Thursday, September 13, 2007

The Bible Is Repulsive....REFUTED !

In this argument, the writer of this article proposes that The Bible is repulsive. I am writing this to both refute this claim and prove why The Bible is not repulsive. His first argument involves several verses from THE OLD TESTAMENT, I'll explain why I capitalized that in a second. Here is the opening argument:
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Example 1
The vast majority of Americans believe that God exists, that Jesus is his son, and that God himself gave us the Bible and the Ten Commandments. In fact, Supreme court Justice Antonin Scalia has said that "Ninety-nine percent of Americans believe in the ten commandments." He has also said, "What the commandments stand for is the direction of human affairs by God."
If 99% of Americans believe in the ten commandments, how can the Bible be repulsive? Let's take the fourth commandment as an example. It says:

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. [Exodus 20: 8-9]

This, supposedly, is the word of God, the almighty ruler of the universe. Now think about this. Wal-mart is open on the Sabbath. And so is Target. Best buy is open on the Sabbath. And so is Circuit City. Home Depot is open on the Sabbath. And so is Lowes. In fact, millions of businesses in America have employees working on the Sabbath. Even Christian Family Bookstores has employees working on the Sabbath. What should we do with all of these people who are breaking the fourth commandment? In the Bible's book of exodus - the same book that contains the ten commandments – the Bible tells us what to do with everyone who breaks the fourth commandment. Exodus 31 verse 15 tells us exactly what to do:

For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.

That's right. The Bible commands the death penalty for anyone who works on the Sabbath, and we should obey. Right? This means we have to kill tens of millions of Americans. Should we line these tens of millions of Americans up and shoot them? Should we put them in giant gas chambers? I think we can all agree that the thought of killing millions of innocent Americans is repulsive. A book this repulsive has no place in our society. And make no mistake about it - the bible really means what it says. It fully intends to be repulsive. In Isaiah 40 verse 8 the Bible says:

"The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever." [Isaiah 40 verse 8]

The Bible says the same thing in 1 Peter 1 verses 24 and 25. And in Psalm 19:7 the Bible says:
"The law of the Lord is perfect."

Since the laws of the Bible are perfect, they should never change. And then there is this. In Matthew 5 verse 20 Jesus says:

"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven". - Matthew 5:20

According to Jesus, we must follow the laws of the Bible. Do you believe that we should kill millions of innocent people because they work on the Sabbath? If not, do you want a book this repulsive to be quoted in public? Read to children? Used in our courts of law?
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Okay, now of course after reading that, you're wondering how am I gonna refute this ? I mean the argument above sounds pretty solid. Very solid actually. And now I shall debunk this. Remember when I capitalized THE OLD TESTAMENT? Well that's actually very important for interrupting The Bible. You see think of The Bible as no one book but two books. I bet most people who haven't read The Bible can not explain why they separate The Old and New Testament, one answer: Jesus. In the Old Testament, the people if Israel needed a law to follow until the actual law (Jesus) arrived on Earth. The thing is that in the Old Testament, man had to deal FIRST HAND with God's wrath. In order to be safe from God's wrath they had to follow His law. Those who did not follow God's law would be better off dead than deal with God's wrath. The thing is with Israel when one of them screwed up, they all paid. Mostly because they have to look out for each other. Also if the writer of this article actually READ The Bible, he'd realize that once Jesus arrived there was NO NEED for the old law. For further explanation please consult a minister or theologist. Here is the second argument, dealing with people that God wants you to kill. Again quotes from The OLD TESTAMENT. The argument is as followed:
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Example 2
The Bible wants us to kill most people in America. For example, the first commandment says, "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." What are we supposed to do with everyone who doesn't believe in God? We are supposed to Kill them. Deuteronomy chapter 17 says that we are supposed to stone non-believers to death.

If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the LORD gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God in violation of his covenant, and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars of the sky… Take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. – Deut 17:2-7

In 2 Chronicles 15:12-13:
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. - 2 Chron 15:12-13

Deuteronomy 13:13-19:
Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases…you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 13:7-12:
If your own full brother, or your son or daughter, or your beloved wife, or you intimate friend, entices you secretly to serve other gods …do not yield to him or listen to him, nor look with pity upon him, to spare or shield him, but kill him. - Deut 13:7-12

What if you take the name of the lord in vain? Leviticus chapter 24 verse 16 says:
Anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. – Lev 24:16

The Bible is quite clear. We must kill everyone who does not believe in God. There are approximately 30 million people in America who do not believe in any God. There are tens of million more who believe in gods other than the God of the Bible. The Bible commands that we kill them all.

And keep in mind that the word of the Lord lasts forever, and the law of the lord is perfect.
Think of this as a Christian Jihad. The idea of killing tens of millions of people because they don't believe in God is repulsive.
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Ouch, once again a very sound argument but riddled with ignorance as to what he's really talking about. This again refers the answer above. If anyone has read The Bible and the book Lamentations, they EXPLAIN CLEARLY that if they screw up will have to deal with GOD'S WRATH. But again, these are quotes from THE OLD TESTAMENT, where The Israelelits were put in charge of enforcing THE LAW or deal with God's wrath. I mean you take your pick, if you're a boat and some guy keeps rocking the boat, you're all gonna die. Now you can ask him to stop and risk him not doing, so you can push him over the edge and save yourself. You understand? But again the write of the article above continues to use The Old Testament to apply to today and WE NO LONGER NEED TO, because Jesus changed the law. Moving on to the next argument:
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Example 3
If you curse your father and mother you are to be killed:
All who curse their father or mother must be put to death. - Leviticus 20:9

Example 4
If you commit adultery you are to be killed:
If a man commits adultery with another man's wife - with the wife of his neighbor - both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. - Leviticus 20:10

Example 5
If you happen to be homosexual you are to be killed.
If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death. - Leviticus 20:13
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Again, more quotes from THE OLD TESTAMENT. And Numbers 3 and 4 shouldn't even be included and here's why.

About Number 3, I'm sure we can all agree that sometimes our parents do things we do not agree with. We've all been in that boat before, that's nothing new. However The Bible stresses the point of cursing your mother and father, and by that I imagine saying things such as: I HATE YOU, I HOPE YOU DIE…things along that nature and actually meaning it. Of course parent and children will get into arguments but truth is we should always understand who they are and who they are to us. This maybe hard for those who had hard childhood.

Number 4 is and I'm pretty sure a VERY WEAK DEFENSE. I mean if someone banged you're wife the LAST thing you're gonna think about is "Oh man, this is wrong.". No you're gonna wanna kick that guy's ass. Again this is a cause for concern back in those days because of GOD'S WARTH. And again you really shouldn't commit adultery to begin with, so really that was a dumb argument.

Number 5 has been under much debate and I'll give my opinion on this subject ONCE, and only ONCE. Personally I have nothing against Homosexuals or Bisexuals. To me, People are People, always was, always will be. However, I will never refer to Homosexuality as normal, and here's why. Simply because it renders NO RESULT. Imagine our world and every last woman died. Without some form of female counterpart, EVERYMAN WILL DIE. Same goes for women. A Man and A Woman comes together and a baby is the end result. It preserves humanity, A Man and A Man comes together and…nothing. A Woman and A Woman comes together and…nothing. Personally I think people are under the belief that sex is simply for pleasure when in actuality it was made to benefit and continue humanity. I WILL NOT, say that Homosexual are immoral. I wouldn't say that. I know many homosexuals who are very moral. And Homosexuality is NOT a moral issue. I will NOT call it normal and I will NOT advocate it. But on another not, I will NOT prosecute anyone for being homosexual nor will condone the prosecution of homosexuals. They are NOT for me to judge, I will simply accept them as people and move on. You can call me a jerk, ass-hole, close-minded, whatever, that was my opinion and that's all I gotta say about that.

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Example 6
Here's another example of the Bible's idiocy. Rebellious teenagers should all be killed as well. Here's what the Bible says in Deuteronomy chapter 21:
If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father and mother, who does not heed them when they discipline him, then his father and his mother shall ... say to the elders of his town, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.' Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. - Deut 21
Think about how many American teenagers need to die.
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Again, a quote from THE OLD TESTAMENT ! Give now unless your parents tell you to do something like kill your best friend or rob a bank, there is no actual reason to disobey them. And this also states "who does not heed them they discipline him". That means if you did something bad and then got a spanking and then did it again, and keep doing it obviously that would be considered bad on your part. And again, remember by boat analogy. Just another person rocking the boat. Moving to the next argument:
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Example 7
In Matthew 18 verses 7 through 9, Jesus speaks:
If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. - Matthew 18:7-9
This verse is repulsive on three levels:
It is repulsive because Jesus is such an idiot here. He is completely wrong.
It is repulsive because it demands that people maim themselves.
It is repulsive because the entire concept of "hell" is repulsive.
Jesus is an idiot. Cutting off your hand or gouging out an eye accomplishes nothing. If you are having a problem with unproductive behaviors, what you need to do is talk with a counselor or see a therapist. Self-amputation is absurd and repulsive. Jesus dispenses advice that is completely useless, and recklessly dangerous as well.
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This I like, because it shows the writers ignorance as to what Jesus actually means in this sentence. People who do not believe Jesus will often misquote him or misunderstand him. And in this case, the writer missed the point entirely. Allow me to clear this up for you.

I was over a friends house watching "Jackass 2". In one segment Bam had a penis branded on his ass. After being branded Bam said and I quote: "I'd rather tear my dick off and throw it in the river than go through that again."

Consider that for a second and let's get back on track. The Writer would suggest that Bam would ACTUALLY tear his penis off. This we know is false. What Jesus is saying in this quote is not to maim yourself. HE DOES NOT WANT YOU TO HARM YOURSELF! The point of this quote is to say that "It would be better for you to be cripple and maimed than go to HELL!" THAT IS WHAT HE IS SAYING! He is saying that Sinning will ultimately put you in Hell. And he is saying: That going to such extreme measures to avoid sinning, that would be better than going to HELL. But obviously Jesus does not want you to harm yourself…and once more for the people in the back HE DOES NOT WANT YOU TO HARM YOURSELF! Do you get that ? You understand ? Alrighty, moving along:

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Example 8
The Bible's absolute sexism is well known, and it is repulsive. Here are two examples:
Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. - 1 Corinthians 14
And:
Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent. - 1 Tim 2
We can find dozens of verses that are just as sexist. The Bible's sexism is both ridiculous and repulsive.
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Oh, finally some NEW TESTAMENT stuff. Alright, I'll admit these verses do not sound flattering at all to women. But allow me to explain. We have to understand that the Bible was written by people of The Jewish persuasion. And back in those days Men were commanded to be the head of the house, the people who must maintain everything. The verse from Corinthians is not saying that women have to shut up in the church, no. It's saying that a Man is supposed to be the one to educate his family on God. That's the man's role in their society. By saying it's disgraceful it's saying that a woman has no place performing a man's task. Now, before you say "Well that is sexist." LISTEN, societies since the dawn of time has had specific jobs for both men and women, that is NOTHING NEW. What this verse is saying is that this task is a man's job. That's all it's saying. The verse from 1st Timothy enforces that. It simply discusses conduct within the church not conduct everywhere. And again we must remember that these people ARE JEWISH! And things for them were A LOT different than they are now.

Also to write The Bible off as fully sexist is not only stupid but false, and here's why: 1 Tim 3:1-12, Col 3:18-19, Eph 5:22-33. There was a man named Hamman who had a plan to exterminate every LAST JEW. A WOMAN stopped him, not only that she had him killed. I'm talking about the book of Esther. Ruth was in battle with her husband. There was a man who had 10,000 chariots at his command, warriors were afraid of THIS MAN and A WOMAN killed him, with little to NO EFFORT AT ALL. Not only that but a WOMAN got full credit for the birth of Jesus. Notice how Joseph isn't mentioned at all after Jesus's birth. Catholics honor MARY ! A WOMAN. Ergo, The Bible is not a sexits document. And I seriously doubt that Women within The Church would support or read The Bible if it was sexist. Moving right along:

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Example 9
The Bible fully supports slavery. In fact, the Bible has been used in many cases, including the American civil war, as an authoritative justification of slavery. Here are three examples.
Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life. - Leviticus 25:44
Also:
If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property. - Exodus Chapter 21:20
Also:
Bid slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to be refractory, nor to pilfer, but to show entire and true fidelity. - Titus 2:9
You can see that, according to the Bible:
Buying and selling slaves is fine.
Beating slaves is fine.
Slaves are to show entire and true fidelity.
If you are an intelligent person, you know that he entire idea of slavery is repulsive.
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Many times than not, Slaves back in Biblical times became slaves as a result of war. The prisoners who were captured became slaves. They DID NOT randomly kidnap people from their countries and force them into slave labor. And as you can clearly see by the verses above, the slaves did indeed have rights. If you read the verse around the Leviticus verse quoted you would see that that section is entirely devoted to conduct regarding the treatment of slaves. These verses have been quoted out of context and until the writer acknowledges the surrounding verses I have nothing more to say on this matter, except for THIS DOES NOT give you the right to randomly kidnap someone and say "You're my slave, serve me." And I doubt that me being an African American would support a document honoring and permitting slavery.
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Example 10
The Bible is riddled with repulsion. Take, for example, this verse:
Anyone who is captured will be run through with a sword. Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes. - Isaiah 13
Or this:
Samaria shall bear her guilt, because she has rebelled against her God; they shall fall by the sword, their little ones shall be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open. - Hosea 13
Or this:
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
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The verse from Isaiah is from Chapter 13, a verse in which Isaiah is telling the Babylonians what WILL happen if they do not worship the Lord. It sounds repulsive because it is, obviously Isaiah did not wish this to happen to them and told them. Same goes with the verse quoted from Hosea. The verse quoted from Numbers the people who were killed caused a plague among the Israelites, if the write continued on, Moses commanded the people who had done the killing to remain outside the camp from a number of days and had their clothes purified. Another case of misquoting.

I'd like to close by saying that since the history of time there have been people who having criticized The Bible left and right and up and down and have FAILED. And for future reference anyone who does criticizes The Bible WILL FAIL. And I'm not saying this because Jesus said so or because God said so. I'm saying this because I have found out for my self that there is always, ALWAYS an answer to every criticism The Bible encounters. That's all. Thank you for listening, God Bless, Many thanks and much love.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you refute the notion of the bible being repulsive in terms of "that was the old testament" let us apply that to the 10 commandments and get them out of public places because that was the pre-Jesus Christ notion... Common law has replaced the bible in terms of how we are to compose ourselves amongst society, common sense negates religion. Jesus, Mohammad, John Smith, Buddha, and then some... All relics of humans trying to explain what we can't explain... This is where the notion of God comes in... God is God is God... Despite religions, cults, or individual beliefs God is a concept that encapsulates every facet of what the human mind can't comprehend... Follows the same context as time and the depth of space... Is time finite or infinite? If it is finite what happens when time ends? Is space eternal or does it have boundaries? If it has a boundary, what lies on the other side? Until we evolve intellectually as a species it only makes sense that humans would preoccupy our lack of understanding with beliefs in things such as the Bible and hope that God will prevail... Interesting article in any case... Kudos!

Anonymous said...

I would have to pull my bible out but, Jesus mentions in the new testament to follow the laws of the pharisees. And the pharisees were people who followed the laws of the old testament. Jesus also mentions that you are to follow all of the laws of god. If you read the bible you would know that.

Ugo Strange said...

The Old Testament is The Pre-Christ Christianity, which relied on temple sacrifices and a maintaining of The Law of Moses in order for Israel to remain in The Promise Land. All of The Law of Moses was a preamble to Christ coming to fulfill The Law since NO ONE could hold The Law perfectly EXCEPT Christ.

Ergo when Christ died on The Cross, He freed us from having to keep The Law by keeping it Himself, all we have to do is trust in Him that He did. Hence why under The New Covenant in Christ we are no longer required to constantly make sacrifices like The Levitical Priests did. You're drowning here Reg.