And things like charity are still done by Christians; Jesus and the Apostles focused heavily on that.
I think you're missing my point.
As an example, consider how Mosaic Law tells farmers not to reap the edges of their fields. This was done as a form of charity: the intent was that these crops would be available for travellers and the destitute. This rule had nothing to do with keeping separate; if anything, it
decreased degree of separation between the Jews and the people around them.
Mosaic Law isn't all about "separateness" and the Ten Commandments aren't all about "righteousness", so your reasoning for why one is still followed and the other isn't just doesn't work.
The Sabbath is the only one I can think of here, and even then Christians still follow that Commandment in some form or another.
Yes, they do follow it - that was my point. They follow it despite it having nothing to do with righteousness.
But for the record, here's the whole list of commandments that have nothing to do with living a righteous life:
- having no gods before God
- not making graven images
- not taking God's name in vain
- keeping the Sabbath
Some numbering systems put these into 3 commandments, some 4, but either way, they're about ritual and separateness, not righteousnes.
Actually, I'd say that the first two in that list are the two laws/commandments that are more about separateness than anything else. Effectively, they say:
- don't worship the gods of your neighbours
- don't worship in the manner of your neighbours.
There's something untrue about worshipping graven images, in that you're worshipping something either made up by you, something created by God, or something darker.
Like I just said above, I think this commandment is mainly about separateness: "don't do the things your neighbours do for their gods."
Ugh, slavery. That was something tolerated in OT times and in the early days of Christianity. There's certainly nothing PROMOTING slavery in the NT.
:sarcastic
Yes, there's nothing like this in the New Testament:
Ephesians 6:5:
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
Romans 13:1-2:
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
Likewise with women's rights; there's nothing in the Bible saying that women aren't entitled to equal political rights as men that I'm aware of. The Church is a different matter.
The Ten Commandments - the thing you just told us tells us how to live a "righteous life" - numbers a man's wife among his property.