Torah: NOTHING Must Emasculate Men

Unfortunately, the commandments of Torah are too often presented in a format completely devoid of the very pertinent context of the society to which they were addressed. This has led to many imaginary problems and theological issues. For example, there are a number of commandments related to slavery, polygamy, and property rights which some folks have misinterpreted as Divine endorsements of behaviors which most folks consider to be immoral. In their proper context, these commandments simply reflect the reality of a society founded on male dominance, prestige, rights, privileges, and harsh treatment for those who did not enjoy this status within it. In other words, the existence of these commandments should NOT be regarded as a Divine endorsement of things like slavery, polygamy, primogeniture, misogyny, etc.!

Indeed, Torah is addressed first and foremost to males, and its primary interest is in outlining their rights and responsibilities relative to God's covenant with the children of Israel. After all, most of the commandments are addressed to the males within that society, and those same men were commanded to bear in their flesh the sign of that covenant (male circumcision). In the book of Genesis, we read: "And God said to Abraham, 'As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.'" (Genesis 17:9-14, ESV)

Moreover, as we have already suggested, many of the commandments of Torah were directly addressed to the MEN of Israel. Although it is not apparent in English translations, the Ten Commandments use masculine singular pronouns in Hebrew. Likewise, even in English, it is clear that the last commandment is addressed to the men. We read: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." (Exodus 20:17, ESV)

This masculine preoccupation is even more apparent in the very next chapter of Exodus. We read there: "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money." (Exodus 21:7-11, ESV) Continuing, in the same chapter, we read: "When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money." (Exodus 21:20-12, ESV) Likewise, in the book of Deuteronomy, we read: "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you." (Deuteronomy 16:16-17, ESV) At any rate, I think that we've demonstrated the point. And, although this phenomenon has been missed by a good many casual readers of the Bible down through the years, it is easily discernible in Torah if you're looking for it!

Now, unfortunately, this focus on Israelite men in Torah was also accompanied by a clearly inferior and subordinate role for most Israelite women. Notice this passage from Leviticus: "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days." (Leviticus 12:1-5, ESV) Still not convinced? A little later, in the same book, we read: "When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. And everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean. Everything also on which she sits shall be unclean. And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And whoever touches anything on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. Whether it is the bed or anything on which she sits, when he touches it he shall be unclean until the evening. And if any man lies with her and her menstrual impurity comes upon him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean." (Leviticus 15:19-24, ESV)

Think that all of this is outrageous and reflects poorly on YHWH? We must NOT forget that this Law was meant to address the children of Israel where they were - to make sense to their reality, NOT ours! Sure, by the U.S. and European standards of 2026, this stuff sounds outrageous; but it would have made absolute sense to these ancient people. Moreover, as we have already suggested, the fact that these commandments were introduced to regulate their behavior does NOT constitute an endorsement by God of their society or its behaviors! This is something that should be comprehensible even to us in our modern age. Our own government regulates the use and distribution of marijuana and alcohol, but that doesn't constitute an endorsement of their use by the government!

Now, although we might not be able to discern any positive benefit to society for many of these commandments, we must remember that the folks to whom they were addressed would have had a very different perspective on them. Indeed, from their perspective, it was extremely important to protect the status and honor of the men in their society. We see this as being especially apparent in the commandments dealing with human sexual relations. For example, in the book of Leviticus, we read: "None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or of your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, brought up in your father's family, since she is your sister. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's relative. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's relative. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity. And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive." (Leviticus 18:6-18, ESV) Notice how all of these prohibitions were designed to protect the honor and dignity of the family's patriarch (by not uncovering his nakedness).

In fleshing out our understanding of these commandments, we must also never forget that women were viewed as being the property of their father, brother, or husband. In other words, the men in their lives were always in control of their destiny. We have already observed how a woman's spousal rights, childbearing, and menstrual cycles were viewed by Torah. Nevertheless, the perceived inferiority of women to men went even deeper within Israelite culture. Jacob's/Israel's daughter, Dinah, was viewed as having been humiliated and defiled by Shechem (Genesis 34). She was ruined for other men, and her brothers proceeded to kill all of the men connected to Shechem to avenge her ruination! You see, Israelite society believed that a man "HUMBLED" a woman when he had sexual intercourse with her (see Deuteronomy 21:14 and 22:9). How so? Because the man was looked upon as the active agent in the sexual act! He was the penetrator. The woman merely received what he gave her!

This understanding is especially important when we consider the two commandments prohibiting male on male sexual activity. In the same chapter as the above passage, we read: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22, ESV) Later, in the same book, we read: "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them." (Leviticus 20:13, ESV) How does this infringe upon the dignity of a man or emasculate him? In other words, why is this prohibition given in Torah? It should be obvious to us by now! The man must NOT be emasculated. He must always be the penetrator. He must NEVER be the one who is penetrated! He must NEVER be placed in the passive role in a sexual relationship. He must NOT be humbled, humiliated, or ruined!

Still unconvinced? This reasoning is intrinsic to many of the stories of the Hebrew Bible. Think about the stories of Abraham and Sarah with Abimelech and Isaac and Rebekah with Abimelech. Think about the story of how Ham dishonored his father Noah by uncovering his nakedness (Genesis 9:20-27). What about the story of Lot and the two angels who visited him in Sodom? What about the narrative surrounding the Levite and his concubine? Indeed, in this context, I think that it would be especially instructive to take a look at these so-called hospitality narratives.

You know the story of Sodom. Two angels came to the city, and Lot invited them to spend the night in his home. Next, we read: "But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.' Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, 'I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.' But they said, 'Stand back!' And they said, 'This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.' Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door." (Genesis 19:4-11, ESV)

There are a number of important elements to underscore here. Notice that the entire male population of the city came together to humiliate Lot's guests. It doesn't say that all of the males in the city were homosexuals. It does, however, clearly state that they were intent on gang raping Lot's visitors - "Bring them out to us, that we may know them." Their objective was to humble/humiliate/ruin Lot's guests! Notice too, that Lot offers his daughters as substitutes. In other words, he obviously believed that it was his prerogative to offer up his two daughters to the mob! After all, if anyone was going to be penetrated or humbled, it had to be a female!

Later, in the time prior to the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel, we read of a Levite and his concubine (a kind of second-class wife) who were traveling home and stopped to spend the night near the village of Gibeah. Fortunately, they came upon one old man who was willing to provide them lodging for the night in his home. Continuing in the story, we read: "As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door. And they said to the old man, the master of the house, 'Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.' And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not act so wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not do this vile thing. Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against this man do not do this outrageous thing.' But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, until it was light." (Judges 19:22-26, ESV)

Sound familiar? Once again, the obvious objective of the men of Gibeah was the humiliation of the Levite. There is absolutely no indication that the men of Gibeah were homosexuals. Once again, we see that the men believed the women to be more suitable candidates for humiliation that the said male. This time, however, the man actually sent his concubine out to the mob, and we are informed that they raped her all night long. In fact, we are told that the Levite found his concubine had died as a consequence of all of the abuse. Moreover, we are informed that the man cut up her body and sent a piece to each one of the tribes of Israel, and that a civil war ensued as a consequence of what had happened (and the tribe of Benjamin was almost exterminated in the process).

The bottom line? Women were clearly inferior to men, and a man must never be treated like a woman! In Deuteronomy, we read: "A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 22:5, ESV) In another passage, we read: "When men fight with one another and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, then you shall cut off her hand. Your eye shall have no pity." (Deuteronomy 25:11-12, ESV) In other words, "If that b-tch has the audacity to grab his junk, cut her hand off!" Men could divorce women, but there was no provision for a dissatisfied woman to get rid of an unwanted husband! (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) Indeed, a man could be excluded for ANYTHING that remotely equated him with the female gender. In one passage, we read: "No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 23:1, ESV) In yet another passage, we read: "None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog [male prostitute] into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 23:17-18, ESV)

Thus, we have demonstrated that the prohibitions against male-on-male sex in Torah were intended to protect Israelite males from being emasculated. It was strictly a matter of how a man and a woman were perceived in Israelite society, and a man must never be placed on the same level with a female - period. After all, maintaining the honor and integrity of the men was paramount. A woman could be humbled, but a man must never be humbled or defiled in any way!

 

Putting It All Together: Christians and Torah

In the previous four posts, we examined a lot of scriptural passages in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. These passages have added to and enhanced the other understandings about the Law which this blog has explored over the last twelve years. To summarize, then, we have demonstrated that:

1) Torah was addressed to the children of Israel, NOT to anyone else.

2) They were instructed NOT to add to it or take anything away from it.

3) They were instructed to obey ALL of the commandments included in Torah.

4) The Law underscored their uniqueness among the peoples of the earth and marked them as YHWH's.

5) Both the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament portray that legislation as an inseparable whole - an indivisible body of laws.

6) Christ and his apostles were Torah observant Jews, and Jesus of Nazareth came to this earth to completely fulfill the requirements of Torah, which he accomplished on our behalf.

7) Christ identified the Two Greatest Commandments of Torah as encapsulating and fulfilling all of the individual commandments of Torah, including the Ten given at Mount Sinai.

This set of facts allows us to comprehend what happened at the Great Council of Jerusalem, what Paul wrote to the Romans and Galatians about the Law, and why God permitted Jerusalem and the Temple to be destroyed by the Romans. An event that rendered it impossible even for Jews to observe the tenets of Torah as originally written.

Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the commandments of Torah, including the Two Great Commandments. His righteousness and sacrifice allow us to stand before Almighty God whole and clean. Moreover, if we truly accept what he has done for us (and with the help of the Holy Spirit), Christians will want to love God with their whole hearts and love each other as themselves. Christ's work wrought a change in our nature, and obedience is a consequence of what he did for us. It doesn't save us or earn us anything. HE did all of that and gifted us with a glorious future. Our obedience is merely the evidence that what HE did worked!

Christ and His Apostles Observed the Sabbath and the Holy Days

Yes, Jesus and his apostles observed the Sabbath, Holy Days, and avoided unclean meats.

They were Jews, living under the terms of God's Covenant with the children of Israel. They were also circumcised and never wore clothing made out of blended materials. They observed Temple protocols. They tithed, never entered the Holy of Holies, and presented the appropriate offerings demanded by Torah. They observed the appropriate protocols for bodily discharges, skin diseases, and mildew. They came to Jerusalem and the Temple to observe the three pilgrimage festivals. They didn't round off the corners on their beards or have any tattoos. They also didn't eat rare meat or consume any fat.

The argument that Christians should observe parts of the Law because Christ and his apostles observed them is like saying Americans should abide by the terms of Magna Carta or the Articles of Confederation. No, American citizens are expected to abide by the terms of the United States Constitution - the successor to those other documents and the current standard. Likewise, we would think it absolutely absurd for a group of Americans to observe all laws related to taxation, while simultaneously refusing to obey any traffic laws. We simply don't get to pick and choose which laws we will obey and which ones we'll ignore!

Protestants and Catholics also cherry pick Torah. So, because they do it - it's ok for me to do likewise? Jesus Christ identified Two Great Commandments (Love God and love each other). He said that those two commandments comprehended the whole of Torah and constituted the foundation of God's Law. In other words, in this instance, Christ did the picking. Lonnie didn't pick. The Pope didn't pick. Martin Luther or John Calvin didn't pick! 

Moreover, as was noted in previous posts here, Torah was addressed to the children of Israel - NOT to the world at large! In the most recent post over at As Bereans Did, we read: "Some people say, "Look what the Lord says to us," as they turn to Leviticus. Well, I have some bad news for you. The Lord didn't say that to us. He said that to ancient Israel." Jesus Christ said that he came to fulfill Torah and the Prophets. In other words, THEY POINT TO HIM! That is their value for us. ABD went on to note: "The Old Testament was not written to us; it was written for us. Big difference." 

In the Gospel of John, we are told that Jesus went to Jerusalem during the celebration of the Feast of the Dedication (Feast of Lights, Hanukkah). Does that mean we (Christians) are expected to observe it? Didn't Christ say that we are supposed to follow his example? "That's not what he was talking about!" the Legalists will snap back. "EXACTLY," is my response. 

Christ came to this earth to fulfill God's Law for Jews and Gentiles. He did. He fulfilled it perfectly - as NO other human has EVER been able to duplicate. Moreover, his righteousness/innocence was the perfect cure for our sinfulness/guilt before God. Likewise, his original disciples were ALL Jews - born under the terms of the Old Covenant (Torah). Hence, we would expect to find them observing the commandments of Torah - ALL OF THEM, and we do! Even so, it does NOT follow that we (Gentile Christians) should be doing likewise in 2026! Indeed, a good many things have happened since then: Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven; the coming of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the ekklesia; the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (which I don't believe was happenstance), and the reformation of Judaism.

Thus, we have seen that the argument that Christ and his disciples were Torah observant Jews is completely irrelevant to the notion of a Christian's obligation to that legislation! That's worth repeating - let it sink in: The fact that Christ and his disciples were Torah observant Jews is completely irrelevant to the notion of a Christian's obligation to that legislation!

Christ and His Apostles Also Viewed the Law as An Inseparable Whole

In the previous post, we discussed how the children of Israel were instructed be obey ALL of the commandments of Torah. In this post, we will demonstrate that Christ and his apostles regarded that legislation as an inseparable whole.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Galatians 5:34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

James 2:8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

All of the above quotations from The English Standard Version of the Bible.

They Were Told to Obey ALL of It

The Law of the Pentateuch was viewed by YHWH as an INSEPARABLE WHOLE!

Leviticus 20:22 You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.

Deuteronomy 6:1-2 Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it,  that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

Deuteronomy 6:24-25 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’

Deuteronomy 11:8 You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess

Deuteronomy 11:32 you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the rules that I am setting before you today.

Deuteronomy 28:1 And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

Deuteronomy 28:15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

Deuteronomy 28:58 If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God

Deuteronomy 31:12 If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God

Deuteronomy 32:45-46 And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law.

Joshua 23:6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left

All quotes from The English Standard Version of the Bible.

The Passage from Torah Which Annihilates Herbert Armstrong's Theology

Herbert Armstrong and his followers have claimed that SOME of the commandments of Torah are still binding on Christians of the New Covenant. More particularly, these folks claim that 1) the Ten Commandments [especially the Sabbath], 2) the biblical festivals, 3) clean and unclean meats, and 4) tithing are still binding on Christians. They excuse Christians from most of the other commandments of Torah which deal with sacrifices and offerings, old covenant rituals, and civic responsibilities. In doing so, they have effectively divided the commandments of Torah into different categories as a vehicle for determining which commandments are still applicable to Christians - a justification for accepting some and rejecting others!

The Armstrong conception of the Law, however, is clearly contradicted by this passage from Torah:

And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? (Deuteronomy 4:1-8, ESV)

In this passage, we find:

1) The Law was addressed to Israel

2) They were instructed not to add to it or take anything away from it

3) They were commanded to keep ALL of these commandments when they inhabited the Promised Land

4) This Law would make them unique among the nations of the earth

In other words, this passage of Scripture contradicts the premise that New Testament Christians are obligated to keep SOME of the commandments of Torah.

The Things That Are Really Destroying Our Families

Unfortunately, rather than confront the issues that present the greatest threats to the institution of the family, too many Christians focus on shiny objects - scapegoats as the reasons for the decline of the family in modern society. They point to things like homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion, pornography, and the like as posing the greatest threats to the family and society more generally speaking. This allows folks to blame others for their problems and ignore the serious consequences of their own personal failures.

This state of affairs brings to mind a prophecy which the Apostle Paul is said to have written in his second letter to his young protégé Timothy. He wrote: "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths." (II Timothy 4:3-4, NLT) Thus, we are reminded that the truth is sometimes uncomfortable or even hurts at times!

In terms of a reality check, I have composed a list of the things which clearly cause the greatest damage to our families (HINT: it is NOT gay parents, drag queens, or transgender athletes):

1. Alcohol and Drug Abuse

2. Domestic Violence (mental and physical)

3. Familial Sexual Perversion (incest/pedophilia/rape)

4. Economic Realities (2 incomes needed, affordable housing, health care, inflation)

5. Divorce and Alienation

6. No Time Allocated for Family Activities (dining, recreation, talking)

7. Ignoring Grand Parents and Extended Family

8. Paternalism/Misogyny

9. Decline in Church Attendance/Religious Belief

10. Computer Games and I Phones (time consumption)

These all are REAL problems which confront families (and too often damage or destroy them) here and around the world. Think about it! How do they compare to those phony ones which the "defenders" of family values usually point to? What do you think?

The ACOG's Have Produced Yet Another Fascist!

A friend recently brought an article written late last year by Bill Lussenheide to my attention. The article, From Madrid to Missoula: When Marxist Chaos Meets Faith and Family – Western Montana News, is a radical statement on the current state of America's Culture Wars. According to Mr. Lussenheide, what happened to Spain in the 1930s represents "a cautionary tale wrapped in tapas and gunpowder" for all of us.

For Bill, the cities of the United States exhibit many parallels to the cities of Spain just before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. He wrote: "The cities were full of Godless and untamed Marxist philosophy, and crazy chaos masquerading as culture. Madrid, Barcelona—urban playgrounds of the left—buzzed with increasingly radical and violent thinking." In Mr. Lussenheide's view, the cities are full of Marxist, atheistic, anarchists; and rural America is full of God-loving, gunslinging folks just brimming over with plain old common sense. In other words, Bill has embraced the ever-popular formula of "us against them."

Indeed, this is a phenomenon that we have seen repeated over and over again in the annals of human history. When more traditional folks feel unsettled and threatened by the pace of change in the society around them, a suitable and plausible scapegoat is sought out and identified as the source of all of society's problems. This allows the bewildered traditionalists something to sink their teeth into and fight against. In short, they become a righteous band whose mission is to save sinful society from its own excesses!

In Bill's reality, Christianity and traditional moral values are under attack by the godless hordes of the Left. In his view, the other side in the Culture Wars is demonic, self-righteous, and intellectually arrogant. In short, any behavior or beliefs that fall outside of what he and his ilk would define as traditional moral values, family, or WASP culture is seen as threatening and/or aggressively undermining what's "normal" and "good."

Mr. Lussenheide solemnly warned his readers that "if history is any guide, the longer the cities and the liberals anywhere insist on rewriting the rules while ignoring the country at large, the closer we get to a Spanish-style reckoning." He went on to warn: "Marxist cities can tweet all they want about inclusivity, spending recklessly and sexual liberation, but when the rural heartland decides the experiment has gone too far, there’s no hashtag to fix that. Spain is a warning, and the U.S. liberal urban elite seem hell-bent on treating it as just a historical, forgotten footnote."

Interestingly, Mr. Lussenheide never mentions the fascist dictatorship which was established under Francisco Franco as a consequence of the Spanish Civil War! Unfortunately, as with too many of the folks who identify with the modern American rightwing led by Donald Trump, Bill wants everyone to believe and act the way that he does. In his America, there is no room for drag queens, transexuals, pointy-headed intellectuals, and "liberal" artists! No, Bill and his supporters want conformity, and they are not bashful about insisting upon it! 

What does all of this have to do with God, Jesus Christ, and Christianity? My answer: "EXACTLY!" Bill and his buddies aren't really interested in any of that. They seek to impose their worldview on folks who do NOT share their worldview. Hint, there is NOTHING Christian or democratic about that!

Turn the other cheek -- really? by Reginald Killingley

Turn the other cheek — really? 

What did Jesus mean when He told His disciples to "turn the other cheek" (Matthew 5:39; Luke 6:29)? 

Did He mean we should allow people to bully and abuse us, letting them physically slap us around willy-nilly? Was He really telling us to give away our clothing to those who might sue us or assault us for it? 

As with any kind of understanding, context is everything in determining how to apply Scripture. 

In verse 38 of Matthew 5, Jesus establishes the context. He cites the principle of retaliation enunciated in the Pentateuch: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 

In other words, the normal response of human beings to mistreatment has always been to pay back in kind. "You hurt me, so I will hurt you in a similar fashion. Now we're even." And so the natural demand for equity or fairness is met.  

Under such an ethos, if someone slaps you, you slap them back, just as hard. That just makes everything even. That’s just normal. 

Jesus, though, is telling His followers that they should not seek payback for hurt. His disciples should not behave as normal. 

It would be hard enough to obey if He were telling them — and us — simply not to retaliate, not to hit back when hurt. 

But Jesus doesn't stop there. The response He expects goes much further. He tells His disciples: Don't just passively refrain from retaliation but proactively seek to behave in a way that defies every expectation. Do the diametrically opposite thing. Your response must be 180 degrees from what it normally would have been.  

In other words, don't just not retaliate — actively help your adversary.

Don't just remain neutral towards your enemies (which would still be a good step above seeking revenge), but go much further by actively loving them and blessing them and doing good to them and praying for them (verse 44)! 

No wonder Christians who practiced such a response were accused of having turned the world "upside down"! (Acts 17:6, KJV.) 

And no wonder either that Jesus calls this behavior "perfect" (verse 48). Perfection for the Christian requires going completely against the grain of the normal and natural human response to mistreatment. 

Jesus Himself demonstrated this perfect behavior when He showed us His love by suffering and dying for us even when we were His enemies (Romans 5:6, 8, 10). 

If we're still wondering about justice, if we're asking ourselves whether God condones the mistreatment of His people, the answer is clear. 

We are not to plot revenge. We are not to seek payback. 

Justice — revenge, if necessary — belongs to God. He will mete out perfect justice, with perfect love, in His perfect time.

 In the meantime, our job is to emulate the perfect love Jesus has for us. We “retaliate” with love for those who mistreat us. 

Jesus was willing to love us in spite of all our faults and sins and failings. He freely gave us His love when we had treated Him with evil. He expects us to do no less for those who hurt us.

- Reginald Killingley