How Good a Moral Guide Is The Christian Bible?
Worst of all of Jesus' ideas is the teaching of hell; in the Old Testament, hell is just death. With Jesus, hell became a place of everlasting torment (see Mt. 13:41-42). Hitler's ovens were horrendous, but they did not last forever. Being subject to eternal torment is a doctrine of cruelty. How could a Jesus, who invented the doctrine of eternal suffering, be considered a kind man? It is as if God decided death (the Old Testament "hell") was not sufficient for his needs, because people could thereby escape their living hell, and devised a way to persecute and scare humanity beyond life on earth.
Based on reading the Gospels, one can make a case that Jesus cannot be regarded as the wisest of all men. The moral teachings of Jesus include the following pearls of wisdom: don't make any plans for the future (Mt. 6:34); don't save any money (Mt. 6:19-20); don't become wealthy (Mark 10:21,25); sell everything you have and give it to the poor (Luke 12:33); don't work to obtain food, such as meat, because it doesn't last forever (John 6:27); don't have sexual urges (Mt. 5:28); act in such a way that people will want to persecute you (Mt. 5:11); let everyone know you are special and better than the rest (Mt. 5:14-14); hate your family (Luke 14:26); if someone steals from you, don't try to get it back (Luke 6:30); if someone hits you, invite them to do it again (Mt. 5:39); if you do something wrong with your hand, cut it off, and if you do something wrong with your eye, pluck it out (Mt. 5:29-30); and if you are a man, make "points" with "the kingdom" by avoiding women and becoming a eunuch (Mt. 19:12).
In John 10:30 and Matthew 11:27, Jesus proclaimed himself identical with the Lord God of the Old Testament. This claim of Jesus to oneness with God renders him liable to censure for the acts of Jehovah. In addition to the acts already mentioned, God advised or favored deception (Ezek 14:9, Num. 14:30-34); stealing (Ex 3:21-22); selfishness (Deut. 14:21); indiscriminate slaughter (Ex. 32:27); murder (Deut. 7:21); cannibalism (Jer 19:9 et al.); slavery (Lev. 25:44-46); capital punishment for rebellious sons or for seeking false gods (Deut. 21:18-21); and animal sacrifice (Lev.1:14-15).
Many Moral Precepts in the Bible are Unacceptable
Aside from the unacceptability of the conduct of God enumerated above, the scriptural concept that human nature is intrinsically evil is an insidious doctrine. Jesus admits that humans can do good things, but we are nevertheless evil by nature (Mt. 7:11, Luke 11:3). It makes one wonder what psychological damage has been done to children who have been taught they basically are no good. Jesus also said, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch...cast them into the fire." All through history, the Church has had a literal interpretation of this verse, using it to execute heretics. It would likely be difficult to convince such victims that the Bible is a morally superior book.
Exodus 22:18, which says, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" has resulted in the murder of thousands, perhaps even millions, of women (and hundreds of men). One of the most damaging ideas in the bible is the concept of a Lord and Master. The loftiest Bible principles are obedience, submission, and faith, rather than reason, intelligence, and human values. The master/slave and God/human relationships have become so ingrained in the Jewish/Christian/Moslem world that independent thinkers are considered heretical and evil rebels. Prophets, popes, and ayatollahs have capitalized on this doctrine of abasement in order to manipulate gullible followers. Why is there merit in submission to such authority?
Most Christians talk a lot about the Bible but don't know what it says. They think it is filled with wonderful advice. Many act shocked or incredulous when skeptics quote horrible, degrading, and obviously nonsensical advisory scriptures. The scriptures should be studied in terms of scholarly critique, including their context, metaphorical examples, cultural elements, etc. Even the shining examples of the best the Bible has to offer, such as the 10 Commandments, the Beatitudes, the phrase "love thy neighbor as thyself," and the Golden Rule, can and should all be subjected to rational inquiry as to moral content and importance in being a "good" human being.
Conclusion
Using common sense and logical reasoning, it is obvious that Bible is not a strong example of a document propounding useful, effective, and reasonable morals or ethics. A good portion of it is not fit reading for children and those with a weak stomach.
How Good a Moral Guide Is The Christian Bible?: PAGES 1, 2, (3)
