I was answering another question when the old Leviticus abomination of this and that came up. Reading on, not that many lines from the condemnation of gays, I chanced upon a verse that shook me to my toes, right there in chap 19.\n" ..nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material."\n\n\nPlease tell me this is the O.T. stuff we can ignore. I can't afford a new wardrobe. Is there any chance we can lighten up on some of the stuff in chap. 18 too?
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While you're at it, don't forget:\n\n* planting two different crops in the same field,\n* eating shell-fish, \n* touch the skin of a dead pig (no more football!), \n* going to church without your glasses on\n* getting your hair trimmed\n* touching a menstruating woman\n* owning slaves from countries that are not immediately neighbouring yours\n* working on Saturdays\n\n... among others
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No and if you listen to ignorant people who will just quote the bible at you--then ask them this.--The bible also says that a man should not cut the sides of his hair or trim his beard (Its in Leviticus) It also says it is okay to kill your slaves. Does that make any sense?!? God made us all who we are accept yourself for who you are and enjoy life. It is an adventure and you only get one shot.
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Hey Jim, finally a good theological question from you, I knew you had it in you! Your starting to come over to the other side, I can just feel it. In all seriousness, there is no record the children of Israel coming out of Egypt washed their clothes, used deodorant, or brushed their teeth! After forty years, this would be a pretty ripe bunch, maybe that's why the walls of Jericho fell flat!,. what do you think?
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I just want to know why it was okay to have scriptures & other signs of faith posted on government property in the past and now it's not okay. Who gave a group so much authority to think and act for the majority? If something is offensive, I turn my head away, but I respect someone else's right to do the offensive thing. I don't like it, but I don't go running to the ACLU & cry all over them because I was offended. I don't urge them to hire a multitude of lawyers to make those people stop their vile display, violating my senses. I don't like a lot of things that are happening in this world. I try to make a difference where I live, and an even smaller difference at the ballot box. But, all this talk about separation of church and state is horse hockey. Our constitution DOES NOT have that wording in it anywhere. I've read through it several times and I don't see it. Must have been written with invisible ink! But, the Russian constitution DOES have that wording. I can see how that would be important...to the Russians. This country was founded on scripture and Godly values, not matter what the history revisionists are trying print in our school books now days. And no matter if you or anyone else likes that fact, it's a fact. If it was good enough for our forefathers, why isn't it good enough for us now? I don't believe that we are so very enlightened now that we've forgotten where we've come from. I think a lot of people just don't want to be reminded of any symbol of faith. It might make them uncomfortable, and we wouldn't want that! We want everyone to be happy, right? But, in their effort to please one group, they're offending another. I guess it's okay. Those crazy Christians have had the past couple hundred of years to plaster their stuff all over this country. So, now they can just back off quietly and shut up. That's the attitude that the ACLU sends every time they force someone to remove another symbol of faith from public view. It reminds me of what happened in Nazi Germany. When Hitler was killing all the handicapped people, no one made a fuss because it didn't affect them. When he started killing another group of people, no one said anything because they weren't affected. Then Hitler came for them, with not a whole lot of people left to put up a cry. It wasn't until Hitler started taking over other countries that people stopped him. This tearing down of the symbols of faith will not stop. Many new churches don't even display a cross anymore, blending in with all the other buildings in the area. I believe that this country has been blessed with so much because of Godly people living and working here. Revelation 3:15-17 says, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I wish that you were cold or hot, one or the other. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth. Because you said, I am rich, and have lots of  stuff, and have need of nothing (even God); don't you know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked?" I believe we are already reaping the consequences of our departure of faith. That's why more & more bad stuff is happening to America than ever before. We will believe in anything, as long as it doesn't make us too uncomfortable. I know I am making this really long, but this is something that's very dear to my heart. I love America and I love the people who live in her. I also know that there will be a few who are offended by my long tirade. Sorry that your feelings have been hurt in any way. But, I stand firm in what I believe. Everyone has the right to live out their faith in any fashion they desire. That includes government property, because it's a part of America too. Stopping the public viewing of these symbols isn't going to stop people from believing in Jesus, worshipping God or limiting their church attendance. But,
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I haven't read other responses yet, but I don't want to forget anything, so I'm gonna rush into my response.\nYou brought up some great points.  I think the main fact that you brought up is that our (when I say "our" I'm speaking for Christian conservatives b/c I can) beliefs have progressed for the better.  When you grow from being a child to an adult, your views of the world change.  The same thing can be said for collective thought.  I think that's a GOOD thing though.  It shows that we're changing for the better in many ways.  Thanks for letting your readers see how far we've come.\nOUR opinions aren't the last word.  You've just shown that.  However, from a Christian perspective, God's word IS the last word.  It (and HE) doesn't change.  Of course you can say that the God of the OT was a big meanie and the God of the NT was way nicer, but that's another discussion altogether.  In this respect, it's not wrong to say that the rules haven't changed.  Our UNDERSTANDING of the rules have.  The more you learn, the more you realize you don't know.  Cliched, but oh so true.  \nThe people who used (some still do) the Bible as an excuse to hate and abuse people of different color were NOT actually Biblically based.  They misunderstood (or intentionally so) the whole tribes thing & took that to mean different races.  Again, they weren't actually Biblically based.  People who say homosexuality is wrong and use the Bible to support that belief aren't taking the Bible out of context (in my opinion).  \n\nI can't speak for the bigoted stuff you mentioned like wearing sheets & crusading.  That's not a part of Christianity.  It's a part of retardation (no offense to mentally challenged people).  \n\nLike I said, your point is a valid one.  Opinions have changed, and they probably will again.  That doesn't mean we should just all not have opinions for fear that they will change.  There ARE fundamental truths, so it's important to hold fast to them.
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Things have to be taken in context.  I agree that the wearing of mixed fabrics and refraining from shellfish are not about morality, they are about sanctity - God set the Jews out to be His people of promise.  The Messiah came through them.  It's not that God didn't have dealings with (and laws for) other nations, but the Jews were bound to certain rituals and stipulations that had more to do with symbolism than with morality.\n\nSin is any transgression against God.  All sins are the same in the sense that any of them separate me from God.  Any of them.  I hope that's what people mean when they say that all sins are equal.  Because, of course, if they were all equal in all ways, they would all carry the same penalty.  Or the same level of consequence.  Under the Old Testament law, some sins carried more weight than others.  Some would get you stoned to death and others required a payment to be made.  \n\nI believe there is also a difference between willful - premeditated - sin and being "over-taken" in sin.  Maybe the difference is in the heart of the person and their willingness to repent.  \n\nAll sin is equal in that it is equally undoable.  Once done, it cannot be undone.  That's why we need a clean slate, and Someone advocating on our behalf.\n\nI believe that everything commanded of us - both to do and not to do - is for our benefit.  I don't claim to know all the pros and cons of homosexuality.   I certainly don't think that homosexuals are somehow in the same mindset as murderers.  I don't hate people for their sexual orientation.  \n\nI still believe that anything we surrender to God, He uses for our ultimate good.  Willingness is the key.  I'm not saying that's easy.  \n\nI also don't believe it's the orientation itself, but the lifestyle that is sinful.  It's the same for those who are unmarried (but sexually active) who are heterosexual.  \n\nSince I believe God's word is Truth, it would be unloving of me to say that I think something is fine, when from what I can see it is condemned.  I'm not going to persecute someone for disagreeing with me, but I'm not going to lie if asked for my understanding either. \n\nThere are many things that would be easier if they weren't in the Bible.  I feel sorrowful for those who oppose the truth (as I understand it).  It isn't anything to gloat about.  I know there are some who feel that that makes me arrogant.  That's not my experience or intention.  It's not me saying I'm better.    \n\nI believe that what is in there is for me to apply to me first. It's not something to bash other people with or impose on others.\n\nThanks for asking your question the way you did.  I hope I haven't offended you - or anyone else for that matter - in my answer.
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SATAN!!!\nDe 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
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So many bad answers from Christians on this it's fairly amusing.\n\n1. "Things/the rules have changed"\n\nResting on the sabbath is a moral precept of one's obligation to Yahweh.  If you are saying this changed, you are saying that God changes his morals, which opens up the idea of moral subjectivitiy.  There is no way around when God said "forever".  Either you are calling him a liar, or you are wrong.\n\n2.  "The law was destroyed"\n\nThen why did Jesus say he did not come to destroy the law?  Remember thar part in Matthew about "not one jot or tittle of the law"?  You are calling Jesus a liar here....not sure what your God would think of that.\n\n3.  Paul said hold no day above any other.\n\nSwell for Paul.  Unfortuantely, Jesus and Yahweh BOTH said different.  Tie goes to the deity, I would think.\n\n4.  "Christians are under grace, not the law"\n\nThen you can ignore the 10 commandments, I assume.  No?  Only the fourth one?  I see.  What part of "forever" and what Jesus said in Matthew don't Christians understand?\n\n******\n\nThose are just a few responses.  Christians love to pull the "Paul Card".  Go ahead and grab anything Paul may have said (ignoring that he often spoke on behalf of himself, not God) and use that to totally dismiss something either Yahweh or Jesus said.\n\nThe bible IS inconsistent.  But if I were to believe in it, I sure has heck would take God's "forever" dictate pretty serious, not Paul's bitter ramblings.
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I used to be Pentecostal and I followed all of those rules for years. But When I started reading and studying the Bible, I never could find and answer to those questions. In fact I still have yet to find an answer. As it is I shave my legs, cut my hair, and wear pants, make-up and jewelry, and I am closer to God than ever. I honestly don't think he cares, but if anyone can prove me wrong, I'd like to know.
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If God was so worried about gays why is it not even mentioned in the 10 commandments (thou shalt not be gay!LOL) I think it's so interesting that people selectively choose what they will follow in the bible. Do you know the according to the Bible you are going to hell if you...\nfruit from a tree less than five years old. [Lev. 19:23] \ncross-breed animals. [Lev. 19:19] \ngrow two different plants in your garden. [Lev. 19:19] \nwear a cotton-polyester blend T-Shirt. [Lev. 19:19] \nread your horoscope. [Lev. 19:26] \nconsult a psychic. [Lev. 19:31] \ncut your hair. [Lev. 19:27] \ntrim your beard. [Lev. 19:27] \nare tattooed. [Lev. 19:28] \nplant crops for more than seven years. [Lev. 25:4, Ex. 23:10-13] \nbear a grudge. [Lev. 19:17] \ncollect interest on a loan. [Ex. 22:24] \ninsult a leader. [Ex. 22:27] \nmistreat a foreigner. [Ex. 22:21, 23:9] \nspread false rumors. [Ex. 23:1] (Sorry, Pat Robertson!) \ndrive a Mercury. [Ex. 23:13] (Look it up.) \n\nNow how many of you so called Christians are still going to heaven?
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You jackass. the verse (8:68) refers to distribution of spoils of war. Now, anymore FAKE KORANIC VERSES I NEED TO READ?\n\nWho's the one embarrased now?\n\nEDIT:I want to make it clear. This verse is not taken out of the context because IT WAS NEVER IN THE CONTEXT!! It's fictitious.
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I would shine for Christ no matter what.  We were just talking about this in Church last night.  How sexual immorality is being more widely accepted and Christians are being more persecuted.  Like in schools, the government is teaching people that it is okay to be gay or that a boy may really be a girl.  But if you pray in school, you'll be suspended.  I really do not know why this suprises us as Christians, we were told that this would happen.  I have even heard about this night club in Mexcico (I think) that implants a chip in your hand and a mark on your arm that holds all your records.  They use it to tell your age and even holds your credit card info so you can use it to pay for stuff.  It is stated that this will happen in th book Revelation.  You see all the bad things that happen to our country just lately.  Since this country has turned away from God.  We have been attacked on our own soil, natural disasters are tearing away at our cities, and we are fighting amongst ourselves.  Back in 1776, when God was fully involved with the United States, before we turned away from him, He gave us everything we needed.  In Leviticus 26 it states what happens when people follow His commands, good crops, saftey from our enemies, etc.  We had all that.  God was with us when we fought for this land from England.  Now we are getting attacked on our own land.  I know the end is coming.  I don't know if it will be today or 2000 years from now.  But I intend for my heart to be prepared on the day of Rapture and my car will be unmanned.
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When your fellow christians are condemning you for being gay you should point out that none of them are living by the word of God either. I'm pretty sure God frowns on divorce, adultery, and a lot of other stuff that christians do all the time. According to God's word you're not even supposed to work on the sabbath, but they're not trying to ammend the constitution to enforce that rule, are they? They are using their religion as a moral cloak to hide their homophobia. Doesn't it seem strange that they crusade against homosexuality, but have nothing to say about any of the other sins people commit daily. Why do you want to be a part of all this nonsense anyway? Find your own path.
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You're not mistaken, the New T was not written by Jesus, most of it was written by diciples of diciples, like Paul who never even saw Jesus. There are more then 3000 versions of the new testment coz so many priests, monks and popes added, 'corrected'  and took off whatever they thought they would\n\nThere was no 'giving' ceremony marking the New T which is very much out of the tratdion of what we new of GD through Judaism.\n\nThe OLD Testmnt originates from the Torah.\n\nThe Torah was given over to the Jews at Mount Sinai, the Jews numbered 600,000 men, counting those only over the age of 20 and under 60, which there are is a reason for, namely that those under the age of 60 wherent involved in the sins in the desert, and those under 20 hadnt winessed its aftermath. Here are some passages from the Torah...\n\nExodus 12:37\n37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. \n\nNumbers 11:21\n21 But Moses said, "Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, 'I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!' \n\nUs Jews hold our Torah jealously for fear of translation and consqnt misinterprtation. This occured when the Christians 'hijacked' our Torah converting it and all its meaning in their then pagan mindframes, which it still embodies of you look a bit better at christianity. The muslims made a similar hijacking though they didnt mix it too much with pagan beleifs.\n\nAnyways what im saying is, if you read the Bible in Hebrew, yes it is reliable, all of our Torah's after 3200 years are word for word, letter for letter the same...\n\nIf you count the letters in the Hebrew bible there exactly 600,000 of them, one for each Jew that received it.
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If your Pentecostal , i understand the point your trying to make. However, like u said, u have to use the whole Bible and that means making sure your following the principles of the Hebrew and Greek scriptures.\n\nA good example is given at Galations 5; 2 and 3 where Paul states that a man who is trying to follow the Mosaic law is not benefitting from Christ's sacrifice but is subjecting himself to the whole Law. Christians are free from that, but are to hold the principles of Loving God with our whole heart and loving our neighbor as ourself. If everybody did these 2 things , they would be obeying the Bible to the letter.\n\nAs for hair, we're encouraged to follow local custom.  Men in those days all wore beards too, but that's not as common in our society, but nobody makes a big deal if we're clean shaven.\nThe Bible is reasonable, we just have to make sure we are too.
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Ok here goes.\n\nFirst off, you need to revise your question. Matthew 7:9-10 says,"\n\n\nAnd Mark 7:9-10 says this " He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.\n\n\nNow in the OT (Old Testament) that was the Law.\n\nIn this passage though, it was allegory. If you read before and after these verses you will see that the Pharisees were trying to stump Jesus with another question/accusation, and ended up making themselves look like fools. Lets examine this, shall we?\n\nk, lets put things into context.\n\nMark 7\n\n2 Now when they (pharisees) saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault(they found something with which to accuse him). \n\n3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. \n\n4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.\n\n5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"\n\n6 He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.\n\n7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'\n\n8 "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men*--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."\n\n9 He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.\n\n10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother';  and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'\n  \n11 But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"--' (that is, a gift to God),\n\n \n\n12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,\n\n   ***They ended up making Gods law void by picking and choosing what they would and would not follow. See the next verse***\n\n13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do(that aint the only thing you do)."\n\n14 When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand: \n\n15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.\n\n   ***Nothing you enters you from the mouth makes you unclean, it is the things exit your mouth which defile you.***\n\n16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!" \n\n17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. \n\n18 So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, \n\n19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"\n\n20 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. \n\n21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, \n\n22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. \n     \n***These are the things that defile a man, examine the above two verses carefully***  \n\n23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man." \n\nAs for the commands to kill you are refering to, yes they are not metaphor, They where rules for capital punishment. \n\nIf a
247148
Okay, I know you requested Christians only, but I have studied the Bible extensively.The Bible was not meant to be taken literally for the most part, and it was written during a time where women were held to be inferior. I'd disregard St. Paul's tirades on women,as a suggestion.Society has changed greatly since biblical times and a fair amount of what was written regarding gender roles no longer applies to today's society.I would suggest treating your wife as a helpmate and with respect,and expect the same from her,as the bible says to do.She should not have to be submissive.St. Paul had some issues with women 2000 years ago.*Sorry,just got your update.Please switch the gender context on what I said regarding yourself.*