Bible Study is Needed HERE!

Maybe we should study the godawful things that have been caused by religious zealotry. We could start with the 21st century since that alone would be a huge topic.
 
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Children are too young to make important decisions, like religious, marriage, or career choice. These questions are better left to adulthood in my opinion.
That is the problem with many teachers who are too ready with spiritual answers or other matters of opinion.
A Bible Study geared toward children needn't be religious but could be historical, sociological, literary, moral, or just interesting, thought-provoking stories.
Shadrack, Meshak and ToBedWeGo were my best buds from Sunday school.
You didn't understand what I was referring to when I used the term children from
Luke 17:2 and Matthew 18:6
That had been posted in another thread:

Definition of "Little Ones"

  • Literal Children: In Matthew 18, Jesus places a child among His disciples, indicating that "little ones" includes literal children.
  • Vulnerable Believers: The term also extends to any believer who is seen as vulnerable, such as new converts or those weak in faith.

    I consider myself still yet a new convert as I am NOT a scholar, minister, etc. I approach learning with open eyes, heart and mind just as a child does, therefore I come before him as a child, eager, amazed and ready. I think there are more that do the same.
 
There are a lot of people -- television script writers being a prime example-- who confuse the Old Testament (primarily a history of monotheism and the Jewish people) with the New Testament where Jesus came to tell us that love and kindness were far more important than any law.

Every law in the Old Testament was not as important as one of the Ten Commandments. Many of the laws in Leviticus were regional food laws, intended to keep people who lived in a hot climate without refrigeration from becoming ill.

Martin Sheen is a great actor, but the words he says here, from his character's dominant position toward a rude woman we're set-up to dislike, are trite and ill-informed.
 
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I remember that scene very well. It's particularly impactful because for well over 50 years Martin Sheen has made no secret of his strong devotion to the Catholic faith.

Me: I've learned to not completely believe what I can't prove, and not completely rule out what I can't disprove. The Bible included. Old and New Testaments.
 
I remember that scene very well. It's particularly impactful because for well over 50 years Martin Sheen has made no secret of his strong devotion to the Catholic faith.

Me: I've learned to not completely believe what I can't prove, and not completely rule out what I can't disprove. The Bible included. Old and New Testaments.
That's a good way of looking at it.
 
@ 131 posts I don't see any posts doing what is obvious to me. Have a poll asking who would want a topic of bible study added as a thread to reply to.

Along with the poll ask what would be enough yes replies to ask Matrix to add as a topic thread.

Or just let this one die out for lack of actual study.
 
Every law in the Old Testament was not as important as one of the Ten Commandments. Many of the laws in Leviticus were regional food laws, intended to keep people who lived in a hot climate without refrigeration from becoming ill.
Christians selectively follow OT laws because we've collectively decided these laws don't work well for us, not because there was any statement on high releasing us from those obligations.

To my knowledge, Jesus followed OT laws and teachings. He released believers only from the practice of sacrificing animals (presumably Jews were not sacrificing humans), burnt offerings and "sin offerings" (sacrifices for oopsie, didn't-mean-to-do-that, kind of sins, rather than intentional sins).

Paul, not Jesus, in his letters to the Corinthians, took the leap to state that Jesus ushered in the New Covenant, and released us from Old Covenant (OT) obligations.

Since Leviticus follows Exodus in the Pentateuch, presumably Leviticus's laws would be equally important to the Ten Commandments, rather than being easily dismissed.

Yes, I've read the Bible. And concordances. In my opinion, Paul was a prolific writer and zealot. I don't consider his words "holy."

One can find the best guidance for living in the red text. IMHO.
 
Matthew 12;9 Jesus heals on the Sabbath

9 Jesus left that place and went into their synagogue. 10 A man with a withered hand was there. Wanting to bring charges against Jesus, they asked, “Does the Law allow a person to heal on the Sabbath?”

11 Jesus replied, “Who among you has a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath and will not take hold of it and pull it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So the Law allows a person to do what is good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he did and it was made healthy, just like the other one. 14 The Pharisees went out and met in order to find a way to destroy Jesus.

Mark 7:14 Jesus disregards the food laws:

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] [f]

17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
 
Matthew 12;9 Jesus heals on the Sabbath

9 Jesus left that place and went into their synagogue. 10 A man with a withered hand was there. Wanting to bring charges against Jesus, they asked, “Does the Law allow a person to heal on the Sabbath?”

11 Jesus replied, “Who among you has a sheep that falls into a pit on the Sabbath and will not take hold of it and pull it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So the Law allows a person to do what is good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he did and it was made healthy, just like the other one. 14 The Pharisees went out and met in order to find a way to destroy Jesus.

Mark 7:14 Jesus disregards the food laws:

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] [f]

17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
Thank you. I stand corrected. However, what about the rest of Leviticus's laws or for that matter, the other nine Commandments?
 
Thank you. I stand corrected. However, what about the rest of Leviticus's laws or for that matter, the other nine Commandments?
I think we've started the Bible Study, StarSong! Heh.

I don't really know how or if we're supposed to pick and choose from Leviticus, but I do think we're meant to keep the Big Ten. Jesus also says he didn't come to change the Law but to fulfill it. (?)

I actually think those old laws were easier to follow than Jesus' rules. I know It's easier for me to not eat pork than to love my enemies. He said that anger is as bad as murder, so I'm due for dozens of convictions of life without parole. Whew.
 
I think it's clear, just from this little discussion, that such a "thread" would be a disaster. We are clearly coming from all over the place, which I think is what makes it such an interesting forum. But part of the reason it manages to work most of the time is that there are rarely or never any shouting matches about deeply held beliefs. Having groups with completely opposite opinions about the Bible, and about Christianity, would not provide the reassurance that anyone here needs, it would just be a platform for hostility.

But what might work (though I'm dubious) would be a religious discussion group. Not a Bible study group. There are people here from many different religions. If discussions remained respectful and supportive, it might be interesting to compare the similarities and differences between different faiths, all discussing the same topic but from their own point of view. The Bible (and which Testament are we talking about, anyway?) is only one of those points of view.

Just think about one little subcategory, such as dietary laws. It might be very interesting to compare and discuss, if we can do it respectfully.
 
I am at a loss as to why there are 6 pages about a would be thread - if you want one just start one and see how it goes. Like any thread, it will go for a long or short time and people will post or not.

My guess - the actual bible study thread won't last as long as the thread about starting one :ROFLMAO:

But I could be wrong - only one way to find out.
 
All I'll say before I leave this thread/topic permanently- and I could say more, but I won't- this was Mitch's idea, don't grab it away from him and give it to someone else!
 
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