Saturday, November 23, 2002. Entry #196

This is a response to a post by Ginger Snap Cookie over in my sadly neglected forums. While I love the fact that Cookie continues to visit my forum on a regular basis (in fact, she's the only one still to do so. Not entirely sure why I still have it at all), her posting irritated me to the point that I couldn't let it go without response.

Other journalists have been confronted by this idea before, the thought that by posting my feelings on my public journal I am somehow forcing my opinion on people.

Lets get this one real straight. By coming to my website and reading my postings, you are choosing to hear my opinion. I didn't twist anyone's arms to get you to come here.

Normally, I'm pretty non-offensive. Most of my stuff is light and sometimes funny, and it's not often I go beyond that. However, I make no guarantees that that will always be the way. I will post whatever I feel like posting.

You don't like what I'm saying, don't keep reading. It's up to you.

Maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe what Cookie meant was that Lisa shouldn't have attacked that hard-core Christian's views. Unfortunately for that particular hypocrite, he started it. He opened himself up by pronouncing his views on homosexuality, uninvited. He was forcing his views on her. So tough beans.

My Mom called me last night after she read my post, wanting to chat. She wasn't mad. Actually she was kind of excited that the stuff I wrote about was the same things she had just been learning about in her Bible story courses.

See, the books of Deuteronomy, Numbers and Leviticus are what are known as The Priest's Manual, the laws of the Levites. All the various rules and guidelines in these books were originally the laws of ancient tribes that were handed down for generations until they became law. Someone died from eating a pig; a hundred years later it was against the law to eat pigs.

When the Bible was written, these laws were incorporated. It's as simple as that.

To attach these laws to modern times is ridiculous. These were nomadic herding tribes. They didn't know the dangers of eating pork came from spoiled meat or incomplete cooking or things of the like. We can eat pork now because we understand that. So all the laws of the Levites must come under scrutiny in the light of modern knowledge and circumstances.

Getting back to Cookie's comments, in truth, there are only two laws that the Bible puts forward. They are 'Love God' and 'Love Thy Neighbor'. All laws of import, including the Ten Commandments, fall under those two rules.

I don't hate the Bible at all. I believe there is an amazing amount of good advice in there. However, blind acceptance to the words of the Bible is wrong. Wisdom comes from understanding, and understanding comes from asking questions. I am in the asking questions phase of my life. I don't have the answers by any means, but anyone who refuses to look for them has no call to try to tell me how to lead my life.

Part of my asking questions will be to talk about my search here. I will say here exactly what I feel and learn and know. Hey, if you're not interested in hearing my thoughts and feelings, feel free to go elsewhere.

One Year Ago Plus A Day Today: Eating Alone, where I went to a meeting and no one else showed up.

Aaaand in 1863: A patent was granted for a process of making color photographs.

Mom Rating: 1.5 out of 5. Mom likes to talk religion but thinks I shouldn't hurt people's feelings.

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Take me home, big fella