tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post110273542041378889..comments2024-03-28T08:41:17.341-04:00Comments on <center> Ralph the Sacred River </center>: Love, Leviticus, and AbominationEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05188482189638751204noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1130824093197274182005-11-01T00:48:00.000-05:002005-11-01T00:48:00.000-05:00As I tried to emphasize in my first post, the most...As I tried to emphasize in my first post, the most frequent use of toevah in the **Torah** was that of idolatry (sometimes even the idols themselves). Moral transgression wasn't the standard use of the word until at least 100 years after Leviticus was written, during a time that we'd expect the word to take on a broader definition. For more on this see Buehler's article at http://www.whosoever.org/v2i5/defense.html<BR/><BR/>But even if the author of Leviticus were using the word to convey *only* moral transgression, that would not nullify the reformed view since cultic sex (sex used to worship a false god) is surely morally wrong. <BR/><BR/>best<BR/><BR/>-- PatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1130071994625186622005-10-23T08:53:00.000-04:002005-10-23T08:53:00.000-04:00You need to look up the uses of toevah elsewhere i...You need to look up the uses of toevah elsewhere in the Bible, especially Proverbs and Ezekiel. I think you'll find that it is overwhelmingly used with a moral, not cultic, valence.EMChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02505525490002421093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1130032984973650632005-10-22T22:03:00.000-04:002005-10-22T22:03:00.000-04:00Oops! That should read, "one such practice was tha...Oops! That should read, "one such practice was that of male-male cultic sex"<BR/><BR/>I need to proof read more! lol<BR/><BR/>-- PatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1130032165157861452005-10-22T21:49:00.000-04:002005-10-22T21:49:00.000-04:00Actually, the overwhelming majority of "toevah" us...Actually, the overwhelming majority of "toevah" uses in *the Torah* are in reference to idolatrous/ritualistic practicies. One such idolatrous practice was that of male-male cultuc, usually a male lying with a priest. These priests were called "qadesh." <BR/><BR/>It's rather striking that when the subject of the "qadesh" came up the author of 1st Kings referenced the themes of *Leviticus* 18-20. This wouldn't make sense unless he thought Leviticus 18-20 referred to the qadesh. But the word "qadesh" isn't used even once in the *entire* book of Leviticus.<BR/><BR/>The cultic sex rituals also did not ever involve lesbian sex. If Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 refer to cultic sex then that would explain the absence of lesbian sex. This helps harmonize the Hebrew scriptures because the very same sin lists (in lev 18-20) list *both* males and female when forbidding adultery, incest, bestiality and dedcating childen to Molech. To not prohibit lesbian sex would have been wildly inconsistent *unless* the author was referring to cultic sex.<BR/><BR/>Leviticus makes it clear that the activities in 18-20 are Canaanite activities. The Canaanites, as a community, did NOT tolerate male-male sex per se. They did, however, tolerate male-male sex being used as a means of worship (passing semen along to their goddess). It's hard to believe that the author of Leviticus would have listed sinful activities of the Canaanites *without* listing cultic sex. Someone could counter this by suggesting that forbidding male-male sex per se would have also prohibited male-male cultic sex. While this is true, it's also true that forbidding idolatry per se would have also prohibited dedicating children to Molech, which Leviticus specifically lists. The author of Leviticus was *specifically* listing Canaanites activities. So why not list to the most common form of gay sex in Canaan?<BR/><BR/>Finally, with exception of Leviticus 18:22/20:13, every capital crime in Leviticus is repeated (specifically) again in another Hebrew text (mostly in Deut.). But the specific condemntaion of lying with a male as though a female is not listed anywhere else in the OT. Every other mention of gay sex is either rape or cultic sex. So Leviticus 18:22/20:13 must reflect that and must be in reference to either rape or cultic sex. My money is on cultic sex. <BR/><BR/>best wishes<BR/><BR/>-- PatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com