In my introduction to this book, I warned those who felt that if their sensibilities might be shocked by anything that would be said in the discussion of my subject, not to read this book; and if in the citation of the story to follow you are brought face to face with an obnoxious situation you cannot blame me for the sickening disgust you will feel at the conclusion of this narrative.
It is not my purpose to bring your attention to these immoral stories of the Bible because they are vulgar, but for the purpose of bringing your attention to what an abomination it is to insist that our children read the Bible in order to get a proper understanding of life. My deep concern is to relate the licentious acts of the celebrated characters of this infamous book and bring them parallel to, and into comparison with, our present standard for the same relationship.
I quote Genesis, Chapter 38, Verses 1-5.
And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
3. And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5. And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
I do not think it out of place to make mention of the fact that the method and mode of expression used in the Bible to denote the marital relationship and the subsequent birth of a child, is in itself an indelicacy that deserves our condemnation. Would it not have been better to say: "And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah, and he married her and their first child was called Er, and the second Onan and the third Shelah"?
Wouldn't such a description be more conducive to refinement and moral betterment than the expression that "he went in unto her, and she conceived"? Instead of the Bible's avoiding those expressions that are inelegant, particular pains were taken to use them and use them pronouncedly.
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verses 6-7.
6. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 7. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.
As I am one of the poor unfortunates who cannot understand God's ways, I am unable to perceive why he killed Er. It may be because the young man loved his wife and honored her and sought to protect her, and as this might possibly interfere with "God's plan" it was necessary to kill him. Who knows?
But let us continue, and possibly in the following verses we may obtain a glimpse of the reason why God judged Er wicked and killed him. Was it for the reason that he did not want to raise a large family?
10. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord wherefore he slew him also.
I must refrain from quoting verse 9 of this chapter because, in my opinion, it violates statute 211 of the United States Criminal Code, which says in part:
"Every obscene, lewd or lascivious and every filthy book, pamphlet, picture, paper, letter, writing, print, or publication of any indecent character, ... designated, adapted or intended for preventing conception ... or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply it for preventing conception ... and every written or printed card, letter, circular, book, pamphlet, advertisement or notice of any kind giving information, directly or indirectly, ... or how or by what means conception may be prevented; and every description calculated to induce or incite a person to so use or apply, is hereby declared to be non-mailable matter, and shall not be conveyed in the mails or delivered from any Post Office or by any letter carrier."
However strange it may seem there is in the Holy Bible a verse, which appears to me, to come within the very scope and body of the prohibition of the law just quoted; but no one seems to have requested the exclusion of the Holy Bible from the privilege of the United States mails, or is it possible that no one knew of this passage in the pages of the Holy Scriptures?
If the Bible containing this information is permitted the use of the mails what objection can be found to the dissemination of scientific information of the prevention of conception as advocated by Margaret Sanger and other Birth Control advocates?
But as this is but a side incident to this narrative, let us continue the main story.
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verse 11.
11. Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
For what is to follow I invite your serious attention.
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verses 12-14.
12. And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13. And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14. And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
According to the promise of Judah, Tamar was to have as a husband, Shelah, his youngest son, when he grew to manhood. The reason why this promise was not fulfilled may be due to the fact that in the meantime Judah's wife had died and Tamar must be left free for the act that is to follow, although I do not think being married to his son would have been a barrier to the unscrupulous Judah, in his passionate quest for concupiscence.
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verses 15-16.
15. When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; because she had covered her face. 16. And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law:) and she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
Certainly a prostitutional bargaining between father-in-law and daughter-in-law is not out of place in the Bible and we will proceed further with it to the culmination which naturally and inevitably follows. But let us for the continuity of the scene repeat the above dialogue. "Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee." And she said, "What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?"
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verses 17-18.
17. And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? 18. And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
Surely this is a unique story and possesses many distinct features which are not generally incorporated in "snappy stories." But as there is more to it, I will continue to quote.
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verses 19-23.
19. And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20. And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
21. Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
22. And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
23. And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
Judah is fearful that he be "shamed" unless the harlot be found and she return to him his pledge that she demanded of him for the fulfillment of the promise to send her a token for the privilege accorded him "to come in unto her." What an embarrassment this must have been to this leading citizen of that time. Actually "caught with the goods" in his illicit sexual relationship. Just think what would have been heaped upon him had the "newspapers" gotten hold of this bit of scandal and exposed him and held him up to scorn and ridicule before all the people?
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verse 24.
24. And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
If Tamar is with child by whoredom, then Judah, this patriarch of the Jews, and one of the leading Biblical characters, and ancestor of Jesus Christ, is the father of the child in embryo. But let us go a little further in the analysis of this Man of God. In the preceding verses we noted that Judah was exceedingly anxious about his reputation and felt gravely concerned when he failed to receive back his pledge which he had given for the consummation of his sexual entertainment. But when he is informed that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "is with child by whoredom" he shouts: "Bring her forth and let her be burnt!" Since Judah requests Tamar be brought forth we will comply with his wishes.
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verse 25.
25. When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet and bracelets, and staff.
His "righteous indignation" quickly vanishes when she presents him with proof of his fornication. "Bring her forth and let her be burnt" does not apply when the evidence presented is "By the man whose these are am I with child"!
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verse 26.
26. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
That Tamar was not burnt because she was "with child by whoredom" was for the simple reason that Judah was both her accomplice and judge. If Judah had not been caught in this crime by actual evidence, he would have made Tamar pay the penalty of death by burning, when he was the culprit responsible for her condition and equally guilty as a participator.
As a final act of restitution Judah "knew her (Tamar) no more." The birth of one child by whoredom is always an event, but, and I might use a Biblical expression, and say, when a "troop cometh" it is a still greater occasion; for the impregnation as implanted by Judah when "he went in unto" Tamar, resulted in the birth of twins. The following quotation records the final chapter of this elevating and inspirational story.
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verses 27-29.
27. And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 28. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
29. And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.
What the poor innocent child did for the midwife to cry: "The breach upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez" is another of those Biblical incongruities that my lack of spiritual understanding prevents me from comprehending.
Genesis, Chapter 38, Verse 30.
30. And afterwards came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerach.
Just a few words of comment upon the story we have just concluded. Judah is one of the leading characters of the Bible. His name is honored and respected. He is one of the "Chosen People."
A leader of the race admitting licentious and criminal relations with his daughter-in-law, and hypocritically withholding punishment because he himself was particeps criminis. Let us reflect for a moment and see what acts of this man's character make his name so venerated in Jewish history? Do you remember in verse 24 when he was informed that "Tamar, his daughter-in-law is with child by whoredom," he cried, "Bring her forth and let her be burnt"? When she is brought forth to receive the wrath and sentence of the elders for prostitution, and in defense she presents the signet, the bracelets and the staff of Judah and murmurs, "By the man whose these are am I with child," this impostor and reprobate, realizing that he is as guilty as she, absolves her of all guilt in the transaction and reforms himself to the extent that "he knew her again no more."
A fine sample of manhood!
Any man, sitting upon the bench in our Courts of Law, who urges the Bible be read to our children as a source of moral inspiration should be forced to read the Bible for his own enlightenment. The drunken bawd could not let fall from his lips a more "entertaining" story to the "jury of his peers" than this insulting episode as related in the Bible.
I cannot really think it possible that there are parents actually acquainted with the Bible and the stories it contains, who permit it in their homes within reach of their children.
I particularly call the attention of the Reverend John Roach Straton, the man who said recently that New York was Hell with the lid raised, to this story of Tamar and Judah. Isn't he acquainted with the fact that the Bible is being freely circulated and that there are thousands of churches whose ministers are actually forcing this book upon the people, himself included? If the ministers of the gospel are too dense and stupid to realize the moral mischief resulting from the perverse teachings of the Bible, then it is about time to bring them to their senses.
Posts: 2342 | From: Its not where I'm from but where Im going | Registered: Jul 2007
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Your problem is that you do not study the WHOLE Bible. You've got to also read the New Testament as well. Not just the Old Testament. Just like I read the WHOLE Quran.
From a Christian perspective you are completely missing the point, that all of mankind falls short of God's glory. That is why we need a Redeemer, as a vicarious atonement for our sins. My beliefs don't hang on fallible men, but the on risen Messiah. Stick your nose back in the book and find one transgression attributed to Christ. Then read his teachings which are in stark contrast to the vindictive and legalistic nature of the Quran.
What you fail to understand in your reading of the bible is that while the bible records Lot being seduced by his daughters, it does not at any time attempt to justify this sin or say that Lot was right in doing it. It simply records it as a historical fact, stating that the way certain tribes in the middle East began was through inbreeding. It likewise records David's SIN as historical fact. It does not justify it or attempt to use it as an example of the way to live. The same applies to Noah. Nowhere in the Old or New Testaments can you show us where this behavior is justified. Rather the bible paints a true picture of these people, warts and all as they say, and shows that they all sinned and fell short of the glory of God, as have all of us. Remember also that Moses was a murderer, as was King David. King Solomon had multiple wives. They were all sinners. The bible records these things as history. Nowhere does God say that what they did was right. That is why men need a saviour, the same saviour, The Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Quran and Mohammed rejected. God showed that man would need a sacrifice for his sins when he told Abraham to sacrifice his son on the mountain. Abraham was prepared to do as God commanded, but God intervened at the last moment and provided a sacrifice Himself, so the boy's life would be spared by substitution. This was a foreshadowing of how Christ would have to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, which the Quran says never happened. Jesus Christ called God His father in heaven. The Quran says this is blasphemy because "Allah has no sons", so the Quran is caling Jesus Christ a liar. If Jesus Christ was a liar then He cannot be a prophet and the Quran is wrong for calling Him a prophet. Either way the Quran is wrong. Many Muslims have realized this and have become Christians. Maybe that fact is what has you so upset. When you are weighed on the day of judgement you will fall short unless you repent and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
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