It in no way changes the fact that verses just as barbaric as the koran exist in your bible. You may interpret your bible differently than others, just as many Muslim's most certainly interpret their Koran in a much less hostile way than you do. That doesn't change the fact that barbaric verses exist in both and who are you to judge and call every adherent to that religion "uncivilized" as a result? I'll take your nonanswer as an affirmative, you agree that there are verses just as appalling in your bible as the Koran, you're just saying we should ignore yours and exclude Muslims because of theirs. Got it
It is not a question of interpretation, because the teaching needs none. When Christ says "love your enemies, do good to them", no interpretation is needed to know that this nullifies anything to the contrary. Likewise, Moses himself by whom the laws were given that you rail against, says to listen to Christ and not to him (post #82) And you say?
You in no way answered my questions about if we should judge a human on that human's actual beliefs and practices, not the barbaric things that are written in their holy book or practiced by the most extreme members of their religion? The stereotyping you are doing is most emphatically NOT what your Jesus would do. In fact, I kind of wish the whole thing was true so I could see people like you get the big boot into hell for the evil you're propagating on others in the name of your religion. How can you fail to see how much the Jesus that you quote in this very thread would hate your actions of advocating for splitting up families simply because they are Muslim, denying travel to the U.S. for medical treatment that would save a baby's life simply because they are Muslim, allowing refugees to escape threats against their lives (in many cases because they're not considered good enough Muslims) just because they're Muslims. You call that "turning the other cheek"!
Who says I advocate for splitting up families, or denying medical treatment? You do not know Jesus. Had you known Him, you would not judge me unfairly, because you would have taken to heart his instruction to not judge your neighbor. Did you know that many churches are caring for the weakest among the refugees as we speak in the name of Jesus? Or do you choose to ignore that?
I'm guessing you're saying the pure evil that your god does in the old testament is all OK because the "New Covenant" is better/superior to the old? So you admit that the god you worship once did horrible, barbaric, and under all current moral standards evil things, but he's still not only OK but perfect, cause we're under a new contract? I understand, you don't want to see the absurdity in that so you wave your hands around with a bunch of this "new covenant" mumbo jumbo and try to ignore it in hopes it will go away. It's your prerogative to remain ignorant. But again, as Jesus said, "You hypocrite!" Don't go around calling someone "uncivilized" because you cherry picked a verse from their holy book no more crazy than many in yours.
The law of Moses was given at a time as a condescension to man, who was for all intents and purposes, barbaric. Mankind was not ready, some 3,700 years ago, to receive the teaching of Christ. So God put up with man's lack of wisdom and readiness by providing a way of life for His people that would minimize their self-inflicted damage. For example, when someone gouged the eye of another, the law taught that it was "an eye for an eye" so that the whole village would
not descend into chaos and death,
as it was then prone to. It was a concession to man's base nature, because man was not ready yet for the truth of God's revelation in Christ. God the Father's true nature is revealed
fully and finally in Jesus Christ. When He says "You have heard "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth", but
I say, love your enemies...", that is the voice of God speaking. No one else reveals God as Christ does: whoever has seen Christ has seen God. So when you see Him not stoning the adulterous woman, you see who God really is. When you see Him forgiving Zacchaeus the tax collector, you see who God really is. When you see Him receiving worship from the former prostitute, you see who God really is.
But on the other hand, when you see Muhammad commanding muslims to kill in the name of Allah, you are not seeing the face of God.