Why do religious people defy their holy tenets?

[Alkarin]

The hypocrisy of all religious people just shows another reason to me that religion is a scape goat to me. If you confront a christian about certain aspects of the bible say it be Abraham sacrificing his son. Or a number of other things such as Jesus himself condemning the rich yet the most prominent christians have enormous wealth. Why is it that many people of all religions with holy tenets only take bits and parts of their holy books and don't practice all of it? Yet they are loyal to their faith? If you ask a christian does he believe that Noahs Arc carried all the animals and species that are now known on the planet and the world actually was completely flooded as an act of god. Most likely he will say no due to the massive amount of scientific evidence that says otherwise. same thing with the idea that the earth is flat or the earth is only 6000 years old. The average christian wont believe this. because its been proven wrong. yet thats what their holy book says. How can something be holy to you if you do not follow every word of it? And if it is not holy to you why defend it as it is? If the bible or the Qur'An or the Torah are trully the works of your god why do you not follow them with such fanatic devotion? Don't you find yourself a bit hypocritical?

[Tiberius Tosi]

Because the Bible was written by man and therefore it has faults...

[Alkarin]

Because the Bible was written by man and therefore it has faults...

then why follow it and use the argument it is the word of god

[Tiberius Tosi]

then why follow it and use the argument it is the word of god

Few people argue (let alone believe) it is the direct word of God. The Bible is a collection of stories put together to give us a vague sense of what God is and our purpose in this world, written exclusively by humans.

Yay post # 1000!

[vizi]

Because people are flawed. I make stupid decisions all the time. I do stuff that I know is self destructive. Why? Because I am human. I have nothing better to do then make my life miserable.

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

All humans have a natural knowledge of God. You don't have to believe in the Bible nor read it to be a Christian. Paul didn't read it he lived it still he was a Christian. Anonymous Christian is who on the one hand has de facto accepted of his freedom the gracious self-offering on God’s part through faith, hope, and love, while on the other he is absolutely not yet a Christian at the social level.

[Imperator Romani]

I believe in Noah's ark. Jus sayin.

Don't try to convince me otherwise, as I believe either all the Bible or none of it.

[Playfishpaste]

I believe in Noah's ark. Jus sayin.

Don't try to convince me otherwise, as I believe either all the Bible or none of it.

But that's impossible.

Believing in all of the bible. One can only believe most of the bible, or some of the bible, as there is no definitive way to know you've got the 100 percent true goods.

Though I think you're just saying you believe that generally all of the stories told are true, despite the details being murky.

[Visna]

I believe in Noah's ark. Jus sayin.

Don't try to convince me otherwise, as I believe either all the Bible or none of it.

Really? So that would make slavekeeping, death penalty for among many, many others, homosexuality, adultery, cursing your parents etc ok in your book? (No pun intended).

[Playfishpaste]

Really? So that would make slavekeeping, death penalty for among many, many others, homosexuality, adultery, cursing your parents etc ok in your book? (No pun intended).

None of those are okay in the bible.

Capital punishment is actually expressly banned in the bible.

[Visna]

None of those are okay in the bible.

Capital punishment is actually expressly banned in the bible.

Which Bible are you referring to? Because Leviticus makes the consequences of those actions pretty clear.

[Playfishpaste]

Which Bible are you referring to? Because Leviticus makes the consequences of those actions pretty clear.

Fortunately, leviticus isn't the bible. If you read the little addendum to the law (the new testament) you'll see Jesus overwrites a bunch of it. This is basic theology 101. The old law was there because times were turbulent and any immorality needed to be routed out for the isrealites to survive and then spread the word of god in the future.

The jews get out of this too even though they don't follow the new testament, simply because the OT itself states this clause.

[Tiberius Tosi]

Really? So that would make slavekeeping, death penalty for among many, many others, homosexuality, adultery, cursing your parents etc ok in your book? (No pun intended).

The Bible contradicts itself on those things multiple times, quoting one of those times and saying it supports those is about as stupid as saying that those things are or were actually followed and carried out by many people. To start off a few of the things you listed are banned by the ten commandments to begin with....

Quoting leviticus is rediculous (hehe I can rhyme)

Anyways, even Jesus said the Old Testament = Mostly

[boofhead]

People need to understand Christianity 101, YET AGAIN. The Old Testament has two kinds of Jewish law, customary/traditional; and.....

Oh for God's sake I can't be bothered spelling this out yet again. Let me just say the the New Testament is a New Covenant, observable by Christians, which supercedes the traditional/ritual/customary Old Testament/Old Covenant Laws given to the Jews, which are for Jews. This includes traditional Jewish legislative punishments. 99.99% of Christians are born Gentiles, not Jews, so they are not expected to abstain from pork, cut off foreskins, blah blah blah.

Regarding Christians like televangelists who have private jets and mansions - well, in my mind they are just heretics, plain and simple.

[Visna]

People need to understand Christianity 101, YET AGAIN. The Old Testament has two kinds of Jewish law, customary/traditional; and.....

Oh for God's sake I can't be bothered spelling this out yet again. Let me just say the the New Testament is a New Covenant, observable by Christians, which supercedes the traditional/ritual/customary Old Testament/Old Covenant Laws given to the Jews, which are for Jews. This includes traditional Jewish legislative punishments. 99.99% of Christians are born Gentiles, not Jews, so they are not expected to abstain from pork, cut off foreskins, blah blah blah.

Regarding Christians like televangelists who have private jets and mansions - well, in my mind they are just heretics, plain and simple.

That's all fine and dandy, and it certainly makes Christianity much more edible to the general public. Being an ultra-Orthodox Jew is no easy task.
The problem fundamentalists tend to run into is the embracing of OT texts, like literal interpretations of Genesis, the great flood and the whole shebang. According to some you can't pick and choose, which is exactly what Christians have been doing for centuries. Slavery for example was not only ok, it was divinely sanctioned well into the 19th century. All done by "good" Christians. Very devout fellows, those.
But, surprise, surprise, norms changed, and suddenly slavery was not so ok anymore. And what do Christians say then? "Oh, but we don't have to do that sort of stuff, because Jesus told us so". Couldn't you guys have thought of that before? Say, around 35AD? Nevermind that some of the later books in the Bible have some pretty weird stuff, these days Paul would be a pompous sexist slaveowning prick. But back then he was more or less the norm.

[boofhead]

Slavery for example was not only ok, it was divinely sanctioned well into the 19th century. All done by "good" Christians. Very devout fellows, those. But, surprise, surprise, norms changed, and suddenly slavery was not so ok anymore. And what do Christians say then? "Oh, but we don't have to do that sort of stuff, because Jesus told us so". Couldn't you guys have thought of that before? Say, around 35AD? Nevermind that some of the later books in the Bible have some pretty weird stuff, these days Paul would be a pompous sexist slaveowning prick. But back then he was more or less the norm.

Slavery is neither condoned nor condemned in the Bible. It states that if you happen to be a slave, then be the best slave you can be, in order that by your behaviour you may get the ear of your master and influence him to Christianity.

So it is not explicitly condemned, it just states that if such a system exists, then this is how one should behave. And if a Christian master lived in a society in which slavery happened to be legal, then of course he would treat his slaves with compassion or as equals, and if he could free them, free them, because that is in the spirit of Christianity. Anyone doing anything different is not following the scriptures, and just making things up.

Jesus doesn't exactly run about trying to change world government. As he says "My Kingdom is not of this world". Men and their ideas (such as slavery) will rule this world. Jesus is there for the renewal of hearts in the eternal sense, and whatever social circumstance a person is born in - the message is still there.

Whoever said slavery was divinely sanctioned was a liar. The Bible doesn't say that.

*Regarding Genesis: a lot of Christians believe it to be true word for word. And as Jesus says "...because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth" - they would be scripturally correct in doing so.

[Alkarin]

Slavery is neither condoned nor condemned in the Bible.

yes who needs all that equality rubbish jesus talked about.

[boofhead]

yes who needs all that equality rubbish jesus talked about.

You mean when he said that God loves all men like a father who would die for his children?

The Bible isn't going to pretend the corporeal world will ever be perfect under the rule of men. It won't. It speaks rather to the heart of men in whatever social standing they may find themselves! The entire thing is about eternity, not some temporal little political or social squabble!

[Benji]

coz de fecks of religeon r falty!!!!

de ppl r men nd so day mak mistaykes yes?

[Tiberius Tosi]

coz de fecks of religeon r falty!!!!

de ppl r men nd so day mak mistaykes yes?

Is that like middle english or some ? Lol

Anyways, Christians are just like everyone else, we up, we are selfish, we love ourselves, we do bad . Being Christian doesn't make you better or worse, so stop trying to say they should be held to some standard. Just because the law says you can't steal doesn't mean people aren't going to steal.... Same with the Bible.