oozey mess
Discoholic 🪩
noise dept.
❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Sweet Seals For You, Always
will byers stan first human second
d e v o n
if i look back, i am lost
@theartofmadeline
pixel skylines
𓃗
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
#extradirty
official daine visual archive
Claire Keane
🩵 avery cochrane 🩵
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
shark vs the universe
seen from Pakistan
seen from Spain
seen from Belgium
seen from Brazil
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Italy
seen from Colombia
seen from Bangladesh
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from France
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from Brazil
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
@rationallyreligious
I just realized the hilarious irony that Jehovah's Witnesses --who deny the divinity of Christ-- don't celebrate Christmas, and the historic Saint Nicolaus slapped a man in the face for that exact reason. Maybe that's the reason they don't celebrate it, lol.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Don't shine so others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him. - C.S. Lewis
Secondo Pia's 1898 negative of the image on the Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin is an ancient linen cloth which appears to have a faint image of a bearded man on the front of it. Historically, this cloth has been attributed to the burial cloth of Jesus Himself, meaning that it depicts an authentic image of Christ’s face.
The Shroud is actually mentioned in Scripture.
“Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.”
Mark 15:43-46 ESV
“But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.”
Luke 24:12 ESV
“So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.”
John 20:3-10 ESV
These cases are significant, because the Shroud was fully intact and not torn up, revealing that no one had stolen the body or that Jesus had broken out of it. The only explanation is that He resurrected.
TO BE CONTINUED...
The Mystery, Historical Context, and Significance of the Urim and Thummim
"God Speaks Through the Urim and Thummim," engraving by Jan Luyken, 1705 AD --- The projected Hebrew word means "emerald," one of the precious stones within the high priest's vestments (Exodus 28:18).
The Urim and Thummim are mentioned in Exodus 28 as part of the high priest's vestments. These are some of the most obscure things in the entire Bible, simply because, unlike many of the other religious components in the Old Testament, they’re not described in extensive detail.
Although we know what the Hebrew words “Urim” and “Thummim” mean, we lack a concrete understanding of what these two things actually are. The most traditional and literal translation is “Lights” and “Perfections,” but they’ve also been called “Revelations” and “Truths.” These translations have led some to believe that the Urim and Thummim aren’t necessarily physical objects, but abstract concepts. At the same time, God commanded Moses to put them “in” the breastplate of judgment, which could suggest that they are indeed physical objects, perhaps like the gemstones used in the high priest’s breastplate. Perhaps they are also gemstones, or simply ordinary stones; some scholars suggest that they were some type of special dice used for casting lots in a ritual to determine God’s will.
“And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly." (Exodus 28:30 ESV)
“And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation." (Numbers 27:21 ESV)
“And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets." (1 Samuel 28:6 ESV)
In any case, the Urim and Thummim are theologically significant and applicable to us for several key reasons:
Foreshadowing Christ: The Hebrew words “Urim” and “Thummim” can be translated as “Lights” and “Perfections,” or as “Revelations” and “Truths.” In any case, all of these words describe Christ. He is the Light of the world (John 8:12), the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2), the Revelation of God's glory and nature (Hebrew 1:1-3), and the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). The Urim and Thummim were used to make judgments, and Jesus will one day judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1).
Neglecting God: Similar to the infamous disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant, the Urim and Thummim have been lost to time, most likely around the time of the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian Exile. All of these holy relics in the Old Testament were provided by God for Israel’s benefit, but they essentially lost their privileges to use these sacred objects due to their disobedience, a solemn lesson on the consequences of sin. However, this goes even deeper…the cause of Israel’s disobedience was forgetting God’s ways and compromising morally with paganism. We too must remember to keep God’s ways, to not neglect our daily rhythms with Him, and to never compromise with sin. We will never be perfect, but we must be extremely deliberate to not turn away from God like the Israelites did when they apostatized and even forgot the Law of Moses (2 Kings 22:8-13).
OTHER NOTES:
The ancient Mesopotamians also had rituals to ascertain divine guidance for difficult decisions through casting lots. These lots were usually small stones, sticks, or bones within symbols or inscriptions on them. Not only does this fit the theory that the Urim and Thummim are inscribed stones, but it may also explain why the Bible is so unclear in describing these two religious elements, since the ancient readers would’ve been familiar with them. These types of random-chance rituals were used all over the ancient world, even in the Roman Empire, but they radically declined upon the rise of Christianity, which truly changed the world and its sense of spirituality. It’s also important to note that the Israelites were not instructed to use the other Mesopotamian rituals for determining divine will, such as trials by ordeal, extispicy (attempting to interpret divine messages from animal entrails), or astrology, which is completely and explicitly banned by the Torah (Deuteronomy 4:19, Deuteronomy 18:9-12).
There’s something significant about the fact that the Urim and Thummim are in front of the high priest’s heart (Exodus 28:30). This may suggest that the high priest’s heart must be in the right place in order to properly judge Israel.
The specific wording used to describe the way that Aaron “bears” the judgments of the people (Exodus 28:30) may also relate to the way in which Christ, our new High Priest, bore the judgments of our sins on the cross.
There’s an interesting parallel between the usage of the Urim and Thummim and the way that the apostles cast lots to select Matthias as the replacement for Judas (Acts 1:23-26). Both involve a ritual of random selection attributed to divine guidance. However, the rest of the New Testament records how the Holy Spirit is the main source of divine guidance for Christians, no longer an ancient ritual.
The coat of arms for Yale University actually displays the Hebrew words for Urim and Thummim in an open book, along with a banner with its Latin translation: “Lux et Veritas,” or “Light and Truth.”
Biblical Commentary: EXODUS -- The Tyranny of Pharaoh (Part 4)
Christ the King: Painting by Joan Cole
The Bible gives us hope of Christ’s reign as our Messiah, being the perfect example of a ruler who uses His authority only for just and pure purposes. Typologies of Christ are seen all throughout the Old Testament, but interestingly, we can find vague glimpses of Him within the story of Pharaoh. Of course, Christ is infinitely better than the tyrannical Pharaoh, yet the two can be compared and contrasted in a prophetic fashion. As stated before, Pharaoh was a high priest, whose role was to mediate between the people and the gods. Likewise, Jesus is our glorious High Priest who mediates between us and God the Father (Hebrew 2:17, 1 Timothy 2:5). The difference is that Pharaoh failed to appease God due to his selfishness, while Jesus appeased God with His selfless sacrifice (Isaiah 53:10). Due to their role as caretakers of Egypt, shepherd imagery is often associated with Pharaohs, such as the gold and blue shepherd’s crook. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who saves the lives of the sheep and frees them (John 8:36, 10:11), unlike Pharaoh who killed and enslaved the Israelites. Rather than being a typological character of Christ, Pharaoh’s immense flaws make him an antithesis of Christ. This conclusion follows logically from the fact that Moses, Pharaoh’s enemy, is a clear foreshadowing of Christ. Using New Testament vocabulary, one might say that Pharaoh was an antichrist: a mirror of our Perfect High Priest and Good Shepherd, who will never be corrupted by tyranny or selfishness, but gave Himself up for us so that we could live.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Biblical Commentary: EXODUS -- The Tyranny of Pharaoh (Part 3)
Moses and Aaron Speak to Pharaoh, James Tissot
There’s technically two pharaohs in Exodus: the one who initiated the oppression of the Israelites and died during Moses’s exile in Midian (Exodus 2:23), and his successor, who stubbornly refused to let the Israelites go until he witnessed all Ten Plagues. Unlike later books in the Bible which describe future pharaohs by name, the pharaohs in Exodus aren’t given any names; the book simply refers to them both as just “Pharaoh,” which actually fits with how Pharaoh were unnamed in Egyptian administrative documents from the 2nd millennium BC. In light of the historical evidence, our best guess to the identity of these pharaohs would be Seti I and his son, Rameses II. However, it’s possible that Exodus obscures the distinction between these two individuals on purpose, seeking to critique the institution of pharaoh’s government —the Pharaonic office itself— as a source of corruption and tyranny. From the historical evidence we have of ancient Egypt, the Pharaonic government appears to have been a form of theocratic monarchy with many autocratic elements, including absolute administrative, economic, and religious power. It is not surprising that Exodus portrays this position very negatively as a polemic against human tyranny, especially in the context of a particularly cruel Pharaoh. This aligns with the historical path of Israel throughout the Old Testament, as God did not initially establish a monarchy for Israel, but a system of judges to keep the nation away from sin and paganism by functioning as spokespersons for God by calling the Israelites to repent and fighting against pagan influences. It’s not until much later in Israel’s history, during the life of the prophet Samuel, that the Israelites desired to have a king like the surrounding nations. Samuel warns them of the consequences of being ruled by a king (1 Samuel 8:10-18), but they stubbornly decide to adopt a monarchy anyways, thus bringing the problem of tyranny right to Israel. Even though a monarchy was technically allowed by God in the Torah (Deuteronomy 17:14-20), the significance of the Israelites’ decision is that it demonstrated their faith in humans over faith in God, rejecting God’s perfect leadership in favor of flawed human authority. This was a direct affront to how He delivered Israel from the tyrannical regime of Egypt (1 Samuel 8:4-9). God deeply resents tyranny, both because it harms His children and because it tempts them to be more loyal to a fallible earthly government rather than to God’s perfect kingship, a clear violation of the first Commandment: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the hand of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2-3).
Let it not be said of us in these tumultuous and polarizing political times that we were more loyal to a flawed, imperfect politician than to the perfect, loving God.
Biblical Commentary: EXODUS -- The Tyranny of Pharaoh (Part 2)
The Fifth Plague of Egypt, J. M. W. Turner, Indianapolis Musem of Art (1800 AD)
Exodus doesn’t just expose Pharaoh as a tyrant; it also shows that he was bad at his job. As the high priest of Egypt, Pharaoh’s duty was to act as an intermediary between the gods and the people in order to maintain order, justice, and harmony (which the Egyptians referred to as “Ma’at”). His responsibility for Egypt’s well-being was directly tied to appeasing the pagan gods, for if they were not pleased, they would not bless the country and could bring about national disaster. This is exactly what Exodus portrays. Pharaoh’s failure to appease Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, resulted in God’s punishment on Egypt. By his job description, Pharaoh should have revered Yahweh, yet the Pharaoh in Exodus displays a totally disrespectful attitude toward Yahweh, even questioning who Yahweh is (Exodus 5:2). Pharaoh stubbornly refused to repent, even though he witnessed numerous plagues, sometimes on a national and unprecedented scale that ravaged the land, clear evidence that he had offended God (Exodus 7:22; 8:15; 8:19; 8:32; 9:7; 9:12; 9:34-35; 10:20; 10:27; 11:10). The irony of Pharaoh's blatant disregard for God was that he should have fully understood the gravity of the situation. Again, God didn’t send plagues on Egypt just for revenge, though He was entirely justified in doing so. He was giving Pharaoh a clear sign of conviction, easily recognizable from his position. Amazingly, Yahweh did not even ask Pharaoh to stop being a pagan, a requirement which He gave to the Israelites (and later the Christians) in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-6) so that they would stay loyal to Him and Him alone. In this scenario, however, God requested that Pharaoh release the Israelites so they could worship Him (Exodus 5:1, 7:16, 8:1, 8:20, 9:1, 9:13, 10:3, 10:9, 10:24-26). Pharaoh's duty is to appease the gods and protect Egypt from divine punishment. Given all the disasters, he should have been clearly aware that he was doing something wrong, but he failed to fulfill his role because he refused to change his selfish ways. Thus, Exodus masterfully shows that tyrannical leaders are not only unjust in their actions, but also ultimately fail to fulfill their obligations to their people. Pharaoh's intoxicating arrogance blinded him to the bigger picture and caused unnecessary harm to the Egyptians whom he was supposed to serve. It was Pharaoh, not God, who was responsible for them being hurt by the plagues, because if he had simply done his duty to appease the divine, his people would not have suffered. In the end, the cost of disobeying God was greater than what Egypt could gain from enslaving and slaughtering the Israelites. Thus, the second book of the entire Bible boldly declares that tyranny is not only unjust and illegitimate, but also not worth the effort when compared to just government.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Biblical Commentary: EXODUS -- The Tyranny of Pharaoh (Part 1)
Painted bas-relief from the tomb of Rameses II at Abu Simbel, 1832, attributed to Gaetano Rosellini (fl. ca. 1832-1845?)
While the Bible is full of hostile tyrants, Pharaoh's regime stands out, and for good reason. He is tyrannical, ruthless, arrogant, haughty, irreverently snarky, and blindingly selfish to an infuriating degree. Despite these many flaws, Pharaoh is not a one-dimensional villain. His purpose (at least that of his predecessors) is to protect Egypt from the growing population of Israelites who he fears will overthrow Egypt in war. This motivation is based entirely on fear. The Israelites have never shown hostility towards Egypt at this point in their history. Thus, Exodus wisely names FEAR as the root cause of tyranny, showing how a government that fears its own people will employ oppressive measures to secure its own power. Moreover, the fear that the Israelites have of their oppressors is also portrayed in a negative light, causing them to doubt God's goodness, as seen in their panicked response to Moses before crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:10-12). This immense fear even drove them to consider returning to Egyptian rule, revealing how fear keeps the people submissive and easily manipulated. Thus, Exodus reveals the dual role that fear plays in tyranny, controlling both the government and the people and maintaining an unjust, abusive relationship between the two. Exodus' solution to this problem is found in its very first chapter: the fear of the LORD. Shiphrah and Puah feared the LORD more than they feared Pharaoh (Exodus 1:17), and by recognizing that there is always a Higher Authority above even the most powerful earthly government, they resolved to do the right thing despite the dangerous circumstances. The fear of the LORD will also produce good character within the government too, reminding leaders that they are held accountable for their actions by the Authority who is above them; thus, tyranny is a direct consequence of a lack of respect for God, a vice that is embodied by the Pharaoh of Exodus (Exodus 5:2).
TO BE CONTINUED...
The holy trinity is an internally incoherent concept. Say what you will about Muslims and Mormons, but at least they have an internally coherent view of god.
It's a good thing that God is a being of greater understanding than man then! Sometimes I'm not able to fully wrap my head around a concept but God knows a lot more than I do, so I'll just trust him
Also, if I may gently add on here...
The Bible affirms that God is love (1 John 4:8). As Anglican theologian Gerald Bray puts it:
“God cannot be love unless there is something for him to love. But if that something were not part of himself, he would not be perfect. The Bible does not teach us that God needed the creation in order to have something to love, because if that were true, he could not be fully himself without it."
Another quote from Ken Samples:
"The Trinity is critical for Christians to appreciate because it allows God to “be love” within himself and, therefore, not in need of finding love outside (in his creation). Therefore, the triune God is unsurpassably loving."
If God is not Three Persons, as Muslims and Mormons claim, then who did God love before He created beings such as humans and angels? A single divine person all alone cannot be love. The Trinity is essential if we believe that God is love, perfect, and self-existent. And if He is not those things, He is not God.
Here's the link to the article I paraphrased: Who Did Allah Love in Eternity?
Other resources:
Responding to Islam's Objection to the Trinity
The Importance of the Trinity (podcast)
Is The Trinity Doctrine Biblical?
Is the Trinity Revealed in Scripture?
Is the Trinity to Be Worshiped?
How to Persuade a Skeptic That God Must Be Triune
How the Trinity Shows God’s Love
How the Trinity Makes Sense of Science
The Trinity is essential if we believe God's claims about Himself and His redemptive plan. If Jesus is not God, His sacrifice on the cross would not be perfect and accepted by God the Father. And if Jesus' sacrifice isn't enough to redeem us, then we are without hope.
But the good news is, Jesus is God and He IS enough!!! We can enjoy His peace and joy and safety knowing He loves us enough to do that for us, and that we don't have to reach heaven on our own merit.
Trinity in the Old Testament (Part 1): The Shema / Jewish Statement of Faith
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”
Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד ׃
This famous passage, called the Shema, has been frequently cited by non-Trinitarians in an attempt to deny the Trinity. However, the Hebrew grammar of this passage actually emphasizes, rather than denies, the Trinity.
The operative Hebrew word here is "echad," which is often defined in English simply as "one" or "alone." However, this does not capture the nuance of the word. The NAS Exhaustive Concordance translates this word in a variety of ways, including "uniformly," "uniquely," "unison," "unit," and "united," which reflect the quality of God's nature rather than His quantity. Certainly, God is the one true God, unique and far superior to the angels, but the term "echad" does not indicate that God cannot be a Trinity, as Non-Trinitarians suggest.
Interestingly, “echad” is also used in Genesis 2:24 to describe the union between man and woman.
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24 ESV
In this context, “echad” does not refer to the man and woman joining together to become one person, but to become one compound unit consisting of multiple people: man and woman. In the same way, the doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one compound unit consisting of multiple people: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, the hidden grammatical nuance of the Shema actually points directly towards the existence of One God as multiple Divine Persons, not away from it.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
I knew that john newton (probably most famous for writing "amazing grace") was a slave trader before he became a prominent abolitionist activist, but i had not realised hat he had himself earlier been a slave to a sherbro princess in west africa until he was rescued (and then resumed slave trading himself). And prior to his full enslavement had been an impressed sailor in the royal navy punished for attempted desertion. A bizarrely rounded life history on the issue of enslavement
Wow. This really makes the lyrics of "Amazing Grace" all the more powerful, knowing that God's mercy and grace even extends to such sinners and gives us a path of repentance, allowing us not only to overcome our own sins, but to actively participate in the purging of sin in the around us.
It reminds me a lot of Psalm 51, in which David repents of his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. After wholeheartedly, mournfully asking God for mercy and cleansing from his sin, David then tells God that he will "teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you" (Psalm 51:13), shifting his focus from his own struggles with sin to the broader problem of sin within society itself, choosing to reject his past and take God's side to fight against evil.
John Newton in effect did the same thing, repenting from his evil ways and then seeking to make a change in the world to end the very evil he used to participate in. It's a genuine sign of repentance which we should demonstrate in our own lives when we fall short of God's glory. Thankfully, God is always there to provide forgiveness, reconciliation, and cleaning from our sins, given that we repent genuinely.
(This is also a great reminder that Christians ended the slave trade.)
Biblical Commentary: EXODUS -- The Sanctity of Life (Part 2)
"Moses, Lowered by His Mother on the Waters of the Nile" - Alexey Vassilievich Tyranov, State Tretyakov Gallery, 1839-1842 AD
One baby in particular survives the Pharaoh’s infanticide, again thanks to the clever planning and courageous disobedience of the brave Hebrew women. This baby grows up to be none other than Moses, the main character of the entire book of Exodus (except for God Himself, of course), demonstrating how every life has the potential to change the course of history. Moses witnesses one of his fellow Hebrews being beaten by an Egyptian slave master and takes revenge by killing the Hebrew. Although this act of murder is portrayed as morally neutral or noble, Exodus vividly shows that taking a life carries immense weight, as Moses's actions led to him being discovered, targeted, and forced to flee the country by Pharaoh (Exodus 2:11-15). Later, during the tenth plague, God killed all of Egypt's firstborn. Skeptics would argue that this is evidence of God inflicting unnecessarily cruel punishment, but in fact God is simply repeating the same thing on Pharaoh for killing Hebrew infants. God repeatedly states that the purpose of the plagues is to inspire faith, respect, and repentance among the Israelites and Egyptians alike (Exodus 6:6-7, 7:5, 7:17, 8:10, 8:22, 9:14, 9:29-30, 14:4). Thus, the killing of the firstborn is not simply retribution, but is meant to show the Egyptians the pain they inflicted on them by killing the Israelites' children. It is no coincidence that the tenth plague was the final blow for Pharaoh, who had ordered the killing of Hebrew babies in the first place. Experiencing the same kind of tragedy he inflicted on the Hebrews, Pharaoh was able to let go of his pride and see things from their level, in effect humbling himself. It also forced him to face the burden of his total disregard for the inherent value of life, and finally allowed the Israelites to be delivered from slavery. On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, including the famous commandment, “Thou shalt not murder” (Exodus 20:13). All these acts of showing the value of life not only function as moral messages, but also highlight the seriousness of human sin, which results in death. Genesis showcases how murder can happen on an individual level with Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:8), as well as in groups of humans prior to the Flood (Genesis 6:5, 11-13), but Exodus showcases how murder can be mandated by the state and that protecting innocent life sometimes requires civil disobedience.
Biblical Commentary: EXODUS -- The Sanctity of Life (Part 1)
"The Mother of Moses" by Simeon Solomon, 1860 AD
Exodus offers a harsh moral critique of infanticide and is probably the first piece of literature in human history to ever critique the topic. In the first chapter, the tyrant Pharaoh, concerned that the Egyptians will become outnumbered by the Israelites, orders the killing of all Hebrew male infants, a chilling parallel to cases of government-enforced abortion as seen in China within recent decades. The first people to speak out against abortion in the Bible, and probably in recorded history, are women. The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah refuse to obey the barbaric abortion order, defying it in the face of an absolute monarch worshiped as a god (Exodus 1:15-17). They respect the authority of God above the authority of their own government, and this is treated as a noble act because they are blessed by God for their obedience to God and disobedience to tyranny (Exodus 1:20-21). These female protagonists are not goddesses or princesses, but regular humans who choose to risk their lives defying the evil of society in order to save the lives of others, demonstrating the powerful impact that average people (including women) can have on the world around them if they simply choose to do the right thing. No such attitudes existed in the ancient world, where morality was usually mostly dictated by social norms and government institutions.
You're conflating abortion with infanticide. Those infants were already alive and breathing - the first human came to be alive when God breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7). God provides no commentary on the termination of pregnancy.
That was a slight miswording on my part. Before making the initial post, I learned of the semantic distinction between "abortion" (death of the child in the womb) and "infanticide" (death of the child outside the womb), so tried to phrase the post accordingly, but it seems like I missed a sentence by accident. Whoops. I just edited "barbaric abortion order" to "barbaric infanticide order" in order to avoid confusion and inflammatory language.
Still, the Bible says a lot about the sanctity of infant life, including in this passage, reinforcing the principle that infant life is sacred, no matter how small or in what state; these principles are the basis of Biblical morality rather than a direct commentary on every potential moral scenario. God's creation of the first human does not reflect the way in which humans produce naturally. Modern science should inform our factual understanding of pregnancy and reproduction, and the Bible should inform our ethics surrounding these processes as well.
Yes, but an infant as described in the Bible is a born child and in no way comparable to a fetus that is not even viable outside the mother's body. In a scientific and secular moral sense, forcing someone to maintain the life of another at the expense of their own body or mind is unacceptable.
“Fetus” is literally the Latin word for “offspring.” Yes, it’s a human being according to objective science, not some arbitrary manmade standards of “viability” which excludes certain people from being humans just because they’re inside the womb or just based on survivability. The Bible does, in fact, speak of life in the womb in multiple places.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I concentrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5 ESV)
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:13-14 ESV)
Humans have different social obligations to one another, and parents are morally obligated to keep their children alive at all costs, even if they eventually want to give them up for adoption. God is the Source of objective morality, not humans.
Though I will touch on controversial topics, my blog isn’t really dedicated to discourse about the ethics of abortion, so I probably won’t be reblogging this chain again, but I may contribute to the comment section. Thank you for being civil.
Biblical Commentary: EXODUS -- The Sanctity of Life (Part 1)
"The Mother of Moses" by Simeon Solomon, 1860 AD
Exodus offers a harsh moral critique of infanticide and is probably the first piece of literature in human history to ever critique the topic. In the first chapter, the tyrant Pharaoh, concerned that the Egyptians will become outnumbered by the Israelites, orders the killing of all Hebrew male infants, a chilling parallel to cases of government-enforced abortion as seen in China within recent decades. The first people to speak out against abortion in the Bible, and probably in recorded history, are women. The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah refuse to obey the barbaric abortion order, defying it in the face of an absolute monarch worshiped as a god (Exodus 1:15-17). They respect the authority of God above the authority of their own government, and this is treated as a noble act because they are blessed by God for their obedience to God and disobedience to tyranny (Exodus 1:20-21). These female protagonists are not goddesses or princesses, but regular humans who choose to risk their lives defying the evil of society in order to save the lives of others, demonstrating the powerful impact that average people (including women) can have on the world around them if they simply choose to do the right thing. No such attitudes existed in the ancient world, where morality was usually mostly dictated by social norms and government institutions.
You're conflating abortion with infanticide. Those infants were already alive and breathing - the first human came to be alive when God breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7). God provides no commentary on the termination of pregnancy.
That was a slight miswording on my part. Before making the initial post, I learned of the semantic distinction between "abortion" (death of the child in the womb) and "infanticide" (death of the child outside the womb), so tried to phrase the post accordingly, but it seems like I missed a sentence by accident. Whoops. I just edited "barbaric abortion order" to "barbaric infanticide order" in order to avoid confusion and inflammatory language.
Still, the Bible says a lot about the sanctity of infant life, including in this passage, reinforcing the principle that infant life is sacred, no matter how small or in what state; these principles are the basis of Biblical morality rather than a direct commentary on every potential moral scenario. God's creation of the first human does not reflect the way in which humans produce naturally. Modern science should inform our factual understanding of pregnancy and reproduction, and the Bible should inform our ethics surrounding these processes as well.
Biblical Commentary: EXODUS -- The Sanctity of Life (Part 1)
"The Mother of Moses" by Simeon Solomon, 1860 AD
Exodus offers a harsh moral critique of infanticide and is probably the first piece of literature in human history to ever critique the topic. In the first chapter, the tyrant Pharaoh, concerned that the Egyptians will become outnumbered by the Israelites, orders the killing of all Hebrew male infants, a chilling parallel to cases of government-enforced abortion as seen in China within recent decades. The first people in the Bible to speak out against infanticide, and probably in recorded history, are women. The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah refuse to obey the barbaric infanticide order, defying it in the face of an absolute monarch worshiped as a god (Exodus 1:15-17). They respect the authority of God above the authority of their own government, and this is treated as a noble act because they are blessed by God for their obedience to God and disobedience to tyranny (Exodus 1:20-21). These female protagonists are not goddesses or princesses, but regular humans who choose to risk their lives defying the evil of society in order to save the lives of others, demonstrating the powerful impact that average people (including women) can have on the world around them if they simply choose to do the right thing. No such attitudes existed in the ancient world, where morality was usually mostly dictated by social norms and government institutions.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
"Just because I'm a Christian doesn't mean I think all women are called to motherhood"
That's......basically the role of women in Christianity. Men run nations, get involved with politics, study, fight in wars, and run businesses. Women raise children and have as many as they can before their fertility runs out.
i'm truly sorry that's the gospel/"christianity" you were taught. someone lied to you about God, that is not true of Him at all.
Did we all collectively forget about Deborah??¿????
Can we remember what she did for a moment? What was her role? WHAT BOOK IS SHE FROM?
The Proverbs 31 woman runs her household’s business, buys property, pays the employees, etc.
Lydia ran her own commercial enterprise and by all accounts was quite successful, as well as being a cornerstone member of her local church.
Jael the wife of Heber defeated Sisera, a military commander of the Canaanites, giving him a false sense of security by offering blankets and milk so he could rest. While he was sleeping, she took one of the pegs from outside the tent and used a hammer to DRIVE THE PEG INTO HIS SKULL UNTIL IT REACHED THE GROUND BENEATH HIS HEAD. Also, this fulfilled a prophecy from the prophetess Deborah in the same chapter that Sisera would be given into the hand of a woman (Judges 4).
There's also Esther, who has a whole book written about her becoming the queen of Persia through God's provision and risking her life to save Israel from total annihilation by the king's right-hand man: Haman. By exposing his genocidal plot to King Ahasuerus, she could have easily been killed, but she chose to listen to God more than man and courageously stands up for justice, resulting in Haman begging for mercy only to be executed on the gallows prepared for her cousin Mordecai (Esther 7).
The Bible is full of incredible female protagonists who demonstrate actual virtue and courage (rather than bitter, uncontrolled rage) which you can apply in real life; just read it for yourself and you'll see. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
Biblical Commentary: EXODUS -- Remembering the Past (Part 2)
"Scenes from the Life of Moses" by Botticelli, Sistine Chapel
Modern psychology reveals that, in most cases, our brains do not actually “forget” information in the sense of losing it entirely. Rather, the difficulty comes with bringing the information back to the forefront of our mind. Thus, while forgetting itself is an inevitability, we do have some control over what we forget as opposed to what we remember (at least, in most cases); we do have some choice over what we remember, revealing that God’s “remembrance” of His covenant promise to Israel does not indicate that He has limited memory, but that He chose to set His focus on His promise (Exodus 2:24-25, 6:5). This is also why God frequently gives instructions to the Israelites for remembering His commandments and His faithfulness, providing them with holidays and a calendar to remind them of the Exodus so that they do not forget (Exodus 12-13; and as for the rest of the Torah: Leviticus 23, Numbers 9, Numbers 28-29, and Deuteronomy 16).
What we choose to put at the forefront of our minds reveals what we hold as most important, and though we cannot literally attend church or read the Bible 24/7, we can always orient our minds and our thoughts towards God. Indeed, this is why God tells the Israelites that the sacred holidays and the laws shall be “a sign on your hand and a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth,” referencing our actions and thoughts (Exodus 13:8-10, 13:16). By choosing to make Him our central focus and by inviting Him into all areas of our life rather than restricting Him to just the religious parts, we will fulfill the Greatest Commandment: to love the LORD with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our might, (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30), and as Jesus uniquely mentions in Luke, with all our mind (Luke 10:27).
