Strange how having a baby seems to limit your time to post not mention being so Kn!*%$ed that you cant think straight. So here is thought from a friend
Dr. Laura Schlessinger is an American radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she 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 is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast 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 of the other specific laws and how to follow them:When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
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?
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 offense.
Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?
I have a neighbor 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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.
Your devoted fan ……..
Hat tip to Dave Wiles
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Do you not know enough about Jesus and the OT law to answer these questions, Richard? Do you want to know?
hi Alan, Interesting question, the answer would be probably not, although i do try to read widly and am always open to dialogue. Noting they were not my questions, but i always questioning of selective readings of the bible. I would be really interested in what exactly you are asking? maybe i am feeling in a defensive mood today but it feels like there is an agenda behind the question.
Hello, Richard
Thanks for your graciously-worded reply. Of course there’s an agenda behind the question.
Perhaps the people who post this email – and I have seen it many times – have an agenda behind it. I suspect this agenda doesn’t involved asking honest questions in the genuine hope of getting enlightening answers.
In this case the the middle part of your opening sentence in your reply leads me to this suspicion.
I could tackle the questions if I felt people genuinely wanted to know. These are good questions indeed and if asked in a genuine spirit of enquiry they deserve good answers.
Thanks Alan
if you felt you wanted to offer some answers I would be interested in posting them here on sunday papers as a part of the dialogue.
Hello, Richard
As Christians we need to start with Jesus and his relationship with the Old Testament and the law in it. He says in Matt 5:17 that he hasn’t come to abolish the law, but rather to fulfill it; not to do away with it but to make it come true.
The next chapter and a half illustrate that Jesus puts more store on inward attitude than outward obedience (eg, “You have heard it said don’t murder, but I say don’t be angry”). Of course, inward attitude will affect outward behaviour.
The key question for us as Christians is how does Jesus’ coming (ministry, teaching, death, resurrection, ascension) and second coming affect the OT? How does he fufill the law?
Some theologians have noted three or four types of law in the OT: civil, ceremonial, cultural and moral. They would then say that Jesus fulfils just about all the ceremonial laws – ie, he is the full and final sacrifice – so those can be done away with.
Cultural laws (eg, clothing, eating certain sorts of food) were to mark out God’s people as different. Now, after Jesus’ coming, God’s people – ie, Christians – are marked out as different by the baptism in the Spirit, which should result in changed lives (eg, Galatians’ fruit of the spirit). So perhaps many or all of the cultural laws go.
Civil laws give us principles that make a society run more smoothly – but we must remember that God’s people are now no longer a single people (theoretically) under his rule in a certain geographic area. We are scattered among the nations and it might rarely be possible to appeal to God’s standards but there might be other ways – eg, to Keep Sunday Special by pointing out the benefits to society of a communal day of rest.
Also, it is noteworthy that prison is never seen as an appropriate punishment. The usual focus is on restitution – ie, making it up to the injured/offended party.
Moral laws would appear to stand – and perhaps given greater strictness as pointed out in the first paragraph above.
Of course, not every OT law/statute/commandment fits neatly into one of these categories – and Christians might disagree on how the coming of Jesus fulfils specific ones.
Further help might be found in whether things are specifically said in the NT which appear to support – or abolish – any specific laws.
Also, matters which arise from Genesis 1-11 – which are before the giving of the law and therefore are probably universal – continue to apply. The nature of marriage might fit in here.
I trust this helps as an initial way in to start to think about how we should relate to the OT laws. I do not intend to look at each of the examples in the original posting, but rather to provide a tool with which to think clearly about the issues raised.
Thank you, Richard, for the invitation to contribute.