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From: tim@cmu-cs-k.ARPA (Tim Maroney)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Yellow Press in SciFi?
Message-ID: <20980068@cmu-cs-k.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 14-Jan-85 20:25:04 EST
Article-I.D.: cmu-cs-k.20980068
Posted: Mon Jan 14 20:25:04 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 17-Jan-85 03:42:54 EST
References: <4918@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 39

How can anyone fail to see that the Bible forbids witch burnings and the
murder of heretics?  It's as clear as the nose on your face.  No one who
really studies the Bible could possibly participate in a witch burning or a
lynching of heretics.  Those people just aren't Christians.

For instance, consider the early Israelites, who were the vessels for the
first pure revelation from God.  Every so often, a few would turn up who
converted to another religion.  But do you think those Israelites, under the
command of God's own prophet Moses, had them killed?

He did?  Well, maybe that's not a good example.  Let's look in the Mosaic
law instead, I know it says something about witches there, something loving,
kind, and tolerant -- ah, here it is, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to
live."  No, it must have been something else I was thinking of -- I just
can't find the commandment to tolerate apostacy and witchcraft right now,
that's all.  I'm sure it's in there.

Ah, here's a good story that shows what I mean.  These two priests of some
other religion were around, and one of the prophets decided to arrange a
friendly contest, to show who was really boss.  The two priests' god
couldn't light a carcass that was left up on top of a hill, but old
Yod-Hay-Vau-Hay showed those suckers!  He lit the thing right up!  And then
the people took the two priests and rent them limb fro -- oops, I forgot
that part.

Look, I'm sure there are plenty of stories and commandments in the Old
Testament about how we should tolerate other religions, and tolerate
divergences of belief within the religion of God.  There must be.  After
all, witch-burnings and the Inquisition were bad things, right?  So they
must be against the Bible.  I'll let you know as soon as I find the quotes
that prove that.
-=-
Tim Maroney, Carnegie-Mellon University Computation Center
ARPA:	Tim.Maroney@CMU-CS-K	uucp:	seismo!cmu-cs-k!tim
CompuServe:	74176,1360	audio:	shout "Hey, Tim!"

"Remember all ye that existence is pure joy; that all the sorrows are
but as shadows; they pass & are done; but there is that which remains."
Liber AL, II:9.