Friday, October 26, 2012

Cherry picking, and my problem with the Bible

    I am confused about how people view the Bible, but the way I see it you either believe it is all literal, some part a parable, or not true at all. My issue is with some of the people who see it as all literal, and totally relevant in modern times. I'm Baptist, so really most of the Old Testament rules aren't applicable anymore. We eat 'unclean meat', and the NT (New Testament) says specifically that circumcision isn't a must. So all things considered for this specific blog, I will only be talking about the NT, specifically 1st Corinthians.
    
1 Corinthians 14:34
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

1 Corinthians 11:6
For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered

     These two verses are straight out of the KJV of the NT. Yet why are they ignored in the modern church (in most protestant sects). I know as Baptists we don't follow it, lots of women come to church without hats, some even have short hair. I'm not saying we should follow these verses, all I'm saying is why follow some and not all. If you consider the Bible literal and modernly valuable then how can you quote scriptures against homosexuals, birth-control, and not backing Israel, but not live these. It really takes away from the validity of what you are saying.
     Gifts of the spirit are also spoken of in Corinthians, it says plainly that some people have them, yet I know of churches who say people don't speak in tongues or prophecy, once again, that is Cherry Picking, and it ruins credibility.

1 Corinthians 14:39
Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues

     I guess these specific verses where in my heart because they embody some of the very reasons why I doubt my faith sometimes. Even after I get over the fact that the Bible values men over women (don't give me the separate but equal nonsense, according to some scripture I'm a bad woman because of the way I live). Even past that I see that the church agrees with me, so it glosses over this scripture. I don't mean to take this out of context, I only bring it up because it is such a huge cause of personal conflict.
     The gifts of the spirit thing bothers me because my Mom is a huge believer in this gifts, and over the years people have told her that her belief is misplaced. That bothers me because I don't see where they are coming from. It's like people who only believe in the King James Bible, as if it's a direct translation from the original scrolls, it's not...
    I was bothered by this yesterday, so hopefully writing it out will help me gain some clarity. I know some Christians have reasons for not following this, and some do follow it totally. I just wonder how we can expect people to see us as truthful and valid if we don't ask ourselves these questions.

1 comment:

  1. Hi, it's Rayne_II from Twitter :-)
    I really enjoyed this post. I wrote about something similiar from an atheist perspective on my blog here: http://www.insufferableintolerance.com/christian-nitpicking-and-why-this-atheist-cares-that-the-idea-of-hell-exists/

    ReplyDelete