ANSWERING THE BIBLE:
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| St. Paul, by Bernardo Daddi, 1333 - Andrew W. Mellon Collection |
Q. What is the penalty for working on the Sabbath?
Answer: You will be stoned to death.
Isn't this an excessively violent punishment from a supposedly "Good Book?" What is the harm in working on the Sabbath? It seems the only harm is to the ego of the Sovereign, who demands respect with no respect to human needs.
"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whoseoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day." (Exodus 35:2)
For the chilling application of this law, see Numbers 15:32-36, where a man who picked up sticks on the sabbath was stoned, "and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."
Q. What is God's name?
Answer: Jealous.
##This is a petty self-described insecurity from a supposedly all-wise leader.
"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:14)
## Sometimes the name of God is described as "holy" (see Psalm 99:3), but the name itself is not "Holy." In Isaiah 29:23, the name of God is given as "The Holy One of Jacob."
Q.How should parents treat a stubborn and rebellious son?
Answer: He should be stoned to death. --
This cruelly excessive Mosaic law was actually enforced at one time by the Massachusetts colony and has been used to justify child abuse and murder.
"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them; Then shall his father and mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of the city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear." (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
"And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death." (Exodus 21:17).
"For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he that cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him." (Leviticus 20:9)
Q.When the Israelites conquered the Midianites, what part of the spoils of war was given to the priest as "the Lord's tribute"?
Answer: 32 virgins.
Of the 32,000 virgins that were kept alive as "booty" for God's warriors, 32 young captives were handed to the priest. The bible brutally sanctifies war crimes against girls and women. Who could possibly respect a dictator who behaves like this?
"And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was 675,000 sheep, And 72,000 beeves, And 61,000 asses, And 32,000 persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him . . . of which the Lord's tribute was 32 persons. And Moses gave the tribute, which was the Lord's heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses." (Numbers 31:32-41)
