Theist #1: "Please do not be one of those that takes the entire Bible literally!"
Why does it seem logical to take the straight-forward verses as trivial or symbolic, while taking the truly unbelievable claims of divinity and miracles as fact?
Theist #2: "Can the Bible be interpreted?"
Unfortunately, people interpret anything they want any way they want. Even when they consider something to be the "Word of God" they take it upon themselves to interpret the passages as they please, even the straight forward ones such as this. If you don't agree with something then just interpret it differently or ignore it all together. Then just hope God follows your lead in the end and doesn't take offense at you being so bold as to say you know what God wants better than he does.
Theist #3: "Deuteronomy is in the Old Testament (Old Covenant)"
The term "Covenant," whether old or new, does not refer to the laws set aside by God or his Earth bound authorities. Covenant, both old and new, refers to the promise by God to mankind to accept them into the afterlife under certain circumstances. The old simply stated they would be judged accordingly. The new stated they would be given a second chance if they believe in Christ. The issue is whether or not Christ supported Old Testament law. He does. Multiple times in the New Testament he supports Old Testament laws as described in Deuteronomy. If Jesus was meant to do away with Old Testament laws then he would have said so, or at least replaced specific portions of the old law with new ones that were more appealing. He does not. The only reason these laws do not appear in the New Testament is because they were already recorded in the Old. No reason to reinstate the same laws when Jesus already said...
"For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 5:18-20
And no, this passage does not refer only to the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were only the most well known of the many laws God gave to Moses. Separating the Commandments from the laws in Deuteronomy is an old trick to make it seem like there was a difference between the two. Reinstating the laws of the Old Testament fully would be redundant after Jesus said this. He supports old testament law from beginning to end. Even the ones about eating pork, owning slaves, selling daughters to slavery, and the wholesale genocide of all non believers. To pick and choose when the law has been fully endorsed by the one man Christians believe to be "the light" and "the way" is to say that you know better than God himself. Modern American Christians like to think of their God being the best representative of morality and forgiveness and mercy ever, and consider the Islamic faith to be one of the most violent and inhumane religions ever. Yet the two books (Bible and Koran) as well as their two Gods (Yahweh and Allah) are far more similar than many would like to admit. Those Christians who do not support slavery, especially sexual slavery; who do not support genocide... These people are "Good Christians" but they are far from "Proper Christians."
If you disagree with the tenets of a faith, then why claim to be a member of that faith system? Obviously, you have already forged your own version of morality from your knowledge and life experience... Why not be honest with yourself and preach what you already practice... Whether God exists or not, whether he is the Christian God or not, whether the Bible is his word or not, You know what is morally right in today's society far better than he does
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