How can women accept what is written in the bible?

[Kayugaduck]

I am making a concerted effort to read the bible (my dd has been given a good copy as a primary school leaver's present.) I can't believe what I'm reading. Starting from the beginning, Genesis. Talk of son after son being born, talk of women being punished for ever more by having pain in labour. I mean, come on! There is even the rape of Dinah.

I am horrified and shocked at what I'm reading and deeply disturbed.

Why is there no mention of the dinosaurs? It all sounds so cruel, farfetched and untrue. How are we supposed to believe in this?

I do feel spiritual however and am in awe of Life, nature etc but disagree that man should rule over all other lifeforms. Or that man should rule over his wife!

[questioneverything]

LOL - these things tend to turn nasty.

It was more of a statement.

[oneopinionatedmother]

when reading the bible, you can read it as 1) a history of the Hebrews
2)the law of the time
3)the life of Jesus

in which case it is not more bloody than many other histories, more unfair than many other codes of law or contradictory than other notable persons life.

reading early English history is quite an eye-opener too.

or you can take your personal questions to it, or just read it for the more poetic sections.

i find it easier to read from an atheist perspective, as it presents no challenge to my belief.

[ZZZenAgain]

Kayuga, how are you going with it? I just wanted to add that you are of course RIGHT to be shocked and angered at some of the things you have read in the Bible. You are supposed to engage with it, both emotionally and intellectually and through that eventually perhaps spiritually. It is not a storybook.

For me personally the fact that when the Jews wrote their books, they chose not to leave out all the unpalatable bits, presumably in many cases as clearly so to them as to us today, speaks truth in what they wrote. I think it likely they selected well educated men, well versed in religious life to do this task and not just a couple of good for nothing layabouts hanging about with nothing better to do. These writers would have noticed inconsistencies and text that showed their ancestors in a bad light, yet they did not leave those bits out. So why not? Think about it, why leave that stuff in?

I said on your other thread that the thoughts you have occured to others before you. Why not read what some wise knowledgable biblical scholars have written on it? I tried to find an excellent commentary online (which I once read) but cannot find it for some reason.

Have a look online at J. Paterson-Smyth (How God Inspired the Bible) if you like. This book was published in 1892 when a lot of people were struggling with similar thoughts to you. This book addresses those questioning minds who felt they could no longer trust a faith grounded in a Bible they could not trust/like. Have a look at his chapters on morality in the Old Testament as a stumbling block to faith which I think explains what I tried to say but he says it better - God's progressive teaching of morality - chapter V, although the whole book is worth a read:
OT Morality

He stumbles as much on reading the kind of texts you mention as you did, wondering how a loving God could be said for example to want the dc of his chosen people's enemies dashed against rocks etc etc. He was a priest though so he has the clear faith regardless. See if you like it.

[ZZZenAgain]

of course there are loads of more modern books on the same topic but I think sometimes they simplify things down so much that you feel at the end you have not really read anything of substance (just my old fogey view).

I suppose I had better say too that there is a bit of a divide in Christianity between those who propound a literal reading of the Bible and others. I don't want to disparage the former because those Christians I know who read the Bible that way have a very good knowledge of the world in which the Bible was written and the world of the ancient Hebrews and are not simplistic in their approach. They do generally seem to know their stuff.

I read the Bible more like Paterson-Smyth does personally.

[lunavix]

FAQ - can you get daily notes anywhere online? I don't have any shop like that nearby...

[lunavix]

and flatcap - what are the names of those guides? Thanks!

[BrokkenHarted]

I have to agree with questioneverything.

I was not a feminist but i was well....... a woman that may as well have been a bloke.

I am now embracing my womanhood and enjoying every second.

I accept labour pains etc because what i get afterwards is better than nearly everything we experience in this world. A man will never have the same experience as we mothers do and i thank God for my experience giving birth to my son.

[questioneverything]

someone actually agrees with me!

Praise God that you have found joy in your role as a woman and a mother. I think coming to terms with the fact that you only have to be a woman and not a woman and a man at the same time is quite freeing.

Its always good to let go of burdens that the we or society have put on us.

In Jesus.

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

Crikey mikey.

[sherby]

You are supposed to cherry pick the bits you like and ignore the rest

wait till you get to the riveting story of Job lol

[Mouette]

The Bible is a collection of texts written at various periods by various people, who lived in a patriarchal society, this is reflected in some of the texts. The Bible was
NEVER intended to be read literally. Genesis is a myth, a creation story, not a historical account. I recommed reading Karen Armstrong's excellent book "The Bible: the biography" to get some perspective and historical context. I would also very strongly recommend reading the Gospels - you will see that Jesus treated women equally to men and respected them.

[TheDMshouldbeRivened]

they had slavery n incest n stuff in ye olden days.
Now Pauls stuff makes me

[questioneverything]

Jesus did not come to impose a kingdom from the outside. He came to make a kingdom come from the inside out.

Yes there was slavery - and there still is today. I don't see any protests about that..as long as you still get your cheap primark shoes.

Jesus dealt with issues of the heart, that would hopefully manifest in the actions.

If you read the letter of paul to Philemon, this is a letter sent to the owner of a slave that had run away, both the slave and the slave owner believed in Jesus. The letter tells the slave owner not to treat him as a slave but as a brother. Eventually I believe he would have given him his freedom.

Jesus came into a imperfect world hoping to lead us to repentance and to love God and our neighbour as ourselves. When this love is truly in action many wrong things are made right.

The Jews wanted the messiah to come and get rid of Roman rule and oppression. What they did not realise is that first he must come as the suffering servant, and then a second time as the conquering king.

First he came to die and win your love, second time he will come to judge.

In Jesus

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

There are plenty of protests about slavery/exploitation.

Many people do not buy cheap goods/from certain places due to concerns such as this.

The idea that empathy morality etc are the sole concern of active christians is an attitude i find depressing. Or should I say, not very christian.