Racism in the Bible

originally posted by: ColeYounger
I agree with you about phoney christians using the Bible as an excuse for their intolerance and ignorance.
I also think that far too many of them know next to nothing about the Bible, a book which they claim
they are basing their lives on. If they were serious, they'd study it seriously and have a real desire for what the Bible's true meaning is.

The ancient texts (Hebrew Bible included) have some fascinating, even mind-blowing stuff in them.

Like Eve wasn't Adam's first wife, and his first wife left him because she didn't like the missionary position, and Adam wouldn't allow her to be on top?

I know I am going straight to hell, but I read that yesterday and I haven't stopped laughing since.

a reply to: ketsuko

Yet there are many Christians who don't read the Bible to even know these things are in there. Then those very same Christians listen to some bigoted preacher who DOES know those things are in there and preaches that the Bible tells them to hate whatever people the preacher happens to hate.

originally posted by: The Vagabond
To play devil's advocate despite my own problems with the bible, I can't help noting that bigots were exceptionally quick at wrapping their ignorance around misused fragments of evolutionary theory when the primarily Christian view of our country started to shift more towards empiricism. Furthermore Christian bigots have used the bible to justify hatred of the very people who the bible identifies as God's favorites.

So there is an argument to be made that the bible merely displays the twisting of morality and reason in the name of egocentrism that we also see in todays culture, but does not cause it. Everyone of every philosophy is subject to stupidity and selfishness and will rationalize it however they can- I think that's all the bible really proves for sure.

Keep hate alive!

a reply to: peskyhumans

You either believe that the Holy Bible is the word of God, or you don't. If it's the word of God then you must believe the entire thing.

Yes but what one believes about is the determining factor to the works that come from that belief ."You shall know them by their works" is a foundation thought .How do we kill when we are told "Thou shalt not kill" . How do we love our neighbor when we fail to act on their needs ? despite their skin colour or or enthinstisy or status in the community ? Faith without works is a dead faith .

a reply to: Krazysh0t

It's not a new thing. Bigots in the early 1900's used the bible to justify their racism against blacks.

If only your thread would have stayed on track, it would've
been a good one.

Here we have "God" telling the Hebrews to spare no consolation to any other tribe of people they meet.

But you couldn't quote scripture even the first time without a full change
of course, destination ignorance bash and hate God. ' Here we have " God "!

No, here we have you judging God as a target of your hate. You are a hater,
speaking of racism, as a cover for your prejudice. And that's just an observation
aside from noticing, you spend every wakiing moment obsessed by something
you claim not to believe in. The very definition of total hypocrisy. So your
thread sucks accept for those like you. But I have to watch you all pat each
other on the back as you do because it's all you really have.

God is just and you are very unkind in your accusations and skewed use of
scripture. And that's just a nice way of calling someone a liar.

You've judged God in Heaven for the facts and lied about the justice behind
those facts.

Instead of God telling them to peacefully coexist, they are instead supposed to conquer them completely all because they practice a different religion.

Tell me something OP? If I made a thread bashing catholic priests
for child abuse you'd be right there bashing with? I'll assume a yes
and ask, would you just be faking your morality? Because here's what
God states plainly, also in those same scriptures, what he strongly
detested about those " Different religions ".

Jeremiah
4"Because they have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods, that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent 5and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind; 6therefore, behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter.…

Psalm
36And served their idols, Which became a snare to them. 37They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, 38And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood.



If you ask me? God let 'em off easy.
And you are no judge.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

It still IS, because the bible hasn't changed. All those passages I quoted still appear in any bible you pick up.

The Bible is a ancient document and needs to be understood as such .Even in modern times we need to take into consideration the type of document we are looking at and understand the context in which it was written .The constitution of the USA cannot be understood in a way that a piece of poetry of fiction of the same time was .You need to let the bible be the bible and not try to understand it in 20th century context because it will lead you astray . We see evidence of this in modern day preachers who are only looking to fleece the flock instead of feeding it in spiritual things .

a reply to: randyvs

So if we listen to what God wants, then Christians should be trying to wage genocide on any non-Christians. After all the non-believers have forsaken God and deserve to die.

Though I think it is funny that you are the second Christian to get offended at the quotes I picked out of the bible. I'm not the one who wrote this crap, it's in YOUR bible. You can try to rationalize it or pretend it doesn't exist, but it is certainly there and is certainly evidence of intolerance. You should probably come to terms with that before addressing my alleged hatred with god (a non-entity).

a reply to: the2ofusr1

Tell that to all the Christians who cite passages from the Bible to justify their intolerance of homosexuals.

a reply to: randyvs

Good one

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Though I think it is funny that you are the second Christian to get offended

Oh but I'm not offended homeboy. I'm disgusted.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: randyvs

So if we listen to what God wants, then Christians should be trying to wage genocide on any non-Christians. After all the non-believers have forsaken God and deserve to die.

Though I think it is funny that you are the second Christian to get offended at the quotes I picked out of the bible. I'm not the one who wrote this crap, it's in YOUR bible. You can try to rationalize it or pretend it doesn't exist, but it is certainly there and is certainly evidence of intolerance. You should probably come to terms with that before addressing my alleged hatred with god (a non-entity).

If they are sacrificing their sons and daughters and persist in such practices ... perhaps we should. Are you saying that we ought to tolerate a culture that deems the human sacrifice of small children as something appropriate?

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: the2ofusr1

Tell that to all the Christians who cite passages from the Bible to justify their intolerance of homosexuals.

Homosexuals can live their lives as they see fit.

But that will not change the truth: God and later Christ preached marriage as between man and woman, not man and man or woman and woman. Therefore, a Christian generally will follow that teaching. Just as a Christian generally does not believe in divorce except in certain, narrow cases despite the laws of man.

Tolerance is a two-way street. If they want to live their lives as they see fit, I won't stop them, but they should at least accord me the same courtesy.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

That is not my calling but seems to be yours ...have at it ..

a reply to: Krazysh0t

You can try to rationalize it or pretend it doesn't exist, but it is certainly there and is certainly evidence of intolerance

So are you saying that it's only Christian doctrine that should not be tolerated ? Where do you get your morals and high ground for what is and is not tolerable ? politicians, lawyers , philosophers ???

I would think one needs to take the text in the context and time that it was written and whom it was written to and try to assess the text in the proper context, not a context that we would like to create a self serving paradigm around .

I can't pretend to know what was happening contextually in biblical times and then apply it to current times as if something should be taken the same way . To do so would be nothing more then manipulation based on my own personal judgment calls , which not being in / from that time would only be speculation on my part.

As for a so called Christian using select passages from the bible to teach hate , well I am sorry but that should be ones first clue that they are not a Christian .

Why would a non Christian deliberately provoke Christians ... what is to be gained and who does it benefit
So much for tolerance and live and let live

a reply to: Krazysh0t
If I might interject an alternative view of some of these scriptures, OP. Most of the scriptures you point out have more to do with religious intolerance, than racism. The nationalities listed were known to hold and practice different religious views from the Jews. The Hebrew god was quite intolerant of any other gods and rituals but those he prescribed. Note that I am not making excuses for them. You know how I feel about the Abrahamic religions. I'm just saying, you'll find in most every case, any perceived racism had more to do with the hatred of their religious practices, than their skin, or their nationality. The Ammonites and Moabites are a good example. All they failed to do was give the "chosen people" a drink of water. They failed to recognize, and bow down to God's elect. Racism? The point could be argued I suppose, but here again, it had more to do with God's rivalry with any other gods and religious practices.

I'm not saying that these events didn't breed racism. They did, as you can see in the verses you cited concerning Jesus and the Canaanite woman. What I'm saying is, it all started with religious intolerance, and grew into a stereotypical view of other nationalities from there. So is one better than the other? No. They're both disgusting. But what do you expect from a group of people who see themselves as God's elect, and anyone outside are dogs?

And what do you expect from the religions they spawned? The Christian and Muslim beliefs are no different. After thousands of years, all three see anyone outside their group as the walking dead, and already condemned by God.

I'll leave you with a verse you can add to the ones in your OP...
Titus 1

12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith...

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: borntowatch

I know as a fact Darwinism was used to justify the execution of Jews in death camps

So? Christians will use anything to promote their scripture based bigotry, even science when it's convenient.

Sorry maybe I had better explain myself a little more clearly

People will use anything to justify their bigotry, not just the religious

Ok

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: borntowatch
Star and flag for stating that bigoted actions exist in the bible, thats amazing.
Truly how clever you are at stating the obvious..Now tell me what were the consequences of racism in the bible

Well the passages that I showed had no consequences and were at times commandments from God Himself, so I'd say nothing.

I am truly stunned at how simple and perverted your argument is.
You have no comprehension of the bible at all.

Does it bother you that it is easy to point such nastiness out of your sacred tome?

Bother me?

Seriously are you that simple?

The world is as nasty now as it was then, what bothers my is stupidity, violence and a lack of righteous justice.

Thye bible points out the evil done by His people and the punishment that comes from evil actions.

It doesn't bother me, it serves as a warning that God is JUST and I have to try live a just life, it bothers me so much that I rely on Jesus because I am not just.

It doesn't bother me, it serves as a warning.

I cant believe you cant put 1 + 1 together. Its a warning about the consequences of evil.

Bother me? Its put there for a reason, its supposed to be in the bible.
The consequences are not in the passage, doesnt mean there are no consequences, just means you cant understand what is written

Woooosshhh, that is what is written going over your head

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: Krazysh0t

The Hebrew god was quite intolerant of any other gods and rituals but those he prescribed. Note that I am not making excuses for them. You know how I feel about the Abrahamic religions. I'm just saying, you'll find in most every case, any perceived racism had more to do with the hatred of their religious practices, than their skin, or their nationality. The Ammonites and Moabites are a good example. All they failed to do was give the "chosen people" a drink of water. They failed to recognize, and bow down to God's elect. Racism? The point could be argued I suppose, but here again, it had more to do with God's rivalry with any other gods and religious practices.

I'm not saying that these events didn't breed racism. They did, as you can see in the verses you cited concerning Jesus and the Canaanite woman. What I'm saying is, it all started with religious intolerance, and grew into a stereotypical view of other nationalities from there. So is one better than the other? No. They're both disgusting. But what do you expect from a group of people who see themselves as God's elect, and anyone outside are dogs.

I think this one of the most telling things, that all religions want to ignore. From the beginning of all the seemly hundreds of Bibles out there, they speak of there being more than one God.

Everyone is convinced they are speaking to the one true God and they are his chosen.

We may have better results if we actually found out the truth about all those other Gods that everyone wants to pretend never existed.

I don't see any true God being jealous of a nonentity.