Religion and Politics

It’s always sad to see a country sliding back from Science, Justice and Democracy, towards Religion, Corruption and Kleptocracy. Russia made that rapid turn when reforms failed in the aftermath of the Soviet Union; the US began that slow turn under Ronald Reagan, leading to the corruption of Donald Trump and the packing of the Supreme Court with justices hostile to the will of the American public.

The huge irony with the “religious right” taking away the right to abortion in the US after 50 years is that it is unjustified by the Bible that they are always quoting. Life, in the Bible, begins with the first breath. Abortion is used by priests as a test of marriage infidelity (Numbers 5:11–28). Jesus makes no mention of abortion other than to implicitly agree with the above passage, in saying that not one word of the Old Testament Law can be changed. (Because Jesus was a fundamentalist Jew, not a Christian, of course.)

The “cafeteria Christians“, on the other hand, decide that “Thou shalt not kill” applies to the unborn (ignoring the fact that priests are told in the Bible to cause an abortion when appropriate, and how to do it), while deciding to ignore a host of things that are termed “an abomination”, including:

Crucifixes… Deuteronomy 27:15 – “‘Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’

Bacon… Isaiah 66:17 – “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the Lord.”

Statues of saints… Deuteronomy 29:17 – “And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them.”

Shrimp and lobster… Leviticus 11:10-13 – “But anything in the seas or the rivers that has not fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you. You shall regard them as detestable; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. Everything in the waters that has not fins and scales is detestable to you.

Clothing of mixed fabrics… Leviticus 19:19 – “Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.”

Tattoos… Leviticus 19:28 – “And a cutting for the dead you will not make in your flesh, and writing marks you will not make on you; I am the Lord.”

All Christians are “Cafeteria Christians”, because Paul, abandoning strict Judaism in the name of a “new testament”, commands them to do things that Jesus implicitly forbids.

The US Supreme Court would be better off without any Christians on it, and a full separation of Church and State.

God’s Unchanging Law

In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet. It’s funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura: Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination … End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God’s Laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness – Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord – Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this? Are there ‘degrees’ of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I’m confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging. Your adoring fan.

James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia (It would be a damn shame if we couldn’t own a Canadian)

Photo: “Leviticus says…” by San Diego Shooter is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0