Pray for the President...

Protestants for the Common Good have published an entertaining "anonymous piece" that illustrates the folly of taking quotes in the bible as literal and absolute guidance on how to live ones life.

Anyone who has watched the moive "Mosquito Coast" might remember the face off between the bible thumping preacher Reverand Spellgood and a well versed, but non-religious scholar Allie Fox. For each bible quote that Spellgood comes up with, Allie has a counter example from the good book with opposite meaning.

Now the Presidential Prayer Team is busy praying that marriage be codified based on Biblical values which it interprets to mean between only one man and one woman. The problem is, as ever with "which it interprets". Because of course the Bible is full of contradictory statements about marriage and coupling. To illustrate the problem here is an example of how the Presidents Constitutional Ammendment regarding marriage could be framed based purely on Biblical values...

A. Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women. (Gen 29:17-28; II Sam 3:2-5)

B. Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives. (II Sam 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

C. A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed. (Deut 22:13-21)

D. Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden. (Gen 24:3; Num 25:1-9; Ezra 9:12; Neh 10:30)

E. Since marriage is for life, neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any State, nor any state or federal law, shall be construed to permit divorce. (Deut 22:19; Mark 10:9)

F. If a married man dies without children, his brother shall marry the widow. If he refuses to marry his brother's widow or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law. (Gen. 38:6-10; Deut 25:5-10)

G. In lieu of marriage, if there are no acceptable men in your town, it is required that you get your dad drunk and have sex with him (even if he had previously offered you up as a sex toy to men young and old), tag-teaming with any sisters you may have. Of course, this rule applies only if you are female. (Gen 19:31-36)

For another example see Biblical Sense - Making marriage religious.

So folks, no disrespect intended, but leave the bible along with your specific and narrow interpretations of its meaning out of our constitution and its definition. This is a government of the people and by the people, not government by the book.