why do christians pick and choose which verses to live from? Here are some of my favs?

Question

If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must pay fifty pieces of silver to her father. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will never be allowed to divorce her." Deuteronomy 22:28-29
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"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property." Exodus 21:20-21 NAB

"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)

Death for Fornication

A priest's daughter who loses her honor by committing fornication and thereby dishonors her father also, shall be burned to death. (Leviticus 21:9 NAB)





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Ok, the NEW TESTAMENT-he is telling you here DONT IGNORE THE OT!!
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest part or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place." (Matthew 5:17 NAB)

Answer 1

it blows my ever-loving mind that all these christians are actually thinking they "have this one covered" by pointing out that this is mosaic law and jesus has invalidated it.
the whole point is that it is perverse to imagine that god told his people these things in the first place. Jesus frickin christ!

Answer 2

What concerns me is that all the laws you quoted are from the Law of Moses, which Orthodox Jews believe they are bound to obey. So if THEY do not obey them, is it not THEY who are the hypocrites?

Most Christians believe that they are not bound by the Law of Moses, but rather by the Law of mercy, justice and humility written on their hearts. This is only partly true.

As for the NT, it contains a story about how Jesus dealt with a woman caught in adultery. The story tells how Jesus did not ignore the Law, but instead very cleverly used it to show us what God really intends.

Since the Law requires at least 2 witnesses to condemn a person to death, and it requires that the injured party cast the first stone, Jesus did not ignore the Law, He obeyed it totally.

The Law about the slave is a tough one to explain, but the others you mention do make sense if the idea is to weed out evil from a nation. And right now, the only nation God is really concerned with is His spiritual nation, the Christian Church. Sadly, the Law is irrelevant to most of the Church, which is why it's so full of immorality.

Answer 3

You are right. We aren't to ignore the OT. But, what you aren't understanding is the difference between customary law/statutes and God-given law.
Moses was not only God's messenger, but was a President and chief legislator of early Israel.
Our customs do not entitle us to slaves/servants. That law/statute is no longer necessary. Because, by the fulfillment of the OT by Jesus Christ and understanding of the proper way to live, the United States of America founded under Judeo-Christian (the Christian part is important here) ethics, we slowly evolved the rationale that slave keeping is anti-Godly.
As evidence I will ask you to show me a scripture where God ordered anyone to have a slave. He never did. People did what they did and Moses began the evolution of Godliness with laws and statutes.
IF, today we still kept slaves, then that law would still be in effect. But, we, as Christians (namely Abraham Lincoln) evolved a conscious about the perversity of slavery. That law never states that men are to keep slaves, it states IF you are of the habit of keeping slaves. The statute does not advocate rape either, it was a law that made clear that rape is wrong and you will pay for it forever by honoring the victim as your wife. BECAUSE, in that day, no man wanted a woman who was not a virgin, a rape victim was either forever without a husband or the man who did it took care of her.
We are not talking about a people who had a police force or jails to punish people. Moses did the best he could to make wrongs right, but these laws are Mosaic and not handed down by God, rather, they were inspired by God as a method to reach the evolution of humanity we have reached now in America and around the world. Rape is wrong, Slavery is wrong the OT does not disagree.

Answer 4

These things are being done right now in Iran and places like that. When people choose to live by grace, those things are bygones. Christ came later not to do away with those barbaric laws, by to override them by Mercy, (giving it as well as taking it,) [there was an example of this in the scripts when he told the Ho that was pulled out of her sex bed, that he didn't condemn her, but, that she needed to stop what she was doing. (for her own good)] He payed a heavy price for to change the system. His pain, blood, sweat and tears. (not with His soul) Otherwise "The Accuser" was just waiting to destroy this planet with everyone in it, "because they deserve it."

That's over now for some. Some people (His follower) chose not to go back into slavery, but leaving that, they take on a better system. Back then, the whole world did pretty much what they liked, and some (seemingly) stupid laws had to be put into place in order to help correct what His children, (the Israelites) were doing too. Sex meant children. Children needed family to survive back then. It was a 'sin' to subject these small loved ones to the horrors of being alone and unloved. Growing generations of village idiots and slaves. He wanted his people to be the strongest ones on Earth, an example for the rest of the world to follow. It didn't work very well, as they picked and chose, as you are seeming to do with those verses you 'so love,' so one can make an excuse not to put a control their behavior.

As a parent, we know, we must pick our battles with our rebellious kids. These laws are no longer in place, UNLESS we don't choose this Mercy gift. Some religions still don't choose it, so you see the result of their choice, esp. now that just one nation is blasted all over the news. (Starts with an I.)

Answer 5

Honestly, if there was a "Christian drinking game" here on R&S like the atheists/agnostics have, this question would definately be on it.

Hon, there are TWO covenants: the Mosaic Covenant (which you've quoted from) and the New Covenant, brought by Jesus. Jesus fulfulled the Mosaic Covenant -- the bottom line is that we must follow HIS laws, NOT Moses' laws. None of these laws have an equivalent in the New Covenant. So picking and choosing is not the issue.

EDIT: As I suspected, you don't know the meaning of "abolish" and "fulfill" as used by Jesus. For example: Jesus FULFILLED the Mosaic Levitical sacrificial system. Under this system, a sinner presented a perfect animal, placed his or her hand on its head and symbolically transferred sin onto the animal. The spilling of the animal's blood covered ("atoned") for the sinner's sin. Jesus' sacrifice didn't nullify these sacrificial laws, but He DID satisfy (fulfill) them. So in effect, the Levitical system pointed the Jews TOWARD Jesus' future sacrifice.

Do you understand now?

Answer 6

Christians usually have to "pick and choose" because with a book that runs over 3.6 million words, it is hard to try and use, read, or speak every one of them every day.

As most Christians are not priest, so do not have to woory about their daughters, nor deal with rapist regularly, those particular scriptures do not often need to be formost in their thoughts.

If you are in a situation were you are having to deal daily with the being raped, I suggest that you get some help to get out of that situation. Almost any church would be willing to help you to get free from that kind of abuse.

Answer 7

I believe that people (even non-christians) pick and choose verses (from the Bible) much for the same reasons that you have chosen to 'pick and choose' the verses that you have!?

This 'picking and choosing' isn't only related to christians and/or the Bible, but extends to all parts of our lives which we desire to justify; i.e., I could provide many 'citations' which people use to support abortion, global warming, politics, and a host of other 'hot button' topics.

Nothing new here!?

So, what is your REAL point (or agenda), then?

Regards,

Answer 8

OOOO!! One from the New Testament, so they cannot say that yours were in the old testaments and dont count, Luke 12:47-48

"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows..."

btw, there is a whole website on this

Answer 9

Why would you be quoting Mosaic Law to Christians?? Don't you know the difference?

Answer 10

Dear ilove,

The Bible tells us (I do not know if you are a christian or not), "Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?" (James 4:11, 12)