In his new book, “Fall to Grace: A Revolution of God, Self, and Society,” the younger Bakker makes the case that Christians should reconsider their position on homosexuality. Such views may find a hearing among young evangelicals who are shifting on gay and lesbian rights. If the Christian establishment fails to recognize this shift and adjust its rhetoric, leaders may find their young congregants departing, not defending, their churches.
Mr. Bakker, who is straight and divorced, says that religious people for far too long have used selective “clobber scriptures” to condemn gays and lesbians. A closer look at the teachings of the full biblical narrative, he says, leads us away from this position. “The simple fact is that Old Testament references in Leviticus do treat homosexuality as a sin ... a capital offense even,” Bakker writes. “But before you say, ‘I told you so,’ consider this: Eating shellfish, cutting your sideburns and getting tattoos were equally prohibited by ancient religious law.”
List of actions prohibited by the bible, courtesy of RationalWiki-
Homosexuality, only applies to men- women aren't prohibited. (Leviticus 18:22)
Consuming blood, blood in meat is not exempt. (Genesis 9:4)
Performing any work on the sabbath.(Exodus 20:10)
Cooking a goat in its mother's milk.(Exodus 23:19)
Eating fat.(Leviticus 3:17)
The consumption of pork.(Leviticus 11:7-8)
Eating a fellowship offering more than three days old.(Leviticus 19:5-8)
Bestiality.(Leviticus 19:19)
Planting more than one kind of seed in a field.(Leviticus 19:19)
Wearing clothing woven of more than one kind of cloth.(Leviticus 19:19)
Cutting the hair on the sides of your head or clipping of the edges of your beard.(Leviticus 19:27)
Tattoos.(Leviticus 19:28)
Consulting a psychic or spiritualist.(Leviticus 19:31)
Being a psychic or spiritualist, punishable by death.(Leviticus 20:27)
Touching the dead carcass of a pig.(Deuteronomy 14:8)
Eating aquatic creatures lacking fins or scales.(Deuteronomy 14:9-10)
Transvestism.(Deuteronomy 22:5)
Consuming the meat of strangled animals.(Acts 15:28-29)
For women, speaking in church.(1 Corinthians 14:34-35)
If you are a slave, disobedience.(Ephesians 6:5)
Homosexuality, only applies to men- women aren't prohibited. (Leviticus 18:22)
Consuming blood, blood in meat is not exempt. (Genesis 9:4)
Performing any work on the sabbath.(Exodus 20:10)
Cooking a goat in its mother's milk.(Exodus 23:19)
Eating fat.(Leviticus 3:17)
The consumption of pork.(Leviticus 11:7-8)
Eating a fellowship offering more than three days old.(Leviticus 19:5-8)
Bestiality.(Leviticus 19:19)
Planting more than one kind of seed in a field.(Leviticus 19:19)
Wearing clothing woven of more than one kind of cloth.(Leviticus 19:19)
Cutting the hair on the sides of your head or clipping of the edges of your beard.(Leviticus 19:27)
Tattoos.(Leviticus 19:28)
Consulting a psychic or spiritualist.(Leviticus 19:31)
Being a psychic or spiritualist, punishable by death.(Leviticus 20:27)
Touching the dead carcass of a pig.(Deuteronomy 14:8)
Eating aquatic creatures lacking fins or scales.(Deuteronomy 14:9-10)
Transvestism.(Deuteronomy 22:5)
Consuming the meat of strangled animals.(Acts 15:28-29)
For women, speaking in church.(1 Corinthians 14:34-35)
If you are a slave, disobedience.(Ephesians 6:5)
Goddamn (no, really), tattoos AND cut sideburns? He's going to superhell. It's like regular hell, but in a volcano, and a flying robot carries you there.
This was emailed to me years ago, but still makes me laugh.
1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may 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 to Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
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. 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?
5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states that he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?
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 life 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)?
1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may 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 to Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
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. 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?
5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states that he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?
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 life 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)?
And from Lev. 21:
18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
20 Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
We have to shun people with scurvy now? People with flat noses? Any 'blemish' whatsoever? That's going to make high school rough.
18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
20 Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
We have to shun people with scurvy now? People with flat noses? Any 'blemish' whatsoever? That's going to make high school rough.
It seems that the religious person's choices are:
- do asinine things because the magic book says so
- or declare god was wrong and ignore/rewrite magic book
- or, the most common choice, be a completely unethical douchbag and cherry pick the rules you want to follow while still maintaining that you are following god's word
Of course, the reasonable choice is to admit it is a book written by cavemen for cavemen which has long since outlasted any worth it once had.
- do asinine things because the magic book says so
- or declare god was wrong and ignore/rewrite magic book
- or, the most common choice, be a completely unethical douchbag and cherry pick the rules you want to follow while still maintaining that you are following god's word
Of course, the reasonable choice is to admit it is a book written by cavemen for cavemen which has long since outlasted any worth it once had.
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