BS: Can email make you famous?

Subject: BS: Can email make you famous?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 02:14 PM

This may take some time read, but it is all quite entertaining.

Today I received the email Edicts From the Old Testament. I had seen it some years before and noting the author of the letter, being a Virginian I decided to Google the author's name and discovered some interesting things.

The old email has apparently been circulating the internet for a decade. Following the letter are some links indicating how it came about, the misattribution of the letter, and his response to the years of correspondence generated by the misattribution.


Edicts From the Old Testament!

In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:
Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.
1.        Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
2.        I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
3.        I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
4.        When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
5.        I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?
6.        A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?
7.        Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?
8.        Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
9.        I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
10.        My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your adoring fan.

James M. Kauffman
E.D. Professor Emeritus,
Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education
University of Virginia


Now actually James Kauffman did not write the open letter to Dr. Laura see Snopes

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp


This is his bio at University of Virginia

http://people.virginia.edu/~jmk9t/

The next link is to the book he has written about and including all the correspondence he has received as a result of the attribution on the original letter. It is quite amusing.

http://people.virginia.edu/~jmk9t/DrLaura/

Subject: RE: BS: Can email make you famous?
From: gnu
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 02:35 PM

Amazing shit, innit?

Turn the other cheek and an eye for an eye... I talked to a fellow once who was in a Jesuit seminary for two years. He said the tomes were, in many instances, written to allow two opposite "answers", allowing priests to apply whichever one suited a situation.

Subject: RE: BS: Can email make you famous?
From: mousethief
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 01:31 AM

VirginiaTam, thanks for this thread! I read the whole thing (Dr. Kauffman's PDFs on the letters he's received) -- probably makes me a weirdo. It was both fun and sad, and I did laugh out loud several times. My favourite was this: It is also my opinion that sarcasm is an awful disease that all too often languages suffer from. Here in America this disease has become ramped.... I can't even begin to imagine what it's like when a disease gets ramped. Can't be good.

We need more people like Dr. Kauffman.

Subject: RE: BS: Can email make you famous?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 02:48 AM

whew! mudcat crashed shortly after I started this thread. I thought I'd broken it.

Glad to see the thread did not vanish. I have not read all of the instalments of the book yet. Taking it piece by piece.

Really like Kauffman's style though.

Subject: RE: BS: Can email make you famous?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 03:00 AM

Indeed funny in a very dark sad way

Note the p.s. and date of this email

May 22, 2010
Dear Sir:
I don't know for sure if these were your remarks. (internet buzz not always
reliable...) If so, please accept my compliments for your wit.
Chapter 5 8
Xxx
6th-gen. Texas (where ideology trumps intellect...)
[later, May 22, 2010, after reading my standard reply]
Ideology often trumps truth...
Cheers - Xxx
p.s. buy BP