Born Roman Catholic I spent many Sundays in church listening to their interpretation of the Bible. I often wondered why the teachings were so different than the actual Bible. So one day I sat down and read the Bible from cover to cover. Then I read it again thinking that I must have missed something because I came away with many more questions that I had answers. Yet this book was suppose to have the answers.
Later, during Vietnam, happenings convinced me that God, or at least the God I grew up with, was not real So I drifted away from all religion but continued to read the bible and other religious books of other religions. I was hoping that at some point in my research I would find that I was wrong and the God of my childhood was real and I would return to my faith. This has not happened.
These days I find it interesting that religion is being used, once again, to attempt to deprive a certain segment of our population from enjoying some of the same rights and/or privileges the rest of us enjoy. So I started, once again, reading and studying the bible to find out why and again I came up with more questions. Some of my questions:
Genesis, Chapter #1 says "And God said let us create man in our image". Us and Our are plural so who was he talking to. Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one being at this stage in the book. It goes on to say that he did create man. Now keep in mind that Adam & Eve and the Garden of Eden are not created until Chapter #2. So who was created in Chapter #1?
The bible is used to be against homosexuals. Really? Then what about these?
-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?
-When I burn a bull on the alter 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?
-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 to Canadians. Can someone clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
-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?
-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?
-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?
-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 of two different kinds of threads. 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 in a private family affair?
See? When they chose only one passage in Lev. to go against some people it doesn't make any sense. Either follow it all or don't follow any of it...............
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