And yet another letter to the editor that needs a response. Where to begin? The claim was made that responsible gun owners produce less crime and that “libs” paint them as vigilantes shooting wildly in the streets. I have never heard or read such statements.
Here are some murder rate statistics for a few countries per 100,000 inhabitants: Japan 0.03, United Kingdom 1.0, Austria 0.9, Germany 0.8 and the United States 5.0. The first four have gun controls and the US doesn’t. While I was unable to find a breakdown of weapons used, I think we can safely assume that the weapon of choice in this country was a gun, rather than a machete, knitting needle or a rolling pin. Since there are already 270 to 310 million guns in the US, I suspect that enacting gun control now would not be very effective, but there is a problem that needs fixing. I don’t claim to have a solution. To suggest that millions of European Jews, Russians, Chinese or Cambodians would have been able to prevent their murder if they had guns at home is plain silly. Facing a well-armed military with a hand gun or hunting rifle would hardly be effective.
I have yet to hear a “lib” claim that global warming is strictly man-made. Yet I don’t doubt that we have greatly contributed to it. To suggest that allowing immigrants into the country would make it worse is, to say the least, nonsense. Welcoming immigrants wouldn’t increase the population of the world. The warming is, after all, global, not local.
And, lastly, the anti-Muslim paranoia: As previously conceded, there are many crazy Muslims out there doing horrible things. But there are many, many more who are friendly, kind and hospitable, as I have personally experienced during two years in Syria and during visits to Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. If someone is intent on finding fault with the Koran, perhaps they might also consider taking a close look at the Old Testament:
Psalm 137 (2 verses)
O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us!
Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!
Deuteronomy 19:21
Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Deuteronomy 13:6 – 16
If anyone secretly entices you – even if it is your brother, your father’s son or your mother’s son, or your own son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your most intimate friend – saying: “Let us go worship other gods,” whom neither you nor your ancestors have known, any of the gods of the peoples that are around you, whether near you or far away from you, from one end of the earth to the other, you must not yield to, or heed any such persons. Show them no pity or compassion and do not shield them. But you shall surely kill them; your own hand shall be first against them to execute them, and afterwards the hand of all the people. Stone them to death for trying to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Then all Israel shall hear and be afraid, and never again do such wickedness.
If you hear it said about one of the towns that the Lord your God is giving you to live in, that scoundrels from among you have gone out and led the inhabitants of the town astray, saying: “let us go and worship other gods,”, whom you have not known, then you shall inquire and make a thorough investigation. If the charge is established that such an abhorrent thing has been done among you, you shall put the inhabitants of that town to the sword, utterly destroying it and everything in it – even putting its livestock to the sword. All of its spoils you shall gather into its public square; then burn the town and all its spoils with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It shall remain a perpetual ruin, never to be rebuilt.
And on a lighter note:
In her radio show, Dr. Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, written by a US man and posted on the Internet. It’s funny, as well as informative:
Subject: Is it OK to own a Canadian?
Dear Dr. Laura,
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s 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… End of debate. I do need advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God’s Law and how to follow them.
• Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?
• I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned by Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
• I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness – Leviticus 15:19-24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
• When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev. 1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
• I have a neighbor 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?
• A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev.11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this? Are there ‘degrees’ of abomination?
• 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?
• 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?
• 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?
• 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 from 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’t 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).
I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I’m confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.
Your adoring fan, James M. Kaufmann, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education, University of Virginia.
Sidney Mehlschmidt
Hamiltom