{"id":15004,"date":"2015-04-05T08:16:55","date_gmt":"2015-04-05T15:16:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=15004"},"modified":"2015-04-05T08:16:55","modified_gmt":"2015-04-05T15:16:55","slug":"open-thread452015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2015\/04\/05\/open-thread452015\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–4\/5\/2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m feeling a bit under the weather, but I am taking it easy.  My Easter message from last year has lost none of it\u2019s relevance, so I\u2019m just reposting it.  I think it\u2019s worth a second go round.  Hugs to all from the Easter Cat!!<\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzle<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s took me 2:01 (average 4:46).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Tales<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From Daily Kos<\/a>: <\/font>Dear Dr. Laura:<\/p>\n

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God\u2019s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination\u2026 end of debate.<\/p>\n

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God\u2019s Laws and how to follow them.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can\u2019t I own Canadians? <\/li>\n
  2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? <\/li>\n
  3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual unseemliness \u2013 Lev. 15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord \u2013 Lev. 1:9. The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them? <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. I have a neighbour 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? <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination \u2013 Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don\u2019t agree. Can you settle this? Are there \u2018degrees\u2019 of abomination? <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20\/20, or is there some wiggle-room here? <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n
            1. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die? <\/li>\n
            2. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves? <\/li>\n
            3. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton\/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev. 24:10-16. Couldn\u2019t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14) <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help.<\/p>\n

              Thank you again for reminding us that God\u2019s word is eternal and unchanging.<\/p>\n

              Your adoring fan,<\/p>\n

              James M. Kauffman, Ed. D.
              Professor Emeritus Dept. of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education
              University of Virginia<\/p>\n

              A classic!<\/font><\/p>\n

              From NY Times<\/a>: <\/font>As the proposed agreement over Iran\u2019s nuclear program is debated in coming weeks, President Obama will make his case to a Congress controlled by Republicans who are more fervently pro-Israel than ever, partly a result of ideology, but also a product of a surge in donations and campaign spending on their behalf by a small group of wealthy donors.<\/p>\n

              One of the surprisingly high-profile critics is Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas<\/a>, who burst to prominence with a letter signed by 46<\/a> Republican colleagues to leaders of Iran warning against a deal. Mr. Cotton, echoing criticism by Israeli leaders, swiftly denounced the framework<\/a> reached on Thursday as \u201ca list of dangerous U.S. concessions that will put Iran on the path to nuclear weapons<\/a>\u201d \u2014 words, his colleagues say, that expressed his deep concern about Iran\u2019s threat to Israel\u2019s security.<\/p>\n

              But it is also true that Mr. Cotton and other Republicans benefited from millions in campaign spending in 2014 by several pro-Israel Republican billionaires and other influential American donors who helped them topple Democratic opponents.<\/p>\n

              When hatred and billionaire bucks come together, it’s a Republican wet dream.<\/font><\/p>\n

              From Alternet<\/a>: <\/font>Mike Huckabee could give Cruz a run for his money in anti-LGBT hysteria.<\/strong><\/p>\n

              All-but-declared presidential contender Mike Huckabee is right up there with Ted Cruz in his anti-gay hysteria. In an interview with CNN this week, the Huckster warned of the \u201cmilitant gay community\u201d that has mobilized behind \u201cmore pressure to put sanctions on Indiana than Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n

              Ah, but the down-home, grits ‘n’ gun-loving former pastor, does have a way with words.<\/p>\n

              He especially did not appreciate the fact that big corporations like Apple and Walmart\u2014which he loves, don\u2019t get him wrong\u2014joined in the condemnation of Indiana\u2019s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, enabling people and businesses to discriminate against gays.<\/p>\n

              \u201cThe reason that those corporations put the pressure on Indiana and Arkansas was because the militant gay community put the pressure on them,\u201d Huckabee insisted. The dreaded \u201cmilitant gay community\u201d does not represent average Americans according to the Huckster. He does.<\/p>\n

              On an appearance on the Family Research Council\u2019s \u201cWashington Watch\u201d this week, Huckabee continued his crusade, saying the LGBT rights movement is akin to something out of George Orwell\u2019s dystopian novel 1984: \u201cIt is a classic example of \u2014 really a page out of 1984, when what things mean are the opposite of what they really are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

              Hmmm. Really interesting point, Mike, because if ever there was an excellent example of 1984-like Newspeak, it has to be calling the license to discriminate \u201creligious freedom.\u201d Huckabee is a consummate speaker of this language: \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m seeing here is that in the name of tolerance, there\u2019s intolerance. In the name of diversity, there\u2019s uniformity. In the name of acceptance, there\u2019s true discrimination.\u201d<\/p>\n

              Wow! He\u2019s good.<\/p>\n

              This blast of garbage from Upchuck Huck is just one of the five most deranged Republican moments from last week alone. Click through for the other four.<\/font><\/p>\n

              Cartoon<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

              \"0405Cartoon\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              I\u2019m feeling a bit under the weather, but I am taking it easy.  My Easter message from last year has lost none of it\u2019s relevance, so I\u2019m just reposting it.  I think it\u2019s worth a second go round.  Hugs to all from the Easter Cat!! Jig Zone Puzzle: Today\u2019s took me 2:01 (average 4:46).  To […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,3,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-open-thread","category-personal","category-politics","category-35-id","category-3-id","category-5-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15004"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15004\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}