Some Biblical Questions for Dr. Laura

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://current.com/entertainment/comedy/92633419_some-biblical-questions-for-dr-laura.htm

Dear Dr. Laura,

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

more questions at: http://sushibandit.com

[RandomThoughts]

1. LOL, heard that before.

If I only honored God on the Sabbath, by not working or following those laws, I would be doing it to please men, not to honor God. Because some men think me wrong if I work on the Sabbath.

So how could I honor God if the intent was to brown nose people?

They take the ability to honor God out of the Sabbath by treating people that do not take the Sabbath off badly. Since they change the meaning from honoring God, to getting glory from some people.


Although I think if someone feels such a thing honors God, then it does, since that would be their intent.

In my view, that was to make sure people spent some time in reflection and prayer. And a great comment on people needing a day off once in awhile knowing that they can rest also. And during that time reflect and think on many topics.


Not sure how Dr. Laura would respond to that, but I been asked that also.

[humblebum]

2. Well if you had lived 2000 years ago or so the answer probably

would have been yes. And being that Dr. Laura is Jewish she probably knows the answer from the standpoint of a Jew.

[onager]

4. She publicly renounced Judaism in 2003.

It was all over the Internets. Try that new-fangled Google thing.

My favorite moment from Dr. Shitslinger: when she blamed her nudie pix on atheism.

She forgot to mention Stalin, though.

[humblebum]

6. She renounced Orthodox Judaism, but still considers herself Jewish

Try that new-fangled Google thing.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/up_front/article/dr_laura_loses_her_religion_20030822/

[struggle4progress]

3. Laura's obvious problem doesn't really have anything to do with Judaism:

she just a jerk

There's no shortage of jerks in the world: you can easily find jerks in all flavors, sizes and shapes

Do correct me if I'm wrong -- but I'm pretty sure modern Judaism doesn't kill people for working on the Sabbath: you're looking at an old text and insisting on an reading that nobody accepts

Most of us have conveniently forgotten many of the unfortunate ideas some of our ancestors held: I expect some of mine in Northern Europe were happily painting themselves blue and burning people alive in wicker baskets several thousand years ago

[Igel]

5. Point to your authority.

The "government" that licensed the judicial system and punishment is gone.

[Cannafield]

7. An answer

With a question like that, it would seem as though it raises few pertinent questions in order to understand the process of which answers your question. What constitutes work? Is it simply labor that is paid? Or is it certain types of labor? And furthermore? Who was G-d adressing when he works on shabbos? Was it the Jewish people or was it everyone? Furthermore, how can we even know that the Torah makes any sense when traditionally and always when it was written down it had no vowels? I mean, how can the Torah make sense if it has no vowels only letters? For example how can one distinguish the words מלך from מלך when they both have the same letters but different meaning? Could it be that perhaps the implications of "Shall be put to death" are far different from what you percieved?

You can't simply ask a rhetorical question to attack the integrity of a religious script which has been bastardized by other religions, i.e. Christianity, etc which deny the validity of the oral Torah(Talmud). Contrary to your idea of a blood thirsty legal system which was implemented, if you know the way the Jewish legal system worked, it was considerably rare that anyone be put to death for working on shabbat. According to Rabbi Akiva(one of the sages of the Mishnaic period), a court which put someone to death every 70 years was considered blood thirsty and corrput. And I'm not 100% familiar with the court procedure for executing the death penalty, but to even be liable for it through evidence was not as simple as you'd think. It was nearly impossible in a Jewish court to get the death penalty. This I can reassure you. And even then, if you were found guilty you still have the right to appeal, repent (in most cases), thus makin you liable for an offering... As to what offering was required I'm not sure off hand, but I think it was a guilt offering. Not sure actually. But, in virtually every case the administered punishment was to bring an offering. And furthermore, if you're neighbours not Jewish, he's actually forbidden to keep shabbos. Does this answer your question at all?