Many followers of the literal word don’t follow the whole law, but only that which suits them.

 

133. They don’t follow the whole law only that which suits them, which leads to the corruption of the religion of God and the damnation of those who follow them: Mankind has a knack for picking out, of religion, that which suits him to follow and disregarding the rest. He rationalizes to himself if I do this and no one sees me, or it is such a little thing, it won’t cause harm to anyone; but to be a true adherent to the word of God, the word of God comes as a whole and not just bits and pieces that we can pick and choose what we like and ignore the rest. When God makes something a law, it is for a very good reason, and it usually relates to our own spiritual health and well-being, or not causing harm or hardship on someone else.  Christianity: Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” Matthew 23:1 “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,” 23:2 “Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:” 23:3 “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”  Judaism: Isaiah 24:5 “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed (contravened) the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” 1 Esdras 49. “The governors also of the people and of the priests did many things against the laws, and passed all the pollutions of all nations, and defiled the temple of The Lord, which was sanctified in Jerusalem.” (Deuterocanonical Apocrypha, Esdras 1)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Those who dwelt upon the earth, means the other nations and races, such as the peoples of Europe and distant Asia who, when they saw that the character of Islam was entirely changed, the Law of God forsaken — that virtues, zeal and honor had departed from among them, and that their qualities were changed — became happy, and rejoiced that corruption of morals had infected the people of Islam, and that they would in consequence be overcome by other nations.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 53)

BABI RELIGION: “Clinging to parts of their religion, thinking that they are doing righteous work for the sake of God.” (while ignoring the rest of the teachings of God’s Holy Prophets)

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 138)

ISLAM: “They, the people of the Scriptures, divided this Scripture into parts, believing in some portions of it and disbelieving the others.”

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 5, Book 58, # 281)

Islam: 59. “But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on the transgressors a plague from heaven, for that they infringed (our command) repeatedly.” 85. “After this it is ye, the same people, who slay among yourselves, and banish a party of you from their homes; assist (their enemies) against them, in guilt and rancor; and if they come to you as captives, ye ransom them, though it was not lawful for you to banish them. Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject the rest? But what is the reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life? and on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty. For Allah (God) is not unmindful of what ye do.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2)

ZOROASTRIANISM: 4. “Yea, let us peal them forth for the encounter with and the overthrow of the wicked, O Zarathushtra Spitama! Whoever they may be, whose thoughts, and words, and works are not congenial to the holy ritual laws.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 61)

HINDUISM: “It is, however, not improbable that our text is disfigured by several very old (man induced) corruptions.”

(Hindu, The Dharma Sutras, Apastamba Prasna I, Patala 10, Khanda 29)

BUDDHISM: 12. “By oneself is wrong done; by oneself one suffers; by oneself is wrong left undone; by oneself is one purified. Purity and impurity come from oneself; no one can purify another.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 2 (tr. J. Richards))

Buddhism: 21. “What ought to be done is left undone; What ought not to be done is done, For those who are naughty and heedless Corruptions greatly progress.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 3 (tr. J. Richards))

SABEANISM: “And it was revealed to me (?) and to all of them in this book, and they acted upon this reliable baser acting according to this (its) light and removing nothing from this writing of great revelation that was given to Adam the first man.” For to alter, change or ignore the word in any way is to invalidate the word. “I strive with a pious and believing heart for the love of precious Truth (knowledge).” “Ye are set up and raised up, my chosen ones, by the word and certitude that came to you the word and the certitude that came to the good, the true word which came to believers.” “Any man who is not steadfast (in thought) Whose mind is turned against me, (following not the whole word) Whose mind is turned from me, Great and not small will be his hurt.” (Sabeanism, Seth son of Adam and Ginza Rba- chapters 75, 77, 89 and 99)

Sabeanism: “I beseech the Life (Haiyi/God) and my Lord Manda-d-Hiia (Savior God) and the ‘uthras and kings of the worlds of the light for a sponsor for this high mystery (Ginza) so that no lacking or deficiency may appear therein. Should there be anything missing or deficient, do thou, O Hibil- Ziwa, (Manda-d-Hiia) (thou) great Fulfiller, supplement it from thy treasure which is not deficient and from thy plenty, which lacketh in nothing. Rid it and loose it from its sins, trespasses, follies, stumblings and mistakes,” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 174)

BABI RELIGION: “O YE who are invested with the Bayan! Be ye watchful on the Day of Resurrection, for on that Day ye will firmly believe in the Vahid of the Bayan, though this, even as your past religion which proved of no avail, can in no wise benefit you, unless ye embrace the Cause of Him Whom God shall make manifest and believe in that which He ordaineth. Therefore take ye good heed lest ye shut yourselves out from Him Who is the Fountain-head of all Messengers and Scriptures, while ye hold fast to parts of the teachings which have emanated from these sources.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 132)

BAHA’I FAITH: “In its primitive days, whilst they still adhered to the precepts associated with the name of their Prophet, the Lord of mankind, their career was marked by an unbroken chain of victories and triumphs. As they gradually strayed from the path of their Ideal Leader and Master, as they turned away from the Light of God and corrupted the principle of His Divine unity, and as they increasingly centered their attention upon them who were only the revealers of the potency of His Word, their power was turned into weakness, their glory into shame, their courage into fear. Thou dost witness to what a pass they have come. Behold, how they have joined partners with Him Who is the Focal-Point of Divine unity. Behold how their evil doings have hindered them from recognizing, in the Day of Resurrection, the Word of Truth, exalted be His glory. We cherish the hope that this people will henceforth shield themselves from vain hopes and idle fancies, and will attain to a true understanding of the meaning of Divine unity.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 69)