Purpledawn writes:
How can the United States claim to be a free country when it advocated slavery, slaughtering natives, etc. in their history.
If you read the history of the Jews, you see a nation battling the same battles as every other nation to survive. They struggled with changes in the world around them. They were influenced by those who conquered them. They had to make changes to stay in the game so to speak. Religion also has to change, laws updated, etc. the same thing other nations do. Was Israel any worse than the other nations of the time? Didn't several groups consider themselves to be special or the chosen people of their god? I think some Native American tribes did. We don't even know if these events happened as depicted. They may have been grossly exaggerated to make Israel look fierce.
If you are advocating the Bible as a historical account of the origin of the Israelite people than I have no beef with this and therefore no beef with your interpretation of the Bible.
However this is not the perspective many fundamentalist Christians have. How do I know? I used to be one.
PD writes:
The idea that God cannot or will not allow change is something that hurts Christians and I think it hurts the religion-free who try to understand this vocal religion. IMO, it is a misconception. The Bible shows change, why do we insist it can't? If the supposed goal is for man to behave better, they have to change and the religion with them.
Ok, I have no beef with this religious belief either.
PD writes:
Why is the Christian God not allowed to change by those who are religion free? I know some Christians present God as unchanging; but, IMO, that more from their own insecurity.
I am just curious how does this jive with verses such as:
I Samuel 15:29 "He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."
Malachi 3:6 "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed."
Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
And not only does the Bible say God never changes, it also says his word never changes:
Psalms 119:89 "Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens."
Psalms 119:144 "Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live."
Psalms 111:7-8 "The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done in faithfulness and uprightness"
Matthew 5:18 "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."
I Peter 1:25-25 "For, 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.' And this is the word that was preached to you"
Of course this is all accepting what these people are saying is true of there interpretation of the character of God.
In addition, every type of Christian church I have been to (Independent Baptist, Southern Baptist, Independent Christian Church, Church of Christ, Methodist, etc) has stated that the character nature of God does not change and his word does not change. No this is not the entirety of Christiandom but it is a large segment of it.
To me, I just think you have a less literal interpretation of the Bible than many other Christians do. Frankly, I don't care, since I think it is all human derived anyways but I am just curious how you rationalize this.