Religious Tolerance

Exploring the details of Christianity

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
Miles
Savant
Posts: 5179
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:19 pm
Has thanked: 434 times
Been thanked: 1614 times

Religious Tolerance

Post #1

Post by Miles »

.

Religious tolerance as I see it amounts to allowing people to worship according to the tenets and practices of whatever religion they choose, and without interference. A "Live and Let Live" philosophy as it were. Or, as The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1960) defines religious tolerance:
  • "recognition of right of private judgment in religious matters,
  • liberty to uphold one's religious opinions and forms of worship, or
  • to enjoy all social privileges etc. without regard to religious differences."'

Nice, right? Of course it is. So why doesn't the Bible adopt such an attitude? I ask because it often seeks to do just the opposite: Forget religious tolerance, pick up your stones, swords and shunning skills, and take your cue from how the Bible approaches those of other faiths:



2 Timothy 4:1-2
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.


2 John 9-11
9 Everyone must continue to follow only the teaching about Christ. Whoever changes that teaching does not have God. But whoever continues to follow the teaching about Christ has both the Father and his Son. 10 Don’t accept those who come to you but do not bring this teaching. Don’t invite them into your house. Don’t welcome them in any way.


Deuteronomy 7: 5-6, 9-10
5 “This is what you must do to those nations [the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites]: You must smash their altars and break their memorial stones into pieces. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their statues. 6 Do this because you are the Lord’s own people. From all the people on earth, the Lord your God chose you to be his special people—people who belong only to him.
9 “So remember that the Lord your God is the only God, and you can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kindness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations, 10 but the Lord punishes people who hate him. He will destroy them. He will not be slow to punish those who hate him.


Deuteronomy 12:2-3
2 You will take that land from the nations that live there now. You must completely destroy all the places where the people of these nations worship their gods. These places are on high mountains, on hills, and under green trees. 3 You must smash their altars and break their memorial stones into pieces. You must burn their Asherah poles and cut down the statues of their gods. Wipe out everything that would remind you of those gods.


Exodus 22:20
20 “Whoever makes a sacrifice to a false god should be destroyed. The Lord is the only one you should make sacrifices to.


Psalm 79:6
6 Turn your anger against the nations that do not know you,
against the people who do not honor you as God.


Deuteronomy 13:6-10
6 “Someone close to you might secretly persuade you to worship other gods. It might be your own brother, your son, your daughter, the wife you love, or your closest friend. They might say, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods.’ (These are gods that you and your ancestors never knew. 7 They are the gods of the people who live in the other lands around you, some near and some far away.) 8 You must not agree with them. Don’t listen to them or feel sorry for them. Don’t let them go free or protect them. 9-10 No, you must kill them with stones. You be the first one to pick up stones and throw at them. Then everyone must throw stones to kill them, because they tried to pull you away from the Lord your God. And it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves.


1 Kings 18:19, 18:40
19 Now tell all the people of Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel. Also bring the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah, who get their support from Queen Jezebel.”
40 Then Elijah said, “Get the prophets of Baal! Don’t let any of them escape!” So the people captured all the prophets. Then Elijah led them down to Kishon Creek and killed them all.


So, so much for Religious Tolerance. Anyone care to defend all this hatred?


.

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #11

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:21 pm How many practicing male homosexuals have you killed as of late?
None.

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:21 pm God dearly wants you to, you know.
I dont believe that is the case.



JW



RELATED POSTS


Do Jehovahs Witnesses support the death penalty for homosexuals?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 61#p993261
To learn more please go to other posts related to...

HOMOSEXUALITY, HOMOPHOBIA and ...BIBLICAL PROHIBITIONS
Last edited by JehovahsWitness on Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:33 am, edited 1 time 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

User avatar
historia
Prodigy
Posts: 2603
Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 6:41 pm
Has thanked: 221 times
Been thanked: 320 times

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #12

Post by historia »

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:47 pm
historia wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 11:58 am
Miles wrote: Sun Oct 24, 2021 12:45 am
reprove, rebuke, and exhort
Are you not doing those things yourself on this forum, including in this thread?
Not in this thread.
So you don't disapprove of these biblical passages. Here I thought you brought them up to express criticism and disapproval. My bad.

But your answer here suggests that you recognize that you do sometimes rebuke and exhort in this forum, if perhaps not in this thread. So, does that mean you are religiously intolerant?

User avatar
Miles
Savant
Posts: 5179
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:19 pm
Has thanked: 434 times
Been thanked: 1614 times

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #13

Post by Miles »

JehovahsWitness wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:49 pm
Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:21 pm Guess it depends on whose "bad" it is.

As a Christian I believe it is God who decides what is good and what is bad.
Then I assume you go along with his belief that slavery, sometimes slaughtering innocent infants, and killing practicing male homosexuals is good.

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:21 pm Not unlike Hitler who invaded Poland and destroyed synagogues because he didn't like them.
God has the right to decide who worships what and since the earth belongs to Him (YHWH) as the Supreme ruler of the universe, He also reserves the right to say who lives where on his planet. Hitler was not God, and had no such rights. The Amlighty owes us no explanation for His decisions but has condesended to explain why he eliminated certain nations. His reasons for eliminating the condemned nations were good, wise and just and cannot be justifiably compared to Hitler's invasion of Poland save for the fact that both exercised power to do their will.
The question here isn't one of rights, but of good and bad; good, in this case, being "morally excellent." You, for instance, have every right to kill practicing male homosexuals because god has deemed it a morally excellent thing to do. Got your quota in for the year yet?


.

User avatar
Miles
Savant
Posts: 5179
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:19 pm
Has thanked: 434 times
Been thanked: 1614 times

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #14

Post by Miles »

JehovahsWitness wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:51 pm
Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:21 pm How many practicing male homosexuals have you killed as of late?
None.

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:21 pm God dearly wants you to, you know.
I dont believe that is the case.
Then I presume when cherry picking the Bible you skip right over Leviticus 20:13.

Leviticus 20:13
If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.



.

User avatar
Miles
Savant
Posts: 5179
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:19 pm
Has thanked: 434 times
Been thanked: 1614 times

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #15

Post by Miles »

historia wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:22 pm
Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:47 pm
historia wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 11:58 am
Miles wrote: Sun Oct 24, 2021 12:45 am
reprove, rebuke, and exhort
Are you not doing those things yourself on this forum, including in this thread?
Not in this thread.
So you don't disapprove of these biblical passages. Here I thought you brought them up to express criticism and disapproval. My bad.

But your answer here suggests that you recognize that you do sometimes rebuke and exhort in this forum, if perhaps not in this thread. So, does that mean you are religiously intolerant?
I confess. Ya caught me in a blunder. :no: I have indeed rebuked and exhorted people here at DC&R, but only for their own good. 8-[


.

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #16

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:50 pm
Then I presume when cherry picking the Bible you skip right over Leviticus 20:13.

Leviticus 20:13
If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.



.


You presume incorrectly, it is not cherry- picking to recognise if a law does or does not legitimately apply. Do regard driving on the right hand side of the road "cherry-picking" ?

Image


JW





RELATED POSTS
Does the promise that Gods word is eternal mean all the laws therin are universally applicable?
viewtopic.php?p=1065812#p1065812

Can laws which are not directly applicable still be useful? [this post]
viewtopic.php?p=1065886#p1065886

Is it "cherry-picking" to recognise laws must be legally applicable ?
viewtopic.php?p=1055839#p1055839

Why do Christians wear MIXED FABRICS and eat SEAFOOD yet prohibit homosexual acts ?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 72#p996772

Do Christians cherry-pick "old testament" laws?
viewtopic.php?p=1055839#p1055839

Did Jesus "cherry-pick" the Torah?
viewtopic.php?p=1020092#p1020092

Does Mat 5:18 not indicate that none of the Mosaic law would ever pass away?
viewtopic.php?p=1042911#p1042911
To learn more please see other posts related to...

THE BIBLE , BIBLICAL COVENANTS and ... THE MOSIAC LAW
Last edited by JehovahsWitness on Thu Feb 03, 2022 3:25 pm, edited 6 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

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #17

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:35 pm

The question here isn't one of rights, but of good and bad; good, in this case, being "morally excellent."
Was there a part of ... "His reasons for eliminating the condemned nations were good, wise and just ..." that wasn't clear enough for you?
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

User avatar
JehovahsWitness
Savant
Posts: 21073
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:03 am
Has thanked: 790 times
Been thanked: 1114 times
Contact:

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #18

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:35 pm You, for instance, have every right to kill practicing male homosexuals because god has deemed it a morally excellent thing to do.
I don't believe that God has given me that right. Doing something one has no right to do can never be regarded as "morally excellent"
Last edited by JehovahsWitness on Sat Nov 13, 2021 8:17 pm, edited 1 time 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

User avatar
Miles
Savant
Posts: 5179
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:19 pm
Has thanked: 434 times
Been thanked: 1614 times

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #19

Post by Miles »

JehovahsWitness wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 8:31 am
Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:50 pm
Then I presume when cherry picking the Bible you skip right over Leviticus 20:13.

Leviticus 20:13
If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.



.


You presume incorrectly, it is not cherry- picking to recognise if a law does or does not legitimately apply.
But isn't it true that "16 all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)? Sure it is. In which case no verse can be disregarded, which is what you are doing here.

Consider: By putting it in the Bible god is, in effect, saying: this legitimately applies.



.

User avatar
Miles
Savant
Posts: 5179
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:19 pm
Has thanked: 434 times
Been thanked: 1614 times

Re: Religious Tolerance

Post #20

Post by Miles »

JehovahsWitness wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:37 am
Miles wrote: Fri Nov 12, 2021 4:35 pm

The question here isn't one of rights, but of good and bad; good, in this case, being "morally excellent."
Was there a part of ... "His reasons for eliminating the condemned nations were good, wise and just ..." that wasn't clear enough for you?
It's quite clear: I and many, many others are, at times, more moral than your fallible god. He has maid mistakes you know. Self admitted ones no less. :mrgreen:



.

Post Reply