Atheists and a tiny minority of Christians know that...?

Question

There are very wonderful passages and some that are very wicked (especially in the old testament) passages.

Christians: Is there a passage that meets this criteria: 1) It's Evil 2) It cannot be taken out of context 3) It could be taught in Church.

In other words. We Atheists find it odd that "Evil" passages are taken out of context while nicer passages, often in the same book, are never taken out of context.

Does God do wicked things or is every bad thing in the Bible actually a good thing written out of context?

Example illustration taken from my Bible:

Exodus 20:13 "You shall not murder."
...lets keep reading in the same exact Bible.
Exodus 31:14 "Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people."

Both of these passages were brought forth by God, have gone through the same translation process.

If we read "shall be put to death" as something archaic then we have to apply the same rationalization to "Thou shalt not murder"

Answer 1

You don't even make sense.

When you are on your deathbed, you aren't going to worry about what you tried to DISPROVE.
You will seek God, I GUARANTEE IT.

Answer 2

It depends upon what you consider "Evil".

One verse that is commonly taken out of context is "wives submit to your husbands." (Ephesians 5:22) but if someone were to continue to verse 25 of the same chapter it says:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [26] to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, [27] and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

I've added verses 26 and 27 to complete the sentence.

And I'll paraphrase that whole passage: Wives do what your husband tells you to do because he is your husband and head of your household. BUT Husbands love your wives to the point where you would do anything and everything for them including dieing in their place.

The Bible isn't written in sound bites.

How meaningful is it to say "Oh if I were a glove upon that hand that I might touch that cheek." does that really give you the full scope of the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliette?

No, it doesn't.

That's why context is so important.

Answer 3

I take nothing out of context, whether its something about evil or something about good.
I constantly see statements that are taken out of context - I see them when Christians write, and I see them when athiests write.
Some people understand what is written, others do not. Its sounds like you are one of these people with nothing to do, so you sit on this forum and just look through the Bible to try to find things that you can complain about.
Well, I guess its good you are in the Book, but if your Biblical literacy is that of a grapefruit, whats the point in doing that? You will just look like a fool.

Answer 4

You know, to me the bible is very hard to understand. I have a hard time reading it, but every story and passage in the Bible can be taken a different way by different people in different situations. I have been friends with several pastors and it's really neat to sit down and ask questions and hear their answers. My point is everyone has different ways of interpreting things.

Answer 5

I don't judge the actions of God nor would I call him "wicked". I trust him in his decisions.

The entire Bible needs to be read and studied as a WHOLE. Taking any of it out of context is doing a disservice to the reader.

Answer 6

Off the top of my head, can't think of a passage that meets the criteria...and I really don't think there could be one because everything in the Bible (just about) can be taken out of context.

I think what you're really saying is that atheists are *accused of* taking "evil" things out of context, while no one ever misuses the "nice" passages. Well, you're wrong, I'm afraid. It happens all the time. "Nice" things are probably even more frequently abused by Christians than the "evil" ones are by non-believers. (Can't call them "atheists" because there really is no such thing! If you believe there is no God, you believe in something---most likely secular humanism.)
All types of people, believers and non-believers misunderstand and misuse Scripture--- Here is an example of a frequently misused "nice" passage:
"All things work together for good" is frequently cited as a nice bromide...a bandaid, a panacea, to make people feel better, or in an attempt to offer comfort in inexplicable eircumstances.
It's misused first of all because people don't tack on the other part which says: "...for those who love God."
And even then, out of context, it sounds like it's saying "Oh if you love God, your life will be really happy---everything will work out fine" which is so untrue. (Think of Christian missionaries and their sometimes hard lives, and also the many people through the ages who have been martyred for their faith, but even more go all the way down to the Christian businessman whose business fails because he is unwilling to compromise his beliefs to turn a buck--I think Christians experience much more true suffering than any non-believer could)
In context, that particular verse is really saying this: even though you may suffer, you may have horrible circumstances, that through it all: "I am with you, until the end of the age" and "our sufferings are only light and momentary compared to the surpassing greatness in knowing Christ Jesus our Lord."

I know to a non-believer, or even to lukewarm "believers" it sort of brings a shudder to even read about "our Lord" or "Jesus" or to think of a "Savior"--so I know I won't get "best answer."-ha! (I tried to even think of ways of wording it that didn't bring the dreaded words: Jesus, Christ, Lord, Savior.)

Then I started thinking: Why are those words so "icky" to some people? It is truly an honest question. Why are non-believers so revolted? repulsed? afraid ?of people saying or writing those names?

And finally, to your last question: Does God do wicked things? I don't believe God *does* wicked things, but he certainly allows us to!

And another thing: (if anyone is still reading the longest thing I have ever posted!) The OT is before Christ came---essentially it is a history of man before we had a chance, included in the Bible to show us we don't stand a chance w/out Christ; so tons of things in there don't apply except as history---for example your remark about stoning. In context (if you read the Bible) you would see "Aha! That's what Jesus meant (in the NT) when He said "I have come to fulfill the Law". IOW, you cannot possibly do it--the OT proves it--but not to worry: I've got you covered. Proud people have to be humbled (sometimes very painfully) before they can grasp that they need a Savior---and sometimes they never do. I pray for them---truly---I'm not being pious. My sister is one of them--I can't talk to her about it, but I can love her and I can pray for her, and I do. And now you too, Joe. I hope to meet you in heaven one day--- I appreciate people who grapple with the Big things of life.

And congratulations on being the recipient of the very longest thing I've ever sent to someone I didn't know (and in a public forum!)

Answer 7

If you consider that mankind's Original Sin was the acquisition of knowledge, how can one want to follow a deity that would want to keep your species perpetually ignorant?

Sodom and Gomorrah, The Flood narrative are mass murder, either the firebombing of two cities, or the destruction of all life on the planet, save for a select few.

Plagues.

The list goes on.

Answer 8

The Old Testament is written in a very different style than the New and man's relationship with God was different as well.

The Old Testament is basically a history of Israel as a nation and people, a collection of poems (psalms, proverbs, etc.) with some prophecy at the end.

Answer 9

huh? what do you mean?
1)God is not evil and never can be, but the heart of man is wicked above all else.
2)anything can be taken out of context, but is usually only understood within the mind of the reader or hearer. like what you understand a word or idea to mean may not mean what I understand it to mean.
3)it could be taught in church to either embrace it or shun it.

Answer 10

From the new testament, It is not what enters your body that do the harm to your body but the one that comes out from your mouth. Even reading the Bible will will not lead you to the truth if you read it becoz of self interest. But if you read it because you want to know the truth and youre ready to accept it, then you'll be free. Remember not all who call themselves Christians are true, only those who love Him and seeking and following his will.

Answer 11

It all depend how you take it, to your own interpretation, to me the Bible and as my own well though out, the Bible is just, and I remark in good context,(despite that the Bible is the best book ever wrote?, Not to take this out of context. B-asic I-nstructions B-efore L-iving E-arth. and this is not Wicca or nothing a like!