Terry Jones, The Innocence of Muslims, and Leviticus 24:16

Earlier this week, an Egyptian court sentenced seven people to death for their involvement in the anti-Islam film, The Innocence of Muslims.

"The seven accused persons were convicted of insulting the Islamic religion through participating in producing and offering a movie that insults Islam and its prophet,'' Egyptian Judge Saif al-Nasr Soliman said Wednesday.

The convicted blasphemers are living outside of Egypt and so are unlikely to be executed.

Another person accused of insulting Islam is the Quran-buring Florida pastor, Terry Jones. His case is scheduled for December 29.*

The strange thing about all this is this: The Quran does not specify the death penalty for blasphemy. (Not directly, anyway.**)

But the Bible sure as hell does.

He that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. Leviticus 24:16

 God commands believers to kill blasphemers -- by stoning them to death.

Why are Muslims the only ones who obey him? ***

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* I've spent a fair amount of time at this blog and the SAQ insulting Islam and its prophet (peanut butter and pig's fat be upon him). How come there's no death sentence out on me? I'm kind of insulted.

** There is a verse in the Quran that is applied in blasphemy cases.

The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom. Quran 5:33

Blasphemers "make war on Allah and His messenger" so they should "be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off" and then, of course, be tormented by Allah in hell forever.

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*** I've tried to get an answer from Bible believers about this, but without success.

Here are my questions.

1. Would it be wrong to obey God's command in Leviticus 24:16 today?
2. Was it ever right to obey it?

Mosiah 7: A Nephite Family Reunion

Hello everyone!  This is Philip, Steve's son.  I have been working on editing the SAB book these last 8 months, and now I'll be blogging the Book of Mormon.  With my help, we're hoping to get the Book of Mormon out in 2013.  Steve will be continuing with the Apocrypha and his regular posts.

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The last chapter ended with King Benjamin appointing Mosiah as the new King.  Well, things were going pretty good for King Mosiah II (his grandfather was also named Mosiah, remember?), and the first three years of his reign were peaceful.  But he was getting a little bored, and was wondering about his brethren who had left Zarahemla years ago  

7.1 And now, it came to pass that after king Mosiah had had continual peace for the space of three years, he was desirous to know concerning the people who went up to dwell in the land of Lehi-Nephi, or in the city of Lehi-Nephi; for his people had heard nothing from them from the time they left the land of Zarahemla; therefore, they wearied him with their teasings.

So he sent a search party to the land of Lehi-Nephi to go looking for them.  He sent 16 of his finest men, and  Ammon (a strong and mighty man) was to be their leader. 

7:2 And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted that sixteen of their strong men might go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi to inquire concerning their brethren.

7:3 And it came to pass that on the morrow they started to go up, having with them one Ammon, he being a strong and mighty man, and a descendant of Zarahemla; and he was also their leader.

After 40 days of wandering around, they set up camp on a hill north of Shilom, in the land of Nephi.  Maybe next time they'll pick a leader with a good sense of direction.

7:4 And now, they knew not the course they should travel in the wilderness to go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi; therefore they wandered many days in the wilderness, even forty days did they wander.

7:5 And when they had wandered forty days they came to a hill, which is north of the land of Shilom, and there they pitched their tents.

The next morning, Ammon and three of his best men went down into the land of Nephi to explore.  They promptly got thrown in jail by the king's guard.

7:6 And Ammon took three of his brethren, and their names were Amaleki, Helem, and Hem, and they went down into the land of Nephi.

7:7 And behold, they met the king of the people who were in the land of Nephi, and in the land of Shilom; and they were surrounded by the king's guard, and were taken, and were bound, and were committed to prison.

After two days in jail, the king brought them out for questioning.  He told them that he was Limhi (the son of Noah, who was the son of Zeniff, who came up out of the land of Zarahemla) and then asked them to explain why they were there, or else be put to death.  Seems fair.

7:8 And it came to pass when they had been in prison two days they were again brought before the king, and their bands were loosed; and they stood before the king, and were permitted, or rather commanded, that they should answer the questions which he should ask them.  

7:9 And he said unto them: Behold, I am Limhi, the son of Noah, who was the son of Zeniff, who came up out of the land of Zarahemla to inherit this land, which was the land of their fathers, who was made a king by the voice of the people.  

7:10 And now, I desire to know the cause whereby ye were so bold as to come near the walls of the city, when I, myself, was with my guards without the gate?  

7:11 And now, for this cause have I suffered that ye should be preserved, that I might inquire of you, or else I should have caused that my guards should have put you to death. Ye are permitted to speak.

Ammon bows and thanks King Limhi for not already killing him, and for letting him explain himself.  There is so much to be thankful for!

7:12 And now, when Ammon saw that he was permitted to speak, he went forth and bowed himself before the king; and rising again he said: O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to speak with boldness;

After Ammon tells his story, Lemhi is pleased.  As it turns out, right now his people are being forced to pay a high tribute to the Lamenites, and he figures that his long-lost brethren in Zarahemla will help him out of the mess.

7:13 For I am assured that if ye had known me ye would not have suffered that I should have worn these bands. For I am Ammon, and am a descendant of Zarahemla, and have come up out of the land of Zarahemla to inquire concerning our brethren, whom Zeniff brought up out of that land.

7:14 And now, it came to pass that after Limhi had heard the words of Ammon, he was exceedingly glad, and said: Now, I know of a surety that my brethren who were in the land of Zarahemla are yet alive. And now, I will rejoice; and on the morrow I will cause that my people shall rejoice also.

7:15 For behold, we are in bondage to the Lamanites, and are taxed with a tax which is grievous to be borne. And now, behold, our brethren will deliver us out of our bondage, or out of the hands of the Lamanites, and we will be their slaves; for it is better that we be slaves to the Nephites than to pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites.

So King Lemhi set Ammon and his men free, and allowed them to eat, drink and rest in the city.  He even sent a few guards to collect the rest of the men who were still camping on the hill.

7:16 And now, king Limhi commanded his guards that they should no more bind Ammon nor his brethren, but caused that they should go to the hill which was north of Shilom, and bring their brethren into the city, that thereby they might eat, and drink, and rest themselves from the labors of their journey; for they had suffered many things; they had suffered hunger, thirst, and fatigue.

Then King Lemhi sent a proclamation to all his people, telling them to gather together for a speech (oh boy!).  Once everyone gathers around, he gives them the good news: "The time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies."

He then preaches for a little while about how the tribute was their fault in the first place; that it was a punishment sent from the Lord because of their iniquity.  Luckily, God is now giving them a second chance.

7:18 And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.

 7:25 For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon them. But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood among themselves.

7:33 But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.

The Machabees brothers (Simon, Judas, and Jonathan) slaughter the heathens

After the Hanukkah killings. the Gentiles gathered together to fight the Israelites, who sent messengers "with their garments rent" to Judas asking for help.

The Gentiles ... assembled themselves together against the Israelites ... to destroy them. 1 Machabees 5:9

There came other messengers out of Galilee with their garments rent. 5:14

And they asked the right guy.

Judas and his brothers (Simon and Jonathan) attacked the Gentiles in Galilee and Galaad.

Judas said to Simon his brother: Choose thee men, and go, and deliver thy brethren in Galilee: and I, and my brother Jonathan will go into the country of Galaad. 5:17 

Simon killed 3000 Galilean heathens and took their wives and children captive.

Simon went into Galilee, and fought many battles with the heathens: and the heathens were discomfited before his face." 5:21

And there fell of the heathens almost three thousand men, and he took the spoils of them. 5:22

And he took ... their wives, and children, and all that they had." 5:23

Judas and his army went to Bosor and "slew every male with the edge of the sword, took all their spoils, and burnt it with fire."

Judas and his army suddenly turned their march into the desert, to Bosor, and took the city: and he slew every male by the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burnt it with fire. 5:28

Then they retreated to their fortress.

They ... went till they came to the fortress. 5:29 

The next day they saw "people without number" preparing to attack.

And it came to pass ... when they lifted up their eyes, behold there were people without number, carrying ladders and engines to take the fortress. 5:30

So they sounded their trumpets and cried out in prayer, which scared the hell out of Timotheus' army, who fled away in terror as Judas' men killed "almost eight thousand."

The cry of the battle went up to heaven like a trumpet. 5:31

And they sounded their trumpets, and cried out in prayer. 5:33

The host of Timotheus understood that it was Machabeus, and they fled away before his face: and they made a great slaughter of them: and there fell of them in that day almost eight thousand men. 5:34

Then Judas did unto the city of Maspha as he did to Bosor -- burning it to the ground after killing every male "with the edge of the sword."

And Judas turned aside to Maspha, and assaulted, and took it, and he slew every male thereof, and took the spoils thereof, and burnt it with fire. 5:35

Then he went and did likewise to "Casbon, and Mageth, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Galaad." (I guess he slaughtered Bosor again just for the heck of it.)

From thence he marched, and took Casbon, and Mageth, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Galaad. 5:36

Although Timotheus and his army ran away from Judas a few verses ago (5:34), he's back now with an "exceeding great" army. General Tim comes up with a great plan: if Judas is afraid to come near, Tim's army will win; if Judas isn't afraid to come near, Judas will win. Judas wasn't afraid, so Judas won.

But after this Timotheus gathered another army ... exceeding great 5:37-38

And Judas went to meet them. 5:39

And Timotheus said to the captains of his army: When Judas and his army come near ... if he pass over unto us first ... he will certainly prevail over us. 5:40

But if he be afraid to pass over ... we ... shall prevail against him. 5:41

Now when Judas came near ... he passed over to them first ... and all the heathens were discomfited before them, and they threw away their weapons, and fled to the temple that was in Carnaim. 5:42-43

All the heathens were discomfited before them, and they threw away their weapons, and fled to the temple that was in Carnaim. And he took that city, and the temple he burnt with fire. 5:44

Next Judas commands his soldiers to attack the great city of Ephron, kill every male, and then burn it.

They came as far as Ephron: now this was a great city. 5:46

Then Judas commanded proclamation to be made ... that they should make an assault. 5:49

They slew every male with the edge of the sword, and he razed the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through all the city over them that were slain. 5:51

To thank him for helping them slaughter the Gentiles, Judas and his brothers killed some animals for God. 

And they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, and offered holocausts, because not one of them was slain, till they had returned in peace. 5:54

Then Judas and his brethren attacked the children of Esau, burned walls and towers in Chebron, destroyed the all the altars and statues in the land of the aliens and strangers, and took the spoils of their cities.

Then Judas and his brethren went forth and attacked the children of Esau, in the land toward the south, and he took Chebron, and her towns: and he burnt the walls thereof and the towers all round it. 5:65

And he removed his camp to go into the land of the aliens, and he went through Samaria. 5:66

And Judas turned to Azotus into the land of the strangers, and he threw down their altars, and he burnt the statues of their gods with fire: and he took the spoils of the cities. 5:68

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So how heathens did God help the Machabees brothers kill?

• 3000 from Galilee
• Every male in Bosor (1000 estimate)
• 8000 soldiers in Timotheus' army
• Every male in Maspha (1000 estimate)
• Every male in Casbon, and Mageth, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Galaad (5000 estimate)
• All the heathens in Timotheus's army (10,000 estimate)
• Every male in Ephron (5000 estimate, since Ephron, as skanksta noted below, was "a great city")
• The children of Esau (1000 estimate)
• Chebron (1000 estimate)
• Samaria (1000 estimate)
• Azotus in the land of the strangers (1000 estimate)

So there were at least 11,000 victims, with a total estimate of 32,000

All the fat is the Lord's: The Bible's guide to Thanksgiving dinner

There are some things that God cares deeply about -- sex, foreskins, menstruation, and animal sacrifice, for example.

And food.

Most Christians forget about that. They prepare and eat food on Thanksgiving that God abhors, while thanking him for it. And it really pisses him off (insofar as an imaginary being can be pissed off, that is).

Don't make that mistake this Thanksgiving.

Here are some suggestions for a biblically correct Thanksgiving dinner.

1. Some things are abominations to God. Don't eat them. This includes:
   
   pork (No Thanksgiving ham),
   

   The swine ... is unclean to you ... their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch. Leviticus 11:7-8

   clams, lobsters, shrimp,
   

   All that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: Leviticus 11:10

   four-legged creeping fowls,
   

   All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. Leviticus 11:20

   most four-legged flying creeping things with legs above their feet (grasshoppers, locusts, and beetles are exceptions)
   

   All other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you. Leviticus 11:21-23

   Every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten. Deuteronomy  14:19

   whatever crawls on its belly, goes on all four, or has lots of legs
   

   Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth ... are an abomination. Leviticus 11:42

2. Don't eat anything with blood. (No goddamned Thanksgiving blood sausage)
   

   Ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast. Leviticus 7:26
   
   Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood. Leviticus 19:26

3. Don't eat anything with fat (God loves fat and he doesn't like to share. So no animal fat or gravy.)
   

   All the fat is the Lord's. Leviticus 3:16
   
   Ye shall eat no manner of fat. Leviticus 7:23

4. Don't eat any uncircumcised fruit.
   

   When ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten Leviticus 19:23

OK, but what can be eaten on Thanksgiving without upsetting God too much?

Here are a few biblically-based suggestions.

1. Invite your family, friends, and neighbors over for Thanksgiving.
   And eat them.
   

   Ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. Leviticus 26:29
   
   Thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters. Deuteronomy 28:53
   
   I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend. Jeremiah 19:9
   
   The fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers. Ezekiel 5:10

2. Eat the flesh of your own arm and get drunk on your own blood (as with sweet wine).
   

   They shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm. Isaiah 9:19-20
   
   I will feed them ... with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine. Isaiah 49:26

3. Spice things up a little. Eat your own dung and drinking your own piss.
   

   Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? 2 Kings 18:27, Isaiah 36:12

4. Bake some Ezekiel 4:12 bread.
   

   Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof. Ezekiel 4:9
   
   And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man. Ezekiel 12

But what about turkey? Is it OK to eat turkey on Thanksgiving?

Well, that is a disputed topic.
I'll let the Bible believers fight it out.

Mosiah 2-6: The King's Speech

In the last chapter, King Benjamin waxed old, selected his son Mosiah to succeed him, and gathered all of his subjects to hear his speech so he could rid his garments of their blood.

And it came to pass that after Mosiah had done as his father had commanded him, and had made a proclamation throughout all the land, that the people gathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the temple to hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them. Mosiah 2:1

I say unto you that I have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together that I might rid my garments of your blood. 2:28

But there were just too many of them. They had multiplied exceedingly. There were so many, in fact, that they couldn't be numbered or fit in the temple, so a tower had to be erected so that everyone could hear King Benjamin's exceedingly boring speech.

There were a great number, even so many that they did not number them; for they had multiplied exceedingly and waxed great in the land. 2:2

For the multitude being so great that king Benjamin could not teach them all within the walls of the temple, therefore he caused a tower to be erected, that thereby his people might hear the words which he should speak unto them. 2:7

Mosiah goes on for five chapters, saying all the usual stuff: Jesus is coming and everyone must pre-believe in him or be tortured forever in hell.

If he ... dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment. 2:33

Mercy hath no claim on that man; therefore his final doom is to endure a never-ending torment. 2:39

A state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls. 3:25

Their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever. 3:27

And Mosiah isn't just making stuff up. An angel of the Lord visited him and told him all about Jesus (who would be born in another 120 years or so). This is the umpteenth time Jesus is prophesied in great detail in the Book of Mormon. It's almost as though the whole thing was written using language that mimicked the King James Version of the Bible by someone living in nineteenth century America.

But we do learn a few new things about Jesus.

He will suffer so much that blood will come out of every pore of his body. And he is not only the Son of God, he is also the Father of heaven and earth.

The things which I shall tell you are made known unto me by an angel from God. And he said unto me: Awake; and I awoke, and behold he stood before me. 3:2

For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that ... the Lord Omnipotent ... shall come down from heaven among the children of men. 3:5

He shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men. 3:6

And lo, he shall suffer ... blood cometh from every pore. 3:7

He shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth ... and his mother shall be called Mary. 3:8

When King Benjamin quit speaking, everyone in Zarahemla fell down.

And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them. 4:1

And they all spoke in unison the following words:

O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men. 4:2

When the crowd was finished with their speech, the king started speaking again.

And king Benjamin again opened his mouth and began to speak unto them, saying......... 4:4-30

After King Benjamin's speech, he sent his officials out to ask the people if they believed the stuff he told them.

It came to pass that when king Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken unto them. 5:1

He didn't need Nate Silver to do the analysis.

Everyone believed everything he said and they all cried out together, "Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken to us...."

And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. 5:2

And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things. 5:3

And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy. 5:4

And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God. 5:5

And, by golly, those were just the words King Benjamin hoped they'd say!

These are the words which king Benjamin desired of them. 5:6

Then King Benjamin broke into one of his boring speeches again.

And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ........ 5:7-15

After King Benjamin finally finished speaking (God, I hope he's really done this time), he decided to make a list of all the born-again Christians. It turned out that everyone had been saved, except for maybe the little children -- 120 years before Jesus was born!

King Benjamin thought it was expedient, after having finished speaking to the people, that he should take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God. 6:1

And it came to pass that there was not one soul, except it were little children, but who had entered into the covenant and had taken upon them the name of Christ. 6:2

Benjamin made his son Mosiah king and appointed priests to instruct the people. Mosiah walked in the ways of the Lord and everything was peachy in Zarahemla, just like it was when his dad was king.

King Benjamin ... consecrated his son Mosiah to be a ruler and a king ... and also had appointed priests to teach the people." 6:3

And it came to pass that king Mosiah did walk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe his judgments and his statutes, and did keep his commandments in all things whatsoever he commanded him. 6:6

And there was no contention among all his people for the space of three years. 6:7