Practical matters from Scripture: What should be done with Tilikum?

Bryan Fischer at RenewAmerica.com has a great idea. Let's apply scripture to everyday life.

Take the recent, tragic incident at SeaWorld in Olando, where a trainer was killed by an orca, for example. It wouldn't have happened if we paid attention to scripture.

Mr. Fischer says that God's instructions on such matters are clearly laid out in Exodus 21:28-29.

So let's take a look at these verses.

If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. Exodus 21:28

Well, I'm not sure that this verse applies directly to orcas, but I like the way Bryan is thinking. So let's stay with him on this.

Exodus 21:28 says that if someone is killed by an ox, then we must stone the ox to death.

Which means, I guess, that we should stone Tilikum to death.

This brings up some practical problems, though, doesn't it? How can we can stone an orca to death? I guess Mr. Fischer thinks we should try.

But however we kill Tilikum, we can't eat him afterward. Oh, and the owner is to be considered blameless.

On to verse 29.

But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. Exodus 21:29

This verse makes things much more interesting, especially since this was not the first time someone was "gored" by Tilikum.

If we follow the Bible on this, we not only have find a way to stone Tilikum, we also have to kill his owner (or owners), as well.

Yeah, the the folks at Sea World should have followed the Bible.

Or maybe we should just stop using large predators as entertainment.

The Bible and the Quran agree: Insects have four legs

In a previous post, I mentioned that the Bible and the Quran agree on the worth of a woman. A woman is worth about half as much as a man.

Well, here is something else they seem to agree on: insects have four legs.

Here's what the Bible says:

Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you. Leviticus 11:22-23

And here's the Quran:

Allah hath created every animal of water. Of them is (a kind) that goeth upon its belly and (a kind) that goeth upon two legs and (a kind) that goeth upon four. Quran 24:45

It's true that neither holy book comes right out and says that all insects have four legs.

But the Bible says that locusts, beetles, and grasshoppers (which are the ones you are allowed to eat) have four legs, while "all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you." So that would seem to include insects in God's "four legged, flying, creeping things" taxon.

The Quran is a bit less clear, but it too seems to imply that insects have either zero, two or (more likely) four legs.

Isn't it nice that the Bible and Quran agree on something?

The worst beasts in Allah's sight

The Quran (24:45) says that all animals were created by Allah. But not all animals were created equal.

Take apes, pigs, and dogs, for example. Here's what the Quran says about them.

And ye know of those of you who broke the Sabbath, how We said unto them: Be ye apes, despised and hated! 2:65

(Worse is the case of him) whom Allah hath cursed, him on whom His wrath hath fallen and of whose sort Allah hath turned some to apes and swine. 5:60

So when they took pride in that which they had been forbidden, We said unto them: Be ye apes despised and loathed! 7:166

Therefor his likeness is as the likeness of a dog: if thou attackest him he panteth with his tongue out, and if thou leavest him he panteth with his tongue out. Such is the likeness of the people who deny Our revelations. 7:176

But there are some things that Allah likes even less than apes, pigs, and dogs.

Lo! the worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the deaf, the dumb, who have no sense [Non-muslims]. 8:22

Lo! the worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the ungrateful who will not believe. 8:55

Lo! those who disbelieve, among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, will abide in fire of hell. They are the worst of created beings. 98:6

So there you have it. Non-muslims are "the worst beasts in Allah's sight."

Now that you know who (and what) you are, why not join with the Sons (and Daughters) of Apes and Pigs?

All Ceatures Great and Small: The Lord God Drowned Them All

You'd think that when God repents, he'd behave better afterwards. But not the God of the Bible; he's at his worst after making a public confession.

Take the flood, for example. God creates all creatures great and small and declares them "very good" in Genesis 1:31. He then makes them not so good in 3:17-18 (either immediately in an evil re-creation or through 1656 years of God-directed super evolution), repents of ever having made them in 6:7, and finally drowns them all in 7:21-23.

What was the point of all that? If God was trying to punish people for misbehaving, then why did he drown the animals, too?