obviously this question is not for those who try to look at their scriptures as perfect and coming directly from god, and no offense is meant by my question.
for example, in my faith (jewish) there are verses in the torah that suggest that slavery can be acceptable. for me, it was the writer's way of making reforms because he knew that humans at the time were not ready to abolish slavery all together. in other words, the ideal wasn't attainable, but at least it was a start.
i would be especially interested to hear from those christians and muslims who believe other faiths are equally valid even though the christian bible and the qu'ran explicitly say that all other faiths are false. i know there a lot of you who post on here, and am just curious to know how you work that out in your mind.
thanks : )
2007-03-12 06:48:52 · 7 answers · asked by mommynow 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
i know that there are some faiths that christians and muslims think are just "misguided", but not totally wrong, but i meant religions in a more global sense.
2007-03-12 06:51:12 · update #1
I am a Roman Catholic, I do not hold the Bible to be literally true, a history book or a science book. I do agree that there are many contradictions in the Bible. The Old Testament talks about an eye for an eye and the New Testament says let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Because there are contradictions in the Bible, no denomination can completely follow everything in the Bible. I guess this just does not bother me. I feel the Bible is full of words of wisdom but is sometimes difficult to apply to modern life. I feel the point of religion is to better ourselves, be good husbands, fathers, sons etc. When we get too concerned about the numbering system of the Ten Commandments or the actual dimensions of Noah's Ark I think we are missing the point.
OK I am rambling. I readily admit I am not a Bible expert or a theologian. I try to make the most sense out of the wise counsel which is in the Bible. I do not lie awake at night wondering if Mt. Sinai and Mt. Horeb are one and the same.
2007-03-12 08:08:48 · answer #1 · answered by Adoptive Father 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Holy Bible is the Word of God and whether anyone believes or doesn't believe it is still God's Word and we will be judged by the Word of God. I believe Jesus Christ is Lord and God and the only way to heaven (eternal life) is to believe in Jesus Christ. Now, the Word of God has some hard to understand material such as Lot offering his two daughters to homosexual men banging on his front door wanting to have sex with the two angels that came inside his house, but this does not mean that I disagree with the Word of God. The only reason that I can figure that God saved Lot was because Abraham asked God to save him. God did it for Abraham, not because Lot was a good man.
This is how I work things out in my head. Also have you thought about slavery back then was more of a way of paying off debt than slavery. After seven years they were to be freed whether the debt was paid or not. However, the pagans believed differently from the Jews. They conquered the Jews as did Nebuchadnezzar and turned them into permanent slaves. God never agreed to this. God said destroy all your enemies because if you don't, they'll come back to haunt you. No - not exactly like that but God didn't want Israel learning about their pagan idol worship, immoral sex gods and goddesses.
Israel today faces the same old enemy from Canaan that they failed to destroy years ago.
2007-03-12 07:20:46 · answer #2 · answered by Jeancommunicates 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How do you explain how it feels to have a full stomach to someone who has been starving for days... How do you explain to someone lost in the dessert how it feels to be submerged in a pool of cool water... or how do you explain to a wet and freezing person how it feels to be dry and warm. you can't, they will not understand. Unless these physical needs are satisfied these people cannot feel or see the difference between one and the other. So it is with spiritual things. Unless you have been granted the Holy Spirit you cannot love the things which are of God and hate the things which are of this world.
2007-03-12 10:02:07 · answer #3 · answered by Dreamer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I cannot reconcile everything written in the Bible, I know immediately I do not have an accurate understanding of the areas I cannot reconcile.
2007-03-12 07:13:17 · answer #4 · answered by clwkcmo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe in deity in a broad sense of the word but I do not view any book as holy.
2007-03-12 06:57:47 · answer #5 · answered by Pablito 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think many believers have that conflict and most don't have a real answer to it.
2007-03-12 06:54:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Truth is exclusive.
2007-03-12 06:51:54 · answer #7 · answered by scribble_muse 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋