RE: JustMe

Submitted by Hind Samy (United States), Mar 25, 2006 at 18:13

Submitted by JustMe, Mar 25, 2006 at 03:20

5) I think you ARE trying to make God look bad by your "how nice, how merciful, and how kind" comments you narrated through your list, but that's just my opinion.

I would never dare to even think of making God look bad - I just can't fathom that things like what I read in the Bible or Old Testament were sent by God. Sorry but I can't believe that God would write things like:

"Ezekiel 23
14 "But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans [a] portrayed in red, 15 with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. [b] 16 As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. 18 When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. 19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses."

Donkey's genitals? Horses's emissions? Sounds dangerously close to bestiality fantasies or something!

As for being prudish or wearing a burka I wouldn't say I'm a prude - but when it comes to God's holy words or books I draw the line because God is pure and beautiful and all His words are pure and I can't believe some of the things I read in the Bible (or Old Testament) are God's words, I just can't. I don't wear a burka or a veil by the way and I wouldn't consider myself a prude, in fact I would say I am pretty openminded, but sorry, I can't see the horrible things I read in the Bible as being from God.

I understand when you explain that some of the strange things I read are symbolic but still - are sexual metaphors appropriate? Don't children read and study the Bible - how do you explain to children that the prostitutes mentioned in Ezekiel 23 are not really prostitutes whose "breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed" are actually Judah and Israel - does this sound proper to you? Honestly?

You also write:

One of the examples of the rampant sin occurs in the city of Gibeah. There were perverted men (19:22-25) who, like the men of Sodom, wanted to have homosexual relations with a man. Clearly, the city of Gibeah was filled with immorality and violence. However, not only were the men of Gibeah wicked, but also the old man and the Levite whose hearts were so cold that they were willing to give up defenseless women to brutal abuse (Judges 19:24). After the men had brutally raped the concubine and killed her, the Levite divided her into twelve pieces, one piece for each tribe (19:29). In doing so, he sought to bring together all twelve tribes of Israel for a court hearing of this matter.

As I see it - this man offered his concubine as sacrifice to stop these men from committing sodomy and homosexuality - therefore we are supposed to assume from this story that he acted in a way that would please God?! Again, I can't believe God would send us stories like that with those kinds of morals.

As for the authenticity of the Bible nowadays, maybe you should see the channel 4 documentary done by a Christian in his search to the answer : "Who wrote the Bible". Very interesting documentary.

Peace to you too - I'm glad we're able to disagree without resorting to anger and name calling because in the end, we all have different opinions and it's great to see different opinions and understand one another more (we don't always have to agree) - and hopefully, one day, coexist peacefully in all meanings of the word.

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