Does the Bible provide information that is useful and applicable in modern life?

[Zzyzx]

Does the Bible provide information that is useful and applicable in modern life?

1. What, if any, information or guidance provided by the New Testament is useful and applicable in modern life and modern decisions?

2. What, if any, information or guidance provided by the Old Testament is useful and applicable in modern life and modern decisions?

3. Is any currently useful information provided by NT / OT original or unique to the Bible (not common in other cultures and ideologies)?

[AgnosticBoy]

Exactly what scripture discusses 'kids outside wedlock'? Citation?

Sex is only for marriage (e.g. 1 Corinthians 7:1-2). By extension, that includes childbearing since sexual intercourse is the natural way to reproduce and that's only for marriage.

I think that is very good advice given our pandemic of children

Pandemic? Might check the definition: "an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population". Are children a disease?

No, women getting pregnant outside of wedlock is the pandemic (metaphorically speaking).

being raised with little to no real family support,

Does marriage ensure 'real family support'?

It does ensure financial, emotional, and social support for kids.

especially in African-American communities.

We can do without racial comments.

We can, but I choose to bring it up. A lot of African-American households lack a father figure. That is a big problem. Hopefully you're not trying to censor that fact.

[Zzyzx]

Exactly what scripture discusses 'kids outside wedlock'? Citation?

Sex is only for marriage (e.g. 1 Corinthians 7:1-2). By extension, that includes childbearing since sexual intercourse is the natural way to reproduce and that's only for marriage.

Artificial insemination accomplishes the task without marriage. Perhaps 'gods' don't know about such things.

I think that is very good advice given our pandemic of children

Pandemic? Might check the definition: "an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population". Are children a disease?

No, women getting pregnant outside of wedlock is the pandemic (metaphorically speaking).

Old white men sure seem worried about women getting pregnant. Perhaps having a vasectomy is advisable.

being raised with little to no real family support,

Does marriage ensure 'real family support'?

It does ensure financial, emotional, and social support for kids.

Baloney. Marriage does NOT ensure financial, emotional, and social support for kids.

What is difficult to understand about:

Half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage. Of these, close to half will also see the breakup of a parent’s second marriage.” (Furstenberg, Peterson, Nord, and Zill, “Life Course”)

Of all children born to married parents this year, fifty percent will experience the divorce of their parents before they reach their 18th birthday. (Fagan, Fitzgerald, Rector, “The Effects of Divorce On America)
http://www.marriage-success-secrets.com ... vorce.html

Since half of all children live in divorce situations, HOW can it be said that marriage ensured financial, emotional, and social support?

especially in African-American communities.

We can do without racial comments.

We can, but I choose to bring it up.

Of course, when trying to make a failed point in debate, why not fan the flames of racism.

A lot of African-American households lack a father figure. That is a big problem.

The total number of children living with one parent in 2018

6,166,000 African-American
7,301,000 Hispanic / Latino
8,526,000 Non-Hispanic White

https://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/t ... 13/432,431

Tell me again where the 'big problem' lies . . . Those are not typos


Lack of father figure can be a problem regardless of skin color.

Hopefully you're not trying to censor that fact.

If racism gets out of hand it will be handled. The Admin / Moderator Team is aware.

[AgnosticBoy]

A lot of African-American households lack a father figure. That is a big problem.

The total number of children living with one parent in 2018

6,166,000 African-American
7,301,000 Hispanic / Latino
8,526,000 Non-Hispanic White

https://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/t ... 13/432,431

Tell me again where the 'big problem' lies . . . Those are not typos


Lack of father figure can be a problem regardless of skin color.

But you have to compare those numbers you posted to the total number of kids in each category. Presumably there are more African American children then the number you mentioned. You could have figured that out by posting the percentage that's mentioned on that site.

65% of African American kids are in single-parent households.
Only 24% of non-hispanic white kids are in single-parent households.

Why did you leave out that information when it comes from your source?

Hopefully you're not trying to censor that fact.

If racism gets out of hand it will be handled. The Admin / Moderator Team is aware.

I'm not sure why you're resorting to threats when it is not against the rules to post about race. There's an entire section on this forum that brings up race so I'm not sure why you're bringing this up now.

Please do not tell me again what to post or not post unless it is against the rules. Stick to debating and facts. Thank you.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to bjs1 in post #6]

...the Golden Rule preexisted Jesus, and was reinvented in Greek, if it wasn’t actually stolen from Egypt by them

Do you have any evidence to support this point ?

[Zzyzx]

.
[Replying to AgnosticBoy in post #13]

Your comments seem to indicate little concern that 24 million US children live in one-parent families – but great concern with what color they are – while pointing fingers at a group that accounts for less than a quarter of the total.

If our concern is with the problem rather than trying to find someone to blame and focusing on color, it might be wise to look for WHY so many children live with one parent (without wearing racial glasses).

What is the effect of:

An increase in couples cohabiting without marriage?
Age and education level of parents?
Poverty and scarcity of jobs?
Neighborhood / social structure?
Discrimination / level of opportunity?

[AgnosticBoy]

.
[Replying to AgnosticBoy in post #13]

Your comments seem to indicate little concern that 24 million US children live in one-parent families – but great concern with what color they are – while pointing fingers at a group that accounts for less than a quarter of the total.

Blacks account for only 12% of the US population so of course we can expect there to be more White children than Blacks. The question is what percentage of each population are in single parent homes. 60% of the population of Black children are in single parent homes. I bring up this fact again because it doesn't seem that you have acknowledged it.

Also, I bring up the Black population because they are an easy example of a group that has a lot of disadvantages in the US society. A lack of a father figure is a big factor because it would negatively impact families economically and socially. This all points right back to the biblical moral standard of no kids out of wedlock.

[Zzyzx]

.
[Replying to AgnosticBoy in post #16]

I do not obsess over the skin color of children and do not stigmatize racial groups. Skin color and physical appearance are not matters of choice. I will, however, acknowledge having a major prejudice -- against bigotry.

In most instances children are likely to do better in life if raised in families with more than one adult – AND in situations free from:

Poverty
Food insecurity
High unemployment rates
Unstable home life
Poor schools
Dangerous neighborhoods
Discrimination and societal limitations

Unwanted pregnancies are a problem. 'No sex outside marriage' is hopelessly idealistic and FAR removed from reality. People WILL have sex regardless of preachings. Abstinence only programs have been demonstrated to be abject failures. Realistic sex education and birth control can be effective (and preferable to abortion).

Considerable scientific evidence accumulated over the past 20 years has found that AOUM [Abstinence Only Until Marriage] programs are not effective at preventing pregnancy or STIs, nor do they have a positive impact on age at first sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners or other behaviors.

Despite this evidence, the U.S. government has spent approximately $2 billion on domestic AOUM programs over the past two decades. Based on the available evidence, experts assert that government support of these programs has undermined sexuality education in the U.S. Dr. Lindberg’s prior research documented a decline in U.S. adolescents’ reports of receiving formal sex education on a range of topics, including birth control, in the last decade.

AOUM programs are not only ineffective, but also potentially harmful to adolescents. These programs often promote gender stereotypes that are associated with negative sexual health behaviors. They fail to provide pertinent sexual health information to sexually active adolescents and those who are already pregnant or parenting, and they stigmatize sexually active young people by implying that those who have sex are less worthy than their abstinent peers. AOUM programs also marginalize and systematically ignore the needs of sexual minority youth, including LGBTQ adolescents.
https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release ... ung-people

Marriage is no guarantee of a positive environment for children. Divorce rates are very high (including among religious people who preach 'family values').

[JehovahsWitness]

Unwanted pregnancies are a problem. 'No sex outside marriage' is hopelessly idealistic and FAR removed from reality.

Are you suggesting nobody on earth today can manage to live by the bibles standards regarding restricting sex to within marriage? While the majority of people may indeed choose to ignore bible standards, those that don't are protected from falling pregnant outside of wedlock.


JW

[JehovahsWitness]

Marriage is no guarantee of a positive environment for children.

Not looking both ways when one crosses the road is no guarantee one will lead a long and healthy life; that said we don't make stepping out into traffic the ideal. All things being equal, one should strive for what is best and not use the human capacity to overcome (or even thrive) in less than ideal circumstances, a reason to advocate the less than ideal circumstances. Or raise them to the level of the ideal.

Children have a right to grow up in a stable home environment with both their biological father and mother as their loving parents; they do best in such circumstances and this ideal is the bible model. While it is wonderful to see some do well despite not having the above, they have still for whatever reason been robbed of their God given right in this area. Christians should strive to give their children the ideal to the best of their ability.

NOTE All posts I write represent my personal faith based beliefs as one of Jehovah's Witnesses


FURTHER READING: Practical bible based advice that can improve your marriage and help you to raise your children
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/


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[Zzyzx]

Unwanted pregnancies are a problem. 'No sex outside marriage' is hopelessly idealistic and FAR removed from reality.

Are you suggesting nobody on earth today can manage to live by the bibles standards regarding restricting sex to within marriage?

Wow. I've seen some crazy reading of my posts by religious fanatics, but reading into my post even the suggestion “nobody on Earth can manage to live by the bible's standards” beats them all.

While the majority of people may indeed choose to ignore bible standards,

Yes.

those that don't are protected from falling pregnant outside of wedlock.

That idea is very popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, and Egypt

Shall the US spend another couple billion dollars on Abstinence Only programs that fail to convince people to abstain?

Marriage is no guarantee of a positive environment for children.

Not looking both ways when one crosses the road is no guarantee one will lead a long and healthy life; that said we don't make stepping out into traffic the ideal.

With a 50% failure rate, marriage is riskier than jaywalking.

All things being equal,

All things are not equal

one should strive for what is best

An IUD is probably best – vasectomy or tubal ligation in some circumstances

and not use the human capacity to overcome (or even thrive) in less than ideal circumstances, a reason to advocate the less than ideal circumstances. Or raise them to the level of the ideal.

Yes, improvement of circumstances would be ideal.