Hmm. In all your philosophizing you seem to miss the point that what we call 'the Bible' is written exclusively by Hebraic/Jewish authors. And compiled by them. And even translated by them (think Septuagint). It is the Hebraic/Jewish take on God. It is very similar to other Ancient Near Eastern cultures in some regards (think Hammurabi's code). It is not in chronological order, and for a Western mind on the heels of Greek logic and scientific rationalism/empiricism, that often leads to struggles to understand. It has metaphor, but it is that culture's metaphor and that makes it hard to understand. (Think the book of Revelation...lots of metaphor, which though it might make us scratch our heads, the author believed that what he wrote was going to come to pass.) It was also not originally written in any language save paleo-Hebrew, Aramaic, and koine Greek. That's why your paraphrases are total bunk...because you skip over the necessity to try and read it not through an emotional lens, but through the lens of the languages in which it is recorded. It has its own civil codes, moral codes, societal codes, political codes, cultural expectations, etc. You have to let those things be there when you read it. That's something atheists and skeptics just don't get. They totally don't do that with any other ancient religious texts. And though it may have things you think "God is bigger than that now", you cannot unfairly use that expectation to make it say or not say something it doesn't (outside its cultural context). Otherwise you are eisegeting and not exegeting.
(Let me say in this next bit I'm not passing moral judgment on you, only pointing out what I think might be an error in your thinking about this topic).
It's pretty clear from your post that you don't read the Bible as what it is: a claim by a people group that THEY and only THEY have the CORRECT view of YHWH ELOHIM (God). That THEY and only THEY were SELECTED by this YHWH to reveal him to the world (which is the TORAH). All other religions (of that day and even to now because the Jewish/Hebrew people still exist) therefore are INCORRECT views of YHWH and INCORRECT views on how to approach Him. They believe God created the world by fiat declaration. They believe that God has certain expectations of how to approach Him and how to approach each other in community. They have prophecies (some of which do seem to have come to pass; others are still waiting to be proved). They have kings (these have been confirmed by other sources). They have battles. They have political infighting (think when the two kingdoms split into Israel and Judah). They have romance (Song of Songs). They have poetry that captures the essence of human desires and hopes and sorrows (many psalms fall into each category). They have wisdom in day to day life problems (Proverbs). They are unafraid to ask the BIG questions about life, God, purpose, death, etc. (Think Ecclesiastes). They have claims that God incarnated as a human being to save us in a way the first Adam was supposed to do (the Gospels, the Epistles which explain the Gospels). In a short summary...you have a human book that carries the full brunt of the human experience though the eyes of an ethnic people group. And there are places where apparently they believed the actual words from God Himself were being spoken, either to a prophet, a king, an apostle (through the mouth of Yeshua), and so on. You have a historical mythology unlike anything the world has ever seen or produced in any other culture or religion or philosophy. That in itself is a miracle that boggles the mind. And in the literature, no one hides the heroes' moral vices and flaws. David was a polygamist and rapist. Paul was a murderer. Peter was a foot in the mouth Dunning-Kruger type. Solomon was a lothario. You have people praying for all kinds of things: sex, romance, marriage, children, parents, national safety, God to show up, miracles, wealth, purpose, and so on. Let it be that. Let it be that.
But I'm always intrigued when a 'Christian' starts wanting God out of the context in which He is presented. Like, "God is bigger than the clear writings against homosexuality" or "God wouldn't mind female leaders in a congregation" and so on and so forth. When it's clear the text says completely otherwise. (Just choosing those two more controversial topics as an illustration.) Because in one breath a Christian will say I accept and believe the Bible, but then turn around and try to reason away the parts he or she thinks are obsolete or no longer applicable because, "God is bigger..." That just smacks of intellectual contradiction and two-facedness. I for one, don't want to go there simply because it's not fair to the people who wrote it. So using point one. Why is God against homosexuality from the Hebraic/Jewish point of view? Culturally because it is a direct act of disobedience to his first command ever given to humanity: Be fruitful and multiply. Heterosexuality was created for that purpose. Homosexuality was not. The creation of man and woman in the marriage relationship is also symbolic of the love of the bridegroom (Yeshua) and His bride (the Ekklesia). Anything that distorts that is anathema to YHWH ELOHIM. I'm not trying to 'bash gays' by saying this. I'm simply informing that is how that culture saw this. It's how the early apostolic communities would have interpreted homosexuality as a bad thing - because it doesn't fulfill God's purposes for humanity to increase and be blessed, whether it's male or female homosexuals. Homosexuality is basically flipping God's heterosexual design off to His face. To the second point. There is a deeper reason the apostle Paul (and we can assume the other apostles as well as they all met from time to time to compare and make sure they were ALL preaching the same thing) did not appoint or allow female heads/leaders in the congregations (church is the incorrect translation by the way, but I'm sure you know that). It actually has to do with what transpired in Genesis chapter six when fallen angels mated with female women. I'll let you do the research. That's why. If women are granted equal authority to men in a biblical congregation it would act as a draw for fallen angels to try that again. You might think I'm crazy, but I'll let you do the research.
Well, you just completely ignored the point all to write your own little convoluted, self-indulgent, thesis here, didn't you? Hope that was time well spent and that you are very proud of yourself, Daniel. I am sure the God you think you serve is equally as proud of this disgusting level of arrogance in his name.
YES. I feel this so deeply. I have struggled with Scripture reading for a while, but still believe it's the true Word of God. Then I went through some spiritual trauma and couldn't read it at all for a while- I would have panic attacks if I tried to read the Bible. So I learned to engage with God in creative, beautiful ways outside of church and Bible reading. And He didn't leave me just because I couldn't read the Bible every day. It's still a slow process- but I'm still getting back to the place where I can read and really soak in the Bible more often- not read it through a traumatized lens- but through a trauma-informed lens. I see God as so much more compassionate and kind now than I ever have, only BECAUSE I walked through that time where I couldn't do the traditional Christian things, and He still met me and showed His Faithfulness.
Holy Spirit FIRE right here!! 🔥 Love this piece.
Hmm. In all your philosophizing you seem to miss the point that what we call 'the Bible' is written exclusively by Hebraic/Jewish authors. And compiled by them. And even translated by them (think Septuagint). It is the Hebraic/Jewish take on God. It is very similar to other Ancient Near Eastern cultures in some regards (think Hammurabi's code). It is not in chronological order, and for a Western mind on the heels of Greek logic and scientific rationalism/empiricism, that often leads to struggles to understand. It has metaphor, but it is that culture's metaphor and that makes it hard to understand. (Think the book of Revelation...lots of metaphor, which though it might make us scratch our heads, the author believed that what he wrote was going to come to pass.) It was also not originally written in any language save paleo-Hebrew, Aramaic, and koine Greek. That's why your paraphrases are total bunk...because you skip over the necessity to try and read it not through an emotional lens, but through the lens of the languages in which it is recorded. It has its own civil codes, moral codes, societal codes, political codes, cultural expectations, etc. You have to let those things be there when you read it. That's something atheists and skeptics just don't get. They totally don't do that with any other ancient religious texts. And though it may have things you think "God is bigger than that now", you cannot unfairly use that expectation to make it say or not say something it doesn't (outside its cultural context). Otherwise you are eisegeting and not exegeting.
(Let me say in this next bit I'm not passing moral judgment on you, only pointing out what I think might be an error in your thinking about this topic).
It's pretty clear from your post that you don't read the Bible as what it is: a claim by a people group that THEY and only THEY have the CORRECT view of YHWH ELOHIM (God). That THEY and only THEY were SELECTED by this YHWH to reveal him to the world (which is the TORAH). All other religions (of that day and even to now because the Jewish/Hebrew people still exist) therefore are INCORRECT views of YHWH and INCORRECT views on how to approach Him. They believe God created the world by fiat declaration. They believe that God has certain expectations of how to approach Him and how to approach each other in community. They have prophecies (some of which do seem to have come to pass; others are still waiting to be proved). They have kings (these have been confirmed by other sources). They have battles. They have political infighting (think when the two kingdoms split into Israel and Judah). They have romance (Song of Songs). They have poetry that captures the essence of human desires and hopes and sorrows (many psalms fall into each category). They have wisdom in day to day life problems (Proverbs). They are unafraid to ask the BIG questions about life, God, purpose, death, etc. (Think Ecclesiastes). They have claims that God incarnated as a human being to save us in a way the first Adam was supposed to do (the Gospels, the Epistles which explain the Gospels). In a short summary...you have a human book that carries the full brunt of the human experience though the eyes of an ethnic people group. And there are places where apparently they believed the actual words from God Himself were being spoken, either to a prophet, a king, an apostle (through the mouth of Yeshua), and so on. You have a historical mythology unlike anything the world has ever seen or produced in any other culture or religion or philosophy. That in itself is a miracle that boggles the mind. And in the literature, no one hides the heroes' moral vices and flaws. David was a polygamist and rapist. Paul was a murderer. Peter was a foot in the mouth Dunning-Kruger type. Solomon was a lothario. You have people praying for all kinds of things: sex, romance, marriage, children, parents, national safety, God to show up, miracles, wealth, purpose, and so on. Let it be that. Let it be that.
But I'm always intrigued when a 'Christian' starts wanting God out of the context in which He is presented. Like, "God is bigger than the clear writings against homosexuality" or "God wouldn't mind female leaders in a congregation" and so on and so forth. When it's clear the text says completely otherwise. (Just choosing those two more controversial topics as an illustration.) Because in one breath a Christian will say I accept and believe the Bible, but then turn around and try to reason away the parts he or she thinks are obsolete or no longer applicable because, "God is bigger..." That just smacks of intellectual contradiction and two-facedness. I for one, don't want to go there simply because it's not fair to the people who wrote it. So using point one. Why is God against homosexuality from the Hebraic/Jewish point of view? Culturally because it is a direct act of disobedience to his first command ever given to humanity: Be fruitful and multiply. Heterosexuality was created for that purpose. Homosexuality was not. The creation of man and woman in the marriage relationship is also symbolic of the love of the bridegroom (Yeshua) and His bride (the Ekklesia). Anything that distorts that is anathema to YHWH ELOHIM. I'm not trying to 'bash gays' by saying this. I'm simply informing that is how that culture saw this. It's how the early apostolic communities would have interpreted homosexuality as a bad thing - because it doesn't fulfill God's purposes for humanity to increase and be blessed, whether it's male or female homosexuals. Homosexuality is basically flipping God's heterosexual design off to His face. To the second point. There is a deeper reason the apostle Paul (and we can assume the other apostles as well as they all met from time to time to compare and make sure they were ALL preaching the same thing) did not appoint or allow female heads/leaders in the congregations (church is the incorrect translation by the way, but I'm sure you know that). It actually has to do with what transpired in Genesis chapter six when fallen angels mated with female women. I'll let you do the research. That's why. If women are granted equal authority to men in a biblical congregation it would act as a draw for fallen angels to try that again. You might think I'm crazy, but I'll let you do the research.
Well, you just completely ignored the point all to write your own little convoluted, self-indulgent, thesis here, didn't you? Hope that was time well spent and that you are very proud of yourself, Daniel. I am sure the God you think you serve is equally as proud of this disgusting level of arrogance in his name.
YES. I feel this so deeply. I have struggled with Scripture reading for a while, but still believe it's the true Word of God. Then I went through some spiritual trauma and couldn't read it at all for a while- I would have panic attacks if I tried to read the Bible. So I learned to engage with God in creative, beautiful ways outside of church and Bible reading. And He didn't leave me just because I couldn't read the Bible every day. It's still a slow process- but I'm still getting back to the place where I can read and really soak in the Bible more often- not read it through a traumatized lens- but through a trauma-informed lens. I see God as so much more compassionate and kind now than I ever have, only BECAUSE I walked through that time where I couldn't do the traditional Christian things, and He still met me and showed His Faithfulness.