Originally Posted by There_Ya_Go
Originally Posted by BOWSINGER

Demanding that people believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible has a long history.
No lie, it pushed me away.


I am sorry that has been the case for you. Faith can't and shouldn't be demanded or coerced, it has to come from the heart. I agree that many churches and many individual Christians have done great harm by being overly dogmatic. Persuasion, not coercion, is the better approach. Christians sometimes allow their zeal to get the best of them.


My problem with the Bible is that the Old Testament is way too bloodthirsty for me. I could double this page count with examples.
Some of it spills over into the New Testament, but the revolutionary teachings of Jesus are a long, long ways from the Old.
That is why the writings in the Bible reflect the cruel and unenlightened world and times when they were written.

"O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us! Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!"(Psalm 137:8–9 NRSV)

"See, the day of the Lord is coming — a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger. . . . I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty. . . . Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated." (Isaiah 13:9–16 NIV)

"And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat." (Leviticus 26:27–29 King James Version)

Leo of the Land of Dyr

NRA FOR LIFE

I MISS SARAH

“In Trump We Trust.” Right????

SOMEBODY please tell TRH that Netanyahu NEVER said "Once we squeeze all we can out of the United States, it can dry up and blow away."