There is so much false information out there about Biblical law, and Christians are mostly to blame for this. I have heard pastors, scholars, laypersons, wikipedia editors, and drive-by internet trollers get basic things wrong about Biblical law. Let's start fixing the problem.
Myth: Death penalty for wearing mixed fabrics
I recently saw (on a social media site) an exchange between two people talking about Biblical law. One person was (sort of) promoting it, and the other person responded (something like) "so you think people should be stoned for wearing mixed fabrics?"
Myth: "Unclean" (in Biblical law) means "unhealthy"
For followers of Christ, choosing to follow the Biblical food laws is a conscience issue:
I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don't destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. —Rom. 14:14-15Generally, this website will not be concerned with debating the issue of following the food laws. There may be health benefits to following Biblical food laws. It does seem that eating blood (or animals which have not had the blood drained) is a sin (Gen. 9:4, Lev. 17:10-14, Acts 15:29). But prior to the Mosaic food laws, God gave all animals as food. Speaking to Noah, after the flood, He said:
Myth: "Eye for an eye": Revenge is allowed in Biblical law
Recently, I heard a Christian friend say (something like): "People were allowed to avenge the deaths of their relatives under Biblical law." Is this statement true, or is it an example of Christian ignorance of Biblical law?
A related statement that I have often heard Christians make is something like the following:
Myth: "Religious liberty" exists
[The establishment and free exercise] clauses [of the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution] have nothing of substance to say on questions of religious freedom. The original meaning supplies us neither with concrete answers to particular legal questions nor with any general principle, norm, value, or theory that might serve as a basis for working out such answers." (Stephen Smith, Foreordained Failure: The Quest for a Constitutional Principle of Religious Freedom, 16)
Official minute of silence
at the White House, after
the Sandy Hook shooting
“They have mouths,
but they cannot speak...”
(Psalm 115:5)
There are many Christians (mostly based in the United States) who are strongly promoting (so-called) religious liberty. Recently, many Christian businesses have been targeted by opportunistic lawsuits when the business owners refused the custom of some legally-favored group. Sometimes Christians involved in the government schools will experience some sort of restrictions on their speech or behavior, such as not being allowed to organize "official" prayers at sporting events. Christian pastors have had their sermons subpoenaed. This supposedly creates a "chilling effect" on speech. 1