136 lines
4.5 KiB
Plaintext
136 lines
4.5 KiB
Plaintext
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** BIBLE.DOC **
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One of the things which bothers me about certain
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Fundamentalist Christians is their insistance on the Bible
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as the ultimate authority. Yet they selectively read it to
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support their beliefs and opinions against whatever minority,
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group, or activitity they happen to be attacking. In their
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efforts to criticise viewpoints and lifestyles different
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from their own, they are fond of Biblical quotes from the
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Old Testament; especially from the books of Leviticus and
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Deutotomy. The Old Testament contains important ethical and
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moral provisions such as the 'Ten Commandments', which have
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had a strong impact upon Western culture. Yet, it should be
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remembered that the Bible, especially the Old Testament is
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an historical document. I suggest that much of the Old
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Testament has no relavancy to modern society. And that it
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is 'faulty logic' to selectively quote from it, while
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ignoring the rest (most) of the material. Accordingly, I
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searched through the Old Testament myself, and picked out some
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of the more colorful admonisments. It was great fun. And I
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hope it will help put the Old Testament into its proper
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perspective...
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ANIMAL SACRIFICE was considered an important way of atoning
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for one's sins. A number of complete chapters in the Old
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Testament describe the practice. Yet I know of no contemporary
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Christian or Jew who practices animal sacrifice. Here are some
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examples...
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1) You should make burnt offerings of cattle, sheep, doves,
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and pigions. (Lev. 1.3, et al)
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2) You should sprinkle animal blood upon the altar. (Lev. 5.9,
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et al)
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3) The priests and their garments should be anointed with oil
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and blood. (Lev. 8.30, et al)
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DIETARY RESTRICTIONS may have been more relavent before
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refrigeration. While it is true that Orthodox Jews do follow
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some of these dietary restrictions, nobody else does...
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1) Do not eat sheep fat, lest your soul be cut off from your
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people. (Lev. 7.24)
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2) Eat no manner of blood, lest your soul be cut off from
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your people. (Lev. 7.26, Deut. 12.23, 15.23)
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3) Do not eat camels, rabbits, or pigs. Neither should you
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touch them, for they are unclean beasts. (Lev. 11.4, 11.6,
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11.7, Deut. 14.7, 8, Isa. 65.4)
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4) Do not eat crab, lobsters, oysters, nor any other seafood
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except for fish. (Lev. 11.10, Deut. 14.10)
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5) Of course you may eat locusts, beetles, and grasshoppers.
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(Lev. 11.22)
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OTHER RESTRICTIONS...
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1) Do not go to the temple drunk, lest you die. (Lev. 10.9)
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2) Do not shave your head or beard, for it is a defilement
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to do so. (Lev. 21.4, 5)
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3) You should not wear garments of different kinds together,
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such as wool with cotton. (Deut. 22.11)
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4) No tatoos. (Lev. 20.28)
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5) Any man with a pimple should be quarantined for seven days.
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(Lev. 13.2-4)
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6) You should not touch dogs or cats, for they will make you
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unclean. (Lev. 11.27)
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7) You should not touch the mouse, tortoise, lizard, or snail,
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for they will make you unclean. (Lev. 11.29, 11.30)
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PUNISHMENT in the Old Testament is very severe by today's
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standards. In fact one might wonder how the Jewish people
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survived at all...
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1) If you have a rebellious son who does not obey you, you
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should take him to the elders of the city who will stone him
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to death. (Deut. 21.18-21)
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2) The penalty for blasphemy is stoning to death.
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(Lev. 24.10)
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3) If a man finds out that his new wife is not a virgin, he
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may take her to the elders of the city who will stone her to
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death. (Deut. 22.13-21)
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FINANCIAL ISSUES in the Old Testament are completely
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overlooked today...
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1) The land (Israel?) shall not be sold. This would seem to
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prevent all private ownership of property. (Lev. 25.23)
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2) Creditors shall write off all debts every 7 years (unless
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they are foreign debts...There goes the mortgage!).
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(Deut. 15.1, 2)
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OTHER PRACTICES which are now (largely) frowned upon...
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1) Having more than one wife. (I Sam. 30.5)
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2) Purchase of and ownership of slaves. (Deut. 15.12)
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3) If your slave wants to stay when you offer him freedom,
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you should thrust an awl through his ear so that he will be
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your slave forever. (Deut. 15.16, 17)
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MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. There are many other admonisments
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and rules...
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1) Do not plant a grove of trees near the temple. (The grove
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of trees was associated with Ashtarte). (Deut. 16.21)
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2) He who has been castrated may not enter the temple.
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(Deut. 23.1)
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--4/18/88
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Phil Hansford
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Mysteria
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(818) 353-8891 (modem only)
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