The Bible has many laws for us to follow, guiding us towards favor from God both in this life and after death. However, many of these rules have been misinterpreted or overextended in ways the Bible never intended. In this light, here are 18 things you wrongly believe that the Bible forbids.
Caffeine
Due to its addictive nature and the Bible imploring us to stay away from substances that harm us, many believe that it forbids coffee (and caffeine in general). But remember that the Bible says everything is permissible, and you shouldn’t let the harmful things master you (1 Corinthians 6:12). Hence, moderation is key when it comes to caffeine.
Dancing
Many people associate dancing with sin, so much so that, according to USC, the church forbade it in the first five centuries of Christianity. This is due to its association with the sinful behavior of revelry. Nonetheless, Psalm 149:3 shows us that dancing is a positive form of joy and worship you’re allowed to do.
Playing Cards
Cards are typically associated with the vice of gambling, which the Bible frowns on. But you should understand that the Bible never mentions anything about playing cards (card games were even invented much later), and what the Bible admonishes are acts of deceit and greed in gambling, not the cards themselves.
Tattoos
The verse Leviticus 19:28 is a common source when we talk about the Bible prohibiting tattoos as well as making cuts on your body. However, this is an Old Testament law given to the Israelites, and prohibitions are closely tied to the pagan practice of using tattoos to mourn the dead, not tattoos for personal expression.
Wearing Makeup
To implore others not to put on makeup, many people use the Bible’s stance on modesty. But, as confirmed by Christianity.com, this is where the Bible stops—there’s no mention of God specifically forbidding facial beautification. It’s the intention behind cosmetic modifications, like using them as a form of grandeur or deceit, that the Bible is against.
Eating Pork
The Old Testament laws in Leviticus are also used as evidence that the Bible bans Christians from eating pork. However, in the New Testament, through Mark 7:18–19, Jesus declares all food clean, stating that the meat you eat doesn’t defile your heart but goes to your stomach and is purged out of you.
Drinking Alcohol
Another common misconception—a popular source of debate—is that the Bible prohibits believers from consuming alcohol. But we saw Jesus turn water into wine, and all the Bible does is prohibit you from the state of drunkenness. Hence, with alcohol, moderation is prescribed above absenteeism.
Birthdays
The Bible barely talks about birthdays. And the few times it does, it references the birthdays of a negative figure, like Pharaoh, for instance. It’s because of this that many believe that the Bible frowns upon them. Nonetheless, it never explicitly forbids celebrating your birthday, and the negative references are only coincidental.
Playing Music
People see music as inherently sinful because of what it has come to be associated with in the secular world. However, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14:15 from the Bible Gateway, says, “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.” And this makes music pleasing to the Lord, as long as it’s meaningful.
Women Wearing Pants
We see in Deuteronomy 22:5 that the Bible prohibits women from wearing men’s garments. But are pants men’s garments in today’s world? Understand that the cultural view of clothing has changed over centuries, and all the Bible intends is to prevent the blurring of gender distinctions through what we wear.
Fantasy Literature
Due to the prevalence of magical and supernatural powers, which seem to be promoting sorcery, divination, and soothsaying, many have also come to believe that the Bible is against fantasy literature. What the Bible sees as a sin is your engagement in actual occult practices and not reading your favorite books.
Yoga
The meditative practice of yoga has its origins in Hinduism. So, it’s no surprise why many may see it as a pagan practice. However, today, yoga has become a means of exercise and not a form of spiritual cleansing. And it’s important that believers differentiate between the two practices.
Eating Shellfish
In Leviticus too, shellfish is labeled as an unclean food alongside pork. On the one hand, the Old Covenant dietary laws were specifically dedicated to the people of Israel. And New Testament laws have overridden the Old Testament, declaring every food clean for us to eat.
Using Electricity
Rooted in Orthodox Judaism and taken from the Old Testament laws in Exodus, many people also believe that the use of electricity—particularly an incandescent lightbulb—violates the Bible’s prohibition of igniting a fire on the Sabbath day. Of course, electricity didn’t exist during Biblical times, and this is only an unnecessary extension of the rule.
Getting a Divorce
Like drinking alcohol, the concept of divorce is a major point of debate amongst Christian communities. But although the Bible discourages divorces and terms relationships with divorcees adultery, it makes an exception that allows ending marital relations on the basis of sexual immorality.
Eating Cheeseburgers
Yes, many Jews believe that even cheeseburgers are forbidden by the Bible. And Kenyon College says this is due to Deuteronomy 14:21, which tells us not to “seethe a kid in its mother’s milk.” However, despite interpretations covering both cooking and eating meat and dairy together, these dietary laws don’t apply to Christians.
Burning Incense
Many Christians also consider burning incense an element of pagan rituals and, hence, have prohibited it. However, the Bible shows that incense was used in the Tabernacle and the Temple during God’s worship. The intent behind the burning of incense determines whether it’s sinful or not.
Wearing Jewelry
Like makeup, many people point to a lack of modesty as the reason not to wear jewelry. And 1 Peter 3:3–4 is a common source for this. However, reading the verses, the Bible doesn’t prohibit “the wearing of gold”—it only says that, alongside our hair and clothes, jewelry shouldn’t be the main source of our identity.
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