Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a...

As shown in Leviticus 24:19-20 "Anyone who maims another shall suffer the same injury in return: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; the injury inflicted is the injury to be suffered."

My bible study books says that this "law of retaliation" was not created to condone vengeance but limit it. So if you hit some girl across the face, she could only hit you across the face and nothing further. It was meant to prevent these fights from spirally out of control. I never heard that perspective before. This will be important to keep in mind and contrast with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.

Bible as Social Doctrine

That title sums up Leviticus. There are so many rules and instructions on what to do and how to live and how to punish those who break any of the rules, it's too much.

I don't think it's possible to actually live by the book. It must be a very limited life. I'm glad I live in modern times where I don't need to wash myself and not be touched during my monthly. Maybe that was a good thing, they put in those provisions to protect the woman during her bitchy week.

Questionable Medical Practices!

I really don't like the idea of sequestering sick people, essentially treating them as if they are no longer human. I'm not just talking about leprosy, there were other medical diagnosis just made on a weird thing on the skin. It says if your boil is only skin deep then you are locked away for seven days until it is reexamined. If it hasn't spread you're declared "clean." If not, well then I guess you're thrown away with the leprous people!

So not compassionate, insensitive, i guess that was the times, so scared of these medical issues that they knew very little about. Probably similar to the way people treated those who were HIV+ or had AIDs, before we knew that it could only be spread through blood and certain body fluids.

I went to the GAY Synogogue!

So I went to the Friday night service, and... I liked it.

So much singing. The Hebrew was a stark contrast to the English singing last week at the SDA church. The Hebrew sounded more spiritual to me, I guess it's what I'm used to.

The cantor's voice was so amazing, I loved all the highs and lows and fluctuations, it was great. It was holy, but liberal. The rabbi's speech started slow and when she was deep into the story, I started to visualize her words, and then it came alive for me. I liked her interpretation of the plagues, "the Pharaoh needed to feel the pain of losing his son, in order to understand the pain felt by the slaves." She related it to life, the world, very nicely, I forget her words exactly. I still don't believe in God, but I don't think that I need to in order to go to the services. I can still have an interest in the morals and not believe anything. It's fine.

There was a group of children from the washington heights synagogue who came to watch, which was awesome, so liberal. There was a couple who came back from Africa with an adopted baby. This little black boy is going to be raised Jewish, at the gay temple, yay! And the couple was straight too! I think the guy might have been trans., but that's my assumption knowing a biologically straight couple wouldn't seek out a gay temple.

I love the idea of a queer religious establishment. The room was filled, at least double the crowd of the SDA church. I didn't know there were so many gay Jews in this city! I might have to go every week. It did something for me to be there. I can't explain it better than that.

Leviticus Sucks!

Yeah I'm half way through.... I can't wait until numbers, man this sux, where's the stories?!

I really don't need to hear exactly how you want me to slaughter this sheep and offer it to you oh god. Oh hell. Where should I put the entrails, the dung? Should I eat it?

My First Time.

So I decided to check out the Seven Day Adventist Church today.

The pastor was very passionate, and very loud! He held my attention with the different fluctuations of his voice, I would say he certainly has a talent for public speaking.

It was pretty much what I expected, though more singing, no lots of singing. It's the same thing as the Jewish service minus the "Jesus."

I really liked the Adventist youth, the idea they have discussion and education, very good.

I feel very energized after this experience, I think I want to join the queer temple downtown. I need to be with my people, I need to worship with them.

I was so quiet the entire day/night, I just couldn't be myself. All those people I didn't know. I don't know if I would ever be able to express myself or talk about the things I like to talk about, or let out a curse word or two, among this crowd. I felt that I needed to be very careful and polite the whole time, and though I can be a sweet girl, that's just not me.

I need to be able to be a good person, the way I want to be good. That would not happen in this environment. I felt so guarded and repressed. Now that I'm home, I can blast some metal and shit.
Home sweet fucking home!

Why should these people die?

Exodus 32:27 "Thus says the lord, the god of Israel, 'Put your sword on your side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.'"

That's terrible I could never kill my sister, or edrahsor! Even if God told me to.


Exodus 32:28 "The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day."

They did brake a commandment by worshiping the gold bull, but they weren't driven by wicked ways, they just couldn't wait any longer for Moses to get the laws from God. Their intentions were not evil and they don't deserve to be killed.

I mean, how do you know that your neighbor or friend was also participating in this idol worship? It seemed like a random killing of people. It would be one thing if God targeted only the idol worshipers. It's also not fair that the SONS of Levi get to be spared (also sexist).