Leviticus evil?

@petewxyz said
I read a post in which you referred to boundary making. Aren't you crossing a boundary if you repeatedly question somebody when they have said they do not wish to reply? Aren't you denying them their right to boundaries? I know very little about religion, but I see that it is important to Suzianne so I don't see why you would try and do this in the name of religion? I am sur ...[text shortened]... viewed as such a complex area if things are really supposed to be boiled down to a simple yes or no?

There is no need to reply.

How about you? Is it evil?

@eladar said
So you do not consider yourself a Christian as you understand it.

That's a rather complicated question and I can't give a simple answer. However, suppose someone who was brought up an atheist, hadn't read the Gospels, but had seen an advert or had some sort of pop-culture based understanding of Christianity decided they were and Christian and hadn't been baptised. Would you consider them to be a Christian?

@deepthought said
That's a rather complicated question and I can't give a simple answer. However, suppose someone who was brought up an atheist, hadn't read the Gospels, but had seen an advert or had some sort of pop-culture based understanding of Christianity decided they were and Christian and hadn't been baptised. Would you consider them to be a Christian?

Of course they would, by their definition. They would believe what they say about their belief.

People who do not believe can have odd ball beliefs about the Bible, but it is not anyone's actual belief.

This thread is about what individuals believe.

@eladar said
Of course they would, by their definition. They would believe what they say about their belief.

People who do not believe can have odd ball beliefs about the Bible, but it is not anyone's actual belief.

This thread is about what individuals believe.

So, by that definition, someone who think that the Christian message is that "Lucifer is the Lord" counts as a Christian?

@deepthought said
So, by that definition, someone who think that the Christian message is that "Lucifer is the Lord" counts as a Christian?

It would be as valid as most other Christian beliefs spouted here.

@eladar said
It would be as valid as most other Christian beliefs spouted here.

What about these Christian beliefs? Do you subscribe to them?

A Christian is defined by his or her beliefs with regard to the life, death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A Christian believes that God sent his son Jesus, the messiah, to save the world.

A Christian believes that Jesus was crucified and died in order to offer the forgiveness of sins and the opportunity for "salvation".

A Christian believes that Jesus rose from the dead and later ascended to heaven.

A Christian believes these things and endeavours to obey God's commandments, including those that Jesus is believed to have stipulated while he was alive, and demonstrate, by doing good works, that their faith is not dead.

@fmf said
What about these Christian beliefs? Do you subscribe to them?

A Christian is defined by his or her beliefs with regard to the life, death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A Christian believes that God sent his son Jesus, the messiah, to save the world.

A Christian believes that Jesus was crucified and died in order to offer the forgiveness of sins and the opportun ...[text shortened]... e stipulated while he was alive, and demonstrate, by doing good works, that their faith is not dead.

It does not matter what I believe. If I feel like expressing where I disagree with others I will make it known.

@eladar said
It does not matter what I believe. If I feel like expressing where I disagree with others I will make it known.

Either you hold Christian beliefs or you don't. Either you are capable of expressing or explaining what those beliefs are or you are not.

@eladar said
It does not matter what I believe.

Do you subscribe to the Christian beliefs that I listed?

If you do not, what beliefs do you have that can plausibly be described as being Christian?

@fmf said
Do you subscribe to the Christian beliefs that I listed?

If you do not, what beliefs do you have that can plausibly be described as being Christian?

Lol

@eladar said
Lol

What is the scriptural basis for you refusing to state what your Christian beliefs are [while incessantly declaring people to be not Christians]?

Why are you so secretive about what you believe?

@eladar said
This thread is about what individuals believe.

What do you believe about Jesus Christ?

@eladar said
Of course it is evil today.

FMF: Christians, surely, would think that executing homosexuals would be "evil" nowadays, yes? Just to be clear.

Eladar: Of course it is evil today.

When did it go from being not "evil" to being "evil"?

@eladar said
There is no need to reply.

How about you? Is it evil?

My answer would be complicated, but I'll make a genuine attempt. You have to imagine somebody growing up in a different culture where they are so detached from religious literature that it is like being asked whether they have strong positive or strong negative feelings about a movie it never occurred to them to go and watch that simply wasn't on the radar. I know pretty much nothing about the bible at all, never went into a church other than invitations to weddings and funerals.

My distant understanding is that the old testament is full of extreme stories that tend not to be taken literally by most, but that could be wrong. My first honest reaction would be that you are probably discussing something somebody wrote as the word of God because it justified what they wanted to do at the time. People through history have wanted to persecute homosexuals and it would fit that somebody would want to justify their actions by claiming it was God's will, but I am honestly very ill informed on the subject.

I hope this honest attempt at an answer about what I believe illustrates that there are more possible answers than 'good or evil'. If it offends anybody's religious beliefs I can only say that was not my intention. If at a future point I don't want to answer a question it will probably be because I don't want to stray into areas that can offend and it will not give people the right to assume I am hiding an answer that they already know and therefore not replying. Religion is important to people and it is too easy to assume people who aren't religious can't respect that.