Christianity is one of the most widespread religions in the world, with more than two billion followers worldwide. Historians (both secular and theistic) tend to agree that the spread of Christianity has been an example of a pretty successful spiritual mission . . . as far as human history is concerned, anyway! The religion centers around the figure of Jesus Christ (hence the name), though most of what scholars know about Jesus today actually comes from the Bible, the holy book of the Christian religion.
But there are also a lot of things in the Bible that the majority of Christians do not even know about, things so taboo that most religious people would instantly denounce them as "ungodly." As it turns out, getting down to some of the more obscure passages of the Bible can open some pretty weird doors, and some of them even seem downright terrifying. Here are ten of the darkest and least-known Christian beliefs, straight from the holy book itself.
10. Slaves Should Be Good Subjects To Their Masters, Both The Gentle And The Harsh
This is one of the more controversial passages on the list. In the Douay-Rheims edition of the Holy Bible, the passage is translated like this:
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.—1 Peter 2:18
But in other versions of the Bible, it is translated a bit differently. The New International Version, for example, uses the word "Slaves" instead of "Servants" and "harsh" instead of "froward."
Some people believe that this is a commandment that justifies slave ownership. Some even go as far as to say that the passage makes a biblical case for sexual slavery. Others, however, believe that it was just mistranslated in some versions of the scripture.
Either way, it does seem to advocate docility in the face of harsh leadership as opposed to resistance. And that makes it a pretty dark commandment.
9. You May Beat Your Slaves
This comes from the Book of Exodus. There is actually a lot of material in Exodus about slave ownership, but this particular passage is quite disturbing:
He that striketh his bondman or bondwoman with a rod, and they die under his hands, shall be guilty of the crime.
But if the party remain alive a day or two, he shall not be subject to the punishment, because it is his money.—Exodus 21:20–21
According to this rule, a slaveowner who beats his slave to death shall be found "guilty of the crime" . . . but if the slave is able to stay alive for a day or two after, then there will be no punishment for the slaveowner.
Why? Because the slave is technically (according to biblical law) his property.
8. Women Found Not To Be Virgins On Their Wedding Day Should Be Stoned
This one comes from Deuteronomy and is particularly disturbing, as it involves a death sentence for women who have allegedly lost their virginity before their wedding.
But if what he charged her with be true, and virginity be not found in the damsel:
They shall cast her out of the doors of her father's house, and the men of the city shall stone her to death, and she shall die: because she hath done a wicked thing in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: and thou shalt take away the evil out of the midst of thee.—Deuteronomy 22:20–21
Apparently, "playing the whore" in your father's house is a pretty big deal, according to the Bible.
7. If A Woman Is Raped And Does Not Cry Out, She Shall Be Stoned
