Do you think the Bible is negative?

Question

Probably opening a can of worms here but:

My question stems from the Bible with it's wide usage of "Thou shalt not..."
Not only am I supposed to "Shalt not..." but if I don't obey the "commands" I shall be condemned to a pit of Hell for all eternity.
This attitude of "Shalt not..." only served to keep me anxious. I was making sure to NOT do the wrong thing and behaving out of fear of punishment while living a life of lies. It was quite tiring.

So, I changed beliefs. The "Religion" , for lack of a better term, that I follow now is all inclusive. It is not "this or that" it is "this AND that". And it has only one basic rule: Do whatever the Hell you want as long as it harms no one else. Basically, it says dare to be yourself. Which is one of the sayings over the temple of Delphi.: "Know thyself".

This was so liberating for me. Now "I could..." and suddenly the world was bright and beautiful and all mine to love and enjoy. I was free. Free to be me. I could indulge in any of the 7 sins I wanted to without fear of burning in Hell. This is where free will and choice comes in. Call it "God consciousness" if you will. I don't go out lustfully murdering anyone now out of free choice. -I- just don't want to do it. Not out of fear but out of what makes me feel good and right. I follow the "higher self" or just "Conscience", if you prefer.

So, when I ask is the Bible negative? I am not implying "wrong" or "bad". I am asking with sincerity since I looked long and hard at Christianity. I tried following all the rules of "Thou shalt not..." It wasn't until I stopped believing in the book and started believing in my own heart and "Thou can..." that I finally found "God" and freedom.

Some may say, "Random, you pagan, heathen, lesbian witch! You shall burn in Hell for your heresy as we burned your heathen, ancestor sisters at the stake! Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live!" (Exodus 22:18)

I say, "Do as thou shall. All is choice. Blessed Be."

ohsheeT · Accepted Answer

This is going to be such a weird answer  Because I know a lot of things that are in the bible , but I have never read the bible I think it is probably a good story. I think a lot of it is true But when?
They took a lot of things out of the bible and replaced it with whatever That's what made me say no I can't read it. I don't want to read it if I want to do something. I ask whomever that I talked to , and they give me the answer I don't know how I know this, but somewhere in the Bible, God says that he's sending out an army of men to destroy a city and he says, kill the women kill the children and bring back your mementos or your tokens or what have you? And if you rape a girl It's okay to bring her back in marry her now I don't know about you but my god would never say that , or do that My God is so powerful that he does not need an army of men.
And the story goes , it's all because there's one guy that does not like him My
God would just destroy that one person , not women and children men wrote the Bible and how do I know that satan didn't write part of it.  There are so many new truths coming out right now. And many of the things that are coming out is stuff that I believe twenty twenty five thirty years ago and was always called crazy for saying it out loud But I
Look at it like this, no matter what you believe in.
Especially with the new truth coming out , you always have to have faith , no matter what.

Orion84 · Accepted Answer

I'm not religious, at all, so I tend to view the Bible in the same light as something akin to Aesop's fables.

That is to say, I think the Bible is meant not as a literal account of historical fact, but a collection of stories meant to be used as a form of teaching, to instill a sense of morality in the masses through fear of repercussions.

I've always believed that religion, as a whole, is a method by which to control that masses, by preying upon their primal fear of the unknown, and those in power co-opted early religious beliefs for that specific purpose. The Bible is simply one tool with which to do so.

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

Yes because it sets impossible standard, no one ever gets through life without sinning or falling foul of the complex biblical laws. For example after a period your supposed to get a priest to burn a dove. Now people say that rules been updated but who's word do we have on that?

Now here's a thought. You, your partner and your kids follow the bible to the letter and live blameless lives. On judgment day some Saint says come on in to you and your husband but tells you your kid can't come in because he once stole a plastic pen from school. He's going fry in oil for all eternity. Tell me are you gonna enjoy heaven knowing that

jennifer_bloom · Accepted Answer

I will tell you the reason nobody can keep the 10 commandments is that there are actually 21 commandments and not 10. It’s like trying to bake a cake when you are missing essential ingredients, the dough will not rise and the cake will tasty bad. Religion is the same way, people know the standard, but nobody has given them the tools they need to achieve those standards.

DJB72 · Answer

It's a Love story. Written over about 1400 years on three continents by roughly 40 writers who didn't meet each other yet managed to write a cohesive story that contains 63,779 internal cross-references telling the story of how far God went to restore the relationship with mankind after we cheated on Him.

It's only "negative" because it's a mirror of what we truly know in our hearts and when we compare what we are with God's standard we become aware we can never reach that standard. The good news is we don't have to, because Jesus did it for us, living a perfect life, fulfilling over 300 Messianic Prophecies - which, while technically possible, is so remote a possibility it would be considered impossible - and taking the weight of our Fall onto Himself so we could have a restored relationship with our Creator in spite of being imperfect, broken people.

If you're taught the Bible by someone who emphasises all the negatives, I'd say you were taught by someone who doesn't understand it and as a result hasn't accepted the Truth that, despite us failing to live up to God's level of perfection, He loves us so much He took on the consequences of being imperfect so we could have a restored, loving relationship with Him as a result.

That's not negativity, it's the most loving action ever.

Maybe_Maybe_not · Answer

"So, I changed beliefs. The "Religion" , for lack of a better term, that I follow now is all inclusive." The better term would be simply:   ?  The Old Testament in particular offers a negative, privative life philosophy, as you explained, and I don't trust entirely this idea that it was the only way, back then, to force the masses into social order as a result. Because, speaking of the temple of Delphi, there were already established  .  Here's an anecdote I like about misunderstandings with ethics: A friend of mine, actually vegetarian, spent some days off in Sri Lanka. Vegetarianism in Sri Lanka is widely spread, for religious reasons. My friend isn't religious at all, not even spiritual. She had a conversation with a local asking her why she was a vegetarian if she had no religion. He did not understand why she wanted to conform to rules when those rules were not connected to any spirituality... It simply made no sense to him.

Phoenix98 · Answer

No I don't think it's negative. I think everyone should read it but ultimately what makes you a Christian is what's in your heart and what your relationship with god is and how you live your life. The bible is part of that but it isn't the only part.

But also your missing the point. God gave man free will the free will to follow his commands or disobey them. To make mistakes and also learn from them.

No person much less Christian is perfect don't ever let a single one of us tell you any differently we make mistakes, we learn from them and we atone and try not to repeat them. But we do disobey whether purposefully or on accident. Because while we were created in the image of a perfect flawless being we are neither perfect nor flawless. We are perfectly flawed as I like to put it.

Because of what Adam and Eve did in the garden humanity can never be without sin but because of Jesus's willing sacrifice humanity was given the option to atone and ask for forgiveness if we sin either accidently or on purpose and it will be granted to us. Even those of us who have committed genuine atrocities even those can be forgiven if our hearts genuinely want to atone.

It's kind of funny really the free will granted to us is both our greatest strength and our greatest weakness.

TonyMetal___86 · Answer

Being a pagan is your choice, being a lesbian "well i can't blame for malfunctioning brain that you have" sorry 🤷🏻‍♂️, but will i ever hate you or wish for you to burn in hell? Ofc NOT!

You see miss brandi, the bible isen't there to force you to believe in it, Jesus gave the freedom of choice, he taught you everything about this life and what is wrong and what it right to do and than it's up to you to choose if you want to follow his teachings or not, none of us is perfect enough to become a 100% christian, because we all make mistakes from times to times but we learn from our mistakes and always work on ourselves on how to become the best version of us...

The bible mentions that if you won't do such things than you will be condemned, it's because god wants us to know that the good people won't receive the prize that a good one does!

Even our earthly laws mentions that if you do something bad than you will be arrested and jailed and for each bad act, there a specific sentence, right?

I believe in god and does what Jesus had taught me to do, but am i perfect? Nope! Do i keep making mistakes in my life? Yes! but i always try to change and become a better person, i have even learned how to forgive people who doesn't deserves forgiveness and to treat the ones who are bad to me in a good way and to never wish death for anyone!

As a christian person, i'm not here to judge you because only god can, if Jesus gave you the free will than who am i to force you for things that you don't want to do or take that freedom from you which is given to you from god, in this life it's great to learn to live and let live, which means let others live the way they want...

laurieluvsit · Answer

I believe very strongly that we are in a 3rd Dispensation where the Bible is being re-written as we speak.
There is the Old Testament, the New Testament and now 'Today's Testament' whereby the old rules of what is sin and what is not have been drastically altered for the 3rd time in history to bring us into this modern age.

Great question Ms RG and I love your take on it as well!

OneViewpoint · Answer

I think the Bible is a book of flawed bullshit written by flawed humans based on their simplistic understanding of the universe and society 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. The "Magic Book" is filled with fears, hate, hypocrisy, primitive explanations for the natural world, retribution, and punishment. Sounds exactly like the people who wrote it doesn't it? God didn't create man. Man created God. The Bible is not the word of God. The Bible represents the feeble thinking of primitive men.

Kaneki05 · Answer

god, through samuel, told saul to "Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Do not spare them. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys" do you think this was made to be positive?
Nothing god actually does is positive besides maybe the creation of humanity but even that was a test with the whole apple. It's all about control and being obedient to his demands, you do what he tells you not too because hell hath no fury like the wrath of god.

Religion is made to control, some may say guide but it's control as the opposite leads to The Abyss.

strateguy632 · Answer

Too bad you can't do the SAME about those 'bad negative ' laws in your country 'don't shoplift and don't drive red lights and don't park there' so negative! "... Not only am I supposed to "Shalt not..." for hundreds of laws, "but if I don't obey the "commands" I shall be condemned to a pit of" jail or pay a fine! ... Too bad you cannot say about laws "I changed beliefs. The "Religion" , for lack of a better term, that I follow now is "Do whatever the Hell you want' too bad.

rebelsunshine · Answer

You will no doubt marry a Muslim man and bear five or six children for him.

You no doubt realize the decadence of the West and the unimportance westerners place on family values.

Assimilation with the stronger religion is inevitable. Resistance is futile. So give in and breed new life in honor of Allah!

AviatorTom · Answer

Let's take a look at the Ten Commandments...

Only two (3 Sabbath and 4 Parents) are positively worded, the other eight are negative.

But isn't that how most laws are written? Telling you what you can't do, not what you should do?

Does that make things negative or not? An interesting question.

SieghardWalsung · Answer

When you're looking at the Bible.. you're looking largely at patron deity law.

These are the types of laws that ancient near eastern societies relied on in order to maintain their God's favor.

Failure to adhere to them would mean your god abandoning your city.. which would be bad for a number of reasons.

The wording is supposed to scare you into compliance.

ChiTown33 · Answer

Are you SINCERELY asking? Or have you already made your decision? Because I have no problem answering this question. But I already know what I think and I see no utility in answering a rhetorical question.

JohnKebab · Answer

I believe most things in the bible are all lies and hypocrisy made to brainwash our minds into worshipping that hypocrite Jesus Christ. He may say he loves us but in the end he just let's us all suffer and does nothing about it, and until people can see that the faster we can rise against him.

Gwendoline · Answer

No i think its very positive. Imagine living in a world where its normal to steal, muder, committ adultery, sleep with a relative, be promiscuous.
A lot of things the bible tells you to do or not do is actually good advice and common sense.

sage2021 · Answer

Why don't you ask your buddy Tony and see what he has to say about it? He knows.

Staximus · Answer

I have one commandment- Don't be a piece of shit. To hell with all that holy hogwash and religion in general.

queenofcardio · Answer

I want to say it can be interpreted as more of a warning. Don't do so and so because of whatever

Simslover92 · Answer

Are there lots of negative consequences for humanity's actions. Yes, but is it negative in general? Not really.

jshm2 · Answer

Depends which Bible. There are something like 20 different versions of it.

AngryCarl2 · Answer

The Old Testament is pretty negative, yes. I can't say much more without being called Anti-Semantic.

AgentG111 · Answer

Of course it is, it's all about a bully having humans kill humans because they did not follow him

MrChinaski · Answer

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". It's the basis of just about every moral philosophy whether religious or secular. That's a positive guide.

loveslongnails · Answer

There's good stuff in it, there's bad stuff in it.

douride2 · Answer

From my personal experiences with religion. It is more on how it is interoperated.

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

No. It does have a lot of bad things people did though in it. You don't have to get far into it to see Cain murdered his own brother.

aaron13547 · Answer

YES, that was VERY well said. NAMASTE 🙏

slatyb · Answer

I think it's completely unbelievable.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

Just incredibly phony.

Bklynbadboy12 · Answer

Nope its all positive

FreyaRed · Answer

Fearmongering

Sam1133 · Answer

My ex wifey bible is designed to fool people...

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

VERY MUCH SO.

eagle1951 · Answer

nope

Do you think the Bible is negative?

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