Why do so many Catholics and christians only read part of the bible?

Question

So many people only read the parts that justify their view yet they claim they follow the bible and don't read the enire thing. For example people read and quote Deuteronomy 14:3-18 but do not take time to read Isaiah 11:6-9 or Gospel of the Holy Twelve. I just don't understand why someone would misinterpret the bible and claim they are following gods wishes.

At least some people are honest enough to admit they don't understand the exact verses but the concept. Apparently those who have studied the bible or claim they have are simply proving my point that people don't read the full message and therefore gods message is lost. It's not so much about the verses but rather why people choose to take the word of god out of context and use it to verify corupt views. Another example is judgement towards homosexuality. Yes, the bible tells the story of Kane and Abel but also enforces the fact that only god shall place judgement so all these people who criticize those who are homosexual are actually placing judgement and thereform acting against gods decree. To me it seems that people are only creating hostilities and violence through their interpretation of the bible and if they read it more clearly they would be more at peace.

Answer 1

I understand where you're coming from. Even when people do read the whole Bible, they do so in such a shallow way that it doesn't do them much good. I think many people want to read the Bible like it's a novel and not do the background work they need to do. While the Bible is indeed God's Word to us, we need to understand that some parts of the Bible were written from a particular cultural point of view, meaning that not everything in those parts is meant to be taken and applied at face value. And if you don't do the homework, so to speak, you won't know what is meant to be observed in a particular cultural setting and what is to be a universal practice. If you're not taking time to understand when and where something was written, as well as the problems of translation and general changes in language, you also get people misinterpreting passages and basing their beliefs on misinformation.

Answer 2

So Deu 14 is about what the people of Israel weren't supposed to eat (which don't apply to Christians - see the N.T.) and the verses in Isaiah are:

Isa 11:6 ¶ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Isa 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isa 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

The two have nothing to do with one another. I don't get you're point. The "Gospel of the Holy Twelve" is supposed to be the original gospel according to one person:

An Irish clergyman, Rev. G. J. Ouseley claims to have discovered the Original Gospel from which the present Four Gospels were derived, which, he says, was "preserved in one of the Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, where it was hidden by some of the Essene Community for safety from the hands of the corrupters, and is now for the first time translated from the Aramaic."

a claim which people obviously didn't accept as valid. God's never revealed to me any deficiencies in the Bible.


Some people don't care enough to read the whole Bible. Some people don't care about the O.T. Personally I study the whole Bible, whether or not parts apply to me as a Christian.

Answer 3

Catholics have the whole Bible, however, many Catholics don't read the Bible. we also have a new Bible, which is changed. the original Bible is called the Vulgate (and is in Latin), and the direct translation is the DR, or Dowey-Rhemes version. those are the full, origional Bibles. now there is some new thing, and the other Christian relidions have these bibles that only have cetain parts. once we whent to some stupid baptist play at my dad's friend's baptist church, just cuz my dad's a ***, and it was all about rock stuff. the Solid Rock Cafe, or something. anyway, they had all these bible verses about rocks, exept this one... " you are Peter, and upon this rock i shall build my church''. pretty lame, huh. that's like the biggest thing in the bible. that's like when Jesus made Peter the first Pope, that and the '' do you love Me?'' thing.

Answer 4

Reading and understanding all of the Bible (I have over 12 different versions) I would not recommend for the average Christian or would-be Christian.

About 25% of the best of the "Gospel of John" is sufficient for most. Many sincere, Truth-seeking (and non- or little- Bible reading) human persons will clearly ascend into our Sovereign Maker Jesus and later into the infinitely loving and merciful Father God of All Reality on Paradise !

God (at the Transfiguration of Jesus) told us to all FOLLOW JESUS ! Amen ! Not to follow just a few scant scriptures later written about Jesus by men, some very inspired, some less. Jesus wrote only in the sand and left us no written records -- for very good reasons back then.

God never gave us any specific dietary laws --those are all of human concepts about pure food and impure food ---yawn--- boring. I stick with my SEE FOOD diet ! Burp ! LOL

Yes, Isaiah (both of them, I and II) is probably the very best, overall, of the Old Testament ! -- bull still all of that is inferior to Jesus Christ's Eternal here and now Spirit Teachings of ALL TRUTH OF/AS GOD !

As a Jesusonian Christian Theologian and Evangelist for over thirty years to date; I know and share only about 500 or so key, deep spiritual Bible verses, and I put them frequently into my own, Spirit of Truth- (Jesus here ! John 16:7-16) inspired, soul reflected words.

Cry out and shout ! Great is the Holy One Jesus Christ now here in Spirit with us ! Behold our God ! Thank You Father !

{ { { { oO } } } }

IT IS DONE !
Now everyone is our Father's Beloved son !
Be now the son of God in Jesus that You ARE !!

(see Jesus and God as One; also Rev 21:3-7; Romans ch8)

Peace and progress,
Brother Dave, a Jesusonian Christian
http://www.PureChristians.org/
large Good News website

Answer 5

We do read the entire Bible.

Matthew 19:17-78 states:

Now someone approached him and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?"

He answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."

For Christians, Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses.

Christians are not held to the ceremonial parts of the Mosaic Law concerning of dietary purity and temple worship.

Christians are held to the moral law of God, some of which is expressed in the Ten Commandments.

However Jesus took the Ten Commandments to the next step summarizing them into the two Great Commandments:
+ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
+ You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

And teaching things like
+ Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
+ Everyone is our neighbor including our enemies.

Therefore we have to go much farther than the original recipients of the Ten Commandments ever dreamed.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, part 3, section 2: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

Hello,

Although the Old testament is the founding book and should be studied to see how things evolved to our religion, our new covenent with Christ is the New Testament so Christians of all denominations tend to concentrate far more on that. Old Jewish laws from slaying your enemies to executing adulterers, homosexuals and sheep shaggers as well as dietary do not apply any more.

Cheers,

Michael

Answer 7

I am member of a Christian who read more than one edition of the Bible as well as the original translations in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic as well as numerous cross references and annotated copies of the King James and Apocrypha.

I agree that there are a lot of 'one verse charlies' out there, however.

Answer 8

The bible contradicts itself in many, many instances. Who's to say which interpretation is correct?

Mark Twain said it best:

The Bible: "It is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies."
--from Letters from the Earth by Mark Twain

Answer 9

I have been studying the Bible all of my life...

I am now reading the whole thing..
.I want to be able to say that I read it form cover to cover soon...
I read Matthwe through Revelation...I have gone from Genesis and now I am at Kings.......some of it was Really hare to get through, but I am doing it.

Answer 10

Everyone like cherry picking the good parts to make it look better.Yes, the bible is full of contradictions, so in order to make sense out of it, ppl cherry pick what they want to follow.

Its like a teacher praising u like this: Sam is really smart but damn bloody lazy.

you would go home and tell ur mum that the teacher said ur smart but u wont say he said ur very lazy too :D