Messages By: julie1418

Actually, I suspect my spiritual beliefs are pretty close to your and Kathleen's. I enjoy debating, and for me, the debate is not about God or Jesus as much as it is about whether or not slavery is condoned in the Bible. I am not an atheist, and it is not my intention to repudiate God. I feel like when you debate the Bible, you are pretty much playing on the believer's "turf", so I approach it from that angle.

 

I have been asked before (I have done quite a bit of religious debating) why I don't offer up my own beliefs for debate. It is simply because I don't feel anyone else has to live by my beliefs just like I don't want to have to live by anyone else's beliefs. I feel pretty strongly (obviously!) about the separation of church and state for that reason.

I already told you... BECAUSE their hearts were hardened.

 

So God makes his moral judgments based on the whims and hearts of humans?

 

No, it is an instruction book for how we can receive salvation... and how we can please God.

 

And apparently, owning and beating other people does not displease God....otherwise, it would be in the instruction book.

 

What many customary practices of the times are you talking about?

 

Let me preface this by stating I am not going to quibble over the term "customary practices". There are many instances in the Bible of God telling people what they can and cannot do. Let's start with your favorite....homosexuality. According to you, God made his displeasure at homosexuality pretty well known....his hands are tied over the issue of slavery because "mens' hearts were hardened", but he doesn't hold back when their mmmm hmmmmm's are hardened? (Crass, I know...sometimes I can't resist a dirty little pun....and this one was too easy ;)

 

So, homosexuality is an ABOMINATION...and we needn't try to look at the context of homosexuality during Biblical Times (Prostitution, rape, fertility rituals to other gods, dominance over conquered nations), but slavery...well, what's a God to do? Their hearts were hardened.

 

We also have the Ten Commandments....two of which deal with the emotion of jealousy. So coveting someone's stuff or spouse warrants a THOU SHALT NOT from God...but slavery...well, whatcha gonna do? Their hearts were hardened.

 

Only if slavery legally existed now, which it does not... thank God!

 

So God makes his moral decisions based on the laws of man? If slavery was legal, God would be okay with it, with a few restrictions? I don't know why you are thanking God for ending slavery, apparently He had nothing to do with it.

 

Do you think God is okay with EVERYTHING that is legal today?

My personal belief is that the Bible is more a documentation of the culture and beliefs of the times. Otherwise, a good God would have had something to say about slavery other than simply regulating it.

 

If I were to take the position of a Bible Believer, I guess I would have to follow the law of the land, but follow the dictates of the bible in my personal life. Abortion may be legal, but it is not mandatory, for example. If gay marriage becomes legal, it won't be mandatory.

Just so you know..when Kennedy cut the top marginal rates, they were 91%. He cut them to 70%. It is currently, I believe, 35%. It is not an exact mathematical comparison because of inflation and the income cut off for to rates waas different, but Obama can't really steal a page from Kennedy's playbook...different circumstances and the top tax rates were much higher when Kennedy cut them.