To all you anti-gay religious zealots:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law.
I have learned a great deal from your ranting, 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, however, regarding some other elements of God's Law and how to follow them.
1. 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 neighbours. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
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 offense.
4. Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed 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?
5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2. The passage clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
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 study the bible religiously and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
9/16/10
SOC Blog While Watching 9/11/10 CFB Games
Kansas – Georgia Tech: Wow, the Kansas fans—including the usually reliably attractive student body—are a pretty unattractive lot. And I mean even beyond the standard Midwestern….er….”largeness.” But they’re up (surprisingly) 14-7 on Tech so they undoubtedly couldn’t care less how attractive (or not) I find them. And I’m sure they’re relieved to hear that I’m still rooting for them!
Oooh, snap! S. Florida just marched 95 yards down the field for a touchdown against SEC bigwig Florida.
Here’s why Urban Meyer is a slimeball: South Florida gets an outrageous “personal foul” called against them, that both announcers agree is a ludicrous call. It finally gives Florida a first down and Meyer is shown on the sidelines getting WAY too excited and pumping his fist about a bad call to give his pathetic offense a break. But of course there is such a thing as Karma, and Florida gets the very next long downfield run nullified by an obvious penalty. Way to jinx your team, loser!
Miami-Ohio State: What a joke: a Miami defensive back gets an easy interception ripped out of his hands, his team is down 10 and on defense, and he’s woofing/popping off? Probably part of why you guys are losing. Jeez.
Halftime score – Oklahoma: 34 Florida State: 7 Looks like reports of the Sooners’ demise are a bit premature. Nyahh nyahh nyahh! :)
Example of the not-talked-about-enough dirty underbelly of football: the glorification of violence. This FSU safety just laid out a Freshman OU receiver. So of course he has to bark and whoop it up over the young man’s prone body. When it’s obvious the guy is not getting up, the Safety is still woofing it up, high fiving his teammates, etc. Savages.
Incredibly, as the kid continues to lay there, unmoving, surrounded by an increasing number of medical personnel, the safety is STILL getting high fives and smiles and nods at the prone player. Disgusting.
The kid was down for quite awhile before you started to see ANY remorse on the other side. He ended up being put on a stretcher and carted off the field. I mean, I love football, but I appreciate MUCH more the guys who can make good, solid body tackles without having to showboat, without having to consciously make an effort to hurt someone to show what a “stud” you are—those guys are pathetic and a black eye for college football.
Oh happy day – not only does OU crush Florida State, but Notre Dame loses in heartbreaking fashion. I guess “Touchdown Jesus” loves savage Wolverines more than Catholics—but then who doesn’t? Ha! That Michigan QB is something else.
Alabama-Penn State: Talk about “Homer-ism” – an Alabama player just dove into the end zone—specifically prohibited by the rules—but the SEC official doesn’t throw a flag. He makes a show of trying to talk to the player but gets elbowed away by more excessive celebration. Still doesn’t throw a flag.
Oregon-Tennessee: My god, SEC fans are savage, gap-toothed, violent freaks. A Tennessee defender speared a defenseless Oregon player down on the field, they miraculously call a personal foul penalty on an SEC team, and the home town crowd boos loudly for a good 5-10 minutes. Heaven forbid they get punished for playing dirty. I can hear one of them now, “Well, that there’s just how yew is sposed to play!”
I know the endless braying of “Rocky Top” at Tennessee games is a point of “psyche out” pride for the slack-jawed locals, but there comes a point when it’s repeated SO much that it becomes juvenile and kind of dysfunctionally scary. Kind of like a 5-year-old constantly chanting, “I know you are, but what am I? I know you are but what am I? I know you are but what am I?” And I used to love the song! :(
As if to confirm their boorishness, as I was typing the above you could overhear a Tennessee fan in the stands during an injury timeout wherein they were helping an Oregon player off the field—the Tennessee fan yelled out, “Get your fat ass off the field.” There’s that classy Southern hospitality you hear so much about.
Am I saying “Blue state” fans are any better? Not necessarily—although they are obviously more laid back (blasé?) about it. But then we don’t go around bleating about what good “Christians” we are while we’re savagely rooting against any team but ours.
Oooh, snap! S. Florida just marched 95 yards down the field for a touchdown against SEC bigwig Florida.
Here’s why Urban Meyer is a slimeball: South Florida gets an outrageous “personal foul” called against them, that both announcers agree is a ludicrous call. It finally gives Florida a first down and Meyer is shown on the sidelines getting WAY too excited and pumping his fist about a bad call to give his pathetic offense a break. But of course there is such a thing as Karma, and Florida gets the very next long downfield run nullified by an obvious penalty. Way to jinx your team, loser!
Miami-Ohio State: What a joke: a Miami defensive back gets an easy interception ripped out of his hands, his team is down 10 and on defense, and he’s woofing/popping off? Probably part of why you guys are losing. Jeez.
Halftime score – Oklahoma: 34 Florida State: 7 Looks like reports of the Sooners’ demise are a bit premature. Nyahh nyahh nyahh! :)
Example of the not-talked-about-enough dirty underbelly of football: the glorification of violence. This FSU safety just laid out a Freshman OU receiver. So of course he has to bark and whoop it up over the young man’s prone body. When it’s obvious the guy is not getting up, the Safety is still woofing it up, high fiving his teammates, etc. Savages.
Incredibly, as the kid continues to lay there, unmoving, surrounded by an increasing number of medical personnel, the safety is STILL getting high fives and smiles and nods at the prone player. Disgusting.
The kid was down for quite awhile before you started to see ANY remorse on the other side. He ended up being put on a stretcher and carted off the field. I mean, I love football, but I appreciate MUCH more the guys who can make good, solid body tackles without having to showboat, without having to consciously make an effort to hurt someone to show what a “stud” you are—those guys are pathetic and a black eye for college football.
Oh happy day – not only does OU crush Florida State, but Notre Dame loses in heartbreaking fashion. I guess “Touchdown Jesus” loves savage Wolverines more than Catholics—but then who doesn’t? Ha! That Michigan QB is something else.
Alabama-Penn State: Talk about “Homer-ism” – an Alabama player just dove into the end zone—specifically prohibited by the rules—but the SEC official doesn’t throw a flag. He makes a show of trying to talk to the player but gets elbowed away by more excessive celebration. Still doesn’t throw a flag.
Oregon-Tennessee: My god, SEC fans are savage, gap-toothed, violent freaks. A Tennessee defender speared a defenseless Oregon player down on the field, they miraculously call a personal foul penalty on an SEC team, and the home town crowd boos loudly for a good 5-10 minutes. Heaven forbid they get punished for playing dirty. I can hear one of them now, “Well, that there’s just how yew is sposed to play!”
I know the endless braying of “Rocky Top” at Tennessee games is a point of “psyche out” pride for the slack-jawed locals, but there comes a point when it’s repeated SO much that it becomes juvenile and kind of dysfunctionally scary. Kind of like a 5-year-old constantly chanting, “I know you are, but what am I? I know you are but what am I? I know you are but what am I?” And I used to love the song! :(
As if to confirm their boorishness, as I was typing the above you could overhear a Tennessee fan in the stands during an injury timeout wherein they were helping an Oregon player off the field—the Tennessee fan yelled out, “Get your fat ass off the field.” There’s that classy Southern hospitality you hear so much about.
Am I saying “Blue state” fans are any better? Not necessarily—although they are obviously more laid back (blasé?) about it. But then we don’t go around bleating about what good “Christians” we are while we’re savagely rooting against any team but ours.
9/7/10
Bobby Kennedy on Labor Day
Although there are, of course, many "obvious" reasons why, I can't quite explain why it is that Bobby Kennedy is one of my (very) few heroes. Yeah, I drank the kool-aid that says he was the "best" Kennedy brother, and yeah, I honestly do believe America today would be in a dramatically different "space" had he not been killed in '68 and we were spared Nixon, but mostly it's due to speeches/thoughts such as the one below, delivered by RFK in a speech on Labor Day some 40 years ago:
"Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product - if we should judge America by that - counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage.
"It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, and armored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.
"Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it tells us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans."
"Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product - if we should judge America by that - counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage.
"It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, and armored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.
"Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it tells us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans."
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