Bible on Hindus?

Hindi version: बाइबिल-हिन्दुओं-पर

All religious scriptures have shortcomings. The Lord Shiva and Lord God are portrait as angry Gods, thought there may be justifications provided by believers. The Abrahamic (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) scriptures have spent good deal of efforts criticizing others’ (and each other’s) belief systems.

Actually for an interfaith couple, it is not what is stated in an individual’s scripture that is important, but what an individual has learned from it, that is most critical.

The word “India” has been quoted twice, but there is no mention of the word “Hindu” in the Bible. Here, select Biblical verses are quoted in 12 Parts that a Christian-Hindu or Jew-Hindu couple should be interested in knowing. By discussing these together, it will help you understand what it means to your planned married life.

Part I: An Angry and Jealous God

The Abrahamic God is described as a “Jealous God” 31 times, as an “Angry God” 238 times and the word “fear” is used 455 times in the Bible. Many of these citations are by the God Himself. The Koran also has many stern warnings for unbelievers. Two different viewpoints on the Jealous God concept are presented at “A Jealous and Angry God.”

II: Bible on the “Other Gods”

Similar to Hinduism, the Bible teaches that there is absolutely only one God or ultimate reality. However, the Bible has stern warnings for those who believe in “other gods.” If so, are Lord Krishna, Rama, Ganesh, Goddess Laxmi, and many other forms of the God as described in the Hindu scriptures, other gods?

Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. (Genesis 35:2)

You shall have no other gods before Me (God). You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me. (Exodus 20:3-5) [The Ten Commandments]

He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed. (Exodus 22:20)

And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth. (Exodus 23:13)

You shall make no covenant with them (unbelievers), nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. (Exodus 23:32-33)

Who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded …. then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones. (Deuteronomy 3, 5.)

Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. (Deuteronomy 8:19)

And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. (Deuteronomy 12:3)

When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you. (Joshua 23:16)

With whom the LORD had made a covenant and charged them, saying: “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. (King II 17:35-36)

Or the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. (Psalms 96:4-5)

And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath. (Isaiah 45:21-23)

I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. (Jeremiah 1:16)

Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me (God) to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you. (Jeremiah 25:6)

And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor with fire. (Joshua 11:11)

And lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them. (Joshua 23:7)

When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you. (Joshua 23:16)

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good. (Joshua 24:20)

And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. (Judges 2:12)

But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land. (II Cronicles 7:19-20)
Because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched. (II Chronicles 34: 25)

There shall be no foreign god among you, nor shall you worship any foreign god. (Psalms 81:9)

Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord. Psalms 86:8

I am the LORD, and there is no other. There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me. That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:5-6)

And there is no other God besides Me. A just God and a Savior, there is none besides Me. Look to Me (God), and be saved. All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. (Isaiah 45:21-23)

This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. (Jeremiah 13:10)

III: Bible on Idol worships

Hindus are provided complete liberty to revere/worship and pray to the God in any and every ways that works for one. For example, Mount Kailash, river Ganges, the monkey God Hanuman, the elephant God Ganesh, the Sun and Moon, the Mother Earth and many plants and animals are all sacred to Hindus. Not only sacred, they may be considered the earthly manifestations of God.

As one can read below, the Biblical God has absolutely no tolerance for what it terms as “idol-worshiper;” however, Swami Vivekananda had no reservation associating with the word “idol.” He has stated, “If such (his guru) Ramakrishna Paramahamsas are produced by idol-worship, what will you have – – the reformer’s creed or any number of idols? Yes idolatry is condemned! Why? Nobody knows. Because some hundreds of years ago some man of Jewish blood happened to condemn it? That is, he happened to condemn everybody else’s idols except his own.”

Below is what the Bible has to say for idol worshiping.

You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. (Exodus 23:24)

But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods. You shall make no molded gods for yourselves. (Exodus 34:13-17)

You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 26:1)

Then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. (Number 33:52, 55)

Lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air. (Deuteronomy 4:16, 17)

When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger ….. And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. (Deutronomy 4:25, 28)

You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me. (Deuteronomy 5:8-9) [The Ten Commandments]

You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 7:25)

Then I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it and ground it very small, until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the brook that descended from the mountain. (Deuteronomy 9:21)

They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods;
 With abominations they provoked Him to anger….. They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation. (Deuteronomy 32:16, 21)

But you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back…. therefore behold! I will bring disaster…. (I Kings 14:9, 10)

Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. And he brought out the wooden image from the house of the LORD, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the common people. (II Kings 23:5-6)

For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised. He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. (I Chronicles 16:25-26)

All Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and the altars—from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh—until they had utterly destroyed them all. (II Chronicles 31:1)

You have poured a drink offering, you have offered a grain offering. Should I receive comfort in these? (Isaiah 57:6)

That you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your charms. To alien deities under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the LORD. (Jeremiah 3:13)

Why have they provoked Me to anger, with their carved images and with foreign idols? (Jeremiah 8:19)

Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge. Every metalsmith is put to shame by the carved image. For his molded image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. (Jeremiah 51:17)

Your carved images I will also cut off, and your sacred pillars from your midst. You shall no more worship the work of your hands. I will pluck your wooden images from your midst, thus I will destroy your cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury on the nations that have not heard. (Micah 5:13-15)

What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it? The molded image, a teacher of lies, that the maker of its mold should trust in it, to make mute idols? Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet in it there is no breath at all. But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him. (Habakkuk 2:18-19)

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (I Corinthians 10:14)

For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. (Thessalonians 1:9)

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (I John 5:21)

And have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. (King II 19:18)

Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods. (Psalms 97:7)

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk… (Psalms 115:4-7)

I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. (Ezekiel 6:9)

Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain are among their idols all around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every thick oak, wherever they offered sweet incense to all their idols. Ezekiel 6:13

Part IV: Bible on Temple Visit and Taking Prasad

Why not worship God with every one, in whatever form they worship Him/Her? Why not take your Christian fiancée to a Hindu temple and share prasad from Hindu Gods? Then why not reciprocate by going to his/her church and eat the bread-prasad (body of Jesus)? Is it not wonderful to share and enjoy each other’s culture?

But this is what Bible has to say:

You abstain from things offered (Prasad?) to idols. (Acts 15:29)

Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. (I Cornithians 8:4-6)

For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? (I Corinthians 8:10)

But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for the earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness. (I Corinthians 10:28)

V: The Bible’s Exclusivity Over God

Christianity teaches that only their faithful will achieve salvation, and others will be condemned to hell on the Judgment Day, after the Second Coming of Christ in the future. Islam too has similar teachings. Does it mean Mahatma Gandhi and your Hindu parents will go to hell?

I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. (Exodus 29:45)

And whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (Chronicles 15:13)

For the LORD is the great God. And the great King above all gods. (Psalms 95:3)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)

Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel (II Kings 5:15)

Our God is greater than all gods (II Chronicles 2:5)
So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth. (Exodus 33:16)

Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. (John 6:53-56)

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

VI: Bible on Baptism

An interfaith couple has to realize that Baptism is not a hollow ritual devoid of meaning. It means formal acceptance of Christian doctrine, which as shown above, means abandoning anything that conflicts with it. One should not baptize just for the sake of a marriage requirement. Accept Baptism only if you truly believe in the Biblical teachings, and are really willing to renounce/denounce your cultural background as you are expected to do.

And he did evil [Baptism for a wrong reason], because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD. (II Chronicles 12:14)

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalms 24:4-5)

Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3)

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16)

But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. (Luke 12:50, 51)

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5)

Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:20)

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. (John 4:2)

Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. (I Corinthians 11:27-29)

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. (II John 1:9-10)

Part VII: Bible’s Punishments to Unbelievers

Stern punishments are provided for those who do not follow Biblical commandments; like terror, wasted diseases, heap coals of fire, fire of My wrath, utterly destroy that breath, melted in midst, stone to death, tear open rib cage, hook in your jaws, slay them, kill them, burn their houses, death, slay their sons, destroy first born, rivers turned into blood and more. It will certainly scare the weak minded. Much of this is taken almost literally by Christian orthodoxy and preached in Churches even today.

I (God) will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever, which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. 
And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. (Leviticus 26:16)

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22) [also read “Muhammad and My Cat”]

I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow against you with the fire of My wrath, and deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to destroy. You (unbeliever) shall be fuel for the fire; your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall not be remembered, for I the LORD have spoken. (Ezekiel 21:31-32)

Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have poured out My fury on you. (Ezekiel 22:21-22)

Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. … And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword. …. they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. (Joshua 6:17, 21, 24)

So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded. (Joshua 10:40)

The assembly shall stone them with stones and execute them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn their houses with fire. Thus I will cause lewdness to cease from the land, that all women may be taught not to practice your lewdness. They shall repay you for your lewdness, and you shall pay for your idolatrous sins. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 23: 47-49)

You shall die the death of the uncircumcised. By the hand of aliens; for I have spoken,” says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 28:10)

But I will put hooks in your jaws,
And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales;
I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,
And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.
I will leave you in the wilderness. (Ezekiel 29:4)

As for the head of those who surround me, let the evil of their lips cover them; let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again. (Psalms 140:9-10)

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched. (Mark 9:42-43)

But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me. (Luke 19:27)
He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. (Revelations 13:10)

Yet I am the LORD your God, ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; For there is no savior besides Me. I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage, And there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them. (Hosea 13:4,8)

He who is not with Me is against Me (Matthew 12:12)

Turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink.
He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
He also gave their crops to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.
He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.
He also gave up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to fiery lightning.
He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by sending angels of destruction among them.
He made a path for His anger, He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the plague and destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt (Psalm 44:51)

Part VIII: Interfaith Marriages

The Bible has many stern warnings against interfaith marriages. Probably for this reason, a fearful Christian (Muslim or Jew) will want to solve this interfaith marriage problem by religious conversion of his or her Hindu fiancée (or children by this marriage; read BBS).

Here are Bible’s recommendations on interfaith marriages:

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. (Numbers 12:1)

And when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire. (Deuteronomy 7:2-5)

When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her acertificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 24:2-4)

But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods. You shall make no molded gods for yourselves. (Exodus 34:13-17)

And they took their (idolater’s) daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods. So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God. (Judges 3:6)

Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah has profaned. The LORD’s holy institution which He loves, he has married the daughter of a foreign god. (Malachi 2:11)

From the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. (I Kings 11:1-4)

And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel. (I Kings 11:8-9)

Now therefore, do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever. (Ezra 9:12)

Should we again break Your commandments, and join in marriage with the people committing these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant or survivor? Ezra 9:14

We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. (Ezra 10:2-3)

Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives. (Ezra 10:10-11)

These joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes: We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons. (Nehemiah 10:29-30)

So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?” (Nehemiah 13:25-27)

They have dealt treacherously with the LORD, for they have begotten pagan children. Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage. (Hosea 5:7)

And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. (I Corinthians 7:13-15)

A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. (I Corinthians 7:39)

Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god. (Malachi 2:11)

Part IX: Bible On Woman

In the Western world, women’s status is not what really portrayed in the Bible. The contrary may actually be true in India. This is one good example where religious scriptures and what people have learned from it are different. It is important to find out, sooner than later, what your intended interfaith spouse has learned from his/her scriptures.

This is what Bible has to say for women:

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (I Corinthians 11:3)

For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. (I Corinthians 11:7-9)

Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. (I Corinthians 14-34-35)

When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hand, and you take them captive, and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her and would take her for your wife, then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails. She shall put off the clothes of her captivity, remain in your house, and mourn her father and her mother a full month; after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. And it shall be, if you have no delight in her…. (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)

Part X: Bible on Circumcision

The Father God and son Jesus have different take on circumcision for a male child.

This is My (God) covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. (Genesis 17:10-12)

And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My (God) covenant. (Genesis 17:14)

For the uncircumcised and the unclean, shall no longer come to you. (Isaiah 52:1)

Thus says the Lord GOD: “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel. (Ezekiel 44:9)

Circumcision of No Avail [Jesus’ message]: For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (Romans 2:25-29)

Part XI: Bible on Friendship with Unbelievers

Why would a true Bible-believer get into a love relationship with a Hindu, other than to proselytize? Even if that is not the conscious intent, the doctrine makes conversion of the “other” imperative for the believer.

You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in your

land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. (Exodus 23:32-33)

Also you shall destroy all the peoples whom the LORD your God delivers over to you; your eye shall have no pity on them; nor shall you serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you. (Deuteronomy 7:16)

But of the cities of these peoples which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them. (Deuteronomy 20:16-17)

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? (II Corinthians 6:14-16)

Do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path (Proverbs 1:15)

But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. (Corinthians 5:11)

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. (II Thessalonians 3:6)

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this (Biblical) doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. (II John 1:10)

Part XII: Bible on Animal Sacrifices

If you are a vegetarian or an animal lover, you may not want to endorse this history of the Bible

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. (Genesis 9:3)

This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before the LORD. It is most holy. (Leviticus 6:25)

And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD. (I Kings 8:63; II Chronicles 7:5)

And they offered to the LORD at that time 700 bulls and 7000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (II Chronicles 15:11-12)

And the number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. The consecrated things were 600 bulls and 3000 sheep. (II Chronicles 29:32-33)

I will offer You (God) burnt sacrifices of fat animals, with the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. (Psalms 66:15)

You shall give a young bull for a sin offering to the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,’ says the Lord GOD. ‘You shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim around it; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it. Then you shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and burn it in the appointed place of the temple, outside the sanctuary. On the second day you shall offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull. When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram from the flock without blemish. When you offer them before the LORD, the priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD. Every day for seven days you shall prepare a goat for a sin offering; they shall also prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish. (Ezekiel 43:19-25)

For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. (Romans 14:2)

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book (The Bible): If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:19).

[For Biblical quotes, visit: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/]

Hindi version: बाइबिल-हिन्दुओं-पर
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