Mystic Dreamer:
The below is from Leviticus (Moses). Does it make sense? Does it seem like it should apply today? If you read the rest of Levitcus, you'll find that the below type of language doesn't stand alone. It just doesn't make sense.
If a person is sincere in heart when it comes to coming closer to God, I don't believe that they have to allow fear of damnation to force them to believe scripture such as the below. Afterall, can't God see within our hearts?
Also consider how translation issues and political/control issues came into play, when chapters for the Bible were chosen.
Chapter 12
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: If a woman having received seed shall bear a man child, she shall be unclean seven days, according to the days of the separation of her flowers.
3 And on the eighth day the infant shall be circumcised:
4 But she shall remain three and thirty days in the blood of her purification. She shall touch no holy thing, neither shall she enter into the sanctuary, until tile days of her purification be fulfilled.
5 But if she shall bear a maid child, she shall be unclean two weeks, according to the custom of her monthly courses, and she shall remain in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.
6 And when the days of her purification are expired, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, a lamb of a year old for a holocaust, and a young pigeon or a turtle for sin, and shall deliver them to the priest:
7 Who shall offer them before the Lord, and shall pray for her, and so she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that beareth a man child or a maid child.
8 And if her hand find not sufficiency, and she is not able to offer a lamb, she shall take two turtles, or two young pigeons, one for a holocaust, and another for sin: and the priest shall pray for her, and so she shall be cleansed.
http://www.theworkofgod.org/Bible/OldTestm/Levitics.htmQuote:This is something that I don't understand...I guess it was of those contradictions of the Bible that have always bugged me.
On one hand it is said that one needs to be baptised before they can enter in Heaven.....babies and all. Yet, I am sure that the Bible also says somewhere that children are automatically sent to Heaven, as the children of God....they can know no sin.
Can someone straighten me out on this?