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Legislating From the Bible

by: Lucy Edwards

Tue Feb 15, 2011 at 10:53:32 AM EST


This interesting, weird and rather scary interchange began with me sending an e-mail to each of the members of the NH House Judiciary Committee who had an e-mail address listed. I almost immediately received a reply from a representative, not one of mine, none of my reps are on the committee.  I am reproducing it without the full name of the representative at this point.
Lucy Edwards :: Legislating From the Bible
Sent: Sun 2/13/2011 2:01 PM
Subject: Civil rights
As a married heterosexual woman whose life is filled with friends who are both married and single, straight and gay, all of whom are contributing members of our communities and powers of example of how to live good, productive and caring lives, I urge you to listen to the majority of the people in NH who do NOT want us to take away rights that were granted to our fellow citizens.  If you repeal gay marriage in NH, it will be the first time NH has ever taken away rights once granted, a really dreadful precedent for the LIVE FREE OR DIE state.

I hope you will vote ITL on HB437-FN & HB443-FN and then turn your attention to matters that do help NH, growing the employment opportunities and crafting a fair and compassionate budget. Please stop letting your agenda be run by groups from outside our state, and concentrate on what your constituents thought they were voting for.

Lucy Edwards

N****d NH
___________________________________________________________
On Feb 13, 2011, at 2:03 PM, P***, L*** wrote:
Dear Ms. Edwards, Thank you for your e-mail concerning the marriage bills.  I am in total support of any bill that defines marriage as between one man and one woman period.  Anything less will be opposed.
Again, thank you and please contact me in the future with any questions or concerns.
Respectfully,
Rep. L M. P***
___________________________________________________________
To: P***, L***
Subject: Re: Civil rights
Could you tell me why you take this position?
Thank you,
Lucy Edwards
___________________________________________________________
On Feb 13, 2011, at 2:11 PM, P***, L*** wrote:
Dear Ms. Edwards, I be glad to tell you why:  the Bible clearly states what the definition of marriage is and anything different is an abomination to God.
Respectfully,
Rep. L*** M. P***
Hillsborough Dist. **
___________________________________________________________
From: Lucy Edwards
Sent: Sun 2/13/2011 2:19 PM
To: P***, L***
Subject: Re: Civil rights
What happened to the Constitution?  Did the Bible replace it?  
And it actually is Mrs. Edwards.  As I said, I am a woman married to a man.
Lucy Edwards
___________________________________________________________
On Feb 13, 2011, at 2:39 PM, P***, L*** wrote:
Dear Mrs. Edwards, The Constitution does not define marriage, the Bible clearly does.
Rep. L*** M. P***
___________________________________________________________
From: Lucy Edwards
Sent: Sun 2/13/2011 3:03 PM
To: P***, L***
Subject: Re: Civil rights
So, if I have this correct, NH law on marriage is governed by the Bible, not by the constitution?  I don't think that is way we usually write laws in NH.  Or the United States.  We aren't one of those countries where one religion is the state religion, and all the laws have to agree with its holy book.  
I feel for your constituents.
Lucy Edwards
___________________________________________________________
On Feb 13, 2011, at 3:14 PM, P***, L*** wrote:
Dear Mrs. Edwards, no where in the NH Constitution is the word marriage, it is not a Constitutional Right.  There is a definition of what marriage is in the Bible.  I suggest you read your Constitution and you will see what rights you have.
Rep. L*** M. P***
___________________________________________________________
From: Lucy Edwards
Sent: Mon 2/14/2011 10:55 AM
To: P***, L***
Subject: Re: Civil rights
I have been trying to remember my Sunday school lessons and the stories in the bible.  Didn't Abraham have two wives, and I know David and Solomon had many.  Where in the book does it say that marriage is one man and one woman?  I would really appreciate if you could cite the chapter and verse.
Thank you,
Lucy Edwards
___________________________________________________________
Mark 10:6-8 Jesus, himself, quotes from Gen. 1:27 is one example.
Rep. L*** M. P***

I looked up the references in Google:  
Mark 10:6-8 (New International Version, ©2010)
6 "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.'[a] 7 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b]8 and the two will become one flesh.'[c] So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Footnotes:
Mark 10:6 Gen. 1:27
Mark 10:7 Some early manuscripts do not have "and be united to his wife."
Mark 10:8 Gen. 2:24
Genesis 1:27 (New International Version, ©2010)
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Now this person is not my representative, has no idea who I am, except that I am not gay, and feels apparently completely comfortable having this extraordinary dialogue with me, saying things that are completely out of the mainstream of NH discourse as I have experienced it.  Did they vote for this in the district this person represents?  I wonder.

Crossposted to my blog.

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"Dear Mrs. Edwards, The Constitution does not define marriage, the Bible clearly does." (4.00 / 2)
Whose Bible, dammit? Why do Civil Lawmakers refer to some Christian sect's Bible to make law, and where does it say that the separation of Church and State ends at the New Hampshire border???I must have missed that class in Saturday School....okay have at it birthers tenthers 12er's and Judge Crater fans.

"I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man." Ned Potter
"In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king" Erasmus of Rotterdam


"Dear Mrs. Edwards, The Constitution does not define marriage, the Bible clearly does." (4.00 / 1)
Whose Bible, dammit? Why do Civil Lawmakers refer to some Christian sect's Bible to make law, and where does it say that the separation of Church and State ends at the New Hampshire border???I must have missed that class in Saturday School....okay have at it birthers tenthers 12er's and Judge Crater fans.

"I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man." Ned Potter
"In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king" Erasmus of Rotterdam


I Know That Jesus... (4.00 / 1)
...said a great deal about greed and poverty, according to those who related His teachings, and that Jesus opposed governments that exploited or hurt their people.  I don't think Jesus said anything against gays and lesbians.  

Thanks Lucy for having to put up with all of this.  


Remember, JIm, (4.00 / 1)
that many of these people are what I call "Old Testament Christians."  There's a lot of hate, and blood, and terror in the Old Testament.  

[ Parent ]
Jennifer's Old Testament Quotes (4.00 / 2)
   
Exodus 23:9 "Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.


   
Leviticus 19:13 "'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. "'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.

   

Leviticus 19:33 "'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.

   
Leviticus 19:34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

 
Leviticus 25:35 "'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.

   

Deuteronomy 1:16 And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien.

 

Deuteronomy 10:19 And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.

 

Deuteronomy 23:7 Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country.

   

Deuteronomy 23:16 Let him live among you wherever he likes and in whatever town he chooses. Do not oppress him.

   
Deuteronomy 27:19 "Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow."

   
Psalm 146:9 The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

If we're looking to the Old Testament to inform public policy, perhaps we should start with these lines, not the half a line from Leviticus that refers to homosexuality.  Leviticus also says not to cut your beard or the sides of your hair--ever, and instructs women to live in menstrual huts at that time of the month. Also there are  various dietary restrictions and instructions on how to sacrifice animals properly. Uhh--and we're supposed to be living in tents, too.


Using the Old Testament to Justify Public Policy (4.00 / 2)
There are two problems with using the Old Testament as the basis for public policy. The first is that the Old Testament was written for a society they existed between 2000 and 4000 years ago. There is very little relevancy to life in the 21st century. The second problem is that you can justify just about anything using the Old Testament. As noted by the bill's defender you can find a line in the Old Testament condemning homosexuality. You can also find lines in the Old Testament justifying incest, murder, lying, thievery, and child abuse. Hopefully no one is planning legislation to allow these types of activity.

There is a reason the founding fathers decided to separate church and state with the First Amendment. As Thomas Jefferson said the First Amendment builds a wall of separation between the government and religion. In America we have a right to believe or not to believe in anything we want. So maybe its better that we base laws on common sense, the Constitution and the needs the 21st century.  Leave your Old Testament to your church where you are allowed to worship as you please.


[ Parent ]
Dear Representative: (4.00 / 4)
May I direct your attention to the state Constitution you have sworn to uphold, specifically:

Art. 5. [Religious Freedom Recognized.] Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and reason; and no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his peers on, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession, sentiments, or persuasion; provided he doth not disturb the public peace or disturb others in their religious worship.

June 2, 1784

If your own faith does not allow you to abide by this, your only honorable choice is resignation.


"Ignorant Tightass Club" (4.00 / 4)


Whack-a-mole, anyone?

With A Little Homework (0.00 / 0)
I'm sure biblical justification for slavery can be found. Likely, in opposition to abolition, pro-slave argument was pinned to "holy script."

Such correlation would make a tidy LTE.

Here is something to work with.

The pro-slavery argument: as maintained by the most distinguished writers of the Southern states,/ containing the several essays, on the subject, of Chancellor Harper, Governor Hammond, Dr. Simms, and Professor Dew.
Charleston: Walker, Richards & Co., 1852.


Whack-a-mole, anyone?

Somebody else go with this idea, (0.00 / 0)
which I like.  I seem to be using my LTE quota on Guinta.

[ Parent ]
I'm in MA (0.00 / 0)
I only count when it's time to do vis. :D

Whack-a-mole, anyone?

[ Parent ]

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