The only Christian people today who consider the Bible to be the literal word of God are an insignificant minority who most Christians consider wackos. None of the unacceptable concepts that you submitted from the Bible has any currency with Christians today.

But you know, and I know, that the Muslim world is different. Muslims even today regard the Koran as the literal word of God, and His commandments must be obeyed through Sharia Law. Christians went through their Reformation five hundred years ago where they began the process of re examining the sacred texts to make them more relevant to the modernizing world. Islam has yet to have it’s own Reformation, and until it does, it can not cope with the modern world.

Not that this worries me much. As a competing civilization, I am very happy that my civilization is beating the pants off your civilisation. So keep bobbing up and down on those prayer mats waiting for Allah to solve all of your problems for you. I want your mob to keep buggering everything up.

“here are some oppressive and unacceptable laws from the New Testament”

Azilis that was your first mistake. Claiming that these are ‘LAWS’.
You are mixing Church (Grace) and State (Law).

Lets subject your post to some scrutiny eh ? (p.s. anyone can goto a ’50,000 contradictions in the bible’ site and do some cutting and pasting)

Probably the best way to refute ALL of your ‘shotgun’ blast is by demonstrating the poor interpretation of just a few.

1/ ABUSE of widows ? 1 Timothy 5.9

9No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,[a] 10and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

What I read here is that restrictions are placed on something called the “Widows registry”
by the Church, where only those of good character and proven faithfulness are registered.
why ? SIMPLE because the Church undertook to SUPPORT them in their fading years. If the church admitted ‘anyone’ onto this register, pretty much EVERYone would seek to be listed, (u know..freebie meals etc) So, the emphasis on good character was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with ‘abuse’ of widows, quite the contrary -it was encouragement to Godly living.

2/ DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS (DICTATORS) TO RULE. ?

The verses you cite simply point out the divine sanction of “Authority” ... in the general sense for the social good. Without leadership. we have anarchy. Even ‘bad’ kings have a divine responsibility to rule justly, if they don’t they better watch their backs because they might wear a sword for a toga.

Romans 13
“for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (even CALIGULA!)

(yes, God is sovereign)

and guess what. That applies to the next king who wipes out the current one and all his family. So, the important point is to understand “established” by God. Go do some reading.

Alpal: Sorry you were offended but again you chose to be offended yet in spite of that I tender my apologies to you.
What is the point of trying to explain a Scripture to a couple of pagans! They just would not get it at all - like casting pearls [not islamic pearls which, as you know, are perpetually untouched boys with bottoms like peaches for the use of in the pagan moslem X-rated paradise] before a certain 'unclean?' animal. numbat

BD, - "Jesus said “If a man so much as LOOKS at a woman with lust in his heart, he has ALREADY committed adultery with her.

That pretty much describes 100% of us here including me."

See my comments elsewhere to coach about laws which nobody keeps. You are outraged by a system that seemingly works with what you recogise to be human nature while supporting one that condems us all for being what we seemingly can't help.

I don't know how polygamy works in practice, I've only got the perspective of our culture where it is widely condemed and don't have an independant view. I do know that there are cultures where it has been accepted and have heard some arguments which suggest advantages for all concerned (other than the western view of "two become one"). I know that some key biblical fugures supposedly close to the Old Testament God practiced it and that did not seem to be a big issue to the OT God. In the New Testament the only clear ruling seems to be in regard to leaders in the church.

Again as long as all involved are consenting adults what business of yours and mine is it how people structure their domestic affairs? Is this just another case of you trying to force the christian equivalent of "shariah" on the rest of the population or can you point to clear reasons why it is societies business?

R0bert

Robert says that polygamy is OK as long as it involves consenting adults.
What Islamic country permits women any say in who she will marry? Or whether she has objections to becoming wife No. 1,2,3 or 4?

DB and Kalweb,

SMH presented this as a loving and wonderful thing. When actually he’s basically he’s bred her out and needed/got a new mare. The morality is un-Western.

Socially the West is already behaving as if we are under sharia law. When in actual truth we are not at all, legally Australian muslims may “sin” their asses off here, as we all can (if we so choose) in secular society. (Drinking, having sex or homosexuality etc)

It’s a small jump to legally “behaving” as if we are under sharia. The turning of a blind eye to "islamic" polygamy is a classic example. Other polygamists would not be able to so blatantly admit it in the newspapers, with out reaction.

Can poly marriage claim benefits/housing for many wives? Presently I hope not, but what’s to stop a judge setting a precedent that a dole fraud like to be let go, or only lightly punished under an islamists religious rights, then islamists lobbying for legislation.

Even though this is presently illegal, consistent behaviour sets social models and laws are modified.

I think it’s legislation race between secular us and non-secular them.

Robert,

I'd never have an open poly relationship myself, but have no problem with free and consenting adults doing any kink they dig, it's a free country hey, but as Mickijo points out under islam it's not consenting as in the Western style of "choice". It's islamic law, 4 wives.

Keysar's wife was presented with either divorce or embracing the mistress