On the Laws of Deuteronomy

Lent started this week. This is the first year I haven't given up something (because my health and fitness goals are actually being accomplished); instead, I'm taking on increased study of the Bible and Christianity in general. So I'm reading the Bible straight through. Or, rather, picking up where I left off in the Bible last year.
As I was searching for my page, I came across an interesting law in Deuteronomy. The passage caught my eye because it raises a very relevant question when reading Deuteronomy: "WHO DECIDED THERE NEEDED TO BE A RULE FOR THIS?" Obviously, it was a problem, or nobody would bother writing it down, right?

The rule is from Deuteronomy 25:11-12:
"(11) If men get into a fight with one another, and the wife of one intervenes to rescue her husband from the grip of his opponent by reaching out and seizing his genitals, (12) you shall cut off her hand; show no pity."

This passage is interesting because it demonstrates the highly gendered society that existed in the Biblical era. Instead of addressing the reason the men are fighting, the law concerns cutting off the hand of the woman who tried to distract her husband's opponent. What problem are the Deuteronomy writers trying to solve with this? Who will be helped by this woman losing her hand? Instead of having two people with black eyes and one person with sore genitals, there is an ADDITIONAL injury in the woman who now has only one hand.
Obviously, there was something about this situation that people of the Biblical era had a problem with - most directly, the fact that a woman is touching anyone's crotch, and especially that she has to touch the crotch of a man who is not her husband. Is this some sort of rendition of coveting someone else's spouse?
It can't be - the text specifically says that the woman is reaching out "to rescue her husband from the grip of his opponent." To me, her tactic seems to be a clever idea. From what I understand, mens' genitals are very sensitive, so it would seem like a good idea to distract him by grabbing at his most sensitive area. The wife is not grabbing this man's crotch in any way EXCEPT to distract him from hurting her husband. And yet the woman is the one whose hand will be cut off. Why is this?
Does anyone know?

On Fun Stuff and also Lent

Sooo I went home over the weekend for Easter/ birthdays/ seeing family/ seeing boyfriend/ seeing Captain America 2. It was fun to go back and see my boyfriend and family again, even if it was only for a weekend.  Even though my birthday was almost two weeks ago, the celebration was on Saturday because that was when everyone was home anyway.  It's weird - I actually feel like I'm properly a year older now.  I kept referring to myself as my former age before that, but now I feel like I'm solidly in this age now.  I don't know why that is.

The other fun/ interesting/ whatever thing that I noticed this weekend is that I was finally able to complete a Lenten challenge for myself. I gave up flash games, and took on journaling every night, as well as reading a chapter of the Bible every night and to read the Lenten devotional booklet given out at the church I attend at school. This introduced me to my favorite prayer.  Normally I try to stay religion-neutral here, but I feel like this is a good message for a lot of people, regardless of faith status.

THE PRAYER OF SAINT FRANCIS
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace
where there is hatred, let me sow love,
where there is is injury, pardon,
where there is error, truth,
where there is doubt, faith,
where there is despair, hope,
where there is darkness, light,
and where there is sadness, joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love,
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.


On that note, I'll write again on Friday.

On Lent

So this is the first Friday of Lent.  So far, it's going pretty well, I think.  I've run into a roadblock, though.  Fortunately, it's only today (hopefully).

So one of my resolutions is to read the Bible a bit every day.  This has been going as well as can be expected, I think.  I normally read before I go to bed, and last night was no different.  I did my read-then-pray/meditate shindig, and I put my bible in this bag that hangs from a device I use as a coat rack/ place-to-hold-bags-that-hold-books-because-my-bed-is-lofted.  Well, that bag is now missing.  I'm not sure where it went, but I know that it is no longer hanging up on the coat-rack-thing.  I haven't taken it out anywhere, because I'm putting some fraternity letters on it but it's not done yet.  Hopefully it'll turn up, but this is going to put me back a few days on devotions if it keeps up.  (also, I won't have a snazzy new bag, but that's not the point).

Other Lent-related things are going pretty well.  So far, I have succeeded in avoiding mindless games - and, as I expected, I am suddenly finding myself with a whole bunch of free time.  (I'm still procrastinating sometimes, but it's productive procrastination.  I'm not staring blankly at a screen, I'm crocheting and knitting while watching YouTube).  I'm frequently the sort of person who says 'only five more minutes...' and winds up taking an hour, and the lack of games to provoke that has helped me realize that.

I've also been writing a little bit more as well.  Not a lot - I've only done one creative thing and two journal entries since Lent began - but I did write a really weird contextual back story for the lyrics of "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles.  It involves serial killers with face fetishes and church-based bounty hunters.  (I didn't say that it was good, I just said it happened).

Well, those are all the updates I have for this week.  Will write again on Monday.

Return for second Jterm

Well, I'm back at school now, if only for a week. We're here for the SIT DOWN AND LEARN STUFF time right now, but on Saturday we will be heading out to fly overseas. I'm really excited for that. Mostly because I get to go see Turkey again. Turkey's one of my favorite places ever. Aside from Peru.

The reading for the class is really quite interesting.  It's helpful to bring context to how Christianity has appeared in its early history. For example, there are a lot of philosophies that have some parallels within Christianity, and things like that. Also, the religious environment in those times was actually kind of interesting to read about it. Cults, for example, were not what we think of today. Back in the day, they were almost the exact opposite - you could follow any combination of those that help you with your own faith. This helped promote the polytheism. It's interesting to think that Christianity and Judaism were the outliers in this time. Also it's just kind it is interesting to think that yes, Christianity is growing around the time that the book is talking about, but it's not it's the dominant religion just yet.  It's not even the dominant style of worship.

The trip is finally coming together, or so it feels.  I'm really excited.  Most of class time today was going over what to pack and things like that.  Our religious studies professor (henceforth referred to as Dr. B) was very thorough, but our choir professor (henceforth referred to as Dr. R) pointed out in choir today that half his reason for this was that Dr. B used to head the Office of International Education - so he's seen all the lousyness that people can get into over things that they have forgotten and things like that.

Right, well, Dr. B has assigned homework, which I need to get to. Farewell!

On Geekery and College Majors

Right, I know now why I'm an English major. Well, I've always had an inkling that I might be an English major, but various reasons came to mind in the past - I like writing, I like reading, I like words. But my former choir director said something the other day that kind of made me think about it. He told me that one thing he liked about me is that I'm fascinated with a lot of things. (I was being a bit of a nerd and telling him about my honors essay on Pueblo mythology and death practices in Blood Meridian, and how I couldn't put in a cool detail about a supernova in 1054 AD, recorded only by Chinese scholars and Anasazi artists).

Anyway, that got me thinking about my major. I haven't officially declared yet, but I'm going to declare in English for the reason my choir teacher described. I'm interested in ALL THE THINGS, and lit courses study a lot of things. This semester was Cormac McCarthy, last semester was early Brit Lit (think Beowulf), next semester is King Arthur. I'm typing this on my new iPhone in Barnes and Noble; in front of me is a book on Pope Celestine V, who reigned in the 13th century for a mere 15 weeks before quitting. He was the only Pope to quit for almost 800 years, until the resignation that opened the way for Pope Francis.

Everything is really interesting for me - Popes AND prehistoric cultures AND GSM rights AND DnD AND writing scifi AND knitting geeky items and socks for cats - so it's sort of difficult to pick just one major. I think there are two important things about college: one is to learn how to make your way in the world; the other is to learn all the cool stuff you can. 

On Religion

As someone who knows that interfaith interaction, especially between Christians and Muslims, is super tense a lot of the time, I was kind of surprised to read this article.  For those of you who decided not to follow the link, it's basically an article on a letter that Mohammad, founder of Islam, sent to an Orthodox Christian monastery; basically, the letter said that Mohammad would protect and honor the Christian's religious choice, and that this sentiment should be in effect forever.

It's kind of interesting, then, how much everything has changed.  There are Christians who really don't like Muslims, and I know there are some Muslims who really don't like Christians.  Strife between faiths is inevitable.

At the same time, I think Mohammad had it right - not only should we live and let live, we should live and help others live their choices.  Letting others be is not enough - if persecution is going to happen, then there has to be someone that's going to fight back.

I think freedom of faith is an important part of US culture, even if some people don't realize it.  There are some who think that the US was founded on Christian principles; Thomas Jefferson specifically said that it wasn't.  Some say that the US is a Christian nation, which is complete bullcrap.  There are so many faith communities in the US that calling it a Christian nation is almost insulting.  Sure, there are a lot of Christians, and a lot of Christian denominations that people follow, but that doesn't mean that this is a Christian nation.  That means that we have the freedom to practice Christianity - but also the freedom to practice Islam, Judaism, Wicca, Buddhism, Hinduism, Baha'i, Atheism, Agnosticism, or any sort of homebrew combination that explains what someone's individual view is on the status and existence of a higher power.

And, to follow Mohammad, we have an obligation to protect everyone's right to follow whatever faith they want or need to follow.