Is Christianity Ashamed of the Bible?

[Achilles6129]

We have arrived at a point in time where attacks are leveled against Scripture on a daily basis. Individuals such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, etc., get invited to college campuses to level their accusations against God and the Bible. It is almost universally agreed that the Bible is morally indefensible.

The question now becomes: has Christianity become ashamed of the Bible? Is there a deliberate attempt to avoid (or reinterpret) certain passages of Scripture because they paint theology in an unacceptable light? Has modern Christianity given God, Christ, and Scripture a major makeover and presented the masses with a more favorable portrait than what really is?

Thoughts are appreciated.

 

[topcare]

I don't think so, I have not encountered such

 

[Achilles6129]

I don't think so, I have not encountered such

Have you read and studied the entire Bible?

 

[topcare]

For the most part yes

 

[Achilles6129]

For the most part yes

Well let me give you a list, then, of what I believe many modern Christians are ashamed of:

1) Genesis and evolution contradict
2) Exterminations of men/women/children in the OT
3) Eternal torture in hell
4) Demons
5) Commands in the OT that give the death penalty for apparently trivial crimes (e.g., the execution of children for cursing parents - also endorsed by Christ)

That's just a short list: I believe there is much in Scripture that has been abandoned.

 

[squint]

Well let me give you a list, then, of what I believe many modern Christians are ashamed of:

1) Genesis and evolution contradict
2) Exterminations of men/women/children in the OT
3) Eternal torture in hell
4) Demons
5) Commands in the OT that give the death penalty for apparently trivial crimes (e.g., the execution of children for cursing parents - also endorsed by Christ)

That's just a short list: I believe there is much in Scripture that has been abandoned.

2-5 being quite dangerous in the hands of ignorance.

The first one is debatable. Certainly not critical by any means.

 

[Targaryen]

We have arrived at a point in time where attacks are leveled against Scripture on a daily basis. Individuals such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, etc., get invited to college campuses to level their accusations against God and the Bible. It is almost universally agreed that the Bible is morally indefensible.

The question now becomes: has Christianity become ashamed of the Bible? Is there a deliberate attempt to avoid (or reinterpret) certain passages of Scripture because they paint theology in an unacceptable light? Has modern Christianity given God, Christ, and Scripture a major makeover and presented the masses with a more favorable portrait than what really is?

Thoughts are appreciated.

No, Christianity is not ashamed of the bible. I'd argue that Christians are ashamed of other Christians.

 

[brinny]

Interesting question, my brother.

*subscribing*

 

[rick357]

No, Christianity is not ashamed of the bible. I'd argue that Christians are ashamed of other Christians.

That would be funny if it was not also true. A lot of the problem is that we do exactly as the nation of Israel did when God told them not to ask how did those in the land serve their Gods. The very search brought idol worship. So we try to be educated cause the world says were stupid if we dont we lean on their thought processes and try to blend them with scripture. As Balaam tried to please an earthy king and a heavenly one. He accomplished neither and so is the fate of all who go that way

 

[rick357]

We have arrived at a point in time where attacks are leveled against Scripture on a daily basis. Individuals such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, etc., get invited to college campuses to level their accusations against God and the Bible. It is almost universally agreed that the Bible is morally indefensible.

The question now becomes: has Christianity become ashamed of the Bible? Is there a deliberate attempt to avoid (or reinterpret) certain passages of Scripture because they paint theology in an unacceptable light? Has modern Christianity given God, Christ, and Scripture a major makeover and presented the masses with a more favorable portrait than what really is?

Thoughts are appreciated.

The world trys to spin scripture so that God must be defended. As a example the purge of canaan. They ignore that God left his own people in bondage for four hundred years when their sin was not yet full. Was the purge violent yes. Is cutting a person open with a knife to remove a cancer a violent act yes. A large problem is that we dont know our own scripture enough to refute their claims.

 

[brinny]

The world trys to spin scripture so that God must be defended. As a example the purge of canaan. They ignore that God left his own people in bondage for four hundred years when their sin was not yet full. Was the purge violent yes. Is cutting a person open with a knife to remove a cancer a violent act yes. A large problem is that we dont know our own scripture enough to refute their claims.

This:

we dont know our own scripture enough to refute their claims.

Bingo.

 

[hedrick]

Well let me give you a list, then, of what I believe many modern Christians are ashamed of:

1) Genesis and evolution contradict
2) Exterminations of men/women/children in the OT
3) Eternal torture in hell
4) Demons
5) Commands in the OT that give the death penalty for apparently trivial crimes (e.g., the execution of children for cursing parents - also endorsed by Christ)

That's just a short list: I believe there is much in Scripture that has been abandoned.

I'm not ashamed of the Bible. I am, however, ashamed of how many people use it. There's lots of bronze-age practices shown in it. But God doesn't leave his people there. My problem is when the Bible is used in an undiscriminating way that makes it look like he does. This is what provides the ammunition for aggressive atheists.

I honestly don't think most Christians in the US differ in their ideals from the better agnostics. (It would be nice to think that we're better, but for the moment I'd be happy if we aren't worse.) But many defend things like the exterminations in the OT because their theories of Biblical interpretation make them. These people wouldn't consider doing that today, but they're unwilling to say flatly that doing so was also wrong 3000 years ago, and to come up with a principled way to deal with the Bible that doesn't make it look morally backwards.

 

[rick357]

I'm not ashamed of the Bible. I am, however, ashamed of how many people use it. There's lots of bronze-age practices shown in it. But God doesn't leave his people there. My problem is when the Bible is used in an undiscriminating way that makes it look like he does. This is what provides the ammunition for aggressive atheists.

I honestly don't think most Christians in the US differ in their ideals from the better agnostics. But many defend things like the exterminations in the OT because their theories of Biblical interpretation make them. These people wouldn't consider doing that today, but they're unwilling to say flatly that doing so was also wrong 3000 years ago, and to come up with a principled way to deal with the Bible that doesn't make it look morally backwards.

Is it better to say that a God who does not change would not do such a thing since we are not in the bronze age. Also many more than died in canaan will die in the days coming to the day of the Lord. Im not being rude only pointing out that ignoring what is plain in scripture is being ashamed of the bible.

 

[squint]

But many defend things like the exterminations in the OT because their theories of Biblical interpretation make them.

Or they simply read the fact that they are there to read?

These people wouldn't consider doing that today, but they're unwilling to say flatly that doing so was also wrong 3000 years ago, and to come up with a principled way to deal with the Bible that doesn't make it look morally backwards.

God certainly isn't above killing. That fact along with a massive helping of retributive evil is pretty hard to avoid encountering when engaging the text of the O.T.

 

[brinny]

brings to mind this verse rick357:

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." ~Isaiah 55:0

Amen, brother.

"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." ~Matthew 11:15

 

[topcare]

Well let me give you a list, then, of what I believe many modern Christians are ashamed of:

1) Genesis and evolution contradict
2) Exterminations of men/women/children in the OT
3) Eternal torture in hell
4) Demons
5) Commands in the OT that give the death penalty for apparently trivial crimes (e.g., the execution of children for cursing parents - also endorsed by Christ)

That's just a short list: I believe there is much in Scripture that has been abandoned.

No it has not been abandon but it has been explained in books like David Lamb's God behaving badly where David shows God was loving and very slow to wrath (God Behaving Badly | David T. Lamb , God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist?: David T. Lamb: 9780830838264: Amazon.com: Books, God Behaving Badly – Is the God of the Old Testament an Angry, Racist, Sexist [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]?). As an example God smote Uzziah and to modern minds the question is why?

What happened? Well the Israelites brought the ark back and basically stuck it in their trunk which was an ox cart. Now God had given them very specific instructions on how to carry His Throne and they ignored it so God did what He had to to get their attention. Now think about this if the President said I need a limo with a bubble top to see the people and so they can see me would you than put him in the trunk? I hope not because he would be mad.

There is a reason for everything that Yahweh did in the Old Testament, what people must stop doing is just see the Old Testament period through modern eyes.

Now as to your first point about the Bible contradict evolution, who do you believe more God with infinite wisdom or man who can be biased against God? I must say it sounds more like your always questioning Christianity as if your might abandon it, I hope not

 

[SolomonVII]

God created a world where even now children die from painful cancers, and people suffer terribly from natural disasters and floods and fires and earthquakes, through no fault of their own, through no temptation of the devil even.

If the Bible whitewashed reality to satisfy atheists, then it wouldn't be true.
If atheists can find answers to life's deeper questions and moral imperatives without the Bible, good for them. Suffice to note that when it comes to those deeper questions, most source the Bible to begin discussions of what those deeper questions and moral imperatives might be.
That is the same as it has always been for three or four thousand years now.

 

[Jipsah]

1) Genesis and evolution contradict

Genesis is symbolic, not a scientific treatise. Apples and oranges.

2) Exterminations of men/women/children in the OT

If anyone sees theneed to take these acts as something to be emulated, we need to talk.

3) Eternal torture in hell

Unscriptural.

4) Demons

They exist, but we don't know their nature.

5) Commands in the OT that give the death penalty for apparently trivial crimes (e.g., the execution of children for cursing parents - also endorsed by Christ)

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone" Carrying out those death penalties is a dicey proposition, don'tcha think?

That's just a short list: I believe there is much in Scripture that has been abandoned.

You mean like animal sacrifice and such? One would hope. Our faith must be centered on Jesus Christ, and any Scripture that appears to militate against that must be put aside or considered academic. The Old Covenant has been superseded by the direct intervention of God Himself into human history. Sadly, many Christians seem to want to return to Egypt...

 

[Mama Kidogo]

2-5 being quite dangerous in the hands of ignorance.

The first one is debatable. Certainly not critical by any means.

Odd how I can agree with you sometimes and completely disagree at other times. I agree with this.

Now let me exorcise you and we'll be in full agreement.

 

[squint]

Odd how I can agree with you sometimes and completely disagree at other times. I agree with this.

Now let me exorcise you and we'll be in full agreement.

Rev. Randy and I had a similar online relationship. An enjoyable one for the most part.