Posted on 09/23/2013 8:21:33 AM PDT by Kaslin
Only if it was read as much as it is written about.
There are some good arguments on both sides.
To start with, the KJV Bible is more important than Shakespeare as an essential part of the English language. Likewise its contribution to western culture is extraordinary.
However, considering that socialism, secularism, and even atheism are rather perverted outgrowths of the Bible, there needs to be a clarification of its contents, to try and preclude such future distortions.
Since the “finalized” version of the Bible was accepted, more or less, in Christendom, the world of the faithful has not stopped. Brilliant people of faith have created a vast library of knowledge that could be integrated into future Bibles (I use this in the plural, because longstanding argument really prevents an accepted single future Bible.)
In Israel right now, is an incredible project to analyze the earliest Hebrew writings of the Pentateuch, that has unveiled that it existed as a poem or song before written language, if you can imagine the Book of Genesis as a poem.
On the flip side of things, indeed there are parts of the Bible that are “not relevant”; but that is a tricky statement, in that they *might* be relevant to people today, but in the context of the Bible, they are not particularly relevant to the Bible. They don’t really fit in, and never did, and why they were included in the first place is a good question.
And there is so much brilliance in Jewish and Christian writings since then that they would fit much better in the Bible.
As a great example, likely the greatest Jewish philosopher of the 20th Century, Martin Buber, wrote a (rather thin) book called “I and Thou”, about the relationship at a personal level between an individual and God. Each simple sentence of that work contains volumes of religious philosophy behind it, and can be pondered for days or weeks, one at a time. It is just as accessible to Jews as it is to Christians.
People of faith could get some real spiritual exercise in pondering it. An excellent inclusion into a new Bible.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg of Judeo-Christian spiritual writings. So much brilliance that most people never learn about.
It is hard even for an atheist to deny that the Bible is relevant to understanding the world around them. In order to understand history, culture, traditions, literature,government and legal systems it is foolish to deny the relevance of the Bible.
My Uncle became an ordained minister in the "Church of Universal life" through Rolling Stone magazine. It cost him $10 and a stamp like 20 years ago. He can also carry a tune pretty well, but really hasn't seen the inside of a Bible in about 30 years.
At the risk of being Clinton-esque, I suppose it depends on the what the definition of the word "relevant" is. Your point regarding the importance of the Bible in understanding Western civilization is well taken, and I agree with it completely. On the other hand, I can attest that as someone who is not a Christian that the Bible has virtually no relevance in my day to day life, any more so than any other book of scripture.
Well, as a practical matter:
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Freedom of religion; no civil penalty for worshiping other gods.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Again, freedom of religion. No civil penalty.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Freedom of speech. No civil penalty.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Freedom of religion. No civil penalty (besides...football).
5. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Great advice, but dishonoring you parents is perfectly legal.
6. Thou shalt not murder.
Finally, one that's illegal!
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
While there might be a few laws still on the books outlawing adultery, in practical terms it's legal everywhere.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
Illegal, government confiscation of income aside.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
In the context of sworn testimony in court, illegal.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
No laws against coveting, well...anything, as far as I know.
Final score: 3 out of the 10 Commandments are illegal.
Maybe a better question is why not? What is sin? It is going against the known will of God. The Ten Commandments were in all probability given in the Garden of Eden (no record either way). The mission God gave the Israelites were to evangelize the world and no doubt the TC were an important part of that. Gods laws are for all of humanity.
...I sense you’re belittling....
BiPolarBear posits that the “TC” were around since the garden of Eden. Source, sir? Do Christians have an oral tradition? Where in the literal word of the Five Books of Moses do you see the hint to this? (as it turns out, you’re more of a prophet than you think... Jews know that G-d “looked into the Torah and created the world...” IE, the Torah came first. We even know that Abraham and all of our forefathers kept all of the commandments BEFORE they were transmitted at Sinai. Nice going prophet!)
For both: How do you split hairs and say that the Jews had a mission...or that the “TC” apply to all mankind...when they were given to Jews. Your top Jew (or his followers...and willful accomplices) nullified commandments. Quite a few of them, no? “...it’s what comes out of the mouth not what goes in...” Way to nullify G-d’s word! So why be such a stickler to the Jews’ Ten Commandments? You like them? Great! You’re right, in the macro, but I’m splitting hairs now to make a point. You pick and choose. Now, if you didn’t pick and choose: www.noahide.org. Your commandments encompass everything in the Ten Commandments. Anyway, seven is easier than ten, right? :)
PS—I like you guys better than Jews for Js....
That certainly isn't my intention, but rather to answer the question of just how relevant the 10 Commandments are in a (largely) secular society.
Roger that.
Actually the 10 can be shortened to:
“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
The funny thing about Christ is that he didn’t didn’t talk about religion, and he didn’t talk about living a good life or how to get closer to God. He pointed to HIMSELF as the means to God - “The Father and I are ONE ... No one gets to the Father except through ME...”
Whether or not secular society accepts this as true is irrelevant: “...at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”.
I don’t know about others, here, but that’s very helpful info for me! Thanks — valuable knowledge for me in future use!
Thanks, Finny FRiend!
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