Biblical Morality

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Miles
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Biblical Morality

Post #1

Post by Miles »

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"1. According to the Bible I understand that I am free to own slaves. Naturally, I must abide by God’s perfect laws on how to beat them, how to sell them and how to pass them to my children when I die.
Now the Bible says I can buy slaves from strangers but I live in a city where almost everyone is a stranger. Does this mean I can buy from anyone, or does it mean I can only buy from foreigners, like the Canadians or Mexicans?


2. I have two unmarried daughters. If either of them should be raped in the countryside, I know she will have to marry her rapist and may never get divorced but I was just wondering about the penalty the rapist should pay. The Bible says 50 Shekels of silver but should we take account of inflation? And how much would that be in dollars?


3. If I buy a man’s daughter as a sex slave and if she is no good in bed, I know I can pass her on to my son. But, if she fails to please my son too, I am obliged to sell her back to her father. In this case, should I insist on getting a full refund, or is there a discount for wear and tear?


4. My son does sometimes go out with his friends drinking and from time-to-time answers me back. Reading the holy scriptures, I see I have been too lenient with him. Next time it happens, I’ll take him to the outskirts of the town with some other men and we’ll stone him to death. I see now that is the most moral thing to do.
But the Bible is a bit scant on details, it doesn’t advise what size stones to throw at him. Small ones would allow him to suffer longer and large ones would get the job done quicker. Can Bible experts offer any advice?


5. My neighbor is a doctor in a hospital, and I often see him sneaking out of the house on the Sabbath to go to work. I know I should stone him to death for this evil but there are so few stones in my locality. Would it be acceptable to beat him to death with a baseball bat?

6. Most legal systems in the world presume people are innocent until proven guilty but the Bible has it the other way round—we are presumed guilty from birth. Should we incorporate that Biblical principle into U.S. law?"
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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #2

Post by Eloi »

If you don't mind the Bible, what is your point? I wouldn't debate the laws in China, since I don't live there and not thinking on moving there either.

Many people who apply biblical advices have very happy families because of that. You should find what is a good source of advices to yourself ... Are you interested on the Bible to follow those principles?

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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #3

Post by Miles »

Eloi wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:25 pm If you don't mind the Bible, what is your point? I wouldn't debate the laws in China, since I don't live there and not thinking on moving there either.
While I don't mind the Bible, why should I, it's only a book, I do mind those who cherry pick it so as to righteously deprecate and abuse others.
Many people who apply biblical advices have very happy families because of that. You should find what is a good source of advices to yourself
You mean advice like:

Find a prostitute and marry her. - (Hosea 1:1-3)
Purchase a piece of property, and get a woman as part of the deal. - Boaz (Ruth 4:5-10)
If you're sick, find some church elders to put oil on you and pray and you will be healed - (James 5:13-15)
Suspect your wife may be sleeping around? Your church elder has a great solution: give her holy water mixed with dirt from the floor and if she gets sick, she's an adulteress - Numbers (5:11-28)
Got Leprosy? Take two birds; kill one, dip the live one in the dead one's blood, sprinkle over yourself and voila! - (Leviticus 14:3-7)
If a man sleeps with a married woman, or a virgin betrothed to another man, they both shall be put to death. - (Deuteronomy 22:22-24)
If someone steals from you, don't try to get it back. (Luke 6:30)
... Are you interested on the Bible to follow those principles?
None of those I listed above, and why would I need the Bible to tell me that common principles such as generosity, courage, love, respect, hope, and peace, are worth possessing? They're all well accepted and certainly not unique to Christianity, so why care if the Bible promotes them---other than to help some of the extremely dull-witted in the population understand their value?


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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #4

Post by 2timothy316 »

Miles wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:19 pm .


"1. According to the Bible I understand that I am free to own slaves. Naturally, I must abide by God’s perfect laws on how to beat them, how to sell them and how to pass them to my children when I die.
Now the Bible says I can buy slaves from strangers but I live in a city where almost everyone is a stranger. Does this mean I can buy from anyone, or does it mean I can only buy from foreigners, like the Canadians or Mexicans?
So this has been debated thoroughly. Rather than reinvent the wheel I did a search for you. Perhaps you'd like to read this thread and add something else to it?
viewtopic.php?f=38&t=36367&p=985264&hil ... ry#p985264

2. I have two unmarried daughters. If either of them should be raped in the countryside, I know she will have to marry her rapist and may never get divorced but I was just wondering about the penalty the rapist should pay. The Bible says 50 Shekels of silver but should we take account of inflation? And how much would that be in dollars?

3. If I buy a man’s daughter as a sex slave and if she is no good in bed, I know I can pass her on to my son. But, if she fails to please my son too, I am obliged to sell her back to her father. In this case, should I insist on getting a full refund, or is there a discount for wear and tear?
The world has been in turmoil for thousands of years. sadly what you described still happens even in places you don't think it exists. https://fortune.com/2019/04/14/human-se ... s-slavery/
According to the Bible Jehovah God will bring to ruin those ruining the Earth and one day we will look for the wicked but we will not be able to find them. The things you see now will pass away and never return.
4. My son does sometimes go out with his friends drinking and from time-to-time answers me back. Reading the holy scriptures, I see I have been too lenient with him. Next time it happens, I’ll take him to the outskirts of the town with some other men and we’ll stone him to death. I see now that is the most moral thing to do.
But the Bible is a bit scant on details, it doesn’t advise what size stones to throw at him. Small ones would allow him to suffer longer and large ones would get the job done quicker. Can Bible experts offer any advice?
I believe you are referring to Deuteronomy 21:18-21. However the drinking is not the stone-able offense. If you tell your son not to drink and drive yet rebels but ends up killing a family of 4. Would you support whatever punishment they receive from the current legal system?
5. My neighbor is a doctor in a hospital, and I often see him sneaking out of the house on the Sabbath to go to work. I know I should stone him to death for this evil but there are so few stones in my locality. Would it be acceptable to beat him to death with a baseball bat?
Are we under the law of the Sabbath? Do you know what the Sabbath was meant for? You certainly don't think that all nations 3000 years ago had 5 day work weeks with dental and heath insurance.
6. Most legal systems in the world presume people are innocent until proven guilty but the Bible has it the other way round—we are presumed guilty from birth. Should we incorporate that Biblical principle into U.S. law?"
Yeah...and current legal system is perfect isn't it....there's none of that "presumed guilty from birth". The BLM movement is people just over reacting? Everyone is treated equal where you live?
At anyrate, just because we are sinners we can have our sins blotted out, like they never happened. Mankind's justice system does that too, but only for the right $$$$ or the right connections in government....seriously if you don't have these problems where you live I want to live where you do.

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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #5

Post by Eloi »

Miles wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 5:18 pm(...)
Well, I don't think this is the subforum to post your problem with the "biblical morality" ...

You're not even talking about the Bible, but about some declarations in the Bible you don't agree with.

Christians has nothing to do with your disagreement with those declarations; for example, we, Jehovah's Witnesses, live based on biblical principles and we don't feel whatever bad feeling you have with some biblical declarations ...

The world is not made based on your feelings. Check how the United Nations arrived to those Human Rights most people know now.

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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #6

Post by Tcg »

Miles wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:19 pm
"1. According to the Bible I understand that I am free to own slaves. Naturally, I must abide by God’s perfect laws on how to beat them, how to sell them and how to pass them to my children when I die.
Now the Bible says I can buy slaves from strangers but I live in a city where almost everyone is a stranger. Does this mean I can buy from anyone, or does it mean I can only buy from foreigners, like the Canadians or Mexicans?

This would only be true if you are an Israelite. The Israelites had the right to keep non-Israelites as permanent property. The God of the Bible is a God of favoritism. In the O.T. he favored the Israelites and gave them special privileges to mistreat non-Israelites. In the N.T., God favors the Christians and has no problem excluding others from Heaven.

Non of this should come as any surprise given that the O.T. God was created by the Israelites and the N.T. God was created by the Christians. No one is going to invent a God who doesn't favor those who created it.


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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #7

Post by Miles »

Tcg wrote: Tue Oct 20, 2020 12:12 am
Miles wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:19 pm
"1. According to the Bible I understand that I am free to own slaves. Naturally, I must abide by God’s perfect laws on how to beat them, how to sell them and how to pass them to my children when I die.
Now the Bible says I can buy slaves from strangers but I live in a city where almost everyone is a stranger. Does this mean I can buy from anyone, or does it mean I can only buy from foreigners, like the Canadians or Mexicans?


This would only be true if you are an Israelite. The Israelites had the right to keep non-Israelites as permanent property. The God of the Bible is a God of favoritism. In the O.T. he favored the Israelites and gave them special privileges to mistreat non-Israelites. In the N.T., God favors the Christians and has no problem excluding others from Heaven.
Nice, I guess, for all the potential slaves who never met an Israelite, but not so much for all the poor souls who fell into the hands of god's chosen people.
Non of this should come as any surprise given that the O.T. God was created by the Israelites and the N.T. God was created by the Christians. No one is going to invent a God who doesn't favor those who created it.
But that's to acknowledge the Bible was invented/created by humans, which I agree with: however, it's not the belief under which it's followers operate, and how I understand the position of the forum Theology, Doctrine, and Dogma: Exploring the details of Christianity operates: The Bible is at least the inspired word of god, and this is how forum subjects are expected to be approached. Consequently, it's the way I treat them.


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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #8

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Miles wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 5:18 pm
Find a prostitute and marry her. - (Hosea 1:1-3)
Have you for something against prostitutes? Or are you saying they shoudn't be allowed to marry?

What exactly is your criticism of this verse?


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To learn more please go to other posts related to...

WOMEN, MARRIAGEand ...THE MOSAIC LAW
Last edited by JehovahsWitness on Tue Oct 20, 2020 12:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #9

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Miles wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 5:18 pm
You mean advice like:

Find a prostitute and marry her. - (Hosea 1:1-3)
Purchase a piece of property, and get a woman as part of the deal. - Boaz (Ruth 4:5-10)
If you're sick, find some church elders to put oil on you and pray and you will be healed - (James 5:13-15)
Suspect your wife may be sleeping around? Your church elder has a great solution: give her holy water mixed with dirt from the floor and if she gets sick, she's an adulteress - Numbers (5:11-28)
Got Leprosy? Take two birds; kill one, dip the live one in the dead one's blood, sprinkle over yourself and voila! - (Leviticus 14:3-7)
If a man sleeps with a married woman, or a virgin betrothed to another man, they both shall be put to death. - (Deuteronomy 22:22-24)
If someone steals from you, don't try to get it back. (Luke 6:30)


All of the verses sound perfectly good and reasonable to me. Did you have any criticisms, if so would you like to say in a sentence or two what those criticisms might be? That way we can address them.






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http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #10

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Miles wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:19 pm

"1. According to the Bible I understand that I am free to own slaves.
Slavery is illegal in most parts of the world, so your statement is untrue unless you live in a country where slavery is legal. I know of none but perhaps you can enlighten us all.

Miles wrote: Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:19 pm

Now the Bible says I can buy slaves from strangers but I live in a city where almost everyone is a stranger. Does this mean I can buy from anyone, or does it mean I can only buy from foreigners, like the Canadians or Mexicans?


No it doesn't it says the ancien Hebrews could own slaves. I doubt you are even mentioned in the bible at all.

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

WOMEN, SLAVERY and ...THE MOSAIC LAW
Last edited by JehovahsWitness on Tue Oct 20, 2020 1:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

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