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God didn't write the Bible. A lot of different people, mostly men, did. Hence all that nonsense about how women need to be subservient to men.
The Bible was pulled together from a lot of different writings that were discovered over the years. Some writings were included. Others left out. Then it was translated time and again. There have been endless arguments over the meanings of certain words.
Folks then take vague phrases and twist them to suit their own purposes.
For example, "Spare the rod. Spoil the child." How many have used this to justify physical punishment?
But think for a minute. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Who the hell would be comforted by being beaten with a rod? That doesn't even make sense.
Rods and staffs are used as canes and by shepherds who would use them to gently guide their sheep in the direction they want them to go. They don't beat them with these sturdy sticks. That would be a fiasco.
I grew up on a farm. You start beating the sheep and they would run madly this way and that, bleating and getting everyone in a turmoil. Any shepherd who beat his sheep with his rod and staff would be spending a good bit of his time rounding up sheep. You wouldn't be in the shepherd business very long if you beat the sheep.
Thus the logical meaning of "your rod and your staff, they comfort me" is that one is comforted by knowing they can lean on God and count on Him to gently guide them along.
Thus "Spare the rod. Spoil the child." most likely means that parents need to invest the time and energy in gently guiding/nudging children along in the right direction, otherwise they will end up spoiled.
Given all that Jesus taught about loving one another, and "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." ... In your wildest imagination, there is just no way to come up with Jesus encouraging parents to beat their children with thick sticks.
Yet look at how many have.
That is such an excellent example. I never considered the meaning of rod in the Bible and how the word was applied in such drastically different ways. Thanks for sharing!!
Sad isn't it. Those people really shouldn't have children.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nozzferrahhtoo
For someone claiming to not be taking part in the thread, this was a pretty long post you made. However the simple fact is that the one not using the scientific method is you. You have for example not offered a SHRED of scientific basis for declaring homosexuality a "mental illness". What you HAVE done is shown your bias by bemoaning the reasons it was taken off the list of such illnesses, while withholding that very same argument for bemoaning why it was present on that list in the first place. The mask for some people does not take long to slip it seems.
Inventing an imputing emotions that are not there is not likely to rebut things that are said, or make them go away. The simple fact is I, for one, am not "upset" by anything you have said. I do not need to be upset in order to simply point out your errors and fallacies and internal incoherencies and contradictions.
Yet not only is there no anger in my posts, you have absolutely and utterly failed to show a SINGLE point of mine to be invalid. Let alone "every point". Perhaps you can make the attempt to do so next time your pretense to not be taking part in the thread slips, and you get around to replying to my previous post.
I really wish he would answer your logical and non attacking responses but I won't hold my breath.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magritte25
That is such an excellent example. I never considered the meaning of rod in the Bible and how the word was applied in such drastically different ways. Thanks for sharing!!
Good example. So many things in the Bible are contradictions with way too many interpretations It's kind of like…pick which ever one suits how you feel.
There is a fairly convincing argument to be made that the sin of the Sodomites was not homosexuality but poor hospitality.
I've always loved the story of the Good Samaritan.
It's worth rereading in these troubled times.
Most people misread the Sodom and Gomorrah story because they get caught up in the excitement of the whole would-be rape scene thing.
The point of entire story is leading up to the punch line at the end. Bad stuff happens in Sodom, so Lot has to run to a remote place for the story to work. His wife looks back and turns into salt because she has to be gone for the story to work. Lot ends up alone in the mountains with his two daughters, who get him drunk and have sex with him, each producing a son--one, the father of the Moabite tribe, the other the father of the Ammonite tribe.
Whole point of the story: the Moabites and Ammonites, enemies of the Hebrews, are descended from a couple of in-bred bastaards.
It was the stone-age version of the fake stories that circulate on Facebook.
River, Ringo is lying to you. You see, they are afraid to even let you see my argument because they know theirs is lacking. Go ahead, look at my scripture references back through the thread, follow their links they give and then look up the arguments, the counter arguments and the information. Do so scientifically mind you, do not accept "supposition" as evidence as at that point, we are back to them asking you to believe over another.
If they can not establish their position by the scientific method, then they have none and we are back to faith in the word.
I refuse to discuss with these people, they hate Christians and they are upset that I claim homosexuality to be a mental illness. All they want to do now is thrash about, gnash their teeth, and make accusations. I have been down this road far too many times to waste it again with these types. There is no argument, only anger and every point I prove of theirs invalid, the more angry they get until this turns into a locked thread, so do as you will...
Nope. You ran as soon as you were challenged and you again indicate that you 'refuse to discuss' and then throw out a made up LIE that we hate Christians.
A lie that everyone who doesn't agree with YOUR convoluted view - hates all Christians. So now - you profess to represent all Christians?
no, I would love my child but I would not accept them being gay or trans
I would still love my daughter. I'd sure miss her, but I would love her from a great distance. And if I believed any of this was even remotely possible, why would she have a fully funded college account and a trust fund set up?
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