking a baby goat in its mother's milk. It was a pagan ritual. Not wrong in itself, but wrong to imitate pagan rituals that had some terrible meanings.

Answer 7

I am a christian. I attend church 8 out of 10 Sundays. Not ONE time have I ever worn a dress to church. I go in jeans and a nice, lace-trimmed shirt. I work 35 hours per week outside the home. Being a "keeper at home" means the home is my PRIMARY responsibility but by NO means am I supposed to be chained to a stove. Read Probverbs 31.

Answer 8

Dresses? In the days of the Bible, EVERYONE wore a "dress", including Jesus. This "church" of yours seems to be a little obssessed with extrenal appearances. I understand that God sees into the heart.

Your problem is not "Biblical". You just need to shop for a less manipulative church.

Answer 9

There is no biblical mandate that states a woman must wear a dress to church. There are tons of requirements for modest dress, however.

As to the woman's role in the home, women are equal with their husbands in every way, except one. The husband is supposed to be the leader of the home. Not the ruler or master, but the leader. He is not "better" than a woman, but his role is different from hers. As several have already stated, the Proverbs 31 model is ideal.

Women who usurp the man's authority and role do so at great disservice to themselves. Part of this is an issue of pride, which is at the heart of the Fall of Man. When Satan spoke with the woman about the tree of knowledge, Adam should have intervened, but didn't. That is his responsibility, and he blew it. Eve should have deferred to her husband, and didn't. She took Adam's role upon her.

Even in some churches (and whole denominations) women have sought greater authority by insisting upon having a pastorate, claiming as you have, that the biblical commands regarding that were cultural, and were meaningless in "modern" society.

Once we abandon the authority of Scripture, we open ourselves to much deception.

We have suffered from the effects of the Fall ever since.

Answer 10

First of all, you must understand that the bible has had so many new translations along the way. The original translation was in Hebrew and has been modified for centuries. What we have today is a enhanced version of the original, and I'm sure some guy has added his bit of personal ideas to the book. I strongly believe that if God has the ability to create life with a thought then he is really not concerned with what anyone wears to church. What has happened there is the original version said something to the effect of wear something or anything when gathering with other Christan's and later some dumb azz added his idea of a woman wearing a skirt so he could look at women's legs or something.

Answer 11

The bible is a big book. Parts are valuable, parts are wrong, parts are laughable, and a whole lot is just useless (especially the begats).

It is only when fundamentalists (and your pentacostals may or may not qualify) state that every jot and tittle must be believed or when some atheists insist that every jot and tittle must be discarded that there is a problem.

Be inspired by the inspirational parts if they move you. Or not. Treat it like any other book. Heck, Homer probably wouldn't have approved of pant on you either.