From what I understand now, the Bible is God's word, and God's word is infallible and timeless. Why then can you just pick the aspects that are convinient for you?
Morals are one part. The 10 Commandments are from Exodus and seem important enough to fight to place in public areas.Exodus 35:2 also says however that the punishment for working on the Sabbath is stoning to death. As creul and wrong as it seems, shouldn't God's word still stand true? Death by stone is actually the punishment for alot of things.
And what of divorce? A great many Christians (I know not all) seem to have no problem with it, yet the Bible clearly states otherwise.
Slavery is something the Bible supports in many areas(eg. Exodus 21:7), and the Bible was even used as justification for the South during the Civil War. We know slavery is extremely wrong, so does that mean God's word is incorrect?
The list goes on, such as burning sacrafices (Lev 1:9), contact with women during "that time"(Lev.15:19- 24), and trimming the hair around your temples if you're male (Lev. 19:27)
Basically my question is how can you justify this action? I've heard the responce that those are from the old testiment, and therefor moot to Christians, but then you shouldn't follow the 10 Commandments either, or have a problem with homosexuality, which stems exclusivly from Leviticus 18:22. If you have the ability to separate right from wrong within the Bible, why do you need the Bible for your morals?
You ask very good and important questions and McWilliams has given you the most basic and broad response which will answer all your questions if you come to scripture humbly, to be corrected, and to be taught and with an heart set to obey, rather than to argue.
I would address specifically just one aspect of your question and would do so only briefly as it can be researched in depth elsewhere if you are interested, and the search is quite worth the time as the Truth always is. That issue is the Bible's position on slavery, which is much misunderstood. First, you are quite correct in noticing that the Bible was used to justify slavery during the Civil War in this country and is still used by many to do so. But the truth is that the Bible does no such thing. Rather, if you will read the OT carefully on this subject you will find that slavery, which is owning another person, as own would own property, is neither condoned nor taught. Rather, what is taught there are the rules of immigration into the Jewish State, much like the rules of immigration into the USA today, along with the rules for compensated servitude, which is not the same in any respect, as slavery.
In slavery persons, as for example the Africans brought to this country against their will to support the covetous economic plantation system, primarily in the cultivation of cotton and tobacco, are held against their will and not compensated for their work properly, nor are they treated Biblically in other ways which respect to their person hood before God, for example with respect to freedom of movement, speech, property rights, religion and so on.
In the Jewish Theocratic state, those in servitude, sold their labor for a just compensation for their time and service and were treated in every way as God's creatures, with freedom as an option if they desired to have it by their fair labor, along with rights of citizenship in the Jewish state after a period of probation and conversion to the Jewish faith. A careful reading of the applicable scripture clearly spells this out. In todays world, particularly in this country, people contract out their time according to the rules of established law, and the trend is to, limit those laws and "let market forces" make all decisons as to what is fair and what is not, and some claim loudly that this is the Biblical pattern, but clearly it is not. Many other such parellels and errors could be drawn and observed, did time permit.
If you desire to read further on it I suggest you read George Cheevers book on the subject, which was preached in a Presbyterian Church in NY City prior to the Civil war. Dr. Cheever, one of the most godly of men in the middle of the last century was one of those who spoke most clearly against the evil of Slavery and the Covetousness that inspired it in this Country at it's founding and in the lead up to the Civil War.
Significantly, Dr. Cheever is one of the most clear and forceful teachers also on the true value and meaning of the timeless Classic, "The Pilgrims Progress" by John Bunyan, a book blessed by God in a way as no other in the English language in terms of copies sold and languages of translation, save the Bible itself. Dr Cheever wrote a book called "lectures on the Pilgrims Progress which illucidates many of the mysteries found in that classic teaching and also teaches much about it's author, the great saint John Bunyan. The vast majority of today's men have lost what Dr. Cheever had in many respects with regard to the wisdom and genius given to God's servant John Bunyan and shared through him with millions. It is my wish and prayer that these things be rediscovered so that Christ and His Spirit and His Father might be glorified therein.
If you desire more info on Dr. Cheever and his writings on P. Progress or the true nature of the Bible's teaching on slavery and covetousness and more importantly, the role of government in fostering that covetousness and how God chastises such a nation, as for example He did in the US with the great calamity of the Civil War, and which He is now doing with the Irag War (in both cases with those in Government claiming God's will in their cause with the support of not a few in the pulpit, while others, with greater light and against the tide of the flow of Mammons ill begotten and poisonous waters speak the truth to all who will hear it, or who "will forebare") I will find the links and provide them.
much Christian love to you and thank you for asking these good questions,
may the Lord, the Spirit, guide you in your search for the Truth, whom to know is "life eternal".
jer3119
