Question:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We need, in any case, to face up to the fragility of the unborn. The fact that a fertilised egg has only a slim chance of becoming a person even without artificial interference. If there’s a God, presumably that doesn’t bother Him too much. Right on……! And that’s probably why the biblical God made ‘birth-control’ preparations so widely (and naturaly) available……!
…and cliffs!!!! Go jump off one, you friggin moron!!!
Response:
We need, in any case, to face up to the fragility of the unborn. The fact that a fertilised egg has only a slim chance of becoming a person even without artificial interference. If there’s a God, presumably that doesn’t bother Him too much.
Right on……! And that’s probably why the biblical God made ‘birth-control’ preparations so widely (and naturaly) available……! A wide variety of ancient folk and herbal abortifacients, contraceptives, and ‘birth control’ ingredients are found throughout the ‘holy’ Bible. In fact, the Bible contains a virtual ‘catalog’ of abortifacients and contra- ceptives. Many of these represented valuable trade goods. For example, ‘myrrh’ (a resin made from the African Commi- phora plant) is mentioned seventeen times in the Bible, mostly in association with sexual intercourse. It was used and valued as a contraceptive among other purposes. Myrrh is sometimes thought of as a narcotic and a poison. A novel usage of myrrh occurs in the ‘purification’ rite whereby "…every maid’s turn was come to go-in-to king Ahasuerus…so were the days of their purification accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors…"(Esther 2:12). There are found several mentions of myrrh under highly erotic circumstances throughout the book of Solomon. Examples include "I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh…"(Solomon 5:5). And the harlot "…perfumed my bed with myrrh…"(Proverbs 7:17). A passing mention is made of Cyrene and Cyrenians in the New Testament Bible. This area of North Africa was famous for it’s production and trade in silphion (giant fennel), a widely regarded contraceptive and abortifacient of ancient times. Another abortifacient mentioned in the Bible is "wormwood" (Artemesia Carduaceae or Absinthium) which can cause violent convulsions and induce menstruation. Oil of wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), is used to make Absinthe liquor also. It too, in large quantities, can cause convulsions. Wormwood was also considered an ‘aphrodisiac’ by some. Another abortifacient is ‘hyssop’ (possibly Majoram or Caper plant). Both of these are better known as cathartics or laxatives. Hyssop is mentioned a dozen times in the Bible, usually as part of a ritual for cleanness , purging the bowels, curing leprosy, etc. It is found in Leviticus chapter fourteen, five times alone, and twice in Numbers Chapter nineteen for similar purposes. Willow, date palm, and pomegranate were also considered useful for birth control. They all stimulate the production of female sex hormones and thereby reduce fertility. This is exactly the way modern birth control or contraceptive pills work. Pomegranates are mentioned 31 times alone throughout the Bible; most often in conjunction with cultic rituals. Another abortifacient is "rue" (also known as Penny- royal or Fleabane), a toxic member of the mint family. Rue contains a compound similar to pilocarpine which induces abortion. It is widely used EVEN today throughout Latin America. In the Bible, it is only mentioned once, as trade goods, in "…woe unto you Pharisees, for you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs…"(Luke 11:42). Another botanical product mentioned in the Bible is "gall’. The Hebrew word ‘rowsh’ translated ‘gall’, means ‘hemlock’. A deadly poison, it was also widely used as an abortifacient. Associated with bitterness, it’s Biblical citations usually revolve around figurative usage such as "…lest there be among you a root that bearest gall and wormwood…"(Deuteronomy 29:18). It is also referenced as useful for purging ‘uncleanness’ in "…give us water of gall to drink because we have sinned against the Lord."(Jer 8:14). And finally, NOWHERE does the Bible caution against or prohibit the use of the varied abortifacients that were in wide use during, and previous to, Biblical times. The con-clusions to be drawn from the above should be self-evident to the Bible-believer.
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