How about some real school choice?  And how can we keep homeschoolers and Christian educators from paying twice to educate their own children?  Shane Vander Hart, Eric Goranson, Pastor Aaron Gunsaulus, and Bill Gustaff have some ideas.   Then, The Boyz Are Back In Town...a free concert Friday and Saturday at First Federated Church, 4801 Franklin Ave, Des Moines.  7PM.  Free.   Stefan Weitz from Microsoft says Bing is better than Google.  Plus talking apart a silly atheist rant.

Direct download: mickelson-2012-12-13.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00pm CDT

I get sent this or its derivatives many different times a month.   I’ll bet you do too. 

  "The Bible also says that a man who touches the dead skin of a pig is unclean, Leviticus 11:7. Should that man be stoned for liking football? Exodus 21:7 says as a man, I am allowed to sell (if I ever have any) my daughters into slavery. What's the going rate for a daughter? My family owns farm land, and plant both soybeans and corn to make a living, but according to Leviticus they should be stoned for planting different crops, side by side. What about working on the Sabbath? Exodus 35:2 says we should stone those who do so. I wonder if that means the Sabbath they had back then when the bible was written (Saturday) or our Sabbath, Sunday. Should I bring my own firewood so the public can burn me alive for wearing a garment of different threads (Deuteronomy 22:11)? 

What I read in the bible was the love and tolerance that Jesus taught us. 'Love thy neighbor as thyself,' (mark 12:31) and 'let he who hath not sinned, cast the first stone.' (John 8:7). I choose to believe that god so loved the world that he gave unto us his only son, and his sons message was love, and understanding, not hate, and segregation. You are free to feel whatever you like."

This quote turns out to be a summary of a rant which was on "West Wing".    It is very powerfully written and presented.  When the ordinary cultural Christian sees it,  he sinks into the chair,  along with the actress playing a Dr. Laura composite being skewered by the "President".  It's very effective propaganda on the surface.  However,  with just a casual analysis, its "power" evaporates.   Let's take it apart line by line.

 "The Bible also says that a man who touches the dead skin of a pig is unclean, Leviticus 11:7. Should that man be stoned for liking football?  

 Possible responses?

1.  Silly… footballs are made of cowhide. 

2.  Ignorant.   Before you ridicule a religion,  you should make a feeble attempt   to understand it.  This    refers to the priesthood cleanliness laws of ancient tribal Israel.  Designed for two reasons.  A. Cultural identity.   B. The health of the community.  “Unclean”  has two meanings at least.   A.  Violating the ceremonial laws.   B . This is a literally a health concern.  Does taking care concerning the handling of the carcass of a dead pig really need to be explained to you?

3.  Try making this kind of comment to a Muslim.   How fond are you of  your head?

4.  You are anti-Semitic.   Hitler used to laugh at this kind of ethnic slur.

Exodus 21:7 says as a man, I am allowed to sell (if I ever have any) my daughters into slavery. What's the going rate for a daughter?

Possible Responses?

1.  Dunno…can we see her dental records and SAT scores?

2.  Again this is another example of intellectual laziness.    Before food stamps, EBT cards,  Obama-care, and the welfare state,  people had to be productive or die.  If the family didn’t have enough resources to support another mouth to feed they would allow their offspring to be indentured to somebody who could provide food and housing for their unmarried or unmarriageable daughters.   It was part of the social safety net in ancient covenantal Israel.   It was necessary, humane and very wise.   The treatment of  the “indentured” was defined by culture and law.    Now days we are much more enlightened.   Instead of indenturing the unskilled or unproductive to wealth producers,  we indenture the wealth producers into the service of the unproductive.   I’m sure our plan will work out much better.

3.  You are anti-Semitic

 “My family owns farm land, and plant both soybeans and corn to make a living, but according to Leviticus they should be stoned for planting different crops, side by side.”

Possible Responses?

 1.  This is either a lie or just plain stupid.   The death penalty didn’t apply to these  “identity” laws.   Again try to actually understand what you are reading.   

 2.  Don’t need another response to stupidity.  See answer “1”.

 3.  You are anti-Semitic.

 “…what about working on the Sabbath? Exodus 35:2 says we should stone those who do so. I wonder if that means the Sabbath they had back then when the bible was written (Saturday) or our Sabbath, Sunday…”

Possible Responses?

 1.  If you had just been rescued from slavery and still had all the bad habits accrued  from  being on welfare,  and Moses told you to take the day off one day a week to honor your rescuer, and you refused?   Then yes,  you deserve to die.  You are apparently too stupid to appreciate your Rescuer and Maker or  even having a day off work.    You should get the Darwin Award at the very least.

 2.  Ok, the soft answer is, these strict rules were meant only for tribal,  post slavery,  covenantal Israel.    You however,  can feel free to work 7 days a week. I would suggest you get a better union though.  The one you are in apparently sucks.

 3.  Rather than wondering?   Col. 2:16

 4.  You are anti-Semitic

 

 “… should I bring my own firewood so the public can burn me alive for wearing a garment of different threads…” (Deuteronomy 22:11)? 

Possible Responses?

 1.    Again you are either lying or are just stupid.  Again, the death penalty didn’t apply.

  2.   These were tribal identity laws to distinguish them from their pagan neighbors.

  3.    You are still anti-Semitic.

  “What I read in the bible,”

 There is no evidence to support claim that you have actually read the Bible...ever.

 “…was the love and tolerance that Jesus taught us….”

Jesus taught love…   Luke 6:31   Golden Rule.  He did NOT teach tolerance of sin.   He died to pay for the sins of others.  He did not say ” Go ahead and live a debased life,  I love you”.    He said,  “ Go and sin no more”.

 “…to love thy neighbor as thyself…'  Mark 12:31

 Yup…  the golden rule.    Do you have a problem with that?  I certainly don't.

  “and 'let he who hath not sinned, cast the first stone'.”  John 8:7

 Yup..  he said that in a judicial procedure in which he was inviting the ” witnesses” of adultery to execute judgment in a mock trial.   The legal requirement of two witnesses in a capital case didn’t happen.  So Jesus said,  “Neither do I condemn you.”   Case dismissed.     Then he told her “...go and sin no more.”    Did you really think Jesus was actually forgiving adultery?   Or advocating tolerance of adultery?   Or terminating the death penalty for adultery?      Lifting quotes out of context to support disordered (lawless) behavior is biblically dishonest, illiterate and just plain cheesy.   It doesn’t work on people who actually try to understand what has been written in context.

  “I choose to believe that god so loved the world that he gave unto us his only son, and his sons message was love, and understanding, not hate, and segregation. You are free to feel whatever you like."

 You CAN choose to believe whatever you wish.   You  CANNOT derive such empty drivel from reading the Bible however.   Yes “ God did so love the world He gave us His only SON, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”    You finally got something right.    And yes,  His message was that of love, forgiveness and understanding.   That’s why I can put up with fundamentally dishonest blogs like this one.  I am NOT free to believe whatever I like.   My faith requires me to only believe the truth.     And Jesus said,  “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me”  John 14:6     I believe that.   That’s the truth.

  “…not hate, and segregation…”

I try to hate what God hates (he has a list and he’s checking it twice…Proverbs 6:16-19)

 "There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community."

 And I DO like to segregate myself from people like that.   So far it’s worked out just fine.

 

 

 

Category:general -- posted at: 2:19pm CDT

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