There are many different definitions of what being a Christian is -- and it's typically self-defined. Collins says he's a Christian and who is to say differently without getting messed up in that Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged stuff.
Claiming all the crazy stuff from the Bible is just Old Testament civil laws and superseded by the New Testament doesn't account for the following crazy stuff from the New Testament:
In Corinthians Chapter 11 – men are told they are not allowed to pray with hats on or have long hair. Women aren’t allowed to cut their hair and cannot pray without a head covering.
In Matthew 10:37 we find, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Jesus seems to be insecure and jealous -- no one can be loved more than him.
In Matthew 5, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.” So if you were led into adultery because you saw a good looking woman and were attracted to her, then go get a knife and take out that eye. Actually, do it even if you only lust for her -- the Bible says lusting is just as bad as acting on lust.
Women are considered second class in the New Testament. Corinthians 14 says that the women were forbidden to speak, but were to remain silent, as the Law (Old Testament) says. Timothy 2 forbids women from teaching men, or overseeing men. So much for Hilary Clinton and Condaleeza Rice and their roles in the Federal governement.
Paul hates the gays but is okay with slavery. In Philemon, Paul tells an escaped slave that he must return to his master and submit himself. At least he adds that he hopes the master will set the slave free, but for someone who condemns others very easily, Paul doesn't condemn the master for owning a slave.
Jesus seems to endorse prejudice: Matthew and Mark tell the story of the Syrian woman whose little daughter was possessed by a demon. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. Jesus talks harshly toward the woman as he first denies her request for help for her daughter by saying “it is not fitting to take the bread of the children and throw it to the dogs” -- dogs being Syrians. It’s only when the woman admits to being a dog that Jesus decides to help her daughter. As long as Syrians debase themselves and are compliant, they can have Jesus’ sympathy and help but not until.
And on the issue of whether the Bible is divine -- that is, it should it be considered the word of God and absolutely true in all cases -- well God needs to decide how Judas died. In Matthew 27 he hangs himself. In Acts 1, he falls and injures himself so badly that his body ruptures and his organs spill out. Which one is it? After resolving that, God needs to edit the criteria for receiving mercy since the Bible contradicts itself on the necessary criteria: Non-believers obtain mercy in Romans, 11:32, only believers can obtain mercy in Romans 14:23, and only baptized believers can obtain mercy in Mark 16. Kinda hard to figure out who gets mercy.
I have no problem with people believing what they want to believe. I may not agree with Catholics who pick and choose what the Pope sets as law, but that's up to them to decide if they can call themselves Catholic if they use birth control and skip weekend Mass. (Or it may be up to the Pope -- but it's certainly not my decision to make.)
It's when people not only believe what they believe but also try to force everyone else to believe the same stuff and influence civil policy based on those beliefs, or when they use the Bible to support their homophobia but disregard other stuff the Bible requires -- that I lose respect for religious people.
Claiming all the crazy stuff from the Bible is just Old Testament civil laws and superseded by the New Testament doesn't account for the following crazy stuff from the New Testament:
In Corinthians Chapter 11 – men are told they are not allowed to pray with hats on or have long hair. Women aren’t allowed to cut their hair and cannot pray without a head covering.
In Matthew 10:37 we find, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Jesus seems to be insecure and jealous -- no one can be loved more than him.
In Matthew 5, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.” So if you were led into adultery because you saw a good looking woman and were attracted to her, then go get a knife and take out that eye. Actually, do it even if you only lust for her -- the Bible says lusting is just as bad as acting on lust.
Women are considered second class in the New Testament. Corinthians 14 says that the women were forbidden to speak, but were to remain silent, as the Law (Old Testament) says. Timothy 2 forbids women from teaching men, or overseeing men. So much for Hilary Clinton and Condaleeza Rice and their roles in the Federal governement.
Paul hates the gays but is okay with slavery. In Philemon, Paul tells an escaped slave that he must return to his master and submit himself. At least he adds that he hopes the master will set the slave free, but for someone who condemns others very easily, Paul doesn't condemn the master for owning a slave.
Jesus seems to endorse prejudice: Matthew and Mark tell the story of the Syrian woman whose little daughter was possessed by a demon. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. Jesus talks harshly toward the woman as he first denies her request for help for her daughter by saying “it is not fitting to take the bread of the children and throw it to the dogs” -- dogs being Syrians. It’s only when the woman admits to being a dog that Jesus decides to help her daughter. As long as Syrians debase themselves and are compliant, they can have Jesus’ sympathy and help but not until.
And on the issue of whether the Bible is divine -- that is, it should it be considered the word of God and absolutely true in all cases -- well God needs to decide how Judas died. In Matthew 27 he hangs himself. In Acts 1, he falls and injures himself so badly that his body ruptures and his organs spill out. Which one is it? After resolving that, God needs to edit the criteria for receiving mercy since the Bible contradicts itself on the necessary criteria: Non-believers obtain mercy in Romans, 11:32, only believers can obtain mercy in Romans 14:23, and only baptized believers can obtain mercy in Mark 16. Kinda hard to figure out who gets mercy.
I have no problem with people believing what they want to believe. I may not agree with Catholics who pick and choose what the Pope sets as law, but that's up to them to decide if they can call themselves Catholic if they use birth control and skip weekend Mass. (Or it may be up to the Pope -- but it's certainly not my decision to make.)
It's when people not only believe what they believe but also try to force everyone else to believe the same stuff and influence civil policy based on those beliefs, or when they use the Bible to support their homophobia but disregard other stuff the Bible requires -- that I lose respect for religious people.
