Holy? Book (Part I - Old and New Testaments)

I was watching a special on TV yesterday that covered how religion has played a major role in almost every war in the last 2000 years. Towards the end of the show, they had on people of faith explaining how their religion does not encourage violence and how those people who commit violent acts in the name of their religion are nothing but rouge cells. So I started thinking about what the Holy Books truly say about violence and other evil deeds.

As righteous as prophets were portrayed, their books were not even close in many areas, slavery for example. The Bible describes slavery as a normal act (as it was at the time) in passages like

" However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. " (Leviticus 25:44)

Not to mention one's like this

"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. " (Exodus 21:2)

Or this

"Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them." (1 Timothy 6:1)

And then the Bible moves to bigger and better things such as Murder like in this beautifully written passage

"Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel." (Deuteronomy 17:12)

Or killing witches

"You should not let a sorceress live." (Exodus 22:17)

Or killing homosexuals

"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13)

Or killing fortune tellers

"A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death." (Leviticus 20:27)

Or killing those who cursed their parents

"All who curse their father or mother must be put to death. They are guilty of a capital offense." (Leviticus 20:9)

And to top things off, apparently God encourages rape

"17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man." (Numbers 31:17-18)


So the next time you would like to argue the sanctity of the Bible, please do your homework first.