Dear (name removed) the WISE ONE,This reminded me of a scene in West Wing which is embedded in this blog post over at STR. There is a video response by STR's Alan Shlemon. Shlemon's key point was that these laws need to be understood in their historical and religious context and its worth a click through if you are interested in the subject.
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from you and will try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I will simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate. However (name removed), I do need some advice from you, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.
1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
2. 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 don't want to get ripped off !
3. 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.
4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them or ask the Lord to do this?
5. I have a neighbour 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, or should I ask the police to do it?
6. 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? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?
7. 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?
8. 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?
9. 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?
10. 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)
(Name removed), I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help me.
Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
Your adoring fan. (Name Removed)
As for my quick response here in this blog space, I'll offer a disclaimer that I am not a scholar of the Hebrew Scriptures nor a Christian theologian by trade. Nonetheless, I try to think through these issues at some limited level since I belive in the Christian worldview and trust Scripture as a valuable and valid source for wisdom. One pastor I heard offered this explanation that maybe helpful; the Levitical laws fall into three broad categories: moral, civil and ceremonial.
Ceremonial laws apply only to Jewish religious rituals and thus they are not binding on anyone outside that context. Some of these rules may sound arbitrary but in the context of religious ritual they served some purpose.
Civil laws govern daily life in the nation of Israel of which some may still be useful today and some not useful. Some of these laws may have been given by God to help the Jewish people separate themselves from their neighbors and thus sound rather arbitrary to us today.
Moral laws would apply to all societies at all times. Of course, many people today don't believe there are moral absolutes but that is an entirely separate conversation.
Thus, though the initial reaction that those laws seem absurd is reasonable, a closer look probably puts many of them in a different light.
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