Saturday, March 23, 2013

An exercise for the reader

The Bible is the basis for morality, but in the Bible such heroes as David had many wives. Thus, his affair with Bathsheba was adultery not because he was married (he could have added her to his harem), but because she was married. This was someone who was called "a man after God's own heart." But if so, should we do likewise? Try advocating that in your church. 

What principles should be used to resolve this problem?

15 comments:

Unknown said...

Morality is not based on the bible.

unkleE said...

Paul said we live in the age of the Spirit, no longer in the age of written rules (2 Cor 3:6, Rom 7:6) so to look for rules is not going to be the answer. We need to look to the Spirit.

The NT also teaches that we best discern the Spirit collectively (Col 3:15-16, 1 Cor 14:29). So I think the relevant principles are not so much hermeneutic, but spiritual. Pray together and ask the Spirit to guide us into the correct understanding.

Walter said...

I can't afford multiple wives, so for myself the problem is solved by economic and legal principles.

Anonymous said...

"we best discern the Spirit collectively"

Sounds like moral relativism to me. Morality is relative to time, place, and culture. Whatever your current society decides is right and wrong.

Son of Ya'Kov said...

The Apostolic Tradition of the Holy Church teach us that under the New Covenant there can be no more polygamy and a married man who has sex with an un-married women goes from the sin of fornication under the OT to the sin of Adultery under the NT.

It's not hard.

BeingItself said...

"The Apostolic Tradition of the Holy Church teach us that under the New Covenant there can be no more polygamy"

LOL!

oozzielionel said...

One of the strengths of the Bible is heros with warts and all. The record is not sugar coated. David was not commended for having many wives. He was even denied the right to build the temple because of his shortcomings. David's marriages are not examples to follow. The Bathsheba account is filled with examples to avoid.

There is only one Person in the Bible who avoided sin.

Anonymous said...

A good place to start would be here: http://triablogue.blogspot.com/search?q=Polygamy

Anonymous said...


Pseudo-Augustine,

The fact is that the bible does not condemn the practice. That is left to modern society to decide, the same as homosexuality, slavery, or stoning.

Anonymous said...

Fact is you don't know what you are talking about.

Anonymous said...

"Fact is you don't know what you are talking about."

You can find biblical verses that can be construed to support almost position. But I don't know of any that says polygamy is wrong. On the other hand, there are many examples of polygamy in the bible that are seen as perfectly acceptable, just like slavery. So if you think I'm wrong on this, show me the verse.

Anonymous said...

almost any position

Son of Ya'Kov said...

>almost any position

You have just illustrated the reason why myself and my fellow Catholics reject perspicuity and private interpretation.

BeingItself said...

"You have just illustrated the reason why myself and my fellow Catholics reject perspicuity and private interpretation."

Translation: I cannot think for myself, so I just believe whatever an arbitrary gaggle of old men tell me to believe. It's not hard.

Son of Ya'Kov said...

>Translation: I cannot think for myself, so I just believe whatever an arbitrary gaggle of old men tell me to believe. It's not hard.

Better Translation: NO FAIR!!!! NO FAIR!!! (stomps feet) YOUR NOT A FUNDAMENTALIST PROTESTANT!!! Now excuse me while I check to see what Dawkins or Meyers has to say so I can respond! But not Nagel he is a heretic against non-belief!
Persecute the heretic Nagel!!!!!!


PS Really BI would you bleed to death from a brain aneurysm if you actually tried to learn some philosophy beyond the brain dead later day positivism you mindlessly spout from the other Gnus?