The Crazies Just Keep Gettin' Crazier

Oklahoma Tea Party Candidate Supports Stoning Gay People to Death

http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014/06/11/oklahoma_tea_party_candidate_scott_esk_supports_stoning_gay_people_to_death.html

COMMENTARY

There are at least 667 sins listed in the Bible that call for punishment of one kind or another. But it's finally happened. A Tea Party candidate running for the Oklahoma state legislature has finally come out publicly taking right-wing religious fanaticism to its obvious conclusion. SCOTT ESK wants to make his personal interpretation of Biblical law the law of the land. This is known as Dominionism (a.k.a. theonomy or Christian Reconstructionism), a political and religious philosophy that seeks to make the U.S. a theocracy. Like Iran. Dominionists believe the religious laws found in the Old Testament – written several thousand years ago – should replace existing U.S. civil law today.

It's a bit of an awkward problem for them that Jesus never espoused this kind of extremism and went around spouting liberal pieties such as “God is love.” Nonetheless, in spite of the fact that they want to enforce the most rigid tenets of ancient, wandering-in-the-wilderness Judaism, they call themselves Christians, which makes a lot of people think they're not so dangerous. Au contraire, mon frere.

This all came out because Mr. Esk said in an interview he would support stoning gay people to death. Now, of course, if you know anything about the prohibitions in the O.T., you know it's not limited to homosexuality, and I imagine Mr. Esk is as ignorant of that fact as everything else. Here's what the O.T. says can/should condemn you to death. Keep in mind there's a presumption that this is an action taken by the whole community, not an appointed executioner. You, mom and dad, the grandparents, kids, aunts, uncles, cousins and neighbors gather some hefty rocks and lob them as hard as you can at the condemned person, breaking their bones and splattering their brains all over the place. Then go home and have a nice nosh.

These are some of the sins the O.T. says are supposed to get you executed by stoning...

For touching Mount Sinai: Whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death. Exodus 19:13

For taking "accursed things" : Achan ... took of the accursed thing. ... And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. ... So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Joshua 7:1-26

For cursing or blaspheming: And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. Leviticus 24:16

For adultery (including urban rape victims who fail to scream loud enough): If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city. Deuteronomy 22:23-24

For animals (like an ox that gores a human): If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned. Exodus 21:28

For a woman who is not a virgin on her wedding night: If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her ... and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid: Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate: And the damsel's father shall say ... these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. ... But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die. Deuteronomy 22:13-21

For worshipping other gods (Rush Limbaugh?): If there be found among you ... that ... hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them ... Then shalt thou ... tone them with stones, till they die. Deuteronomy 17:2-5. If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers ... thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die. Deuteronomy 13:5-10

For disobeying parents: If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother ... Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city ... And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die. Deuteronomy 21: 18-21. [Yeah, the next time that sullen stoner tells you to fuck off, drag the little sinner out into the front yard and call the neighbors to join you in busting his head open.]

For witches and wizards: A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:27. [SO LONG HARRY POTTER!]

For giving your children to Molech: Whosoever... giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. Leviticus 20:2

For breaking the Sabbath: They found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. ... And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones.... And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses. Numbers 15:32-56. [NO MORE SUNDAY FOOTBALL! Since you aren't allowed to touch pigskin anyway. BTW, eat no pork and no shrimp...WHAT? NO BARBECUE? I think I just heard a few people reconsidering.]

For cursing the king: Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. 1 Kings 21:10

So remember, any time somebody says they want the country to be governed on Biblical principles, this is what they're talking about. If they even know what they're talking about.

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