the rules needed changing because society had changed. remember, the people that had these laws came from a very different age than ours.

the jews began there existance as a band of escaped slaves. the laws they had/were given were to maximise their chances of survival. in an age without penecillan or std clinics, what kind of damage do you think adultery could do to such a closed community? the idea of worshiping other gods in those times wasn't the same as would be now. other popular religions of the time advocated all sorts of 'unhealthy' practices, which would again be a danger to the jews very existance.

it's impossible to look at these laws and understand them in the context of todays society. they were becoming hard to understand 2000 years ago, as the jews had changed from a small nomadic community, living on a knife edge, to a small nation, that was living in well established towns and cities. the threat to their existance by a couple of poxy tarts was somewhat decreased, and the need to tolerate different peoples/customs was increased with demand for trade.

society had changed, the rules had changed. they never did get changed back, so there's no reason for any present day christian to go and fill a bag with rocks.

Very well. But like Gollum said, it doesn't seem compatible with the claims you make about God's nature. If he has to have a chosen tribe and can't cope with all of mankind, he doesn't seem too infinite or all-loving either?! See, this is one of the main problems I have with Christianity (and all religions), the selective nature of it- what happens to the people he does not and has not ever touched. And I suppose you'd argue too that, unlike the Israelite's laws, these new ones will apply to all of time and never get old? What does the bible say about cloning, genetic engineering, alien life? And you also cherry pick- while you're quick to denounce the 'silly' things I've pointed out, you're just as fast to pull out prophecies or 'positive' teachings from the same books...