I married way back when I was 23 well I do forgive her,but the fact is I told her If I hade ever heard of her Cheateing on me we where done. I will divorce her.she claimed it was a joke that she never cheated.My words to her was ,but you disrespect me.I am not at all Controling at 23 yes there was a lot I hade to learn. She told me she was going to her grandmother house to visit her. the weather was bad so I was checking to be shure she made it her mom was driving no answer on her Phone so I by chance hade her grandmother phone number. I called in a matter of respect. Ask if she was there her grandmother said no I told her thank you.knowing how to block a number some guy answered said he messing with my wife ya I went off I won't repeat what I said or he said am 37 it was not nice nor was it Christian. But yes men did write the Bible and was seven churches that decided what was allowed Revolution almost never made it into the Bible also I think Matthew was another one so I do wonder about the Bible also something to take to note is the Bible is Wrote a in matter that Christian Should pray for the gift of understanding I think God wants us to ask Questions.Also the King James Bible as Been wrote in a matter to Protect it from those that would have rather see it destroy.
Great post, but one small error: The story of Adam and Eve is not "midrash." It's right there in the text. Midrash isn't a synonym for fiction or myth; it's a form of sacred commentary practiced by ancient rabbis who invented stories to illustrate and flesh out the stories in the Torah (you'd say Old Testament). Abraham smashing the idols in his father's shop, for instance, is midrash--it's not in Genesis. But the Adam and Eve story is right there in all its glorious weirdness.
Having grown up as a fundamentalist Christian who piously struggled with every regulation (and mostly succeeded), I left the church at age 22 and became a devout agnostic/atheist. Because sex and alternative relationship styles had been forbidden fruit, I was curious to explore it, eventually embracing non-monogamy and polyamory.
Even as someone who rejected Christianity, the life of Jesus is still compelling to me and I subscribe to your interpretation of his priorities (battling greed over, say, sexual purity.)
But the Apostle Paul clearly condemns fornication and homosexuality as "the fruits of the flesh" and mandates that Christians avoid them. I do find it oddly selective that so many purity-focused Christians focus on the homosexuality part while minimizing the fornication part even though Paul did not differentiate between those.
What I am curious about is how you reconcile Paul's clear commands with your adopting of the rest of the Christian mantle. As an apostle, was Paul not speaking for Jesus? If so, how can you cherry pick some Biblical commands and not others? I'm just curious about the reasoning not because I condemn your life choices (they are similar to mine), but why you believe Jesus would have no problem with it.
By the way, I make the same challenge to fundamentalist Christians who ignore Jesus' commands to shelter the poor while ignoring his commands to be "no part of this world."
Wonderful, when are you going to do a Bible study with this!
I married way back when I was 23 well I do forgive her,but the fact is I told her If I hade ever heard of her Cheateing on me we where done. I will divorce her.she claimed it was a joke that she never cheated.My words to her was ,but you disrespect me.I am not at all Controling at 23 yes there was a lot I hade to learn. She told me she was going to her grandmother house to visit her. the weather was bad so I was checking to be shure she made it her mom was driving no answer on her Phone so I by chance hade her grandmother phone number. I called in a matter of respect. Ask if she was there her grandmother said no I told her thank you.knowing how to block a number some guy answered said he messing with my wife ya I went off I won't repeat what I said or he said am 37 it was not nice nor was it Christian. But yes men did write the Bible and was seven churches that decided what was allowed Revolution almost never made it into the Bible also I think Matthew was another one so I do wonder about the Bible also something to take to note is the Bible is Wrote a in matter that Christian Should pray for the gift of understanding I think God wants us to ask Questions.Also the King James Bible as Been wrote in a matter to Protect it from those that would have rather see it destroy.
Great post, but one small error: The story of Adam and Eve is not "midrash." It's right there in the text. Midrash isn't a synonym for fiction or myth; it's a form of sacred commentary practiced by ancient rabbis who invented stories to illustrate and flesh out the stories in the Torah (you'd say Old Testament). Abraham smashing the idols in his father's shop, for instance, is midrash--it's not in Genesis. But the Adam and Eve story is right there in all its glorious weirdness.
Having grown up as a fundamentalist Christian who piously struggled with every regulation (and mostly succeeded), I left the church at age 22 and became a devout agnostic/atheist. Because sex and alternative relationship styles had been forbidden fruit, I was curious to explore it, eventually embracing non-monogamy and polyamory.
Even as someone who rejected Christianity, the life of Jesus is still compelling to me and I subscribe to your interpretation of his priorities (battling greed over, say, sexual purity.)
But the Apostle Paul clearly condemns fornication and homosexuality as "the fruits of the flesh" and mandates that Christians avoid them. I do find it oddly selective that so many purity-focused Christians focus on the homosexuality part while minimizing the fornication part even though Paul did not differentiate between those.
What I am curious about is how you reconcile Paul's clear commands with your adopting of the rest of the Christian mantle. As an apostle, was Paul not speaking for Jesus? If so, how can you cherry pick some Biblical commands and not others? I'm just curious about the reasoning not because I condemn your life choices (they are similar to mine), but why you believe Jesus would have no problem with it.
By the way, I make the same challenge to fundamentalist Christians who ignore Jesus' commands to shelter the poor while ignoring his commands to be "no part of this world."