I apologize for having to send this additional response, but I failed to
answer one of your very important questions.
As to Levitical law, YOU ARE RIGHT. Ask any physician. We shouldn't be
eating cheeseburgers. While others may take the OT as law, such as Judeans.
Others may take it as just history. Still others take it as a prior set of
laws that are no longer valid since Christ died for our sins. Jesus said he
was here to fulfill the scripture, not change it. That said, I see the
Levitical laws as God's way of letting those that did not know of the
scientific values, and/or hazards of eating certain foods. They followed
because God said so. This is actually one of the arguments I use to convince
atheists that there is a God. If the scientific knowledge concerning health
was limited at the time, how did the writer know? This would at the very
least point to a superior, if not divine, introduction of rules to live by.
We may now know the reasons for lobster being bad for us, and therefore we
do not eat it. But the OT already banned it. Levitical laws are full of
"proper" ways to live, which will not only help to lengthen ones life, but
also to decrease some of the other socio-political problems of today. If
everyone
followed the laws of Moses, we would be in heaven. But this of course is
just a dream.
Thanks again.
Don P
-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu]On
Behalf Of Robert Schneider
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 8:59 PM
To: asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: cosmology & polygamy
Don, where is this passage in Scripture, and what is its context? To whom
is the OT "saying" this?
If we are to apply the Levitical laws to ourselves, we also shouldn't be
eating cheeseburgers or wearing polyester suits. Should we think they also
are not acceptible to God? How far does one take this argument?
Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Perrett" <don.perrett@verizon.net>
To: "george murphy" <gmurphy@raex.com>
Cc: "Asa@Calvin. Edu" <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 9:30 PM
Subject: RE: cosmology & polygamy
> Good point, but doesn't the OT say not to create hybrid plants? If so,
then
> what makes us think that hybrid/genetic engineered anything would be
> acceptable to God.?
> Don P
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu]On
> Behalf Of george murphy
> Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 7:54 PM
> To: D. F. Siemens, Jr.
> Cc: hvantill@novagate.com; rjschn39@bellsouth.net; asa@calvin.edu
> Subject: Re: cosmology & polygamy
>
>
> "D. F. Siemens, Jr." wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 15 Apr 2002 17:43:30 -0400 george murphy <gmurphy@raex.com>
> > writes:
> > >
> > > Agreed. WWJD ist OK as a broad ethical principle (cf. Phil.2:5) but
> > > we have to use
> > > our brains, among other things, to apply it in the situations that
> > > confront us in
> > > the world.
> > >
> > > Shalom,
> > >
> > > George
> > >
> > George,
> > I've always had trouble with WWJD. Jesus would heal the sick, raise the
> > dead, feed the hungry with whatever crumbs were available. I'm not quite
> > sure how the principle behind the cleansing of the Temple would be
> > translated into action relative to at least some of the televangelists.
> > But none of these things are being done by our contemporaries.
> >
> > I note also that many of those who seem to subscribe to WWJD are adept
at
> > truncated quotations. "Judge not" is one of their favorites.
>
> As I said, it should be viewed as a general principle, not a
> detailed
> plan of action. It can be made absurd if it's turned into "What did Jesus
> do?" - we aren't all called to wear sandals or be carpenters. OTOH the
> gospels give us no examples of Jesus having to make decisions about
genetic
> engineering or many of the other ethical problems that we're confronted
with
> today.
>
> Shalom,
>
> George
>
> George L. Murphy
> http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
> "The Science-Theology Interface"
>
>
>
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