[Oe List ...] Further to liberals and Biblical literalism

Tue Aug 9 22:22:58 EDT 2011

The first time I heard something similar was on the TV program The West Wing.  The US president was quoting some of these points to a right-wing literalist Christian.  Then I had no problem feeling very satisfied with these gotcha arguments, and laughing freely. Now I do have a problem -probably because I now have some Jewish friends who I admire very much. I don't know how to talk adequately about what the Torah (the law) means to them. But the folks I have in mind have quite a bit of knowledge about the ancient setting in which the Torah was written down.  Many of us Christians have things that we take literally, too.  Does Resurrection really mean the resusitation of a dead body?  Not to me - and not to Christian scholars who make the most sense to me (Marcus Borg and Jack Spong, for two).  Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is coming to our area to speak in September, and I much look forward to her workshop on early common era Judaism - the millieu in which Jesus lived and taught.  She is a terrific speaker - has been on some of the Living the Questions DVDs.  An observant Orthodox Jew, she is a professor of New Testament  (and Judaic Studies) at Vanderbilt University Seminary.  So Dr. Kauffman, the hint of smug superiority that underlies your clever questions does bother me, because it makes fun of what Jews see as an incredible gift to them, and through them to the world.  That said, it's vitally important to respect and support homosexuals. Just not at the expense of another group of people.
Janice Ulangca
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: coevolutionacademy at juno.com 
  To: oe at wedgeblade.net 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 12:43 PM
  Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Further to liberals and Biblical literalism

  Here's an interesting perspective on literalism! Passed on from a professor at the Universtiy of Virginia. Some of you may have seen this before. It made Balse and I laugh out loud.

  Occasionally I get things that just have to be passed on. 

  Owning a Canadian 

  In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22. 

  The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, written by a US resident, and posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative: 

  Dear Dr. Laura: 

   Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate. 

   I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them. 

  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 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 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 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)

  I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help.

  Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
  Your adoring fan,
  James M. Kauffman,

  Ed.D. Professor Emeritus,
  Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education
  University of Virginia

  PS (It would be a damn shame if we couldn't own a Canadian)

  ---------- Original Message ----------
  From: "Bill Schlesinger" <pvida at whc.net>
  To: "'Order Ecumenical Community'" <oe at wedgeblade.net>
  Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Further to liberals and Biblical literalism
  Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2011 10:13:47 -0600

  The conservative argument is that the literal ‘fall’ is a prerequisite to Paul’s analogy of the ‘New Adam’ role of the Christ in his cosmology.

  Bill Schlesinger

  Project Vida

  3607 Rivera Avenue

  El Paso, TX 79905

  (915) 533-7057 x 207

  (915) 533-7158 FAX

  pvida at whc.net

  www.projectvidaelpaso.org

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Herman Greene
  Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 6:04 AM
  To: 'Order Ecumenical Community'
  Subject: [Oe List ...] Further to liberals and Biblical literalism

  NPR just had an announcement about a coming program. It said we will look at whether Adam and Eve were real persons. This is ultimately about whether the fundamental ideas of Christianity are true are not.

  Is the real personhood of Adam and Eve one of Christianity’s fundamental ideas? (Well perhaps one of its conservative or liberal fundamental-IST ideas.)

  Herman

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  Herman Greene

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  Chapel Hill, NC 27516

  919-929-4116 (h)

  919-624-0579 (c)

  919-942-4358 (f)

  Skype: hgreene-nc

  hfgreene at mindspring.com 

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