All or nothing

I get irritated when people quote the bible to prove an (often political) point, especially the conservative ones. The way I look at it, either we adhere to EVERTHING in the bible, or we use it as a guideline to living a good life. Basically, we adhere to the golden rule, and live our lives making wise, compassionate choices that suit us and harm no one.

Here's an example of what I mean:

"A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed."
Deuteronomy 22:13-21

There are other passages that refer to selling daughters into slavery, sacrificing sons, and not approaching the alter of God if there are faults...such as baldness, faulty eyes, being "unclean"....ya get the picture.

When I asked my minister years ago about dinosaurs, which Dustin was very into at the time. She sighed and told me that the bible was a story...told and retold over the years. Basically telling me not to be so literal. (Hard one for me, but okay....I can do that.) What gets me is what I mentioned above. Those who take it literally...but only the sections that appeal to them. Ya can't pick and choose. It's all or nothing. Unless you like the "guideline" idea. Which I do.