Question for atheists...

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from you, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other specific Biblical laws and how to follow them.

a) 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?

b) 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?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanness (Lev.15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense. If I come into contact with a woman who is menstruating and she doesn't tell me until afterwards, must I kill her immediately or can I just beat her?

d) 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?

e) 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? Also, is Sabbath on Saturday as Seventh Day Adventists (Christians, like us...or are they?) or is it on Sunday as Baptists and some other faiths agree? I am beset by not knowing who to kill and when to kill them...please clarify this for me.

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality (Lev. 18:22). I don't agree. I'm also confused about how homosexuality can be an abomination when Jonathan and David were married in the Bible (1 Samuel 18:1, 3 - 4). Here, I'll quote it - "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle." and also Ruth's relationship with Naomi is suspect, (Ruth 1:16-17) "And Ruth said to Naomi, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part three and me." Can you settle this?


g) 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?

h) 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 and even though 1st Cor. 11:4-6 says that it is a shame upon a man to have long hair. How should they die?

i) 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? Also, since it is strictly forbidden to "eat neither fat nor blood" in Lev. 3:17 & Lev. 19:26, does that mean that I must be a vegetarian and must I smite those who choose to eat meat?

j) 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)?

k) I know that it is an abomination for a man to wear a woman's clothes or a woman to wear a man's (Deut. 22:5), so does that mean that since my wife borrowed my boxers once, she's going to hell?

i) An unbeliever sent me an email telling me that God is an ABORTIONIST? It says, "In Num. 5:11-31, God commands a husband to get an abortion for his wife if he suspects she has been impregnated by another man. A priest is to make her drink a potion and tell her, "If any man other than your husband has had intercourse with you, may the LORD make an example of you . . . by bringing upon you miscarriage and untimely birth." To deliberately cause a miscarriage is to perform an abortion. And who brings about this miscarriage? Who performs this abortion? It is the LORD who does so. God is an abortionist. In Ex. 21:22-25, God tells us what to do if a man who is fighting knocks against a pregnant woman. If the woman dies, the principle of "life for life" is invoked and the man responsible for her death must be killed. If she lives but has a miscarriage, then the death of the fetus is to be compensated for by the payment of a fine, as demanded by the woman's husband. Thus, God has revealed the status of the unborn fetus: it is not an independent, full-fledged human life, whose destruction amounts to murder. It is a thing owned by the woman's husband, a thing whose loss, like that of any other thing, may be compensated for with money." How can this be true?

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 and also for the reassurance that the Bible is infallible.
 
That while in some places and some times it is thought acceptable to carry out certain acts - in others it is not.

Like the story behind Alive. In that instance it was the only thing they could do. But you wouldn't sit down at your table on a Sunday lunch time and tuck into a few fingers or two.
 
It gives you a hint as to the answer to your question.

You can't use a logical argument in reference to something very illogical in nature.

Why do people in most countries wear clothes even when it's really hot? Because most wouldn't like to expose themselves, and that's something that society has come up with - not something that makes sense logically.

The part where it links in to what you are asking is the society bit. Different cultures have different ways and different things that are acceptable. These come from humans having the type of intelligence that makes up it's own rules. And that is what makes the distinction between eating animals and eating humans.
 
Ardsgaine said:
Jerrek said:
?( Is that post directed at me? If so, I don't follow Judaism...

Eh? The Old Testament isn't part of the Bible anymore? ?(
Those laws were given to the Jews, not the gentiles... ;) If you want more info, PM me... I don't want to argue about religion in this thread. It was never the intent nor am I sure why people brought it up.
 
If you're saying that the Old Testament doesn't apply to Christians, then you've apparently just founded a new religion. :rolleyes:
 
Ardsgaine said:
If you're saying that the Old Testament doesn't apply to Christians, then you've apparently just founded a new religion. :rolleyes:
No, that isn't what I'm saying.
 
People have tried to explain answers to your original question, but you've neither agreed nor showed any recognition of their points. So it's no wonder the conversation has wandered.
 
Scanty said:
People have tried to explain answers to your original question, but you've neither agreed or showed any recognition of their points. So it's no wonder the conversation has wandered.
Oh I'm not arguing since I'm not an atheist :) I've read and observed, and thats it. :)
 
With all due respect, you've read and posted a tad.
But it's a bit weird to ask a big question like that and then not acknowledge anyone's repsonses...
 
Jerrek said:
No, that isn't what I'm saying.

Then you know somehow which parts of the Old Testament have been superceded, and which are still in effect? Can I go get my Bible and my magic marker and go over this with you? ;)
 
Ardsgaine said:
Jerrek said:
No, that isn't what I'm saying.

Then you know somehow which parts of the Old Testament have been superceded, and which are still in effect? Can I go get my Bible and my magic marker and go over this with you? ;)
If you want to :) Its pretty easy if you've read the Bible a few times. ;)
 
Jerrek said:
No this is not about religion or any of that kind of stuff, but rather about an interesting discussion I've had with someone I know in real life.

Ok, it's not about religon.
Since I'm religious, I know I'm placed above animals as a human being and are better than them and not simply an evolution from them. (Don't argue, thats not the point.) God also instructed man that eating of animals is permissable. (The dietary rules of what and what not to eat isn't important either.)

Ok, Is it about religon

However, as an atheist, if you eat meat how do you justify killing a fellow animal for food? If you do not have a problem eating animal flesh, why not eat human flesh since humans are animals that are just a bit more evolved? If you do not want to eat human flesh, what makes animals so special that they can be eaten? Why is it murder killing a fellow human being for revenge, but killing a fly because it annoys you isn't murder? What makes humans and animals "different" in the mind of an atheist?

I'd like to know what some of you guys' reasoning is behind this... And no since the thread topic is about something I don't believe in anyways, I can't make any arguments but listen ;) And also, this thread is not about vegetarianism and all that... just the comparison of humans and animals.

I don't want to argue about religion in this thread. It was never the intent nor am I sure why people brought it up.

If it's a question for athiests, then it's about religon. Sorry, but it is. It was brought up, because that is what the discussion was about.

Now, my post does address quite a few issues, but I posted the whole thing to get my point across. Go back and read Scanty's responses again, as she put it better than I can.

As for yours and Ards discussion, as far as I know, all Gentile bibles contain both the New and Old testament, to say that parts of it apply and parts of it don't is not only ludicrous, it's blasphemous. Either you take the entire book to be the word of God, or you dismiss the entire book as not being the word of God. I don't see a middle ground here.
 
PuterTutor said:
As for yours and Ards discussion, as far as I know,
You don't know... You proclaimed yourself an atheist and was raised Roman Catholic. I'm Protestant.

Either you take the entire book to be the word of God, or you dismiss the entire book as not being the word of God. I don't see a middle ground here.
Thanks for educating me in my religion pastor, seeing as you are an atheist and obviously an expert in Christianity. :rolleyes: If you want to talk about this further, PM me :)
 
Jerrek said:
However, as an atheist, if you eat meat how do you justify killing a fellow animal for food? If you do not have a problem eating animal flesh, why not eat human flesh since humans are animals that are just a bit more evolved? If you do not want to eat human flesh, what makes animals so special that they can be eaten? Why is it murder killing a fellow human being for revenge, but killing a fly because it annoys you isn't murder? What makes humans and animals "different" in the mind of an atheist?
Dude........you REALLY to get lad. ;)

1. I don't justify it, that's the way nature is.
2. I can't think of any species that eats between them, something about survival of the species i guess.
3. They are tasty.
4. I didn't make the law ;)
5. Only the degree of intelligence.
 
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