Discussion:
Ten Regular Things The Bible Bans But We Still Do
(too old to reply)
Skeptix List
2017-02-03 16:32:17 UTC
Permalink
The Bible is the most widely read book in the history of mankind,
we're
pretty sure. The Good Book has been the cornerstone for one of the
largest religions on the planet and it deserves to be read by just
about everyone, regardless of their spirituality. The Bible is
thousands of years old and contains numerous stories, parables, and
guidelines for its followers to follow. Since this is a sensitive
topic, we will outline some sections that are forbidden in the Bible
but people still do in this modern era.

Tattoos

You know that cute little tattoo you got in college? Or how about
the
tattoo you got to commemorate a lost loved one? Well, Leviticus
19:28
explains, "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the
dead,
nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD." And no, it doesn't
matter
if you donate to charity, it is a sin.

Eating "Good" Food

If you open up your Bible to Leviticus 3:17, "It shall be a
perpetual
statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that you
eat neither fat nor blood." Technically, this means no more
cheeseburgers - this one's a tough one to digest.

Divorce in Any Circumstance

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 reads, "The wife should not separate from her
husband and the husband should not divorce his wife". There is
little
to no wiggle room in that passage for cheating, abuse, lying, or any
other rational reason to leave your modern partner. The Bible DOES
say
that if the wife DOES leave her husband then she must remain
unmarried
for the rest of her life unless she chooses to go back to her
husband.

Buzzed Haircuts & Beard Trimming

Leviticus says, "You shall not round off the side-growth of your
head."
Buzzing the side of your head is a popular fashion style right now
for
men and women alike and it is something of a timeless look. Let's look
past the haircut and let our eyes trail down to beards. Leviticus
19:27
continues, "Neither shalt though mar the corners of they beard"
which
spells doom for almost all of us men out here.

Working on the Weekend

Have you ever stopped to wonder why most 9 - 5 jobs include weekends
off? You thought maybe it was due to government regulations or some
such but that's not it. Exodus 31:14 - 15 is very clear on the manner
of working on the sabbath stating, "You shall keep the sabbath
therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall
surely be put to death: any work therein, that soul shall be cut off
from among his people. Six days may work be done but in the seventh
is
the sabbath of rest."

Wearing Fabric Blends

Leviticus 19:19 tells us, "You are to keep my statutes. You shall
not
breed together two kinds of cattle; you shall not sow your field
with
two kinds of seed nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material
mixed together." I almost feel bad for every professional athlete in
the world for breaking this statute.

Gossiping

Leviticus 19:16 puts the focus on shutting down gossip with some
straightforward language, "Thou shalt not go up and down as a
talebearer among thy people." Does this mean you can't talk about
people anymore? Not exactly. You just have to tell it to their face
directly.

Women Talking in Church

The Bible is pretty explicit on women speaking at all while in the
Church. 1 Corinthians 14:34 says, "Let your women keep silence in
the
churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are
commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law." As a
feminist,
I cannot openly support this decision but for those who do, I
respect
your decision to openly follow the Bible.


American Football

Leviticus 11:7 - 8 goes like this, "You shall not eat any of their
flesh (pigs), and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are
unclean
to you". Try telling this to the NFL.

Hiring a Psychic

No matter where you stand on the reality of psychics, the bible is
pretty explicit in its banning of the practice or utilization of the
practice. Leviticus 19:31 reads "Regard not them that have familiar
spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them."

Consuming bacon

According to Leviticus 11:4 the consumption of bacon is expressly
forbidden along with a host of other meats. Leviticus 11:4 states,
"Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of
them that divide the hoof". Yes, that means no more bacon
cheeseburgers
however, give turkey bacon a try, it's actually very nice.

Getting remarried

Mark 10:11-12 says, "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth
another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put
away from her husband committeth adultery." This one is a little hard
to swallow but people need to at least respect what is written and
not
pass judgement.

Homosexuality

Leviticus 18:22 says, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with
womankind: it is abomination." As LGBT rights come more into focus
around the world we are interested to see if modern day theology backs
away from this sort of thinking.

Women dressing provocatively

1 Timothy 2:9 says, "I also want the women to dress modestly, with
decency and propriety". This may be hard for some women but that's
what
it says.

Consuming Seafood

Leviticus 10-11 states, "And all that have not fins and scales in
the
seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the water, and of any
living thing which is in the water, they shall be even an abomination
unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh." That takes Red Lobster
off
the menu then.


Ripping your clothing

Leviticus 10:6 explicitly states, "Uncover not your head, neither
rend
your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people."
I
don't know how anyone, let alone teenagers, will feel about this one.

Women wearing jewelry

1 Timothy 2:9 reads, "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves
with
proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and
gold or pearls or costly garments." This one seems insane.

Masturbation

1 Corinthians 6:18 states, "Every other sin a person commits is
outside
the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own
body."
We won't go into any detail here.

No Mike Tyson's Here

Ahem, but what? If your husband is in a fight and as his wife, you
step
in and fight the other guy by grabbing his private parts well you've
just committed a sin. Deuteronomy 25:11-12 states, "When men strive
together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for
to
deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and
putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets Then thou
shalt
cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her."


No Cursing, Kids

Kids say the darnest things, don't they? Let's just hope that your
child doesn't curse you because Exodus 21:17 states, "And he that
curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death."

Before Marriage

In today's society, it could be a bit more difficult to find a bride
who is a virgin rather than not. However, according to Deuteronomy
22:20-21, "But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be
not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to
the
door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her
with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel,
to
play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away
from
among you."


Liar, liar

Come on, you know this. No lying, people. Leviticus 19:11, "Do not
steal. "Do not deceive or cheat one another."

From around the world with love

No matter where you are, you must treat your neighbors with respect,
no
matter where they are from. Be neighborly! "When a foreigner resides
among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing
among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as
yourself,
for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God."

Homeowners

I'm not so sure on this one but it says something about not owning
your
own home or not selling your own property? It isn't so clear.
Leviticus
25:23, "The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land
belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working
for
me."

No grape picking

Well if you're ever at a vineyard, don't touch the grapes a second
time
nor should you pick one up from the ground. Leviticus 19:10, "Do not
go
over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have
fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord
your
God."

Big no no

According to Leviticus 20:18, "If there is a man who lies with a
menstruous woman and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her
flow,
and she has exposed the flow of her blood; thus both of them shall be
cut off from among their people." (And no, we are not saying this
happened with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, we just really love them
and are so so sad they're getting divorced.)

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

Always respect your elders! Always. Leviticus 19:32 states, "Stand
up
in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged."

No Cow Tipping

Don't touch unclean things...bad news for farmers? Leviticus 5:2
states, "If a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase
of
an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of
unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall
be
unclean, and guilty."

No Grudges

This is just good for the soul, people. Don't be holding grudges.
Leviticus 19:18 does say, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any
grudge
against the children of thy people."


No birds

This one is just good sense, don't eat birds people, that's just
creepy. Leviticus 11:13-20, "These are they which ye shall have in
abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an
abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey, and the
vulture, and the kite after his kind; every raven after his kind;
and
the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his
kind, and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, and
the
swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the stork, the heron
after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. All fowls that creep,
going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you."


Crops

So don't put two seeds in the same crop becase Leviticus 19:19
states,
"Thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed."

Four Legged Pets

According to Leviticus 11:27, you shouldn't be eating doggies and
kitties or any other animal that goes on all fours, "And whatsoever
goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four,
those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be
unclean until the even."

We Don't Get It Either

Wait...less church is better for you? Leviticus 12:4-5 does state,
"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. 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."

No Alcohol

No brainer but no alcohol in church. Leviticus 10:9, "Do not drink
wine
nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the
tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die."

Say what now

Deuteronomy 23:1 reads (this is the God's Word translation), "A man
whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off may never join
the assembly of the Lord." So if you've been castrated or lost one or
two balls to cancer, you can't enter a church? Really?

Honey

So no honey? Leviticus 2:11 says, "Do not use yeast in preparing any
of
the grain offerings you present to the LORD, because no yeast or
honey
may be burned as a special gift presented to the LORD."

Salt offerings

Failing to include salt in offerings to God is from Leviticus
(2:13).
That seems odd, no?

Testimony

Failing to testify against any wrongdoing you've witnessed OR
Failing
to testify against any wrongdoing you've been told about (5:1). Come
on, that's obvious.

Neighbors

Don't ever be a bad neighbors. As it says, Deceiving a neighbour
about
something trusted to them (6:2).


http://www.horizontimes.com/popular/10-regular-things-bible-bans-still
Bill Steele
2017-02-03 17:31:16 UTC
Permalink
Post by Skeptix List
1 Corinthians 7:10-11 reads, "The wife should not separate from her
husband and the husband should not divorce his wife". There is little
to no wiggle room in that passage for cheating, abuse, lying, or any
other rational reason to leave your modern partner. The Bible DOES say
that if the wife DOES leave her husband then she must remain unmarried
for the rest of her life unless she chooses to go back to her husband.
Can’t resist reaffirming this. since it comes up again in the
NewTestament.

In Matthew 19, a Pharisee asks Jesus a question about divorce, hoping to
catch the upstart young rabbi in a theological misstep. Jesus affirms his
scholarly credentials by quoting text in Genesis that describes a man and
woman as becoming "one flesh," and from this he concludes "What God has
joined together, let no man put asunder." The answer is an unequivocal
denial of divorcee. It’s a long-standong rule that if you ask a question
of a rabbi, you are bound by the answer.

While most Protestants cheerfully ignore the ruling on divorce, they
often cite this as proof that homosexuality os a sin, although neither
the question nor the answer had anything to do with that. There was no gay
marriage back then, so why would it have come up?

I think we’re safe in ignoring Leviticus, since that was a set of rules
for priests (“Levites”).


Bill Steele
***@cornell.edu

Headline of the week:
"Drivers Prefer Autonomous Cars That Don't Kill Them"
Rick Moen
2017-02-04 01:33:02 UTC
Permalink
The Bible is the most widely read book in the history of mankind, we're
pretty sure. The Good Book has been the cornerstone for one of the
largest religions on the planet and it deserves to be read by just
about everyone, regardless of their spirituality. The Bible is
thousands of years old and contains numerous stories, parables, and
guidelines for its followers to follow. Since this is a sensitive
topic, we will outline some sections that are forbidden in the Bible
but people still do in this modern era.
Very good. I assume you're familiar with Kent Ashcraft's 'Letter to Dr.
Laura'? http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp


I note in passing the strong Biblical prohibition against
Linsey-woolsey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linsey-woolsey), weaving
of linen and wool to create a composite fabric.

Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a
diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither
shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
-- Leviticus 19:19 as per KJV

Ye shall keep My statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a
diverse kind; thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed;
neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff
mingled together. -- Leviticus 19, as per JPS


Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen
together. -- Deuteronomy 22:11 as per KJV

Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together.
-- Deuteronomy 22:11 as per JPS


I've contemplated using 'Lindsay Woolsey' as a nom de plume: It sounds
so quintessentially WASP.

And I see that this was the name of one of the characters in 'Auntie
Mame' (played by Patric Knowles in the 1958 Rosalind Russell movie), so
I'm hardly the first person to think of that gag.

The novel _Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade_ was by Edward Everett
Tanner III of Evanston, Illinois. I'm thinkin' he was pretty darned
gentile, albeit of RCC antecedents rather than WASP. Closeted gay guy,
supremely talented writer.
Jet Foncannon
2017-02-05 14:36:20 UTC
Permalink
Re: Ten Regular Things The Bible Bans But We Still Do
The Bible is the most widely read book in the history of mankind, we're
pretty sure. The Good Book has been the cornerstone for one of the
largest religions on the planet and it deserves to be read by just
about everyone, regardless of their spirituality. The Bible is
thousands of years old and contains numerous stories, parables, and
guidelines for its followers to follow. Since this is a sensitive
topic, we will outline some sections that are forbidden in the Bible
but people still do in this modern era.
Very good. I assume you're familiar with Kent Ashcraft's 'Letter to Dr.
Laura'? http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp
I note in passing the strong Biblical prohibition against
Linsey-woolsey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linsey-woolsey), weaving
of linen and wool to create a composite fabric.
Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a
diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither
shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
-- Leviticus 19:19 as per KJV
Ye shall keep My statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a
diverse kind; thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed;
neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff
mingled together. -- Leviticus 19, as per JPS
Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen
together. -- Deuteronomy 22:11 as per KJV
Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together.
-- Deuteronomy 22:11 as per JPS
I've contemplated using 'Lindsay Woolsey' as a nom de plume: It sounds
so quintessentially WASP.
And I see that this was the name of one of the characters in 'Auntie
Mame' (played by Patric Knowles in the 1958 Rosalind Russell movie), so
I'm hardly the first person to think of that gag.
The novel _Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade_ was by Edward Everett
Tanner III of Evanston, Illinois. I'm thinkin' he was pretty darned
gentile, albeit of RCC antecedents rather than WASP. Closeted gay guy,
supremely talented writer.
_______________________________________________
Skeptix mailing list
http://lists.opn.org/mailman/listinfo/skeptix_lists.opn.org
Recently, I greeted one of two Jehovah Witnesses who showed up on my
porch with the question, "Isn't that a wool and polyester suit you're
wearing?"
Which reminds me of a Christopher Hitchens joke. What do you get when
you mix a Jehovah's Witness with a Unitarian? Someone who shows up
on your porch to annoy you for no reason.


jet foncannon <***@comcast.net>
Bill Steele
2017-02-11 20:58:37 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jet Foncannon
Recently, I greeted one of two Jehovah Witnesses who showed up on my
porch with the question, "Isn't that a wool and polyester suit you're
wearing?"


To which, if they had properly studied the Bible, they could have
responded, “The Bible only prohibits mixing linen and wool."

I always wondered about that, so I looked,it up today. Seems the high
priest wore a headless made of linen and wool, so nobody else was allowed
to do that. Maybe somebody had decided that it conferred special powers.

Comes in a long series about not mixing things: Don’t mix seeds a field;
don’t breed,different animals together. Sounds like good agricultural
practice. Probably the best way to get people to do things right wast to
say ”because God said so.” Kind of like speed limits.




Bill Steele
***@cornell.edu

Suppose you were a member of Congress, and suppose you were an idiot. .
.but I repeat myself.

---Mark Twain
BillK
2017-02-11 21:08:01 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bill Steele
To which, if they had properly studied the Bible,
they could have responded,> “The Bible only prohibits mixing linen and
wool.">> I always wondered about that, so I looked,it up today. Seems the
high priest> wore a headless made of linen and wool, so nobody else was
allowed to do that.> Maybe somebody had decided that it conferred special
powers.>> Comes in a long series about not mixing things: Don’t mix seeds
a field;> don’t breed different animals together. Sounds like good
agricultural practice.> Probably the best way to get people to do things
right wast to say ”because> God said so.” Kind of like speed limits.>


But humans being human they immediately started looking for get-out clauses.
:)When is wool not wool? What does 'mixed' really mean?

From Wikipedia -

Definition of shatnez material

In the Torah, one is prohibited from
wearing shatnez only after it hasbeen carded, woven, and twisted, but the
rabbis prohibit it if it has
been subjected to any one of these operations.
Hence felt made with amixture of wool compressed together with linen is
forbidden. Silk,which resembled wool, and hemp, which resembled linen,
were formerly
forbidden for appearance's sake, but were later permitted
incombination with either wool or linen, because we now know how
to
distinguish them. Hempen thread was thus manufactured and permittedfor
use in sewing woollen clothing.

Only sheep's wool is considered as wool,
the finest being that oflambs and rams; excluded is camels' hair, the fur
of hares, and thewool of goats. If any of the excluded wools is mixed with
sheep'swool, or spun with it into thread, the character of the material
isdetermined by the proportion of each. If the greater part of it
issheep's wool, it is reckoned as wool; if the contrary, it is not wooland
may be mixed again with linen.
---------
No wonder Jews have high IQs.
They've spent centuries trying to workout ways round the laws. :)


BillK

Bill Steele
2017-02-11 20:54:59 UTC
Permalink
I recall stories about how the Jews who settled in Israel a while back
found lots of useful information in the Old Testament. It turned out to be
a good guide for running an agricultural society in a desert, accumulated
by people who did that.
Post by Skeptix List
The Bible is
thousands of years old and contains numerous stories, parables, and
guidelines for its followers to follow.
Bill Steele
***@cornell.edu

"Rating by astrology would not be actuarially sound.”
--Allstate
Loading...