Using the rhetoric of the First Amendment, a string of US Supreme Court cases has allowed members of some religious groups to limit the freedoms of other Americans.
I do not disagree. But I also like to remind people that “The Bible” isn’t a singular work. It’s a collection of many historical texts by many people over from many different cultures and regions and situations covering a wide variety of topics.
I think there are valuable philosophies to gained, but there are certain things you can point to as “foundational” - and no matter what you are reading you always have to go back to those foundational concepts. Those are:
The Noachide Laws
The Teachings of Yeshua
The Noachide Laws essentially boil down to:
False Gods: Don’t worship inanimate objects.
Blasphemy: If YHWH reveals themself to you, remain reverent.
Murder: Do not kill unless there is no other choice.
Dangerous Sexual Behavior: Rape, incest, promiscuity; selfish behaviors that place others at risk.
Theft: Do not steal.
Animal Cruelty: Treat animals humanely, particularly those used for food.
Justice: Establish and maintain courts and systems of justice.
The Teachings of Yeshua boil down to:
Always show YHWH love, respect, reverence, and deference.
Always treat others with love, respect, reverence, and deference… even actual enemies.
Worry about your own shortcomings, not others.
2 & 3 are the outcomes of #1, and #1 is the outcome of 2 & 3. They are inextricably linked.
Everything else should be taken a historical document, not an universal omnicontextual moral precept; Yeshua states as much more than once. You do not need to be religious at all to find philosophical value in the foundations… and as far as the scripture is concerned, that is perfectly fine.
But at this point, the conclusion of either interpretation should be the same:
The Bible is not a workable moral guideline for modern life.
Neither “Thou shall not sleep with men like you would with women” nor “Thou shall not rape men like you would women” are acceptable.
I do not disagree. But I also like to remind people that “The Bible” isn’t a singular work. It’s a collection of many historical texts by many people over from many different cultures and regions and situations covering a wide variety of topics.
I think there are valuable philosophies to gained, but there are certain things you can point to as “foundational” - and no matter what you are reading you always have to go back to those foundational concepts. Those are:
The Noachide Laws essentially boil down to:
The Teachings of Yeshua boil down to:
Everything else should be taken a historical document, not an universal omnicontextual moral precept; Yeshua states as much more than once. You do not need to be religious at all to find philosophical value in the foundations… and as far as the scripture is concerned, that is perfectly fine.