The Bible and death
A Gallop Poll found that Americans are woefully ignorant of Biblical content, yet the Bible is widely hailed as the underpinning of America's values.
In his letter (Pro-death crowd, Jan 19) Tony Shiflett tells us that Christianity and the teachings in the Bible celebrate life as a gift from God. The pro-death extremists celebrate "death."
While Shiflett no doubt knows there is a commandment against killing, he apparently is unaware that the Bible makes exceptions to this commandment that provide for killing just about anybody and everybody.
The Bible declares the following shall be killed: He that curseth his father and mother; witches; those who lie with beasts; worshipers of other gods; people who work on the Sabbath; adulterers; homosexuals; wizards; whores; blasphemers; stubborn and rebellious sons; thieves.
Notably absent from the Biblical hit-list are the practitioners of abortion. And today, Christ's most fervent followers crusade against abortion. Christ never mentioned the practice.
In Exodus 21:22, we find that an abortion has been induced through violence and this is not considered harmful, nor is it a capital offense or violation of "Thou shalt not kill."
Although Shiflett believes abortion is offensive to God, the prophet Hosea was comfortable asking God to induce abortions in the wives of his enemies.
"Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give? Give them a miscarrying womb (an abortion) and dry breasts." Hosea 9:14. And from Hosea 9:16 we find, " ... yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb."
While "pro-lifers" thump the Bible in their crusade against abortion, I don't see them thumping the Bible in protest against killing innocents in Iraq or campaigning against the death penalty. Hypocrites!
David N. ****
Orange Beach
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Letter to the Editor - Southern Style
From the TimesDaily, Florence, AL
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1 comment:
Hypocrite David N. should read his Bible a little more and find out that God set up the death penalty for capital crimes and acknowledges the killing of "innocent" people during war. Also, the "abortion" verse quoted from Exodus 21:22,23 reads that if a man hurts a pregnant woman and THERE IS NO HARM then the husband sets the punishment. But if harm follows, he shall give life for life (death penalty).
Christians don't want anyone harmed but we also realize that we, sadly, live in a violent world and death is a part of it. David N. doesn't make the distinction between death during war, death in self-defense, death as a capital punishment or death as a select form of birth control. God allows the first first three (war, self-defense, capital punishment) but not the last. Praying for the death of enemies in the womb is a whole lot different than performing the act. Praying allows it to be in God's hand. Performing an abortion takes it out of His hands.
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