Marsha's Musings: Unprofitable & Vain Things (Titus 3:9 KJV)

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. (Titus 3:9 KJV)

This seems pretty straightforward.  Basically, legalism is to be avoided and what this verse talks about is legalism.

We have some religious groups, like the Mormons, with their emphasis on genealogies.  We are told to avoid this.  It's not saying that searching for your ancestorial roots is wrong.  It's fun to know your family's history. There are lessons to be learned from that. What it is referring to is using genealogies in your religious rituals or so you can do religious rituals for those who are dead.  I suppose the idea of lighting candles for your departed loved ones who are supposed to be in Purgatory would fall in here as well.  

Then you have those who like to pick arguments about how Christians should observe the Sabbath or Sunday.  There are many legalistic things to argue about, such as whether it's okay for women to wear to pants or if you should use any other version of the Bible than the KJV.  Christians have even argued about how long the break should be between Sunday school and church.  The list goes on and on.

I'm not sure why we get so wound up about things like this, but Scripture is clear.  It's unprofitable and vain.