Why would God (specifically the Abrahamic version) have all these laws about our behavior?

Question

Of course I can understand no killing, stealing, etc., but I'm wondering about things like no divorce and no being gay. What purpose do they serve? You may say procreation, but God would know that this planet would get overpopulated quickly enough. You may say that divorce goes against the sanctity of marriage or harms children, but the environment created by two people who no longer get along is far more detrimental. So why have a problem with things like divorce and homosexuality? Eating certain foods or everyone sharing in church leadership?

Thoughts?

You're still not getting at the real question: Why THESE laws?

Answer 1

Maybe because we tend to misbehave a lot. I think its why so many laws were done away with by the coming of Jesus.
THE SKEPTICAL CHRISTIAN
GRACE AND PEACE
PEG

Answer 2

The Mosaic Law served to keep the nation of Israel separate from the pagan nations that surrounded it. As God's chosen people (at that time) the Israelites needed to be holy and righteous, since they were representing God. The Law's dietary and hygenic requirements also kept them free from the diseases that plagued other nations.

For example: the Israelites were told to bury their excrement far from the city and away from any sources of water, they were to be unclean after touching a dead body (the next person to realize that was Louis Pasteur in the late 1800's!) and that pork carries an intestinal germ called tricho-something I can't remember how to spell! unless it's properly cooked.

So if the Law served as a physical protection, then it would be logical that it's spiritual guidelines were also for our protection. God created men and women and the institution of marriage. His purpose was for the first perfect couple to "fill the Earth and subdue it." Two men couldn't do that. Neither could two women. Homosexuality goes as far back as humans do. We all know of the account in Genesis of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were destroyed by God because of the great wickedness found there, including homosexuality. God did not create homosexuality. Imperfect human impulses and the influence of the Devil introduced it to society.

***Please don't misunderstand: I do not hate gay people. I do not agree with their lifestyle because God doesn't agree with it, but I would never persecute them or have a prejudiced attitude. I'm simply stating the facts in the Bible.***

Ok, now for divorce: the Bible says that "God hates a divorcing." Under the Law, the only way a couple could divorce was if an affair was committed, and even then only the innocent party was free to remarry. God still hates divorce! It is completely unnecessary in most cases. It is not a solution to poor communication, childish bickering and selfishness. God gave us all the marriage counseling we could ever need. If we truly love our partner and have honest, open communication and a proper understanding of the role of husband and wife, then marriage will truly be "till death do you part."

Answer 3

First we must try to see events in history from the view point of people at the time.The life span was much less than now(around 40 years) disease, famine and war would represent threats to the population.So there was considerable pressure put on people to reproduce to maintain biological replenishment.Religion would have been been a powerful tool to use in order to justify procreation(species preservation).This question was very good when it states that environment between spouses is far more important than the issues of homosexuality or divorce.

Answer 4

the mosaic law was given only to the jews, and nowhere in the bible is it ever implied that non-jews have to follow it. the reason those particular laws were given is because they made jews different from other people. at that time, other nations had all kinds of statues and figurines representing their gods - jews aren't allowed to have any statues of any heavenly being, period. this seems small, but at that period of time it was a huge deal. imagine the romans entering the second temple looking to destroy all the figurines of the israelite religion and finding absolutely nothing. the israelites were also forbidden to do many religious practices that were common to other cultures at the time - no temple prostitutes, that is another huge breakaway from the other cultures of the time. and when other cultures were using shamans, soothsayers, oracles, and diviners to get spiritual knowledge, the israelites said "nope, we don't do that, that's not for us. we go directly to G-d, we don't need a middle man." divorce is perfectly allowable in the bible, so thats an incorrect notion you have. as for being gay, that one has two purposes - once again, it set the israelites apart from their neighbours, since homosexual practice was very common in ancient times. as well, it made sure of a healthy population growth.

add all that to a bunch of strange (but sensible) dietary, cleanliness, and sexual laws, and the bible basically created a people that was radically different from anybody else, which was just what it intended to do.

Answer 5

It seems to me that these laws (I'm speaking for Judaism now) are holdovers from the bronze age kingdom of Israel. A law would come down from the king who would have the backing of the priests (who were considered god's reps on earth) therefore by proxy they would be the laws of god.

as for no divorces that seems to be a Christian invention as it's allowed for Jews

the ban on homosexuality seems to me to stem from two sources: first the desire to be different from your neighbors, who often were your enemies, and second the birthrate. Israel always had a smaller population as compared to it's larger and more aggressive neighbors. if your having sex with someone of your own gender you're not making potential soldiers or farmers to support your kingdom

dietary laws seem to be an early form of health management. That which is considered not Kosher (pork, the mixing of meat and milk, etc...) would and could kill you easily back then

Why are these laws observed now? Probably because of the Roman destruction of the temple and the exiling of the Jews from Judea. The religious leaders wished to keep their cultural and religious identity alive and did so by creating a stateless nation complete with laws the people would recognize and remember from before the destruction

Answer 6

Most of those laws had specific purpose at the time they were written. They were also worst-case-scenario laws, as was common cultural practice then. Just the regional way of wording decrees, keep that in mind.

As the situation changed, the Jewish practice of these laws changed. The rabbis had very particular ways of changing laws to reflect current understanding and practice that also respected the older ways and texts. The whole history is there; Jews understand this.

Christianity took an early layer and says that this is all there is to Judaism.

They're wrong.

Answer 7

Jesus did not really come to change the law, He more like completed the law. The laws are to to protect us. No one is sinless, so the main thing is to accept Jesus as a Savior..and we really need Him to save us, because we cannot make it by deeds..not even if we do not have homosexual tendencies. I think the main thing is to love Him, and accept His gift. His love edures and He has so much mercy.

Jesus loves homosexuals because He loves everyone. Sin needed to be punished, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. I cannot vote for the gay marriage to be OK, but if they really love one another, I let God to be judge. For them it would be good to love God, like for all of us. God will see our hearts,and He knows that we cannot quite make it without help.

We are under the new covenant with the food stuff.

Answer 8

Homosexuality is not a sin but participating in the homosexual act is the sin. It is also referred to as sexual sin. (Sex outside of marriage of one man and one woman.) Look up sodomy in the dictionary...you will be surprised.

Just because someone is attracted to someone of the same sex doesn't mean they have to act on it. It's called self-control.

As for divorce, God hates it because of the pain it causes. In the beginning, one man and one woman become one. There is no separation (divorce.) It would be like taking red and blue clay...mix them and try to separate them.

There are Biblical reasons for divorce, such as adultery. However, God did not create us to be in relationship where abuse takes place (drug/emotion/physical or sexual.)

As for eating certain foods, Jesus teaches us that it is not what goes into the mouth that is unclean but what comes out of the mouth that makes us unclean. For what comes out of the mouth is what is in the heart.

Church leadership? Well...I know what I've read and I know of a great article. Perhaps when you get a moment, you can read it too. It's too long to cut and paste but well worth your time!

http://www.bible.com/bibleanswers_result.php?id=141

Answer 9

Phoenix, Where is your husband?

Apparently God set up these Laws because the Jews were a crazy bunch of people. It must have been the only way he could preoccupy them from killing themselves and others. Eventually they found a way to turn the rules into a reason to kill others and wrote more rules to support that behavior.

God clearly doesn't care for gays, pigs or independent women and notably isn't really all about Love but more into control.

Answer 10

I've never been told not to eat certain things and the church leadership (at least at my church) is shared. I think the rules are there simply to keep people in line...if we all chose to live the way God wanted us to in the first place, then life wouldn't be so crappy now...that's just my opinion though.

Answer 11

The most convincing arguement that I've ever heard is that the bible being written by man, was also written as a means of conrtol. The church used the Bible to serve its own purpose. The first popes despised the pagans religions so strongly that the obliterated them by slandering them in the bible. In greek mythology, Posiedon wielded a Trident. That weapon became the weapon of the devil. The forest nymph Pan, I'm sure you watched the cartoon movie Hercules, Phil was a crude version of Pan. His horns and hooved feet and goat legs in general also were manipulated to be symbols or representations of satan. All in all it was mans creativity, power, and willingness to accpet the word of those in power so easily, that led to most of these beliefs. It isn't a god that decided it wasn't fit for man to do these things, it was men thinking all to primatively.