Jewish date: 11 ’Iyyar 5769.
Today’s holidays: Day 26 of the ‘Omer, Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter.
Today’s quasi-holidays: National Hoagie Day, Cinco de Mayo.
Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:
- “Saudi Arabia clamps down on unlicensed female gyms”: I have no clue what the Saudi government is thinking. Yes, they are collectively misogynists, but I cannot see the point of keeping women from staying in shape. The idea that working out may cause unmarried women to lose their virginity is rather far-fetched; the only plausible way I could see this happening (and it is still rather far-fetched) rather misses the point of what virginity is supposed to be about.
- “8 same-sex couples tie the knot at church”: The troubling part of this article rests in this paragraph:
The criticisms about such unions weren’t heard because “love” was the theme of the day. The church’s minister, the Rev. Rich Hendricks, said later, “The Bible never addresses same-gender relationships as we know them today. It does address cultic worship.” He said references in the Bible to Sodom and Gomorrah really refer to “inhospitality,” not to some sexual reference.
Reverend Hendricks is making excuses, not doing proper exegesis. The incident from Sedhom (Sodom) in Genesis 19 does indeed refer to sexual intercourse. The verb yadha‘, used in the text, has as one of its frequent meanings “to have sexual intercourse with”, and the context of the text makes it very clear that the people of Sedhom did indeed want to rape the strangers; Loṭ’s panicked (and thoughtless) offering his own daughters as substitutes otherwise makes no sense. As for the prohibition on male homosexuality in Leviticus 20:13, nothing in the text limits it to the Tabernacle or the Temple. In the same section are also prohibitions on cursing one’s parents, sacrificing one’s child to Molech (Moloch), consulting magicians, adultery, incest, bestiality, and sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman. Does Reverend Hendricks really think it is permitted to curse one’s parents and sleep with a goat, so long as one does not do it ritually? Hardly likely. - “Egypt's Christians see bias in pig slaughter”: Killing pigs does nothing to stop H1N1 flu. Considering that the pigs of Egypt belong to the Copts, is it any wonder that they see discrimination?
- “The Sting (2005)”
- “Mowing with goats”: See! It can be done! No more wasting electricity on mowing. And if you end up with too many goats, you can eat or sacrifice a few.
- “Family marks mom's 85th birthday with daffodils”: Interesting way to wish someone a happy birthday.
- “Canadian bacon: Pigs in Canada sick with swine flu”
- “Nuclear fallout aids carbon dating for rare whiskeys”: I cannot make something like this up.
- “David wrote this post for a newspaper. He kindly allowed me to re-post it here.”: In short: failure to vaccinate kills. This is the story of one innocent victim.
Aaron
No comments:
Post a Comment