OK, I'll bite!

First, what is your premise for the question. I.E., why are you asking, what are you trying to find out and in what way does this affects you personally?

I'm asking because I can't see what it really has to do with life in general unless someone follows a restricted religious belief. It's also a personal thing to a lot of people, therefore I wondered at the premise for the question?

You might delete me since I didn't really respond with a religious comment.....

forever,

The question comes down to Laws in the Old Testement. Which ones do believers follow and why? Which ones should I believe and why?

This was a law and many believe that Jesus did not take away the laws of the OT so, how do we know which ones to follow?

Specifically I ask about this one because I am a woman and don't understand why believers don't follow it, or if there's a reason not to follow i.e. was it nullified in some way further in the Bible?

I would have thought that it would be logical why believers do not follow such laws. Laws like this were written down to be followed because A) hygiene standards were not advanced in those days, and , women were also regarded as inferior. Today, with its hectic lifestyle, the equality of women, high medical standards and the ease with which women can remain "Clean", comfortable and unsullied by the discomfort, negate any old-fashioned approach.

I find this question strange but will go along with it.

Although I can't speak for others, (and I'm not trying to) I would say people will follow what their beliefs dictates. Whatever the religion they follow dictates. And so would/should you.

That decision would be a personal one, to me anyway!




I don't know the religious response to it, especially since I'm not a clergy or otherwise deeply involved to quote specifics of religious practice. Although I do know what my husband told me that he learned from some of the Jewish people who used to frequent his cab at the time when he was a driver in NY. There habits are different and they do follow their doctrine to the letter.


However, from my own personal pov, I don't 'ban' myself away from everyone, I do follow methods that are a must for me on a personal hygiene level, that's a given. Plus I eat lots of chocolate!  

I'd like to echo FS on your other thread. While needless arguing really serves no purpose a good friendly debate can help us. Reasoning together has it's benefits. We can learn from one another as iron sharpens iron.

On the given topic here we must remember who this was written to. It was written at a particular time to a particular group of people. That's very important in exegeting scripture. If you read Acts 15 you can see that clearly as the new Christians (Gentiles) started to come into the faith. The Gentiles and now new Christians were not bound by the OT laws and rites given to the Jewish people.

While I don't have an answer for this (why so unclean) without going into some research I agree with adnauseam on this as well. There is a book out called the "Red Tent" although I've never read it, it gives a Jewish perspective on what was done during those days.

Some believe this is a reminder of the fall of man as recorded in Genesis. The penalty was death.

Also it brings us to the plight of the woman with the issue of blood who came to Christ for healing (Luke 8:43-48). The Law had shut her out from contact with others. She was looked down upon and shut out of society. The grace of our Lord healed and restored her. The OT always points to Christ and here we see that Jesus is the fountain for the our cleansing.

Hope this helps.

The whole of Leviticus chapter 15 deals with legal purity which were instituted by God in order to give the people a horror of carnal impurities. The beginning of the chapter deals with men spilling their seed which God forbids. The 7 day period of the woman is a time that she is to refrain from sexual relations.

Ever hear the saying "cleanliness is next to Godliness"? Being pure was then and still is required for people truly dedicated to the Lord God. Objective uncleanlessness to both persons and things arose from eating certain animals, childbirth, skin diseases, sexual impurities and diseases and even taking care not to have mildew. These categories underscored the necessity of integrity in every aspect of life. Purification rites were demanded to remedy uncleaness. The Blessed Virgin after giving birth to Jesus underwent purification to fulfil the prescriptions of the Law of Moses. St.Luke 2:22.

This was all on a personal level, however there were also similiar rites applicable to the sinful uncleanness of entire communities and for that they had the Day of Atonement as described in Chapter 16.

Reasoning together has it's benefits. We can learn from one another as iron sharpens iron.

I see your point KFC and it's a good one. I just don't want my search for faith to become so heated that I'm completely turned off to christianity all together. Maybe it's wrong of me to lump everyone together, but I see the point of faith and 'religion' as building people up and learning, rather than proving why 'I'm right and you're wrong.' Just like you wrote - iron on iron - meaning that we're essentially the same and we should help eachother.

So, yes, reasoning together as you state it is very benefitial, debating and/or argueing is not (at least not for me).

lulapilgrim,

You've opened up the meaning of the entire chapter. So what about masterbation? Yes or no? Is it just and old cleanliness thing too? I'm just confused on what applies today and what doesn't and why.

If you are going by God's will, the short answer is no. Genesis 38:9-10 tells us that GOd killed Onan after spilling his seed "becasue he did a detestable thing."



QUESTION OF THE DAY POSTS: Is it just and old cleanliness thing too? I'm just confused on what applies today and what doesn't and why.


God's prohibition of masturbation applies to today.
God created us and gave us the gift of our sexual powers. He wills that we prize them as a sacred gift by which we share with him the the creation to life (sexual act only open to life)and that we revere our sexuality as a means of growing in love and sanctity.

According to the constant and clear teaching of the Catholic Church from principles found in Scripture, masturbation is a serious sin that will keep one from entering heaven. 1Cor. 6:10. Masturbation is an act of self-abuse that makes one self-centered and builds up barriers to the virtue of love of God and fellow man.

The reasoning for such a serious prohibition is that the sexual function is meant by God to serve primarily for the begetting of children. Masturbation would be therefore, an offense against the divinely established purpose of our sexual powers, a gift from God.

The very opposite to God's viewpoint is a pagan attitude of self-love, self-desires, self-fulfillment, etc.

, women were also regarded as inferior. Today, with its hectic lifestyle, the equality of women, high medical standards and the ease with which women can remain "Clean", comfortable and unsullied by the discomfort, negate any old-fashioned approach.

But what else in the Bible ends up being "old-fashioned?"

On the given topic here we must remember who this was written to. It was written at a particular time to a particular group of people. That's very important in exegeting scripture. If you read Acts 15 you can see that clearly as the new Christians (Gentiles) started to come into the faith. The Gentiles and now new Christians were not bound by the OT laws and rites given to the Jewish people.

So we as "new" Christians are not bound by the OT laws?

The 7 day period of the woman is a time that she is to refrain from sexual relations.

Yep, I understand that part, but it also says: Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. This is not just about sexual relations.

1Cor. 6:10. Masturbation is an act of self-abuse that makes one self-centered and builds up barriers to the virtue of love of God and fellow man.

lulapilgrim, maybe you could give me the KJV version of this passage. My NIV traslation appears to be specifically talking about prostitution as being sexual immorality, but I don't see masturbation or 'spilling seed'

The reasoning for such a serious prohibition is that the sexual function is meant by God to serve primarily for the begetting of children. Masturbation would be therefore, an offense against the divinely established purpose of our sexual powers, a gift from God.

So is it also Catholic teaching that sex outside of baby making is a sin too? When women are unable or become too old to bear children do Catholics stop having sex?

First I have to ask. Did you read Acts Chap 15? I think that helps clear up alot.

The NT is the New Covenant. There are many covenants in scripture. The Noahadic Covenant, The Abrahamic Covenant, The Mosaic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant. Each Covenant not so much replaced the Older one but added to it and each got better and better.

In Colossians 2:16-17 it says:

"let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holyday or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days; which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ."

Those things in the OT were a shadow of Christ. He fulfilled those things in the NT, he was the real thing.



hahahahah I can hardly wait to hear the answer to this one. Lula...where are you?

Those things in the OT were a shadow of Christ. He fulfilled those things in the NT, he was the real thing.

I've read Acts Chap 15 a few times now. I guess I'm one of those Gentiles that wants to know what are the right things to be done. So KFC, are you saying that the nitpicking of rules isn't very important? Being in/of Christ is the important thing, right?

I understand that there are obvious things from the OT that are good to follow whether or not they are old-fashioned (like the 10 commandments), but I just question all the other things that are so strongly held on to.

In my opinion there's nothing religious about it. Humans are one of the few animals that are continually "in heat". It's pretty odd when you think about it...every other animal has a season where they go through all this hooflah. All it is is a breakdown of an unfertilized egg and all the stuff that was ready to nurture it...I really don't see how there's any religious significance at all, however in some tribal cultures, it is viewed as evil to men and women are sent to a special place until they're done.

I just know not to mess with a woman during that uneasy time and calling her unclean will make a man die.

~Zoo

  

The New and everlasting covenant of Christianity is a completion (fulfillment) of the Old Law or covenant. So, yes, we are still bound by the Ten Commandments revealed by God to His people through Moses. Those Commandments were the essential Law for the Israelites and they continue to be such for the early Church and remain so for Catholics today. Actually, they'll remain valid until the end of time.

Both the Sixth and Ninth Commandments deal with immorality and that's where the act of masturbation is condemned. All human beings of their very nature (as made in the image and likeness of God) are required to be chaste in their own thoughts, words and actions and to respect the bodily integrity of others. Explicitly condemned are acts of lust, fornication, rape, pornography, prostitituion, masturbation, homosexuality, adultery, incest, polygamy and divorce.