Saved from what? Eternal punishment perhaps? You can't have experience with an invisible man that lives outside of space and time.
The Bible is a collection of writings by the ancestors of the Jews and were greatly influenced by the local religions (ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Canaanites etc.) Early Christians were Jews who wanted to convert Gentiles, but had to get rid of some of the old Jewish customs in order to make their ideas more acceptable. They also expected that their hero, Jesus, would return in their lifetimes with his army of angels to free them from Roman tyranny. Ironically, they managed within a few hundred years, to convert the Romans and form the Catholic Church. Morals do not originate with Religion. People invent religions and decide which morals to include, then claim they came from God or gods. The morals evolve by the needs of individuals and groups of individuals. I don't want you to steal my stuff or harm my children. Such common sense "morals" are universal. So if you agree to be nice to me, I will (reluctantly) be nice to you. Some "morals", such as found in Deuteronomy for example, were invented by leaders in order to control the masses. Very few of the 613 commandments are obeyed. Unfortunately, we live in a society that has developed morals that clash with "traditional" morals. The churches, as everyone knows, are slow to respond to rapid changes in society. If the don't change, they will not survive. Just look at the church attendance statistics.
Your on dicey ground there Effect before cause Except even worse effect before no cause Damn dropped my medication and the cat ate it Good luck pussy it wasn't meant for you Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I won't be convinced until I see a yellow feathered bird paddling in the pond Even then I'd be tempted to take it home to roast to find out what it tastes like Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Yes I won't go into graphic details Enough to say your drinking a nice wine Your tapped on the shoulder You hear the words Breaks over back on your head My card game was Divorced Singles Much more realistic Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Curses you have discovered my dyslexia Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Cheers
So you know everything. Do you know what were the morality before the 10 commandments ? Do you know the morality among the Jungle people and how large is a jungle society ? The present morals of our present society is it better or worse in the last 150 years , you must know we have better literature or writing then the people 3500 years ago Moral codes are a necessity that is why they written . The powerful would not yield to the needy nor would they control their desires. Do you think man that have workers or slave would give one day to rest in one week ? Think where does that come ?
Of course a sense of right and wrong morals existed before the commandments Wasn't there more than 10 in other religions? Commandments were / are a codified form which attempt to hold each person to a set standard When you hear someone say "What he did is not illegal but it is immoral" they are attempting to impose their views (frequently of a religious bent) onto the subject of their attention Moral codes are much more flexible in that they frequently pertain to a individuals view of the world I prefer written LAWS which attempt to apply equally to everybody The bible? But more a case of habit or tradition than a moral imperative Governed by the periodic travel of the Earth around the Sun Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I don't have a problem with moral codes, provided there is a maintenance programme. They are a bit like roads and state laws. Roads need to be maintained (to fix faults) and improved (to allow for new circumstances). As you know, the main business of government is to create, amend and enforce laws. Sometimes, criminals are burned. At other times they are imprisoned. Speed limits vary, even in the same place, as new information is gained. At one time, gay men were locked up. Now they can get married ! If accidents regularly occur at a particular road junction, perhaps traffic lights will help. If jobs are scarce, perhaps border controls should be tightened. At the end of the Bible it says... I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. As you can see, amendments are not allowed. No sensible government would ban amendments to rules. Well, he didn't come soon. Is that such a bad thing?
Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! No sensible government would ban amendments to rules Agree So as you put it he didn't come soon so I guess we are free to consider the commandments abandoned and adjust them to our little hearts content My overall view of LAWS would be as follows I put laws into 3 main groups with a myriad of sub groups First main and most important group Laws of Physics Unbreakable Second group Laws of humans Generally written with various degrees of consent can be adjusted can be dismissed are flexible in interpreting depending on context Third group Laws of morals These laws are extremely personal are formed from own personal experience can be adjusted can be dismissed are flexible in interpreting depending on context live solely within each person's brain I contend NO personal set of laws (morals) can be considered sovereign over someone's personal set of laws You can't break the laws of physics You should not break the laws of humans You can follow your own moral law except if in conflict with the laws of humans Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
back to the op: Perhaps, when we were hunter gatherers, our activities were more communal, and the chief deity was female.....(Venus figurines, etc) and then came agriculture and the tiller of the soil killed the shepherd. Tilling the soil is a more solitary and sedentary(ownership of the land---I tilled it, I own it) activity, and dissolves tribes into small family units........................ so, the tillers of the soil(mostly men) needed a new religion with a new deity-----------and created the bible to support their position---------relegating women to a second class citizenship as a means of enforcing their male deity creation, and asserting male dominance. ............................. kinda sucks----------really .................. ok caveat: don't throw the baby out with the bath water
You are showing your 21 century wisdom. Think in term of jungle tribesman time . Tribesmen were family oriented .
Ya sorry about that Apart from the recent post being somewhat off topic I do understand I was not born around 2,000 years ago Which I never would have noticed But it seems I am not alone in my delusion illusion So many others are reading a super hero comic book written about the same time and saying we should follow the teachings in the book These are the same people who do not believe in the modern super heroes of the Justice League who kick ass and right the world's wrongs Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!