Jesus and Leviticus, a tale of progressivism

[Brentos]

I've been browsing through this forum, and have seen numerous postings about the validity of Christianity or the Bible based on Jesus contradicting Levitical laws and issues of the like.

Keep in mind, of when and whom they were written form.

It may not look like it, but the Levitical laws were very, very, progressive! Yes, the followers of Moses were liberal progressives!

At first glance, the laws are harsh, "An eye for an eye" "stoning", "divorce", etc. But, if you go back and study the existing cultures of the time, each of these laws moves mankind one step closer to the left.

Example: Before "an eye for an eye", if someone wronged you for five dollars (of course I am simplifying and modernizing here), you would kill them. This law was written not so that if someone hit you in the face, you would hit them back, but if someone hit you in the face, you would do no worse then hit them back in the face. Most of these laws follow this type of progressivism, giving women better rights and protections, etc. (Not by today's standards, of course, but much better). It limited to how long slavery (indentured servitude, more like it) could last, the rights the slaves had, etc. Leviticus is a fascinating look into creating a people that stand apart and are culturally more enlightened and liberal than those around them.

If only the far right could figure this out, our world would be much better off.

(I only gave a few, simplistic versions so as not to write a novel, but I am willing to expand on points if anyone wishes).

Thank

[slackmaster]

1. What I want to know about Leviticus...

Where in the Bible are the strict dietary laws repealed?

Why do most Christians think it's OK to eat pork, shellfish, etc.?

[hippiepunk]

3. Its in the New Testament

and a blanket falls from the sky with food in it that's not Kosher and appears to Peter or someone and God said you could eat anything. I think its like that anyway.

[Igel]

10. Read a bit further.

Paul said what his response was, that the blanket-from-heaven episode was repeated, that he was confused ... and a bit later said what he concluded it meant: to call no man unclean. Until then, the church was pretty much Jewish-only.

[MemphisTiger]

4. It's in 1Corinthians 10:25-28

It talks about whatever food food is on your neighbors table it's okay to eat. Also, I think the laws were written because if you don't cook pork to a certain temp it still had bad bacteria. I guess they figured it out.

[slackmaster]

5. The problem was trichinosis

Somehow they figured out that people who cooked their pork (or didn't eat it) never got porkworms.

:puke:

[MemphisTiger]

6. And all shellfish were considered bottom feeders

or as I call a lobster, the old sea roach

[Rooktoven]

8. That's Paul, not Jesus

Paul was the one who decided Christians didn't have to be Jews. I would go so far as to maintain most mainline christianity is paulist.

[MemphisTiger]

9. Right, it was written by Paul

It depends on your beliefs if it is God inspired or God written. I think that is where most Christians see that we were freed from the dietary laws.

[atreides1]

7. Check these passages out

Acts 10:7-16
Romans 14:14-23
I Corinthians 8:1-13

[slackmaster]

11. Thanks very much - I will check them out over the weekend

I haven't cracked my Bible open for a while. I'd been wondering about that question for years.

(I am an Agnostic/Atheist but had Christian Education in my yoot.)

[99Pancakes]

2. Jesus was a Liberal

so how the far right laid stake to him stuns and amazes me every time I think about it. Go figure!