Leviticus 15 in clarity

On a number of occasions, people have asked for me to give my thoughts on Leviticus 15. It is a problematic chapter for them, specifically the latter half. Basically, what it says is that if a man ejaculates, everything the semen touches is “unclean”. If a couple have sex, they are “unclean”. And a woman is “unclean” during and seven days following her menstruation. I think I am right in saying that it is the term “unclean” that creates the problem. Just to clarify, this is ceremonial uncleanliness. Whilst unclean, you can’t offer a sacrifice or participate in a couple other religious ceremonies. That’s it. While basic pre-soap sanitation is at work, if you read the whole book; most people would spend most of their time being unclean. Unclean, by Levitical law, is almost the norm. The point of this is not to make you dirty and wicked, it’s to make the ceremonies special. The point is that cleanliness requires special effort, going out of your way, in a word: preparation. Levitical law is not meant to point us towards our flaws, but to God’s perfection. Sacred ceremonies required personal preparation which was meant to be a time of meditation upon the act you are preparing for. Think of religious ceremonies as a date. You put on your nice clothes, use special perfume/cologne, you’re on specific behaviors. You prepare for a date by making yourself presentable. This does not mean your jeans and t-shirt are shameful or anything, it means that the date is a special time that deserves special attention. The same is true of religious ceremonies; Levitical law is just the prescription for getting gussied-up for God.

 

Ask the Monk: Jen’s Questions

Monk Guy, What is the academic consensus on the gay issue, from your experience? Is this all just about a few mistranslated passages? And if homosexuality is an abomination, what do you make of all the other wacked out rules, such as in Leviticus? If I’m on my period, I’m not supposed to touch anyone or anything, right? And the cloth made of two fibers thing, what about that?

Meanwhile, I’d also like to know why this nice God guy hates women so much. Do you have trouble selling the whole “Word of God” line when you know touching stories like Judges 19 are included in that?