Finding a Morally Upright College

Hunt
Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:17:35 +0000

My understanding is that, historically, the ban on anal sex among men related to cultic practices in other sects that the Jews were trying to suppress.

I’ve read this idea, but I have to say that I don’t really find it to be very credible. I have no problem with people rejecting the rules of the Bible, but in this particular case, I find efforts to torture the text to make it “not really” condemning homosexuality to be unpersuasive. Also, it is (in my opinion) pretty clearly condemned in the New Testament, which is not really much concerned with things like different fibers.

And I do think not working on the Sabbath is a broad moral principle, and that it’s an interesting question whether Christians should observe it or not. It’s one that Jesus himself at least bent, though. I would also note that there are some principles that are actually stricter in the New Testament than in the old–the availability of divorce, for example.

I guess that what I would say about this is that there are plenty of people who take the Bible seriously, and who try pretty hard (with the help of their religious leaders) to follow the moral precepts of their religion. This isn’t easy, and part of what makes it hard is figuring out which rules to apply, and how. I just don’t like the facile suggestion that somebody who is trying to do this is a hypocrite because he eats shrimp.

Edited to add another (smaller) pet peeve:

They were generally considered health codes.

I know a lot of people think this, but I think it’s just post hoc reasoning. Some of those rules may or may not result in better health, but I think that they, like a lot of the other rules, are primarily designed to emphasize the separateness of the Jews from the other peoples around them.

And about footballs: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/829/why-is-a-football-called-a-pigskin