269 lines
17 KiB
Markdown
269 lines
17 KiB
Markdown
%title 12 Reasons Same-sex Marriage Will Ruin Society.
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%date 2004-04-24 15:28:17
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:diary:livejournal:fossils:
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1. Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning are not natural.
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2. Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people cannot get legally married because the world needs more children.
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3. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children because straight parents only raise straight children.
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4. Straight marriage will be less meaningful, Just as Britney Spears's 55-hour marriage romp was meaningful.
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5. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and it hasn't changed at all: women are property, Blacks can't marry Whites, and divorce is illegal.
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6. Gay marriage should be decided by the people, not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of minorities.
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7. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are always imposed on the entire country. That's why we only have one religion in America.
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8. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people makes you tall.
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9. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage license.
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10. Children can never succeed without both male and female role models at home. That's why single parents are forbidden to raise children.
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11. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven't adapted to cars or longer lifespans or increased racial and gender equality.
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12. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a "separate but equal" institution is always constitutional. Separate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as separate marriages will for gays & lesbians.
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<details text="Open Letter to Dr. Laura."><summary>Open Letter to Dr. Laura.</summary>
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(Mirrored from <a href="http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/joke/laura.htm">http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/joke/laura.htm</a>
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<blockquote>
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<i>For those of you that are not following the recent controversy
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that has to do with Laura Schlessinger: she is a radio personality who
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dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Paramount
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Television Group is currently producing a "Dr. Laura"
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television show. Recently she has become a convert to Judaism, and now
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she is Ba'al T'shuvah. Recently, she has made some statements about
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homosexuals that has caused the Canadian anti-hate laws to censure
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her... The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura which was posted on
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the internet... </i> </blockquote>
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<h1>an open letter to Dr. Laura</h1>
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<h2>J. Kent Ashcraft</h2>
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<h3>May 2000</h3>
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Dear Dr. Laura,
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Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I
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have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that
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knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the
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homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that
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<a href="#L18.22">Leviticus 18:22</a> clearly states it to be an
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abomination. End of debate.
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I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific
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laws and how to best follow them.
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a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a
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pleasing odor for the Lord (<a href="#L1.9">Lev 1:9</a>). The problem is
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my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite
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them?
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b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in
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<a href="#E21.7">Exodus 21:7</a>. In this day and age, what do you think
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would be a fair price for her?
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c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her
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period of menstrual uncleanliness (<a href="#L15.19-24">Lev 15:19-24</a>).
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The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take
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offense.
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d) <a href="#L25.44">Lev. 25:44</a> states that I may indeed possess
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slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring
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nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not
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Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
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e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath.
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<a href="#E35.2">Exodus 35:2</a> clearly states he should be put to
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death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
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f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an
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Abomination (<a href="#L11.10">Lev 11:10</a>), it is a lesser abomination
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than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?
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g) <a href="#L21.20">Lev 21:20</a> states that I may not approach the
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altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear
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reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle
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room here?
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h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair
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around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by
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<a href="#L19.27">Lev 19:27</a>. How should they die?
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i) I know from <a href="#L11.6-8">Lev 11:6-8</a> that touching the skin
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of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear
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gloves?
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j) My uncle has a farm. He violates <a href="#L19.19">Lev 19:19</a> by
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planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by
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wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester
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blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary
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that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone
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them? (<a href="#L24.10-16">Lev 24:10-16</a>) Couldn't we just burn them
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to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with
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their in-laws? (<a href="#L20.14">Lev. 20:14</a>)
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I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you
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can help.
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Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and
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unchanging.
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Your devoted disciple and adoring fan.
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</details><lj-cut text="Associated verses.">
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<a name="verses"></a>
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<hr align="CENTER" size="1" width="75%"/>
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<i>These are the Biblical verses refered to above, in two different
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translations: the King James Version [KJV], and New International Version
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[NIV]</i>
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<blockquote>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L18.22"></a> Lev 18:22 [KJV] Thou shalt not
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lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. [NIV] Do not lie
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with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L1.9"></a>Lev 1:9 [KJV] But his inwards and
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his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the
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altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet
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savour unto the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>. [NIV] He is to wash the
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inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it
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on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma
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pleasing to the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>. </font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="E21.7"></a>Exodus 21:7 [KJV] And if a man
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sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the
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menservants do. [NIV] If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is
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not to go free as menservants do.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L15.19-24"></a> Lev 15:19-24 [KJV] And if a
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woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be
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put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until
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the even. <font size="-1">20</font> And every thing that she lieth upon
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in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth
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upon shall be unclean. <font size="-1">21</font> And whosoever toucheth
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her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be
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unclean until the even. <font size="-1">22</font> And whosoever
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toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe
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himself in water, and be unclean until the even. <font size="-1">23</font>
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And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he
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toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even. <font size="-1">24</font>
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And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he
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shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be
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unclean.
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<br/>[NIV] When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of
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her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will
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be unclean till evening. <font size="-1">20</font> Anything she lies on
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during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be
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unclean. <font size="-1">21</font> Whoever touches her bed must wash
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his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.
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<font size="-1">22</font> Whoever touches anything she sits on must
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wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till
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evening. <font size="-1">23</font> Whether it is the bed or anything
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she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, he will be unclean till
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evening. <font size="-1">24</font> If a man lies with her and her
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monthly flow touches him, he will be unclean for seven days; any bed he
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lies on will be unclean.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L25.44"></a>Lev 25:44 [KJV] Both thy
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bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the
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heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and
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bondmaids. [NIV] Your male and female slaves are to come from the
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nations around you; from them you may buy slaves.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="E35.2"></a>Exodus 35:2 [KJV] Six days shall
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work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day,
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a sabbath of rest to the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>: whosoever doeth
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work therein shall be put to death. [NIV] For six days, work is to be
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done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to
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the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>. Whoever does any work on it must be
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put to death.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L11.10"></a>Lev 11:10 [KJV] And all that
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have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that
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move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they
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shall be an abomination unto you [NIV] But all creatures in the seas or
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streams that do not have fins and scales --- whether among all the
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swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water ---
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you are to detest.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L21.20"></a>Lev 21:20 [KJV] Or crookbackt,
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or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed,
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or hath his stones broken [NIV] or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who
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has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged
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testicles.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L19.27"></a>Lev 19:27 [KJV] Ye shall not
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round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of
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thy beard. [NIV] Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip
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off the edges of your beard.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L11.6-8"></a>Lev 11:6-8 [KJV] And the hare,
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because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean
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unto you. <font size="-1">7</font> And the swine, though he divide the
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hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to
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you. <font size="-1">8</font> Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and
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their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
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<br/>[NIV] The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a split
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hoof; it is unclean for you. <font size="-1">7</font> And the pig,
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though it has a split hoof completely divied, does not chew the cud; it
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is unclean for you. <font size="-1">8</font> You must not eat their
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meat or touch their carcases; they are unclean for you.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L19.19"></a>Lev 19:19 [KJV] Ye shall keep
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my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind:
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thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment
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mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee. [NIV] Keep my decrees. Do
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not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two
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kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L24.10-16"></a>Lev 24:10-16 [KJV] And the
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son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out
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among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and
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a man of Israel strove together in the camp; <font size="-1">11</font>
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And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and
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cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was
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Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) <font size="-1">12</font>
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And they put him in ward, that the mind of the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>
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might be shewed them. <font size="-1">13</font> And the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>
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spake unto Moses, saying, <font size="-1">14</font> Bring forth him
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that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their
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hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
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<font size="-1">15</font> And thou shalt speak unto the children of
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Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
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<font size="-1">16</font> And he that blasphemeth the name of the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>,
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he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall
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certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the
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land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.
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<br/>[NIV] Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father
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went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between
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him and an Israelite. <font size="-1">11</font> The son of the
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Israelite woman blasphemed the name of the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>
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with a curse; so they brough him to Moses. (His mother's name was
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Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.) <font size="-1">12</font>
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They put him in custody until the will of the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>
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should be made clear to them. <font size="-1">13</font> Then the L<font size="-1">ORD</font>
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said to Moses: <font size="-1">14</font> Take the blasphemer outside
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the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head,
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and the entire assembly is to stone him. <font size="-1">15</font> Say
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to the Israelites: If anyone curses his God, he will be held
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responsible; <font size="-1">16</font> anyone who blasphemes the name
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of the L<font size="-1">ORD</font> must be put to death. The entire
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assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he
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blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.</font>
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<font size="-1"><a name="L20.14"></a> Lev 20:14 [KJV] And if a man
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take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with
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fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you. [NIV] If
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a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and
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they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among
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you.</font> </blockquote>
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<a name="author"></a>
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<hr size="1"/>
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</lj-cut><lj-cut text="Attribution of the author">
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<h4>Establishing the author</h4>
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<blockquote>
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<font size="-1"><i>I got the letter off the Net, but without an
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attribution. <tt><a href="http://www.skyhero.com/_disc6/00000857.htm">Some
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Web versions</a></tt> have the sig "Carole M. Cusack, Lecturer,
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School of Studies in Religion, University of Sydney" attached, but
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do not make it clear if this refers to the original author, or to the
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poster. So I requested clarification in an earlier version of this page.</i></font>
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<font size="-1"><i>Someone emailed me in September 2000, saying that
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the UK Guardian newspaper of 16 Sept 2000 had an article claiming the
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author was Steve Turner. </i></font>
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<font size="-1"><i>Someone else emailed me on 1 April 2001 [really!]
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saying "In the May 2001 edition of Playboy, they have a letter from
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a reader on page 62 in which a 'Kent Ashcraft' states that he originally
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wrote the letter." </i></font>
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<font size="-1"><i>Then in July 2001 Kent Ashcraft emailed me,
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saying he is indeed the author (except of the last three questions,
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which are additions to his original).</i></font> </blockquote>
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<hr/>
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</lj-cut> |