Does the Old Testament prove that morality is relative?

Question

I see many fundamentalists that claim that morality is constant and is given us by some higher power.

These same people will immediately claim that Jesus "freed" them from the Old Law when it is pointed out the horrible things that God's people did in the Old Testament.

If the latter is true, then morality by definition must change.

Matt, why keep the "10 Commandments" but yet ignore the laws in Leviticus?

Answer 1

Interesting, I'm sure I've read in some part of the New Testament that "Jesus" said he had come not to do away with the old law, but to fulfill it. No? Oh well, just another contradiction then eh?
You're right of course, unless you consider the archaic moralities of the middle eastern muslims. Which I'm sure have been unchanged for centuries.

Answer 2

Of course morality is relative. How else could it be?

What is moral is relative to the situation in which one finds oneself.

For example, "killing." Is killing immoral? I suppose some people might say, "yes, in all circumstances." However, what about capital punishment? Self-defense? Defense of a child? What if God orders you to, like he did with Abraham?

So, morality is relative to the circumstances.

Also, it may be matter of opinion as well. Some people might think self-defense killings are immoral, or that capital punishment is immoral. So, is it or is it not?

I find that people who say that morality is absolute because God tells us right and wrong simply have not thought the matter through enough. They don't see that there are many issues that God did not instruct us clearly about. E.g. graven images -- it's the second commandment -- yet, Christians often have graven images. They say that it's only WORSHIPPING graven images that is wrong. However, some Christians have thought otherwise over the years.... so which is it? Isn't there room for reasonable minds to differ?

How about cannibalism? Is it wrong? What if you were in a plane crash and stranded in the frozen tundra without food. You've tried everything else. You've eaten the leather seats of the plane. Is it immoral to stay alive at the expense of a corpse in that situation?

Answer 3

The OT chronicles many times when the children of Israel violated the law. Does that make them wrong, or the law? Readers of the Bible know that many of the major characters had some serious flaws. Jacob was a liar. David was a murderer and adulterer. Moses had serious anger issues. Peter was rash and impulsive, and denied even knowing Jesus when things got hot. What does that have to do with what the Bible says is the right thing to do? Even better question, why do you think the Bible included these facts about its so-called heroes? If the authors wanted you to admire these people, wouldn't they have painted them as fine, upstanding citizens?

Answer 4

The Bible, especially the Old Testament is a RECORD of human sinfulness, and shows where we are without God. If you also look in the Old Testament, God called HIS OWN PEOPLE 'stiff necked'. They WOULDN'T LISTEN. They wanted a king like all other nations. God didn't want it. He was supposed to be their king. He gave them kings, who plunged Israel into bloodbath after bloodbath.
It is obvious that you are not up to any serious theological debate as you have no clue what Christianity is about.

Proverbs 2:1-4 Seek wisdom as you would silver or buried treasure. (paraphrased).
Another meaningless verse from an outdated book.
What do YOU have to offer? Those few verses speak VOLUMES. READ and LEARN.
You can bash the Bible all day. It is STILL one of the greatest literary works of ALL TIME, and more important, it is a guide for the care and maintenance of the human soul.
There are HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS who read it every day, and it scares the liberal secular-humanist crowd to death, I wish you luck in wiping us out.
We have Jesus as a role model. You have Madonna, Britney Spears, Rosie Odonnel, and Snoop-dog. What a crowd, I fear for the human race.

Answer 5

Either someone has explained it badly to you or you have misunderstood what was said.

The Law of God did not change. To the Ten Commandments Jesus added the eleventh, Love thy neighbor. We are commanded also in both old and new testaments to love God with all our hearts, souls, and strength.

Mosaic law however, while initially inspired by God, was added to and made burdensome by religious leaders. By the time of Jesus, it was absolutely impossible to follow. Therefore, we were freed from it by Jesus.

Answer 6

I always wondered why people still adhere to the OT when Jesus said it didnt count anymore. Isn't that like going against Jesus or something? As hard as I try I just can't make sense of Christianity. They talk in circles.

Answer 7

a new covenant doesn't mean moral relativism and a new law. the 10 commandments are still important today as they were during the time of Moses.

Answer 8

The law is the rule. The atonement by faith makes us new which is in agreement with God's righteousness. The law has not passed away but is for those who are not as yet made new.

Answer 9

alot of sinsare recorded in the Bible
ppl with big words should have the guts to use a face

Answer 10

It's amazing what hoops people will jump through to rationalize what they want to believe.