The bible is depressing

[icouch]

Whenever I pick up the bible to read it, I always find myself walking awaysomewhat depressed, because I feel there is no real authenticity or reliability behind it. I’ve been looking into the christian faith for a few days now (after ditching my faith for about a year). I read the bible and feel it’s unreliable and full of holes. Here’s a few I have questions about:

1 Thessalonians 4:1-
It states we should make it our amibition to live quiet lives, to make it so we need not rely on anyone but God, and so that others will respect us. This seems anti-social and

2 Corinthians 6:14-
States that we should not be “yoked with unbelievers”. The passage proceeds to state that we should remain clean by staying away from unbelievers. This suggests that we can’t be friends with or marry anyone who is not Catholic???

That and the old testament generally seems to be filled with countless acts of rape, murder, and the “wrath” of God. Who exactly wrote the Old Testament and why is it so radically different from the New Testament?

 

[Reepicheep]

icouch:
“Living quiet lives” does not mean being isolated or lacking friends. “Quiet” in this context means “peaceful”.

The passage from Corinthians seems to me to warn us against marrying someone whose religion is in opposition to ours. That has nothing to do with forbidding us to be friends with non-Catholics, or for that matter with non-Christians.
(My own best friend is an atheist. I find no reason, in this passage or any other, to end the friendship.)

 

[icouch]

The Corinthians verse clearly states: “What do righteousness and wickness have in common?..What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” Is the Bible not meant to be taken literally? Or if it is, how can one tell when and where?

 

[Mintaka]

First, it’s important to read passages in context. Where did this argument come from? Where is it going? What’s the point of the rest of the chapter, or even the whole book?

Second, it’s important to understand the passage’s “tone of voice” – its tactics of rhetoric and figures of speech.

Third, it helps a lot to find out what the Church has thought about a passage through the ages – and how that passage is seen as relating to other passages.

The passage you’re talking about uses very strong rhetoric, because the guy is trying not to weaken his point by noting all the exceptions to it. In other places, you see the guy take a gentler tone.

When you read the context of Paul’s life, you see that in fact, he was always bringing Christianity to people outside Christianity, and was totally unafraid of interacting with non-Christians. But here, he was talking to people who were spending a little too much time worrying about what non-believers thought and much too little time worrying about what God thought. So he addressed their problem. When he was talking to people who were too insular – like, say, in Acts, when he was arguing that Gentiles should be able to become Christian without being circumcised or eating kosher – he took the opposite tack.

(You will find that the Bible has plenty of passages which offer “conflicting” advice, mostly because people tend to wander off the straight and narrow in diametrically opposite directions. So fasting is good for complacent people who’ve never gone to bed hungry, but bad for the anorexic who’s proud to set new fasting records. And so on.)

So yeah, Paul sounds a little antisocial here. But next minute, he’s telling you all about how “love is patient, love is kind”, and telling husbands to love their wives like they’re willing to die for 'em on the cross. So you have to look at the whole picture.

 

[Mintaka]

If you want to read the Bible and not feel depressed, here’s my advice.

1. Pray to the Holy Spirit before you read. Ask Him to help you understand what you read, and give you wisdom – and ask for a word of encouragement, if you like. Heck, pray to the Father and the Son, too. If you’re not sure if you believe, ask God to help you learn the truth.
2. Don’t go looking for depressing parts. The Bible has sad parts and happy parts, hard parts and easy parts – and honestly, it looks like you’re getting stuck on all the parts you don’t like. If you approach anything with a negative attitude, you’re bound to find fault with it. Same thing with the Bible.
3. Figure out if you’re troubled because these things are depressing, or because they are demanding and disturbing. Usually, when I read the Bible, I find some verse that suggests something in my life that I need to work on. Sometimes it’s not a very pleasant realization.

 

[Nan_S]

the old testament generally seems to be filled with countless acts of rape, murder, and the “wrath” of God. Who exactly wrote the Old Testament and why is it so radically different from the New Testament?

The Old Testament is the history of a people struggling with violent neighbors to establish themselves as a nation, and struggling with themselves as they learned to trust God instead of human whimsy. It was written by historians who wanted to record what had happened that was good and bad, and the lessons they learned from it. It was also written by prophets who wanted to show the people the error of their ways, the way to live, and the hope of their reward for following the right way to live.

The New Testament is the story of one man, an itinerant preacher who traveled in a small area and taught for only three years, and changed the entire course of human history.

The New Testament is full of love, hope, and joy.

Jn 15:7-17 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another.

Rev 21:1-7 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.

Keep reading your bible and you’ll find plenty good in it. You might also look for a bible with scripture references that give help in times of trouble (the Gideon bible comes to mind), and include page inserts with inspirational stories. There are very good Catholic mens’ and women’s devotional bibles.

Nan

 

[Liberian]

icouch,

Hello and welcome to the Catholic Answers Forums. I hope you have a blessed and fruitful time here.

Let me encourage you in the examination of your faith. And I would not worry too much that you feel that the Bible has no authenticity or reliability; its authenticity is independent of how you feel about it.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Bible, when properly interpreted, is without error. The kicker is that condition of its being properly interpreted, and correct interpretation is frequently a matter of tradition. The line about being unequally yoked with unbelievers refers to marriage; that has pretty much always been the Christian understanding. And I’m not sure how you get “live so you need not rely on anyone but God” from I Thessalonians 4:1; possibly I’m just not reading far enough. I do know that there’s a verse in there about how somebody who is too holy to work is also too holy to eat; this is an exhortation against laziness and being a drone.

The Old Testament has a lot of history, and history has a lot of murder, rape, and warfare. That’s just the way life is. The “Pax Americana” of the last half-century is quite unusual in the history of the world. Yes, a lot of it is depressing; but if the Bible were all sweetness and light, it would be attacked as being irrelevant to real life.

The Old Testament was written by a few dozen different authors. While it has some serious differences in style from the New Testament, there is also quite a bit in common. A lot of the Mosaic Law, for example, sets forth in detail how one is supposed to act to 'love one’s neighbor." And there are warnings of fire and brimstone in the New Testament.

I hope this helps. Keep pressing and in the end you will not be disappointed.

• Liberian

 

[water]

First, it’s important to read passages in context. Where did this argument come from? Where is it going? What’s the point of the rest of the chapter, or even the whole book?

Second, it’s important to understand the passage’s “tone of voice” – its tactics of rhetoric and figures of speech.

Third, it helps a lot to find out what the Church has thought about a passage through the ages – and how that passage is seen as relating to other passages.

Yes, and I also suggest to buy some Bible Study guide. It is very helpful for all of us.

 

[icouch]

sorry to dig this thread up, I haven’t had a chance to respond in a while. I am looking into several bible study classes at my college.

Liberian:
An exact quote from 1 Thessalonians 4:12-
“so that your daily life might win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” A little scary?

So the Old Testament was written by a bunch of divinly inspired authors throughout the century. Did these authors translate verbatim the word of God, or did they use their authoring skills to write stories with varying degrees of funamentalist/fire-and-brimstone elements to really grab the reader and emphiasize a point? (Such as God testing Abraham by having him sacrifice his son). Does anyone know a good, definitive book on the writing of the Bible?

 

[lak611]

sorry to dig this thread up, I haven’t had a chance to respond in a while. I am looking into several bible study classes at my college.

Liberian:
An exact quote from 1 Thessalonians 4:12-
“so that your daily life might win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” A little scary?

So the Old Testament was written by a bunch of divinly inspired authors throughout the century. Did these authors translate verbatim the word of God, or did they use their authoring skills to write stories with varying degrees of funamentalist/fire-and-brimstone elements to really grab the reader and emphiasize a point? (Such as God testing Abraham by having him sacrifice his son). Does anyone know a good, definitive book on the writing of the Bible?

Here’s something from Jimmy Akin that helps explain some of the hard things in the Old Testament. jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2007/02/hard_sayings_of.html

 

[icouch]

I found myself reading through and analyzing Jimmy’s first scenario: that what was in the Old Testament did actually happen. I found myself becoming very unconvinced and beginning to doubt my Christian faith because his explanations and rationals are so contradictory. I read through that and realized it was a test of faith for me to read the entire article. I very much dislike the scenario that it could’ve happened. The ending of the article was much better.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

Whenever I pick up the bible to read it, I always find myself walking awaysomewhat depressed, because I feel there is no real authenticity or reliability behind it. I’ve been looking into the christian faith for a few days now (after ditching my faith for about a year). I read the bible and feel it’s unreliable and full of holes. Here’s a few I have questions about:

1 Thess 4:1-
It states we should make it our amibition to live quiet lives, to make it so we need not rely on anyone but God, and so that others will respect us. This seems anti-social and

2 Cor 6:14-
States that we should not be “yoked with unbelievers”. The passage proceeds to state that we should remain clean by staying away from unbelievers. This suggests that we can’t be friends with or marry anyone who is not Catholic???

That and the O.T. generally seems to be filled with countless acts of rape, murder, and the “wrath” of God. Who exactly wrote the O.T. and why is it so radically different from the N.T.?

icouch:

1st - Faith isn’t based on feelings, and shouldn’t be. it doesn’t matter how we feel - What matters is how we walk. So, Please don’t worry about whether or not your faith feels “Authentic” - Just “Call on the Name of the Lord”.

I can see how you could have found what you saw. Since you were feeling depressed already, it would make it even easier to see it. It just isn’t what St. Paul meant.

What you got out of 1 Thess 4:1-12 is one reason we have a Church and a Book and not just a Book, and one reason no one should STUDY the Bible on their own but as part of a group.

I’ll let The Message correct the misunderstanding, as it’s closer to what St. Paul actually meant…

1 Thess 4:1-12 The Message:

You’re God-Taught

*One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life.

Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.

Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God.

Don’t run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God’s concerns, and he will take care of them. We’ve warned you about this before. God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside.

If you disregard this advice, you’re not offending your neighbors; you’re rejecting God, who is making you a gift of his Holy Spirit.

Regarding life together and getting along with each other, you don’t need me to tell you what to do. You’re God-taught in these matters. Just love one another! You’re already good at it; your friends all over the province of Macedonia are the evidence. Keep it up; get better and better at it.

Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends.*

I’m sure you can see the difference between trying to be a source of calm and not being gossips and sponges on the one hand and being so quiet no one notices you and never allowing anyone to help you on the other. And, The second isn’t supported by Scripture at all - Just look at the Apostles!

2 Cor 6:14-18 - NO, Paul didn’t say to not be friends with non-Christians or non-Catholics. How else would unbelievers see the Gospel being lived if they didn’t have Christian friends and co-Workers??

But, friendship or even a business partnership are both completely different from MARRIAGE. Because neither one of those are Sacraments, and neither one of those exists for the creation of life and the raising of children.

If you look at the life of Solomon, he started out as a very holy and righteous man, but fell away from God because of the gods of his wives and their influence on him.

NO Catholic leader will tell a anyone to leave an unbelieving spouse when he or she converts, or suggest that he or she remarry if that spouse leaves.

But, If you are single, it is best to be looking at women who will confirm your faith, and whose faith you will confirm so that you can aid each other in obtaining the Paradise that’s been promised.

I hope you’ll see the reason for what St. Paul said in this Scripture.

Regarding the Old Testament:

HELL’S BEST KEPT SECRET
livingwaters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=315 (Click - Listen to it online)

The Old Testament is God’s Way of making sure we KNOW why we NEED Christ and his mercy and grace, because it so accurately describes our fallen sinful natures.

Nothing any of us here says is going to help as much as you finding a Bible Study and a Prayer Group and other people who are struggling with and overcoming issues as heavy duty as the ones you’re dealing with.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[runandsew]

try listening to the audio series by Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavins “our fathers plan”
MP3 format

Scott covers the fact that God is our loving father, and the meaning of the covenant, and then goes thru the bible in detail, covering the “evils” of the old testament, and tells the salvation history story line.
He covers all the covenants God made with man.

After listening to this series, I was quite the opposite of depressed, I was excited to be a part of God’s salvation plan. And knowing that he is my loving father in heaven is quite uplifting.

the order the series goes in is:
Reading Through The Bible
History Of Early World
Patriarchs
Israel In Egypt
Conquest Of Canaan
Judges
United Kingdom
The Exile
Gospels 1
Gospels 2
Acts I
Acts 2