Can you explain to me how the bible is the source of morality when it says things like this?

Question

Christians claim that there can be no morality without their religion. If that is the case, please explain how the following (along with about a thousand other examples from the bible) is a source of morality:
Numbers 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
15:33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation
15:34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
15:36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

How exactly is that morality? Stoning him for getting firewood?
And don't try that Jesus changed the law nonsense. He told you to not change one iota. See Matthew 5:18-19

Answer 1

people are the source of morality ... its an instinct ... the knowledge of good and evil ... the bible lays it out and guides .. and provides for judgement ..

Answer 2

I know the point you are making and yes there are even more horrible stories in the Bible. I will not sit hear and tell you Jesus changed it, though I would say Jesus taught us how to focus on our relationship with God first and each other.

Now, as for morality, if you follow the laws of God and honor him first you will not be in violation and thus worthy of death. Look at the example you have given. The man goes out on a God proclaimed day of rest and reflection on his relationship with the father and why does he do this? To get wood. It could have been done the day before or after. Nothing and I mean nothing is more important than ones relationship with God. Not cooking fuel, or even to stave off the cold night air. God can provide and see us through such times and even if the man were to have died for want of wood he would have been received by God as a Righteous man.

Now if you do not see this look to Jesus and his breaking of the Sabbath laws. Jesus was perfect and knew the laws better than those accusing him of breaking them, so I believe their was something more going on a matter of the heart if you will.

I would also like to say that our morality is flawed we see things our way and we believe our ways are best. Truely, it is laughable that man can look at his creator and tell him what is and is not fair or just. If we could create a world we could feel free to make the rules.

Answer 3

The bible was written by man to control other men, all in the name of the lord or god!! The reality is that god could of cared less whether someone got wood on the sabbath or any other day. Man made these laws to control people. If a law was disobeyed that person was killed so as to put fear into the others and keep them in line. It is this very kind of thinking that some religious sects still practice here in modern times. Like the resent stoneing of the young girl who was seeing a boy from another religion. People need to smarten up and realize that GOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS SICK STUFF!!

Answer 4

Wrong

Jesus was having supper with the Head Pharasee ON the Sabbath and he asked the Pharasee, if your COW fell into the well today, would you let it drown or would you pull it out of the well.

The Pharasee couldn't not answer him.

Then JEsus asked the Pharasee: Is it wrong to heal on the Sabbath.

The Pharasee could not answer him. So Jesus went to the Phrasee's front door and healed a man who had come there.

Jesus would say, YOU may stone the man who gathered sticks, but let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone.

Answer 5

To explain the passage: people weren't supposed to work on the Sabbath Day- that's one of God's laws. The man in those verses did. So, for breaking the law, he got stoned.

The Old Testament takes place in a less-forgiving era then the New Testament does. So, of course, the man (in the Old Testament) had to be stoned for working on the Sabbath Day. If he were to do that in the New Testament, he would still be alive because he would be forgiven.

Just to clarify: Jesus modified a few of the old laws in the New Testament (such as the one of revenge), but overall, he kept them how they are.

Answer 6

He was not merely stoned for gathering firewood. He was stoned for rebellion, against God. To gather wood in that part of the Middle East would have been an all day event. This man heard what God commanded regarding the Sabbath day and outright disobeyed. What this tells us is that sin is far worse then we understand. Sometimes I think we are like a pig in the mud, that really doesn't understand they are even that dirty.

What does this mean for us today? There are three types of law in the scriptures, moral, civil and ceremonial.

Moral laws are perpetual and do not end (Mentioned in Matthew 5:18,19). But, in Matthew 5:17 Jesus speaks of furfilling the law, these laws that are furfilled are the ceremonial laws which were the sacrifices, and temple worship which was completed in Christ sacrifice. Civil laws were addressed and particular to Israel, however they are useful to use in understand certain moral truths.

Answer 7

It's moral because they followed the word of God which is the moral law of Christians. It said that the Lord commanded Moses to which means that is was from the word of God. God can make that sort of decision because it is for the greater good, to show the congregation that they must follow God's law and to not to is wrong and sinful. Before Jesus, we had to pay for our sins differently but after Jesus, our sins were already paid for which is why something like that today would be immoral. Jesus already died for us and we don't have to "stone" people for breaking commandments. That legalistic way of following God was changed when Jesus came.

Answer 8

You responded your man or woman question. You suggested no longer something could properly be quite precise. so which you're no longer quite precise. If there is absolute reality it may desire to by using definition be unchanging. reality is reality. It does not replace based on the circumstances or your emotions approximately it. So provided that reality could desire to be quite real and unchanging, the Bible has a greater useful probability at being precise than you do. the genuine reason we rely on the Bible is by using the fact reality/morality could desire to have an expert source on which we are in a position to rely. without God, there is not any very final authority on something. we are caught with you and your absolute fact that no longer something is quite real. and admittedly, this is not relaxing. So different than for God there could properly be no absolute reality and no absolute morality.

Answer 9

The Bible was composed over millenia and reflects the cultures of the human authors,whom I believe were inspired by God. However, the Bible must be interpreted as a whole( the Ot by the NT),interpreted in the context of Apostolic Tradition and the Church. Jesus in Matt also says'you have herd it said....but I tell you..." and then contradicts the literal meaning of the OT text. The Bible needs also to be approached with prayer. Pulled out of its faith contexts ,the Boble can be misused to do great harm.

Answer 10

They stoned him because in the old testament days it was against God's law to work on the Sabbath and yes if you read further in the bible you will see that Jesus came to change the price for having sinned. Just like we no longer have to sacrifice animals to pay for our sins, we no longer have to pay for our sins by dying, Christ came to free us from the from eternal death. By the way, look how we are repaying Him for the gift he gave us, how immoral our world has become without the old testament laws and His constant intervention. So what would you have this world's morals based upon?

Answer 11

No one can. The good news is, is that Christianity's popularity is on the decline like never before. The only people left are the Adults who cram this meme into the heads of young, weak heads (their children) who are now infected with the meme, and will do the same with their children.

Christianity, and the HOlY Bible are nothing more than tools for child abuse. Smart people everywhere are rooting this horrible religion out, as it should be. Soon, there will be nothing left but a few inbred rednecks left who handle ratllesnakes, and drink poison who will claim this awfull religion. Then they too will just die off.