From: daveb@pogo.WV.TEK.COM (Dave Butler)
Subject: Another Joke (was: Christianity = Biblical Fundamentalism?)
Date: 12 Mar 91 01:12:38 GMT

I saw another one of those joke articles from this Dave Rassmussen.  In that
article, he first said that just because abortion is not specifically
forbidden in the Bible doesn't mean that it is allowed (that isn't part of the
joke).  But then that zany gagster  speciously linked abortion to the Biblical
position on slavery, and states that one might as well say that Christians
should support slavery:

>> And yet it is surely very peculiar, if God believes that abortion
>> is a sin, that he did not say so in the Bible.
>> This failure requires some kind of explanation from Christians
>> who believe that abortion is against the will of God.
> ...
> If we applied the your arguments to slavery, you'd be forced to conclude
> that Christian Fundamentalists must legally support slavery. That is
> simply absurd.

No American University Student could be so ignorant or stupid as to really say
this after studying the Civil War, could they? This must be a joke.  After
all, many Christians DID use Bible quotes to try and prove that Christians
must legally support slavery.  The Bible says of slavery:

    Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling; and do
    it with a sincere heart, as though you were serving Christ.
    Do this not only when they are watching you, to gain their approval;
    but with all your heart do what God wants, as slaves of Christ. Do
    your work as slaves cheerfully, then, as though you served the Lord and
    not merely men.
                                Ephesians 6:5-7

    Slaves, obey your human masters in all things, and do it not only when
    they are watching you, just to gain their approval, but do it with a
    sincere heart, because of your reverence for the Lord.
                                Colossians 3:22

    All who are slaves must consider their masters worthy of all respect;
    so that no one will speak evil in the name of God and of our teaching.
    Slaves belonging to masters who are believers must not despise them
    because they are their brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even
    better, because those who benefit from their work are believers whom they
    love.
                                1 Timothy 6:1-2

    You servants must submit yourselves to your masters and show them
    complete respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate, but
    also to those who are harsh.
                                1 Peter 2:18

Such a statement by this Rasmussen, which Biblically links abortion and
slavery is obviously either a lampoon of the abortion position, or an argument
of the willfully ignorant (how could one get into college without taking a
class which discussed the justifications used during the Civil War).  I will
have to give this Dave Rasmussen the benefit of the doubt, and congratulate
him on a clever farce, because it would be truly pathetic if he actually
believed this argument.

                                Later,

                                Dave Butler

        The delegates of the annual conference are decidedly opposed to
        modern abolitionism, and wholly disclaim any right, wish, or
        intention to interfere in the civil and political relation between
        master and slave in the slave holding states of the union.
                                Methodist Episcopal Church
                                Statement of the General Conference,
                                Cincinnati, May 1836

    PS.  I am assuming that the appearance of this argument about abortion,
    in talk.religion.misc, is also part of this Rasmussen's clever farce.
    After all, only an idiot would post specious arguments about abortion to
    unrelated groups, unless it was a joke.  Not wanting to have TOO much fun
    here on trm though, I am setting all followups to talk.abortion.