[Vision2020] Read the Whole Bible

[Tom Hansen]

>From Sunday's (March 12, 2006) Lewiston Tribune -

Excellent read, Mr. Nielsen.

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Read the whole Bible

So Pat Hosking thinks God disapproves of abortion (letter, March 4). Think
again, Pat. 

God speaks about abortion in only two places in the Bible, and Jesus never
mentioned it at all. 

1. Accidental abortion. If a brawling man happens to strike a pregnant woman
and causes a miscarriage, that is, an abortion, he must pay a fine to the
expectant father. But if he injures the woman in any other way, he must be
punished accordingly (Exodus 21:22-25). 

2. Intentional abortion. If a man suspects that his wife has had intercourse
with another man -- and possibly has become pregnant -- he shall take her to
the tabernacle, where the priest will mix holy water with dust off the
floor, where animals are slaughtered for sacrifice, and force the woman to
drink it. If she is guilty, her womb will discharge and her uterus will
drop. In other words, she will have had an abortion (Numbers 5:11-21). 

In neither case does God declare that the fetus has a so-called "right to
life." And in neither case does God condemn abortion. In fact, in the second
case, it is God who gives the instructions on how to do it. 

Pat said, "How about calling your representatives?" I say, "Please do. Tell
them what God said about abortion." 

Ralph Nielsen 
Moscow

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Thanks again, Mr. Nielsen.

Take care, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

" . . . wording plays a big part in understand[ing] the nature and meaning a
verse written two thousand years ago in a different language, and some
Bibles just have it plain wrong."

- Donovan Arnold (August 23, 2005)