Originally Posted by Clown Boy
You all REALLY need to do your research. And I mean ALL of you.
The Bible does not contradict itself. I'm not going to bother to explain everything... like I said, do your research.
The Bible was written by men, yes. But it was written by men who had talked to God face-to-face and He chose to write his law. I think it was important enough for him to make sure it was accurate. Again, do your research.
God's Basic Moral Law, the Ten Commandments were engraved in stone with His very own hand. These were read, copied, and passed down to what we have today. Today's copies have been compared to the original texts and have been found accurate. Again, do your research.
We do not follow the Lord because it is comforting. We follow him because he loves us, is our creator, and sent his son to die for us to take away our sins. Comfort has nothing to do with it. Yet again, do your research.
I have a question for you all... Why is it wrong to commit adultery? I would answer by saying that it is wrong because marriage is God's holy ordinance to ensure clean, hassle-free pro-creation of mankind. Anything outside of that is wrong.
Now you people who say "no" to God can only give philosophical answers to that question.
I'm curious how YOU would answer that question...
Thought I'd touch on these comments a bit, considering some of it has some personal bearing in my life here....
First, just need to make this distinction; "But it was written by men who had talked to God face-to-face and He chose to write his law." This quote is flawed, and no matter how much "research" one does isn't going to make it any less so. It's a matter of faith, not fact.
Now, on to the part that personally affects me and gives me some sadness to see brought up here. "Why is it wrong to commit adultery?" God "deciding" that this is wrong doesn't make it so. All of the negative possible impacts make it wrong. It doesn't take a God to decide that it rips families apart; it doesn't take a God to determine that an adulterer has no true commitment to a marriage; it doesn't take a God to realize that someone who commits this heinous act brings danger to their child (or children) by introducing another (I say another because the "cheater" is one as well, of course) flawed character into the mix. I'd also think that a God wouldn't pass along STD's (at least not according most people in the modern religions) in this sort of situation, but you know it happens.
My own marriage was destroyed because my (now ex-)wife decided that she'd rather spend her time (that she claimed was with friends) sleeping with another man, someone who wasn't the most savory of characters, while I was home with our wonderful 1 year old son. Luckily nothing horrific happened in that situation, like the other guy being a serious pervert or having an STD. But in the end it's just me and my son now, and he only sees his mother every so often. So this is why it's wrong. Would you consider this merely a "philosophical" response?
After the whole divorce experience I found peace with the Buddhist views that have helped me move on in a beneficial way (though "her" Karma's not doing so well atm). My son benefits from what I've learned as well and we're doing great together. Point is, your God's commandments or whatever are basically guidelines for how to be a decent person, based on real life consequences of one's actions.
