18+ General Discussion Forum

A lot of interesting points raised here.

Re the "Ten Commandments": Well, they're just the first ten of 613 laws God passed down to the Jews via Moses. Yet they're given particular emphasis because they are the first ten and they are the most all-inclusive. Correct me if I'm wrong, Marcia, but I understand that for non-Jews, the laws they must follow to earn God's approval are more basic. I seem to remember them basically as "Worship Me", "Don't murder", "Don't steal" and one or two others. I think one was eating no meat cut from a live animal, or something like that.

But as far as these ten, I think that no one can possibly literally follow the tenth. "Do not desire another person's cattle, house, spouse or whatever is not yours." I think it should reinterpreted as: "Do not let your natural desires for things that are not yours cloud your emotions and actions towards people who have these things."

Faith vs. works. That's an old Christian debate that has raged since Paul vs. James. I say that you can't have one without the other. People who have true faith will naturally do good works. And doing good works can sometimes lead people to faith in God.

Is the Bible literally true? No. It can't be. There are far too many contradictions. This is because it was written by a committee, so to speak. Many men wrote, added to, subtracted from and argued over the final product, and still do. And being men, they were fallible and made mistakes, and some of what worked then is no longer applicable now. That's why the Jews have an oral tradition of interpretation in the Talmud and Mishna. Their interpretations can get pretty wild, in my opinion, but at least they're making the effort to interpret for today's Jews, which is admirable.

I know this is not proper Christian theology, but I don't care. I do not believe that Christianity is the only way to get to heaven. Why would God give his love and salvation to the Jews, his Chosen People, and then withdraw it? Not because they murdered Christ. The WORLD murdered Christ, every last human on it. And he saved them ALL. How do we know what happens with people when they die? Perhaps they have one final chance to profess faith when they have complete understanding. Although actually I don't know whether or not Christ was truly divine. I have many doubts. Ultimately, I think it doesn't matter. God is all-powerful. He can save anyone He wants to.

I hope this qualifies as a more moderate approach, Marcia. I've no clue. I just know that since marrying my Jewish husband and raising my two children in his faith, I've had to consider a lot of theological points and make my own adaptations. And I think my God is far more loving and inclusive than a Christian fundamentalist's God.