Hi orfeo,

I don’t think I’ve seen you round the forums before, so welcome if you’re a newcomer, and pleased to meet you.

You will find that this closed minded attitude to hearing of a possible mistranslation of the Bible is pretty widespread.

I would be interested in obtaining a copy of this new study Bible and I hope it will be stocked by mainstream bookstores such as Dymocks or Borders. Thanks for posting this.

Blessings,

Find me a person who really believes that the Bible is the inerrant authorative word of God and I’ll find you a person who is a liar or deluded. Most people have probably seen this but I’ll post it anyway.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast resident, which was 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 of the other specific laws and how to follow them:

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?

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?

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.

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 Canadians. Can you 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?

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?

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?

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?

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, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted fan,

Jim

Find me a person who really believes that the Bible is the inerrant authorative word of God and I’ll find you a person who is a liar or deluded.

Umm OUCH! 😥

Hi Orfeo,

I am sorry to hear that you are so upset Koorong and other stores refuse to stock the gay study bible. You may be interested to flick back a few pages on this forum and find the link where we discussed why Koorong would not stock avb’s autobiography for the same reason.

You have to understand that Koorong and others are a business and as a business they must take a stance on things, a Christian store is not like a sporting goods store where its ok to have a whole lot of different brands. Christian stores must contend with morals and values and not simply customer demand. Koorong has a right not to stock this version. Only minority of Christians are convinced that homosexuality is not snful and I’m guessing an even smaller number are convinced of the validity of this new ‘bible’.

The very fact that it exists is a slap in the face to conservative theology and it is wishful thinking to expect a conservative bookstore to stock this ‘bible’. No one is censoring what you as an individual choose to read, you can buy that version off the internet quite easily, it is readily avalible. But we must respect and tollerate Koorongs opinion on homosexuality from which this decision is made. I agree that people do deserve to know the truth, and I imagine so to does Koorong. The problem is you seem to have different ideas about what that truth is. Koorong is acting in accordance with what they believe to be biblical standards, as we all should in our lives.

Maybe its time to let go of the anger, accept the things you can not change and be thankful that we have places like Koorong where God’s word and books concerning it can be sold to millions to build our knowledge.

Sorry, but I think you are misunderstanding the source of my anger. I’m not actually directly interested in what Koorong, as a business, chooses to stock or not to stock.

I’m more angry at their customers, frankly. Because it’s the fear of upsetting the customers that would keep them from stocking anything ‘controversial’.

And that is what angers me. The idea that controversial ideas are things to be avoided and surpressed. Instead of examined, explored, challenged, confronted, dissected, refuted, and sometimes accepted. In other words, it SHOULD be ok for a Christian store to have different ‘brands’ in it, when those ‘brands’ are based on the very principle that the Bible is key to the Christian faith!

Once upon a time, it was a controversial idea to oppose slavery. Go further back, and once upon a time the truly controversial idea was that God had a Son. They killed someone for that one.

What angers me is that the supposed inheritors of that deeply controversial idea seem to have evolved into a self-satisfied orthodoxy that knows it all.

Which is always a dangerous thing. The problem is not believing in such a thing as absolute truth, the problem is believing that you already know it. It’s not that my idea of the truth might be different that is the source of my anger, it’s that so many people aren’t interested in joining in trying to determine what the truth IS.

And… *deep breath* I find your remark about ‘accepting things I cannot change’ to be rather inappropriate.

Agreed orfeo. I was having a go at people who would condemn me for my sexuality based on what it says in Leviticus but then ignore other passages in Leviticus, stating them as outdated or part of the old law.

Many conservative Christians would say that the New Testament also forbids homosexuality but then they have no problem with other things the New Testament also forbids, such as women speaking in church, men having long hair and divorce and remarriage.