In a lot of ways, the new law IS more strict and demanding than the old.  Moses permitted divorce, Jesus says no way, suck it up.  What makes all the difference is that Christ made possible a true communion of God and man, and we receive true grace (help) through Christ that makes this seemingly difficult moral code not only easy to do, but enjoyable.  That is the secret.  It may not seem so easy when a believer is just starting out (though sometimes it is), but it's always easier than you think with the help of grace.  There are habitual sins I had before my conversion that I thought would always be with me and always be a struggle, but God took that burden for me and made it easy.  

I can understand how it doesn't make sense to you and 10mm_, because I've been there.  Aquinas put it best when he said "For those without faith no explanation is possible, for those with faith, no explanation is necessary."

Edited ~ medicmandan

Thanks for your response @Milsurpninja

To be clear, I believe all the laws in the Torah came directly from G-d, not Moses.


At any rate, I understand what you’re saying and appreciate the kind and thoughtful reply.

I can’t speak for @10mm_ but as for myself,

I’m Jewish. And I have complete faith in G-d. While I’m not perfect, I do not struggle much with habitual sins either. I try everyday to do what I believe G-d says is pleasing to him.

I believe I have a great relationship with G-d. I ask questions about religion because I want to learn what others believe and why.

I find it helpful. On more than a few occasions, I have read things in these threads that I have found to be very enlightening and beneficial.

For example, I’m pretty sure you are the first person I’ve heard say that in a lot of ways the new laws are more strict and demanding. I have always been taught the opposite. (The old laws were too difficult and no one could follow them.)

Christianity is often described by others (usually not Christians) as kind of an easy way out. If that’s not really true, I have to realize that I’ve been taught incorrectly, and therefore looking at certain things wrong, totally backwards even in some cases.

Therefore I found your comment very enlightening.

At other times, I have read things that, to me, made no sense whatsoever.

The St. Aquinas quote, for example, doesn’t make sense to me and it seems arrogant of the author and simply not true.

Who is he even writing to, if explanations are of either no help or not needed? That dude wrote A LOT of stuff for someone who believes people with faith don’t need an explanation and people without faith will find no explanation good enough.

Perhaps someone will help me makes sense of it. I don’t know.

Nonetheless, you find it helpful and I’m happy to hear that as well.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with me!!