What's so bad about the Bible?

Question

So other that the fact that:

1) Women are treated like animals
2) People are said to have lived unimaginable durations of time and many other facts appear to be in contrast with what Science has prove.
3) Slavery was accepted
4) You were supposed to kill witches, people who commit adultery, homosexuals, people who have sex with a woman while she is on her period, your children if they disobeyed, anyone that worked on Sunday and, in general,anyone your loving God hated...

Why shouldn't people live their lives by the Bible? I mean really, can you think of a reason? Please put verses if possible. Thanks...

Answer 1

"It's just the fact that people take the metaphors so literally."

How funny its a "metaphor" when in regard to something unacceptable in our contemporary society, but literal when not. can anyone say "Hypocrisy?"

EDIT - Hey Tessie - whats that about slaves being treated "well"? What rock did you crawl out from under?

"When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money."
Exodus 21:20

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ...."
Ephesians 6:5

"And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating."
..........Luke 12:47


And Women?

"When men fight with one another, and the wife of one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, then you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall have no pity."
Deuteronomy 25:11

"Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."
Numbers 31:17 (Moses)

"For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does..."
Corinthians 7:4

Who's your daddy? What's my name?

"Likewise, you wives, be submissive to your husbands..."
Peter 3:1

Answer 2

1. Women in the Bible were treated better than women were treated in the nations around them. Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well and even told her he was the Messiah, even tho Jewish men did not talk to women. He dignified her and he set a new example for treatment of women.
2. In the beginning Adam and Eve were created to live forever. Their disobedience caused them to be imperfect and mankind's life expectancy dropped precipitously after the flood of Noah's day. That original long life span actually reinforces the thought that man was designed to live forever. No scientist can explain why man's cells don't continue to rejuvenate.
3. Slavery was accepted but regulated. No one was allowed to mistreat his slave. Some might draw an analogy with having to work for a living. That's a form of slavery, isn't it? Nevertheless, slavery is not a feature in the New World where no man will work for another. Isaiah 65:20-25.
4. The nation of Israel was a prototype of the government that will rule the earth under Jesus Christ. There will be none of the undesirable elements of the earth but peace for all. There will not be anyone alive who will threaten the peace and safety of others. Psalm 37:9-40.

Have the people who criticize the Bible actually read it for themselves?

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Answer 3

You are making a valid point. The Bible itself contains many things that are absolutely opposed to the rock solid teachings at the Sermon on the Mount.

NONE of the things you listed would have survived under the Original Kingdom Gospel that Jesus taught... about love and forgiveness.

But alas, that great sermon has been overshadowed by dozens of unknown authors and an author who appears to have a very dark backgroud... Saul-Paul.

The Original Kingdom Gospel has been replaced by the Pauline doctrine of blood for sin. Very unfortunate indeed.

Answer 4

The Bible, without Full Mosaic and Apostolic Tradition and Natural Law/Reason ,can be literally deadly
Try reading Matt 5-8

Answer 5

The worst thing about today's bible is that it is perceived to be word of God, whereas, it only contains words of God, besides words of scribes, historians, translators etc etc, and unfortunately every mistake and contradiction is mixed up.

Pick only words of Jesus and you will be left with a handful number of pages to read from, and there concept of trinity does not exist. Jesus never preached trinity, today's root of chrisianity.

Instead Jesus said,

A) Mark 12:29:
"the Lord our God, the lord is One"

B) Metthew: 26:39:
"He went a little farther and fell on His face and prayed"

Jesus prayed to one God

C) Matthew 4:10
"You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him only you shall serve"

Trinity was invented by Paul, and that's how confused and divided the concept that Jesus preached. Word "son" was used in bible for general human beings and other prophets also.

Germine 8:8
How can you say, “we are wise, for we have the law of Lord,” when actually the pen of scribes has made it into a lie?

Jesus is warning us, saying scribes will turn true words into a lie. Ask a bishop through whom we got today's bible, and the answer would be through scribes.

Look at www.todayislam.com and discover what some most intellectual priests discovered., very interesting stories, makes me cry to see why God sent us here, and what we are doing.

Answer 6

LOL! Somehow I don't think the first answerer is the real Richard Dawkins. The sarcasm in the question isn't exactly subtle.

Apart from the four points mentioned I have a big problem with people turning their spouses into salt and such like.

Answer 7

MOST People take the bible too literally as well as pick and chose which ones are literally.

For example
Exodus 31:15
Exodus 35:2
Leviticus 21:9
Deuteronomy 21:18-2

Should people actually act on these?

Or hope about false hope regarding prayers?
Meaning that people claim of the "power of prayer" and yet why has god not answered the prayers of amputees? Just look at the following passages
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. [Matthew 21:21]
If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. [John 14:14]
Ask, and it will be given you. [Matthew 7:7]
So why has god not acted on those prayers?

Answer 8

It manner precisely what it says. The younger guys knew who Elisha was once-but they mocked him. He was once God's messenger to the individuals. The loss of life of the younger individuals is a snapshot of what is going to occur to mankind if the mock God. Is this a truly ancient occasion?? I feel so.

Answer 9

The bible is so contradicting, violent and unethical.

I've read the bible for a class in college. I was surprised at how vindictive and anger God is. It almost makes you question the Bible's authenticity. One second the Bible says, don't sin. The next you sin and you get forgive.

Different books of the Bible say different things. It's almost impossible to truly interpret what the Bible is trying to say.

Also, the bible has different authors. So, that right there tells you it's somewhat unreliable in it's depiction. I think the Bible has guidelines for ways to live our life. However, I don't think we should take every thing in the Bible so seriously.

Answer 10

1)i would like to know the verses relating to "Woman are treated like animals" that are not taken out of context.
2)the dates and ages given in the bible show a period close to 7,000 years which proposes no problem with science. I would like you to show me proof that this earth is more than 8,000 years. You cant there is no problem with science and the Bible
3)slavery was apart of history so of course its mentioned.. yet the bible talks about being free-show me where slavery is wanted.
4)show me anywhere in the Bible where you are told to kill anyone based upon their religion, race, or gender.

You are making accusations and not searching it out for yourself. Show me and i will believe however, you cant.. so please do not make assumptions..
thanks
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to the others:
i would like to add-Jesus and the Father are One and the same in NATURE--its not imposible to believe that the 3 (baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) can also be God. TIME = PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE--3 distinct natures, yet they are all 3 time.. Jesus said if you seen me you have seen the father. Jesus thought it not fault to be equal with the father.. Jesus said that he was there with ABRAHAM--Jesus was there with the FATHER upon CREATION.. all things were made by JESUS.. Jesus is subordinate to the Father IN OFFICE ONLY not in nature.. these things are CLEAR in scripture SO READ IT 4 URSELF...

Answer 11

The Bible is truth. Almighty God can not lie. He did not want nor did He inspire the people of The Holy Bible to create idyllic visions or fairy tales of mankind's history with man and mankind's history with Almighty God. He demanded the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about their lives, events, and of Almighty God and Jesus Christ, to be the unvarnished truth.

Almighty God did not allow people who wrote the Bible to alter Himself in order to win a PR campaign. Only human man has the tendency to "re-create" himself or events to insure that he is "perceived" in the best and most humanly flattering light.