I asked a question about why the Bible didn't prohibit child marriage among the Jews (and YES, they did practice it), and got a bunch of answers stating that since that happened in Biblical times it was all right! I thought religious people believed in unchanging, eternal standards of morality, so what gives?!? Either child marriage is wrong, or it isn't! If it is wrong TODAY, it was wrong back then, too. If it was RIGHT back then, then it should be allowed today (but of course it ISN'T right... I'm just trying to make a point, here...) Same with slavery; people think it was o.k. for Jews to own slaves way back when, but somehow today it's magically wrong... folks, make up your damn minds!
2007-09-11 14:21:08 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The laws in the Bible were written because that's what people were doing at that time! One of the 7 Noahide laws said "do not rip meat from a live animal." If people were not doing that, you would not find the law in the Bible.
Slavery of Biblical days would be called "indentured servitude" in today's world. The Bible provided "protection" for the slaves. Slaves (servants) were to be given a day of rest each week. They were to be treated as one of the family. They were to be freed after 7 years with enough resources for survival on their own.
You've read about "an eye for an eye" I suppose. That doesn't mean I can rip out your eye if you've ripped out my eye. It means that you must reimburse me for the equivalent of the eye. You must pay me the equivalent of my loss of the eye, plus you must pay damages if you did it purposely and with premeditation. Does it sound like the law of today. It is exactly like the law of today. Interpretation of the laws are found in the Talmud, but the Roman Catholic Church forbade Christians from reading the Talmud. They gathered up every Talmud they could find and burned them in synagogues along with the Jews.
Don't read the negatives in the Torah -- learn to look for the protections. Surrounding cultures had no protections for the less fortunate, and other leaders were never held accountable for their actions. The laws of the Bible were revolutionary!
You're wrong about things having to be absolutes: "if it's wrong today, then it had to be wrong then." The first commandment for Israelites was to be fertile and to multiply. Children were betrothed (not married) at a very early age, and then were expected to marry in their early teens. That was the norm. They were not considered to be adults until they had married.
In Judaism, not only is divorce acceptable, it can also be mandated. A Jewish marriage is a contract between two parties. Each party has obligations and protections. For instance, ff the contract is broken, then the husband must return the bride's dowry.
Contrast this to the marriage of a Roman Catholic. The marriage is a vow to God and cannot be broken even if one of the spouses is suffering abuse from the other. Divorce is a sin against God.
Now, if what's right is right, which do you prefer? The ancient Jewish tradition or the modern Roman Catholic tradition?
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2007-09-11 14:50:59 · answer #1 · answered by Hatikvah 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
First, I believe you can look at one statement in the Bible and see that it applies to multiple social problems. Jesus, when asked about divorce, told them that Moses gave them the divorce because their hearts were hard. So we learn that God works through our stuborness and evil intent.
Slavery, while morally wrong, is given strict guidlines to treatment of slaves. Doing this makes sure they do not compound their ungodly ways.
Marriage age will raise and fall at the whim of the people. What is right one day will be obscene the next. God never set down a specific age. He did leave some room for parents and society to move. Personally, if the person cannot be a help mate in all regards and you still desire that person you are a deviant.
Murdering children. Well face it I would much rather you kill your child than have them grow up to kill mine or steal or any other evil act. If Hitler's parents had killed him early it would not have even made a foot note in history. Who knows with abortion on the rise maybe this practice will come back in vogue. Besides we do not have a clear understanding as to the age of the child in question. If my young child under 18 is going the wrong way should I not assume responsibility for bringing him into the world? Besides one day the courts will do it for me.
2007-09-12 11:53:40 · answer #2 · answered by crimthann69 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
by way of fact in those comparable "olden circumstances", medical technological expertise hadn't yet discovered issues like schizophrenia. in reality, we've been nevertheless treating the flu with issues like letting leeches suck on human beings's bodies. Even Christians right this moment do not describe their theory in God as an extremely VOICE they pay attention of their head. Or least not one of the Christians that i be attentive to.
2016-10-10 10:11:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The amount of ridiculousness that religious people are willing to accept is astounding.
It's as if "Once upon a time . . . " blends into reality for them as long as it is far away, or in the far past, or both.
Come to think of it, their credulousness really knows no bounds. For example, if their leaders 'sin' by doing any number of reprehensible things as many times as they like, they are magically 'saved' by the 'grace of God' and somehow perfectly okay and should be forgiven since 'God said so.'
Is it any wonder that recounting of general disgusting behavior is okay as long as it is in 'biblical times' to them?
2007-09-11 16:07:25 · answer #4 · answered by nora22000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a number of things that the bible condones, besides child marriage and slavery, murder of rebellious children, repression of women, child abuse,looting of other countries,etc. How can these things be wrong today but right then?
2007-09-11 14:31:33 · answer #5 · answered by in a handbasket 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You're right. We can recognise that a particular practice was widely accepted at a particular time and place in history, whilst still holding the view that it is immoral.
It's interesting to note that there is not one single word in the Bible in condemnation of sex with children.
2007-09-11 14:25:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Your point is well made and valid. The reason those practices are not OK today is NOT because the religious have changed, it's because our SECULAR institutions have have made them criminal taking the prerogative to be evil away from religion.
2007-09-15 07:22:55 · answer #7 · answered by Michael da Man 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree, our morals and standards are evolving while the Bible is not. One day it will be considered nothing more than ancient history and mythology.
2007-09-11 14:28:58 · answer #8 · answered by Daisy Indigo 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
those morally reprehensible things are wrong.
and it is not okay that they happened in 'old times'/. believing it is is an offshoot from moral relativism (certain things are okay for race A to do, but not okay for race B to do.)
2007-09-11 14:29:23 · answer #9 · answered by Trid 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i hate to say this, but a lot of people just go with the flow of what they are told to believe or to do.
2007-09-11 14:30:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋