P
Picky_Picky
Guest
You don’t think the stories of powerful men dominating numbers of women are because at the time the stories were first told powerful men did dominate numbers of women?I’m going to quote Dei Verbum, Vatican II: “…the books of scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation.”
Think about that for a second. Now answer this question: Are stories in the Old Testament that talk about men taking 2nd wives or 1,000 concubines “that truth which God wanted put into sacred writing for the sake of salvation”? Can you tell me how taking multiple wives is “for the sake of salvation”? I don’t think you can. So, although this stuff–and much more–is part of a revealed book, I think you need to look beyond the literal meaning for “truth.” You’d have to look at specific cases for specific answers, but I would suggest that the “truth” might be something like this: God wants you to have children. God is going to look after you. God’s motives/actions are sometimes beyond your understanding. Certainly I would look with great suspicion on anyone who suggested that the “truth” was that you should have more than one wife or that you should cheat on your wife.