Leviticus
Introduction

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Cruelty and Violence
Absurdities
Injustice
Intolerance
Contradictions
Women
Sex
Family Values
Good Stuff
Language
Interpretation
Science and History
Homosexuality

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SAB: Leviticus

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This is by far the best verse in Leviticus, and one of the best in the entire bible. It seems out of place here, however, since in the next chapter God orders us to kill wizards (20:6), children who are disrespectful toward their parents (20:9), adulterers (20:10), and homosexuals (20:13).

And throughout the Old Testament, God encourages the Israelites to kill their neighbors every chance they get. (See Numbers 31 and 1 Samuel 15 for just two of many examples.) And if we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, then is it okay to own slaves?

But then, it depends on who God considers "a neighbor" to be. For more on this see Love Thy Neighbor: The Evolution of In-Group Morality by John Hatung.