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Yes we can have it both ways . . . and it is unavoidable. Regardless of the Divine Source of the inspirations . . . they were INSPIRATIONS NOT DICTATIONS. They were interpreted and translated into the cognitive structures, idioms, cultural mindsets and superstitious beliefs of our ignorant ancestors, period. They MUST be properly divided.
The scriptures are for different SPIRITUAL purposes. The OT explains the evolution and failed struggles to understand God and the early "training wheels" guidance for our spiritually immature ancestors floundering in their ignorance. The OT also provides the signs and the Hope of a promised Messiah (messenger) who would explain God to us, clear up our confusion and become the Way, the Truth and the Light of the world to eternal life with God. The fate of the Messiah was known and unavoidable because of the barbarous era during which He was to bring His enlightened message . . . NOT because God demanded it!!! The barbaric religious leaders were guaranteed to eliminate Him and His message . . . and to do so barbarically. THAT was the cup Jesus asked our Father if there wasn't some way to avoid.
The NT describes the TRUE NATURE of God through Jesus' unambiguous example and message . . . but it still has been filtered through the ignorance, superstition, human flaws, and desires for power and control of the subsequent so-called leaders of Christianity. Fortunately, upon His death . . . Jesus' human consciousness was reborn as Spirit and is a permanent part of our collective human consciousness. He abides with us. His Holy Spirit is available within ALL our consciousnesses . . . IF we are receptive to it.
Once again, so well said. Thank you for taking the time to explain this topic so eloquently.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. - Proverbs 25:2
Having a hand cut off for grabbing a man by his testicles? The woman should be happy she only was losing a hand.
After that decree was read, did any woman dare grab a man by his testicles? Probably not.
It was not barbaric nor was it a reflection of their ignorant ways. It was God's way of dealing with a very serious matter.
And the idea of God telling Joshua to go in and kill people they were taking the land God was giving them, cannot God do what He wants with that which is His? How can you people ascribe impropriety to God? He kills, He makes alive. Blessed by God.
All who lost their lives, God will raise them from the dead, subject them to Christ and God be all in all of them.
We all have to die anyway.
And God often had Israel do to its enemies what their enemies did to them. Back then they were under law, not under grace.
I am not an atheist I am a Jew. I have several Jewish and Christian Bible in my home that I read. I believe in G-d and I understand the readings of my Hebrew scripture in a non literal way.
There is much in the book that bothers me but I look at it (or try to) from the time it was written and to see who it was being written for. I did not grow up in a religious home. But my father was a theologian who had a pHD in early church history. So religion was a subject we talked about in my home, but not on a doctrinal level.
My point is the book is full of many different types of writings and it was written in a time that was vastly different then ours. It was written by many many different people over a period of time. I tend to agree that there is much in the Hebrew Scripture that is awful. But I also see good in the stories.
What I have issue with is that Christians on the one hand use it to prove their theology and prophecies and messiah, then they slam it as a ignorant book full of primitive writings.
It seems to me if that is the case why not just only have the NT and leave the OT?
Sorry JazzyMom, my bad....I knew you were Jewish, just forgot. Honestly, you have a point and what I and MysticPhd are saying is along the same lines as what I bolded above. It is about discernment and there is something (albeit what I'm not always sure) to be learned from ALL the stories in the OT, it is good for teaching and instruction.
We need the OT, I'm not saying that we don't, I'm just saying that it is improperly used by a lot of people to drive home certain theologies and beliefs that have been taken out of context and twisted to fit those backward beliefs. But we all know that can be done with the slightest mention of something someone wants to turn into a religion, like women not being able to speak in church or at all for that matter and being treated as lesser people because of it. Burns my butt.
It's about how one views the OT as a whole. Someone mentioned homosexuality and Leviticus....well that imo is something that cannot be taken as a valid argument because Jesus never taught what Leviticus teaches. I think it was more about the times and the fact that writers just didn't agree with or like homosexuals.....it was an abomination to THEM, not to God per se.
Like I said, it's about discernment and not taking things so darn literally.
Sorry JazzyMom, my bad....I knew you were Jewish, just forgot. Honestly, you have a point and what I and MysticPhd are saying is along the same lines as what I bolded above. It is about discernment and there is something (albeit what I'm not always sure) to be learned from ALL the stories in the OT, it is good for teaching and instruction.
We need the OT, I'm not saying that we don't, I'm just saying that it is improperly used by a lot of people to drive home certain theologies and beliefs that have been taken out of context and twisted to fit those backward beliefs. But we all know that can be done with the slightest mention of something someone wants to turn into a religion, like women not being able to speak in church or at all for that matter and being treated as lesser people because of it. Burns my butt.
It's about how one views the OT as a whole. Someone mentioned homosexuality and Leviticus....well that imo is something that cannot be taken as a valid argument because Jesus never taught what Leviticus teaches. I think it was more about the times and the fact that writers just didn't agree with or like homosexuals.....it was an abomination to THEM, not to God per se.
Like I said, it's about discernment and not taking things so darn literally.
Having a hand cut off for grabbing a man by his testicles? The woman should be happy she only was losing a hand.
After that decree was read, did any woman dare grab a man by his testicles? Probably not.
It was not barbaric nor was it a reflection of their ignorant ways. It was God's way of dealing with a very serious matter.
And the idea of God telling Joshua to go in and kill people they were taking the land God was giving them, cannot God do what He wants with that which is His? How can you people ascribe impropriety to God? He kills, He makes alive. Blessed by God.
All who lost their lives, God will raise them from the dead, subject them to Christ and God be all in all of them.
We all have to die anyway.
And God often had Israel do to its enemies what their enemies did to them. Back then they were under law, not under grace.
"If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity. "
In the beginning of chapter 25, God stated that when men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide. So clearly the attacker is in the wrong.
The woman could kill the assailant by seizing him by the private parts or maime him from ever producing Godly offspring.(They are Israelites) Knowing this, is the woman seizing the private parts out of malice and revenge? There are many other ways to fend off an attacker, especially since the woman made two in her favor instead of one against the attacker. Why seize the private parts when clearly two are fighting against one? Her penalty is not death, only her hand cut off. And just a reminder we still have capital punishment in our day and what would happen if a woman did this today? Sued, prison or maybe the assailant would take revenge on her? Who knows. Is God just as to the punishment, yes. Clearly we are blessed now to be saved by grace in Jesus Christ and are made a new creation in Christ and we do not have to live this way with malice and revenge in our hearts when we are persecuted.
Should the attackers life be over also? Or as the Lord spoke, take it to court and let the judges decide.
It is the same as us taking revenge or malice on a neighbor who attacked us. Would we punch them to get back, (knowing now days, both would go to jail) or do some other type of revenge---or take them to court?
Are we more civilized than in the OT? No- we do all these things still. God did away with "an eye for an eye" and clearly commands to love thy neighbor. What happened before, will happen again, is so true.
We may have electricity, ipods, cellphones, laptops, send a man to the moon, etc, etc, but the human nature is still the same.
How many of us have hated someone at sometime in our life? God also states; "this is murder". And what is the penalty for murder? However, we overlook this to suit ourselves and say, "I've done nothing wrong". God knows the heart.
God Bless,
Mercy
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Thank you for taking the time to explain this topic so eloquently. 
