The Bible has been used MULTIPLE TIMES as an excuse to preach hatred and bigotry.
Atheism has been used MULTIPLE TIMES as an excuse to preach hatred and bigotry. The whole of the slavery matter was grounded in atheism, that is, the genetic superiority of some races over others, and backed by science at the time.
The following examples are from Rev. Connie Regener, a student at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena.
“Racism was preached from the pulpit during the Civil War when denominational leaders argued from Scripture that slavery was God’s will. Today, descendants of those same religious leaders are preaching that sexism is God’s will (Southern Baptist Convention decision, June 2000).”
And yet the Christians in England defeated slavery precisely on the basis of God creating all men equal. The Christians in America were unsuccessful.
As I understand it, one of the earlier (yet recent) examples of twisting the interpretation of the Bible to impose bigotry is the Mark of Cain. As an outsider to religion, it is clear that the story of Cain being punished for committing the first murder of his brother Abel is that God curses Cain so that no crop he sows can ever be reaped; that any grain he plants will die and wither. A ‘black mark’. Yet there are those today in (thankfully) smaller communities that still hold onto the interpretation that this means he was literally turned Black and that’s why we should hate Black people.
As I understand it, evolutionary biology was used to say that black people were genetically inferior to the point where some said they weren't really humans at all. Evolution was a very strong undergirding for slavery. (You ought to know that slaves in human history were also white. The term "slaves" comes from the Slavic people being forced into servitude....not Africans but Europeans.
Obviously this is nonsense, but never underestimate a person’s wilful ignorance in interpretating Scripture for their own personal gain.
Same with science. Never underestimate a scientist's willful ignorance in interpreting science for their own personal chosen position. You see, what you attribute to scripture is really the sinful mind of man.
” If I Timothy 2:11-12 is interpreted as an absolute prohibition on women teaching and exercising authority in the church, then it would be a de facto elimination of women from using their God-given minds, talents and spiritual gifts. Likewise, I would have to be biblically illiterate to believe that when Paul calls for women to “keep silent,” he is referring to verbal silence,”
Misogyny in the church. Most of us know better these days than to take this at face value, but there are still some who demand this is true.
Women in those days were not educated to read or write. That limits their knowledge. Women were prophets and they led armies in battle, they saved the nation, they were praised. They were never property. They were never to be sold. God hated it when men divorced their wives. You need to read other verses, but find me an example in other religious writings of women leading the nation (Deborah) or saving the nation (Esther and Rahab) and so honored.
These are merely two examples of what can be considered bigotry in the Bible. Of course, it all comes down to interpretation. Ephesians 6:5 was used by many in the early days of the US as proof slavery was A-ok with God. Just ask Thomas Jefferson…
Well, if they had read on (Jefferson was not a Christian but a deist so you need a different example) and read "do to others as you would like to have done to you" and tried to lived it, unless they themselves would have liked to be slaves, they would had to make a different domestic help choice.
Again, I offer you the English Christian Wilberforce who worked tirelessly to end slavery in the UK. He did so soley because he was a Christian. Not a single atheist worked to end slavery.
What you want to attribute to the Bible is actually because man can be quite evil and any excuse will do. As I said, evolutionary theory was very useful for bigots. "Certain races simply are less evolved," was their view and their science helped.
I am not 100% certain what you’re saying here. Are you insisting that diseases like Aids/HIV are higher in the LGQBT community than others, and this leads to suicide, hence ‘don’t be gay’?
No, I am quoting statistics that cite that homosexual people are at higher risk in those areas. That is all. I am not drawing that conclusion.
While it is indeed true that suicide is the second leading cause of death among youths aged 10-24 in the community, studies show it is bullying, abuse, and the passing of discriminatory laws which lead to depression, drug use and eventually suicide.
You need to cite the studies because what I have read had nothing to do with the surrounding response to that lifestyle. There are not studies on trans who reported high incidence of depression after transitioning that had nothing to do with others. Bullying is experienced by many children and has no connection to that. Same with abuse. It is a false excuse. And what discriminatory laws are you talking about? They can marry and adopt children in most western nations. They can openly parade as homosexual to even being butt naked. Where is this abuse or discrimination you speak of?
In areas where such laws are overturned and/or precented, the rate drops dramatically.
I want a study on that because I heard that suicide is up on all levels and those laws were passed years ago.
Bigotry is a hatred or intense dislike for others who are different. Hatred is spawned from fear. Fear always stems from ignorance. It’s not that difficult to draw the line between the dots.
Christians know about this and quite a bit. We are on the wrong end of bigotry and hatred and intense dislike and it is increasing. Still we don't commit suicide in numbers.
As for the ‘who?’ question, in the US alone:
You need to site those bills because what I know is they are not "targeting trans people" but a response to the growing number of people who "transitioned" only to realize their lives were ruined and want to prevent others but blindly being lied to about "transitioning solving all their problems." There are people who think minors ought not to be able to choose to have their genitals mutilated.
I don’t fully understand this. God says ‘do not kill’ but then orders His followers to do just that, to kill men, women and children because their naughty. That doesn’t sound like a benevolent God to me. He sounds cruel. I won’t even get into the cruelty of Poor Abraham being told to murder his own son, or Job who had everything in life violently taken from him on a wager. A wager that, if He is indeed omniscient, already knew the outcome of but had to prove Himself before Satan?
First, you decide to down grade "evil" to "naughty" which shows a prejudice. The law is "do not murder" and killing in war is never murder by the definition of God or man. One of those nations snuck up behind the Israelies as they marched and slaughtered the pregnant women and small children who were at the back...defenseless. These were not honorable people you'd want as neighbors.
end of part 1
