Ministers are saying that they need to preserve the right to call a sin a sin, just as the Bible calls sin by its proper name - SIN. This got me to thinking that perhaps we need to consult a list of other sins in the Bible, just to make sure that no laws might pass that might prevent the full reading of the Bible, and the full application of its laws on sinful conduct. It also occured to me that perhaps it would be equally important to make note of what the Bible says is not a sin, and thus acceptable conduct and something you can encourage people to do, backing it all up with quotes from the Bible just to prove that, yes, you can do those things with impunity, just as one can outlaw sins based on the fact that selective bible quotes support the case.
Leviticus 18, 19, and 20 lists all the sexual offenses, but there is one way to have a sexual encounter and escape the death penalty, and that is to sleep with slave girls.
Levitcus 19:20 "If a man has sex with a slave girl he is not to be punished. She is a slave."
You can also commit sexual hanky panky, and still be in obedience to God's Word in the Bible, provided that, in addition to raping slaves, you also rape enemy women. When you are through abusing and raping them then you can just send them packing. (No really. Its Kosher. Its in the Bible!)
"When you go to war against your enemies and you see a beautiful woman and find her desirable, you may take her. If she ceases to please you send her away." Deut. 21:10
In another passage, the Bible makes clear that when committing rape during war time, it is important to only rape virgins, and to kill the rest of the women, and the little boys as well. However, this is God's Word, so naturally fairness and justice are emphasized in the following passage, which once again allows some sexual hanky panky.
"They waged war as god had commanded them and killed every male. But they kept the women as captives and took their wealth as spoil. Moses was enraged. 'So you spared the women? Kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse and kill every little boy, but keep the virgin girls for yourself. Divide them up evenly.'" Num. 31:7, 14
While you can rape foreigners, you are forbidden by law to marry them.
"I saw that the people were marrying foreigners. Their children were even learning foreign languages. I called down curses on them. I struck them and tore the hair out of their heads and made them swear by god, 'you will not marry foreigners.'" Neh. 13:23 "So I purged them of everything foreign. I drew up regulations defining everyone's duty. Remember me, oh god, for my happiness." Neh. 13:30
The Bible makes clear that rape is only acceptable conduct when practiced against foreigners and slaves. If a rape happens within the country itself, according to the Biblical law, you must stone to death rape victims.
"If a man rapes a girl in the city, you must stone him to death, and the woman as well." Deut. 22:24
As well husbands are allowed to test their wives with the waters of trial by ordeal.
"The priest will prepare the waters of trial by ordeal and force the woman to drink it, saying, 'let this ordeal water enter your body.' If her stomach swells painfully, she is guilty. Her name will become a curse among all her kin. Such is the law, for women owe obedience to their husbands." Num 5:11
Another terrible sin from the Bible ... Eating Pork : punishment, the death penalty
Isaiah 66:15 For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the LORD execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many. Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig’s flesh shall come to an end together, says the LORD."
I continue my examination of Bible sins by bringing to the reads attention the sin of giving birth (note that this is a particular bad sin if becoming pregnant results in the birth of a girl)...The punishment : incarceration for up to sixty six days, followed by the ritual slaughtering of a lamb and a pigeon.
Leviticus 12:2 "Say to the people of Israel, If a woman conceives, and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying; she shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days. And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. and he shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for her.
Sexual orgasm is a sin : punishment, ritual bathing followed by one days incarceration
Leviticus 15:18 If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them shall bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening.
female menstruation is a sin : punishment, seven days incarceration, which also falls upon anyone who comes into contact with her during this period (pun intended), followed by the killing of two pigeons, one as a sin offering to make up to God for the sin of her 'unclean flow'. This killing of two birds might seem foolish but you need to consider the alternative which is the death penalty. This law also applies to men who 'emit semen'.
Leviticus 15:19 "When a woman has a discharge of blood which is her regular discharge from her body, she shall be in her impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. And everything upon which she lies during her impurity shall be unclean; everything also upon which she sits shall be unclean. And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. And whoever touches anything upon which she sits shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening; whether it is the bed or anything upon which she sits, when he touches it he shall be unclean until the evening.And on the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tent of meeting. And the priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her before the LORD for her unclean discharge.Warn the people of their uncleanness lest it be the cause of their death in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst.This is the law for him who has a discharge and for him who has an emission of semen, becoming unclean thereby; also for her who is sick with her impurity; that is, for any one, male or female, who has a discharge.
As you can note above this law also applies to men who emit semen, becoming unclean thereby.
Leviticus 15:2 "Say to the people of Israel, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.And this is the law of his uncleanness for a discharge...
The law then goes on to repeat what you read about the woman above (he can't sit on anything, or lay on any bed, or touch anything and so on.)
In Leviticus the 'cure' for many sins is the slaughtering of various barnyard animals and birds. According to another section of the Bible those who do this are sinners, who revel in abominations, and once again the punishment is death.
Isaiah 66:3 "He who slaughters an ox is like him who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like him who breaks a dog’s neck; he who presents a cereal offering, like him who offers swine‘s blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like him who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations; I also will choose affliction for them, and bring down upon their heads the very thing that they most dread."
Surprisingly, while you must not eat 'road kill' yourself you can sell it to foreigners, and it is not a sin.
Dueteronomy 14:21 You shall not eat anything that you find that is dead; you may give it to the stranger who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner.
It is a little known fact that many different types of animals and birds are 'abominations' and are not to be touched.
Leviticus 11:13 They are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, the kite, the falcon according to its kind, every raven according to its kind, the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk according to its kind, the owl, the cormorant, the ibis, the water hen, the pelican, the carrion vulture, the stork, the heron according to its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. All winged insects that go upon all fours are an abomination to you. Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those which have legs above their feet, with which to leap on the earth. Of them you may eat: the locust according to its kind, the bald locust according to its kind, the cricket according to its kind, and the grasshopper according to its kind. But all other winged insects which have four feet are an abomination to you.
By the way, the bat is listed with the abomination birds, but a bat is mammal, not a bird, and should therefore be listed with the abomination mammals. As well, there are no insects that go about on 'all fours' since insects have six legs, just thought I would point that out. Therefore, one must assume, this divine law must be null and void, at least until someone comes accross the abomination of an insect with four legs.
Speaking of unclean mammals, did you know that, by divine law, you must destroy ovens, pots and pans, and utensils, should an abomination mouse happen to fall upon them? To do otherwise would be a clear violation of scripture, and thus an obvious sin...
Leviticus 11:29 "And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm upon the earth: the weasel, the mouse, the great lizard according to its kind, the gecko, the land crocodile, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon ... And if any of them falls into any earthen vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it... whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces.
It is forbidden to marry a non virgin, or for those widowed or divorced to remarry
Leviticus 21:7 They shall not marry a harlot or a woman who has been defiled; neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband. A widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a harlot, these he shall not marry; but he shall take to wife a virgin of his own people.
If a girl sleeps around she must be burned at the stake.
Leviticus 21:9 If she profanes herself by playing the harlot, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
It is against the law, and thus sinful, to breed different variety of cattle, to plant more than one kind of seed, or to wear clothing made of more than one type of fabric.
Leviticus 19:19 You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; nor shall there come upon you a garment of cloth made of two kinds of fabric.
It is also illegal to trim your head at your forehead, and tatoos are also illegal.
"Do not clip your hair at the temple or trim your beard," (Lev. 19:27) and, "no tatoos." Lev. 19:28
The above is just a partial listing of all the various sins, and death penalty crimes listed in the Bible, right along side that one about killing every queer you can get your hands on (and thus no doubt this law is in good company, as you can tell by reading the legislation above).
Surprisingly there are all kinds of things you can do according to the Bible, which one might consider to be crimes, including theft, war crimes, genocide and so on, which are not illegal, but actually encouraged.
Guns and Moses T-Shirt on sale in Israel
"You must drive all the natives of the land before you. If you do not drive the natives of the country before you then those who remain will become disgusting to your eyes and a thorn in your side. They will harass you in the land where you live, and I will deal with you as I meant to deal with them." Num. 33:51 "Devour the nations the lord your god delivers over to you. Show them no pity."
Anyone familiar with the Bible would already know that the Bible endorses the practice of racism, and of colonial conquest and exploitation, neither or which are sins, according to the Bible, but are to be encouraged.
"The land you are invading is foul because of the filthiness of the natives. Their land is filled with filth from end to end because of the foulness of the natives. So you must not marry them or be concerned with their prosperity, so that yourselves may grow strong and eat the best of what the country produces yourself, and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.'" Ezra 9:10 "You must not marry them or give a daughter or son of yours to them in marriage, for the anger of the lord your god would then blaze out against you, and quickly destroy you. It is you the lord your god has chosen to be his very own people out of all these other peoples of the earth." Deut. 6 "Are we to marry the natives? Would you not be provoked into destroying us so that none survived? This is our sin. None can survive in your presence." Ezra 9:13"You must keep all the commandments I give you so that you will have the strength to conquer the land you are to enter and make your own." Deut. 11:8 "Annihilate the nations you are dispossessing and make your home in their country." Deut. 12:29 "Put the inhabitants to the slaughter without giving any quarter and burn their town down. In this way the lord might turn from his fierce anger and show you compassion." Deut. 13:15God, you gave over these nations and these peoples and allotted these as our regions. They occupied the land. You multiplied their sons and daughters and led them to the land you had told them to possess. Their sons invaded and conquered the land and humbled the natives when you gave into their hands the natives of the land to be treated just as they pleased." Neh. 9
It is also not a sin to 'mutilate trees' and hack down forests.
"Do not cut down fruit trees but eat the fruit. Are the trees human that you should be beseiging them too? However if a tree is not a fruit tree you may mutilate it and hack it down." Deut. 21:19
In addition to committing theft and genocide and raping virgins, the Bible also allows the keeping of slaves, just as long as you capture them in foreign countries, or make slaves out of the natives of the lands you are conquering and colonizing, all of whom you can beat to death should it prove neccesary, and, here's the great part, its not a sin because its in the Bible!
"Slaves you may possess, but make sure they are foreigners. You may also make slaves of the natives who dwell among you and from their children who are born and reared in your land. You may own them as chattels and leave them to your sons as their heriditary property, making them slaves forever. But you should not lord it over your own countryman, your own kinsmen." Lev. 25:44Mere words will not keep a slave in order. He may understand, but he will not respond. Pamper a slave and he will be ungrateful. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of a fool." Proverbs "When a man beats a slave so hard that he dies in a day or two, he shall not be punished, for the slave is his property." Ex. 21:20
Now that the highly controversial bill c-250 is up for debate in the Canadian Parliament, religious folk are up in arms over some supposed threat being posed to the free speech right to gay bash using the Bible. It certainly is true that the Bible is a gay bashing document, and runs the risk of being banned along with all the other gay bashing documents outlawed under the proposed hate speech legislation. I thought it might be helpful to sit down with the Bible so that we can see what kind of company these gay bashing Bible laws keep, and I also thought it would be helpful to see what other laws the Bible has on offer that might also require exemptions and protections and exceptions under the law, you know, just in case someone might want to actually quote some of them, which, being religious people, would certainly be their right (although you seldom here people making a big stink about protecting their right to read all those other verses). In the end, it seems that what religious people want is the protected right to read out loud just certain parts of the Bible, with that one certain part protected because it is in the Bible, which, as you can tell by reading through this small collection of quotes above, isn't really much of an argument in favor of anything. Let's just say that they want to say that, and if there is a Bible quote to back them up, well so much the better, because they intend to say it anyways. As for all those other Bible verses which are so equally atrocious and bad, this can only mean that someday they will have to be protected as well. I mean, think about it, if they said anything worth while there wouldn't be any threat, now would there...
