Archive for the ‘Scripture’ Category

Death for Bestiality

December 1st, 2009

Leviticus 20:15-16

15 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.
16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

In Leviticus 20, God says that you are to kill a man or a woman who has intercourse with an animal, and the animal is also to be killed. Is it the animal’s fault that their owner is sexually deviant? Apparently, the creature should have simply refused. Perhaps the animal deserved it for running around naked all the time.

Childbirth is Sinful

November 30th, 2009

Leviticus 12

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.

3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.

5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.

6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:

7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.

8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

This is Leviticus 12 in its entirety. It’s very clear that a woman who gives birth is made unclean by doing so. She must wait a certain number of days, then have a priest perform both a burnt and sin offering. When she gives birth to a male, she is unclean for one week. When she gives birth to a female, she is unclean for two weeks. Even after she is clean from the birth, she is still unclean from her bleeding and must wait thirty-three days if she gave birth to a male and sixty-six days if she gave birth to a female.

Such a prescription of uncleanliness would prevent a husband from having intercourse with his wife for the specified amount of time. While four to six weeks aligns well with what is stated here, there is no difference between having a male and a female that would warrant such vaginal discrimination. The only thing that seems important is that her bleeding stop so that it’s certain that she has healed before resuming intercourse.

The prescription for her not to enter a temple or touch anything hallowed is basically forcing her to rest, but this does not prevent the woman from working around the house, nor does it treat her with the respect and reverence she deserves for bearing a child. Instead, it suggests that her bearing a child is a sin that she must be purified from.

Would such a passage be written by an all-loving god? Is this this kind of god you want to worship?

Infanticide

November 30th, 2009

Exodus 12:29

29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

In Exodus 12, God kills all firstborn in Egypt, with the exception of the Israelites who smeared blood over their door, in an effort to force Ramses to release the Israelite slaves. Did these children really deserve it, though?

It was Ramses who refused to let Moses’ people go, not these children. Their only sin was being born first to the oppressors of the Israelites. They were killed to prove a point, but was this really a good thing? All Christians are taught this story, and many take this passage for granted, thinking of the Egyptians as the bad guys. After all, it’s okay for the children of the bad guys to die, right? Absolutely not. Such a stance is morally reprehensible. Why would a just, moral, and loving god kill innocent children?

Some may say that such children, being under the age of accountability, would go straight to Heaven. However, such a mode of thought implies that infanticide is okay. There is no question about it. God has committed infanticide, a highly immoral act.

Global Genocide

November 25th, 2009

Genesis 7:19-23

19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

In Genesis 7, it is very plainly stated that God kills everyone on Earth, sparing only Noah and those who are on the ark with him. Of the people he killed, around a third were likely to be children, all of whom would be completely innocent. They would also be well below the age of accountability.

Think about all of the innocent children that God murdered. Think about all of the innocent animals that he caused to suffer and die. If Noah saved two puppies, God killed the rest. If Noah saved two kittens, then how many more did God drown? How many koalas did he drown?

One thing that no one thinks about is what happened when the flood waters receded. Sure, the creatures of the sea survived the flood just fine, but what about all the dolphins that may have been stranded when the waters receded? How much death did he cause? God killed every living thing on the planet, except for what was in one boat.

If you are a Christian, you have to understand that God killed men, women, and children, not to mention countless animals. He drowned them to death by flooding the entire planet. Whether these people were evil or not, he did not give them the chance for redemption. He does not reveal himself to them and tell them to straighten themselves out or else he’d wipe them out. Instead, he reveals himself to one man and tells him to build a boat because he’ll drown everyone but him. It seems to me like God simply enjoys watching people suffer and die, a sentiment that is supported by the rest of the wretched book that is the King James Bible.

Death for Cursing Your Parents

November 23rd, 2009

Leviticus 20:9

9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Leviticus is filled with various terrible rules, and this one qualifies. According to Leviticus 20, if you curse your parents, you are to be put to death. I would imagine that there are some circumstances where cursing your parents may be entirely appropriate. The King James Bible refuses to recognize that such exceptions may exist and requires not only absolute obedience but also death for the disobedient. I wonder how anyone made it past their teen years in such a society.

Good, moral parents would have no need for such a law, nor would they enforce it. However, the King James Bible suggests that this disgustingly violent and intolerant law is a good and necessary thing. Could you bring yourself to kill your children if they curse you? God demands that you kill him or her if he or she does. Do you disobey God or your conscience? Who do you love more, God or your child? If he or she curses you, this might be a decision that you will have to make.

God Turns People Homosexual

November 15th, 2009

Romans 1:26-32

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

In Romans 1, we find that a portion of it is referring to God’s wrath against mankind. In addition, we find that the reason for this wrath is that these people know God but ignore him and his teachings. Because of this, he turns them over to homosexual desires. He then also turns them over to a reprobate mind, which is one that is vile and sinful and has turned away from God. In other words, God turns these people into perverted homosexuals, then says that they should be put to death.

Some have suggested that when it says he gave them over that it implies that God simply allowed them to do these things. If something is given to you, then it has been placed in your possession. If these people were given over to sin, then they were placed in the possession of sin. Furthermore, they were placed there by God. There is no suggestion in this passage that such people decided to be homosexuals, but rather that God placed them in a homosexual mindset for knowing him and going against him.

What kind of morality is this? Would a just god make people a certain way and then condemn them to death for how he caused them to be? Well, I suppose that’s what he’s done from the beginning. Any failing of man is indeed a failing of God to make us correctly so that we do not fail. In this instance, he took people, altered their minds so that they would be more prone to sin, and then said they should be killed for it. It sounds to me like someone was just trying to justify killing homosexuals, because this in no way, shape, or form resembles any kind of sane morality. The suggestion here is that either homosexuals are people who go against God and because of that they deserve death, or it’s a weak insult suggesting that all those who go against him are gay.

Perhaps the Westboro Baptist Church is right and it is true that God hates fags. In any case, it is childish and narrow-minded. This does not sound like the work of an all-loving god. Then again, it has been proven time and time again that God is not all-loving, that he is either an evil bastard or is simply imaginary. Anyone with any shred of morality would see that whether such a god exists or not, it is our moral duty to oppose him and his teachings.

Wives, Obey Husbands Like They’re Jesus

November 11th, 2009

Ephesians 5:22

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Ephesians 5 suggests that wives must obey their husbands as if they’re Jesus.

Ephesians 5:23-24

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Apparently, the husband is in control of the house in the same way that Jesus is in charge of the church. Admittedly, the next verse does suggest that men should love their wives as Jesus loved the church, so much so that he died for it. While that is admirable, the suggestion here is that a wife who does not submit to her husband is a bad wife and a bad Christian.

The fact of the matter is, your husband is not a god, nor do you have to treat him like one. When he’s being an ass-hat, you should be able to tell him as much without fear of  god-like fury, such as  being dowsed in gasoline and lit on fire. That actually happens in some parts of the world, although I doubt the women use the term ass-hat.

A marriage is a partnership, and it cannot work in a healthy manner without mutual love and respect. Passages such as these were very obviously written by men with control issues, not by an all-loving god.

Slaves, Obey Masters Like They’re Jesus

November 11th, 2009

Ephesians 6:5

5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

According to Ephesians 6, slaves are to obey their masters as they would obey Jesus. Upon reading all of the chapter, we find that it starts with telling children that they should obey their parents, then it moves right along to slaves. Paul suggests that they shouldn’t just appear to obey them to win their favor but to really do what is asked of them in all honesty. The passage is clear that they should fear their masters and that this is part of their obeying them. For some reason, this is suggested as a good thing.

Next, it suggests that masters should also treat their slaves well and that they should not resort to threats. They wouldn’t have to resort to threats if they were good and obedient little slaves, as they would respect and fear them with trembling as they would Jesus. The whole thing is simply a means by which the people in power can tell the slaves that while they are spiritually equal to their masters, they’ve still got to shut up and obey everything commanded of them.

I’ve got news for you. The slave masters are not gods. They are merely wicked men exploiting their fellow human beings. If God were just, he would have scorned slavery in all its forms and severely punished anyone who claimed to own another. Instead, he told us we could own slaves, that we could beat them, and that while we should be nice to them, they are commanded to obey us. What kind of all-loving god would do such a thing? It’s easy really, one who is imaginary whose doctrine was invented by men in power who wished to maintain that power.

Slaves Must Obey All Master’s Commands

November 9th, 2009

Titus 2:9-10

9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

As it turns out, there are several passages in the New Testament that command slaves to be obedient. This passage from Titus 2 is very simple and straightforward. Servants are to obey their master in all things without talking back. This passage gives no exceptions, such as when the master demands the slave do something immoral. Even if one might say that the slave doesn’t have to obey immoral commands or commands that would have them commit a crime, this does not cover commands which are humiliating to the servant. The very fact that one human owns another is dehumanizing enough. If the master were to command the slave to behave like an animal or otherwise do something that would dehumanize them, they must obey and not talk back. One may say that the last verse in this passage is the exception needed to prevent them from doing evil acts, but indeed it is a prescription for slaves not to steal and to show themselves to be trustworthy.

Slavery is evil and must not exist, ever, for any reason. Anyone who tells slaves that they should be obedient is supporting slavery, and he or she is evil. It doesn’t matter what era the person comes from. It doesn’t matter if their society permits slavery. They are setting up practices and laws that prevent slaves from obtaining their freedom through revolution. Additionally, this passage doesn’t just apply to slaves. If you are under employment, you could be considered a servant. Indeed, would you say that you would always obey the commands of your manager? If your CEO asked you to get on all fours, bark like a dog, lick his hand, and then piss outside, would you? That is extreme, but what if they simply asked you to lie? What if they asked you to overlook something shady? What if they asked you to perform sexual favors?

Silence the Women

November 8th, 2009

1 Timothy 2:11-14

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

In 1 Timothy 2, this passage points out with absolute clarity exactly how the Apostle Paul viewed women. Not only does this support the claim that women should learn in silence, but specifically states that they should never teach or have any authority over a man and that they should just keep their inferior mouths shut. The reasoning behind this is just plain silly.

Paul says that since Eve came second, she is inferior. In at least one depiction of the creation, God creates man after the animals of the world. Does that make man inferior to the animals? Paul also says that since Eve was deceived, she was to blame. I guess Adam just went along because he was being an idiot, which we all know is a virtue.

Was this written by a just and moral god who loves us all equally, or was it written by a sexist man who didn’t want women to have any power over him? Thankfully, many of us live in a society where men and women are considered equal. However, this archaic thinking still pervades our society amongst fundamentalist groups. It is often used to prevent women from teaching in church and religious institutions. In some particularly strict religious groups, it keeps them from teaching or even speaking entirely.

There is no other way to interpret this passage. Paul’s intent is clear. Even if he intended it to mean something different, the fact remains that this verse is used to subjugate women all over the world for centuries. Any reasonable and moral human being could see that this is vile and sexist, yet the King James Bible is supposed to be good for teaching in righteousness. Is this really how the righteous should act? It seems the King James Bible is less about teaching righteousness and more about teaching male self-righteousness.