Why do Christians care so much about the Ten Commandments?

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's worth noting that Early Christians thought you had to follow the Jewish Law as well, and Christianity didn't take off until Paul had his "vision" that CANXED the Law.

The decision against the Mosaic Law, while the outcome was championed by Paul, was made by James, the brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem Church. So it wasn't Paul that did so unilaterally as some try to say:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Jerusalem

And Peter, one of the 12 Apostles, was on the side of Paul:

Acts 15:7-11 (NIV 2011)
"7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”"

[EPW]

Wait, Jesus has a brother now?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Is this somehow controversial (to non-Catholics)? Half-brother.

[EPW]

Half-Brother? So either Joseph cheated on Mary or Joseph knocked her up after she gave birth to the son of god? No, I don't see how this could be controversial at all.

[SlowwHand]

From 1-4. James was a half-brother. Son of Mary and Joseph. Joses, Simon, and Judas—are mentioned as the brothers of Jesus. (See Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3.)

http://www.bibleinfo.com/en/content/did-jesus-have-any-brothers-andor-sisters

[EPW]

Of course, I have to admit, this is small potatoes compared to the whole God raping Mary thing.

[Aeson]

17"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

I'm not sure on how every Christian sect interprets this, but isn't it the atonement (Crucifixion, or in the LDS case Gethsemane) which fulfills the law of Moses? At this point in the timeline it hadn't happened yet, the law of Moses was still in effect.

[Robert]

Annnnnnnd he didn't sotne the adulterous women. Hmmm...

How does that contradict with what I said?
Jesus forgave her.
He carried her sin and forgave her.

Half-Brother? So either Joseph cheated on Mary or Joseph knocked her up after she gave birth to the son of god? No, I don't see how this could be controversial at all.

Why would it be controversial if Joseph and Mary got kids after Jesus?
Only for catholics who believe that Mary remained a virgin for the rest of her life, which is just based on an early wrong latin translation of the bible, which was later even corrected in the Vulgate.

I'm not sure on how every Christian sect interprets this, but isn't it the atonement (Crucifixion, or in the LDS case Gethsemane) which fulfills the law of Moses? At this point in the timeline it hadn't happened yet, the law of Moses was still in effect.

True indeed.
While Jesus was speaking the new covenant wasn't in place yet.

[Lonestar]

Wait, Jesus has a brother now?

[EPW]

Why would it be controversial if Joseph and Mary got kids after Jesus?

Because God knew her? How is this a small thing?

Only for catholics who believe that Mary remained a virgin for the rest of her life, which is just based on an early wrong latin translation of the bible, which was later even corrected in the Vulgate.

I love how you can dismiss huge swaths of the Christian world out of hand.

[Nikolai]

It's worth noting that Early Christians thought you had to follow the Jewish Law as well, and Christianity didn't take off until Paul had his "vision" that CANXED the Law.

Paul never had this vision, you're thinking of Peter. And as a Christian, I believe everything in the Bible stands there for a reason. So that vision was real enough.

[Nikolai]

Annnnnnnd he didn't sotne the adulterous women. Hmmm...

He is God, he told the men that the one without any sin would start the stoning. As God and as the only fully righeous man that has ever lived, he had the authority and knowledge to do this. He was without sin, he could have cast the first stone. But he is good and merciful and instead chose to take the punishment on himself for this and all other sins.

[Nikolai]

Wait, Jesus has a brother now?

Yes. This is well known. Mary was a virgin when she got Jesus. The Bible says nothing about her being a virgin for the rest of her life. And even if she was, Joseph was most probably much older than she was when Jesus was born(girls married at age 14 or so at that time, often to a much older man), so he could very well have had other kids from an earlier marriage. Women died in childbirth quite often back then.

[molly bloom]

Aren't they part of the covenant that the Israelites are said to have made with God? Why do Christians think it's important for them to follow it?

Well, supoosedly because this bloke Jesus said:

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."
Matthew 5:17

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
Matthew 7:12

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, " 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind'. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself'. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Matthew 22:36-40

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."
Luke 24:44

The King James Bible. So the continuity with Mosaic law seems fairly clear there....

[molly bloom]

Seriously, though, what's with the Trinity? And for the Catholics, what's with the veneration of Mary and the Saints? You pray to Mary and the Saints to relay the message to Jesus who relays it to (but also is) God?

What kind of convoluted mess is that? Why can't you pray directly to God and get rid of all the pagan nonsense?

Yeah, like Muslims completely expunged any pagan elements from Islam. Except for that Kaaba of course. Much like the Christian church erecting buildings on previously pagan sites of worship or pilgrimage...

Now some Muslims also revere Muslim pirs (saints) don't they ?

And then there are those imams and relatives of the Prophet revered by Shiites... And of course Maryam is considered quite special in Islam too...