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The West Wing – Emmy winning best drama
October 18th, 2000
8:00 PM Central Time on NBC

Sound Clip extracted from "The West Wing" – 4 minutes
Main speaker:  President Bartlett
Free RealPlayer

        The excerpt contains sarcastic Biblical political correctness, misquotes, and lying concerning passages taken from Sacred Scripture. The purpose was to demean a female talk-show host who was present at the White House as a guest at a reception for talk-show hosts. The closing statement made to Toby by President Bartlett was in effect stating that he had won an election through abuse, misuse, and incorrect usage of Biblical passages by mistreatment of truth and the usage of outright lies.

        The sound clip was taken from a scene on the TV program "The West Wing" during a White House reception for talk-show hosts. This flagrant misrepresentation of Scripture by President Bartlett –who plays the part of a contemporary liberal democratic President– takes place during the evening of mid-term election day shortly before the final election results are expected to be received.

        The interchange of President Bartlett, played by actor Martin Sheen, is presented with apparent contempt for conservative (Republican) talk-show host Dr. Jenna Jacobs who has a Ph.D. in English Literature. Below are quotes followed by responses to positions and questions presented by liberal Democratic President Bartlett.

Bible calls homosexuality an abomination - Leviticus 18:22 —

• Leviticus 18:22 "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination." (Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:27; 1 Cor 6:9-10).
  
• The correct reference for the death penalty is Leviticus 20:13 "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives."

          As homosexual acts (Rom. 1:26) are directly against the initial command of God to be fertile and multiply (Gn. 1:28), and as no relationship can be built with God by a person who is denied the possibility of coming into existence, the death penalty for such acts is well warranted (Gn. 6:4-5; Jude 1:6-7; Gn. 13:13, 18:20, 19:4-5, 24; Dt. 29:23; Isa. 3:9; Jer. 23:14). Sentient creation is the unlimited God's chosen way of best sharing with intelligent spiritual beings – the spiritual intellect is the important aspect of creation while the bodily form –latter to be resurrected– is the method chosen to bring the spirit to its greatest potential for full relationship with God in eternal life.
          Procured abortion –a heinous form of cold-blooded murder, a crime scripturally warranting the death penalty that also subjects primary offenders and accomplices to automatic excommunication in the Catholic Church– is less of an offense against God than homosexual conduct. Abortion takes the life of an innocent person. A homosexual act –an abuse of the sexual faculty– denies potential life to a possible innocent person. An aborted person has the opportunity to obtain eternal life. A non-conceived person never has that opportunity.

• Exodus 21:2 "When you purchase a Hebrew slave, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he shall be given his freedom without cost." –
• Exodus 21:7-9 "When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do. [8] But if her master, who had destined her for himself, dislikes her, he shall let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to a foreigner, since he has broken faith with her. [9] If he destines her for his son, he shall treat her like a daughter."

          The teaching regarding the buying and selling of Hebrew slaves concerns the needs of the destitute to sell oneself or through necessity to sell a member of his family. (There is no prescription in Scripture that warrants the capturing of any human for the purpose of obtaining slaves.) Guarantees are provided for the proper treatment of slaves and future freedom or rights as well as for the assurance of value to the purchaser.

• Exodus 35:1-2 "Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded to be done. [2] On six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be sacred to you as the sabbath of complete rest to the LORD. Anyone who does work on that day shall be put to death."

          In a Jewish community, controlled by Jews, this law would still apply as part of the Mosaic covenant even though in Old Testament times this law was usually not enforced due to general lack of faith. Under the Christian covenant, the formal day of worship was changed from the Sabbath (7th day) to Sunday, the 1st day of the week [Leviticus 23:5-2; Acts 20:7], this law has been modified through a variety of exceptions and the direct change of understanding given by Jesus Himself.

  1. Jesus' disciples picked grain on the sabbath (Mt. 12:1).
  2. He accepted temple service of priests on the sabbath (Mt. 12:5).
  3. He gave preference to mercy over sacrifice (Mt. 12:7).
  4. Stated that He is the Lord of the sabbath (Mt. 12:8).
  5. Accepted the rescue from harm and the feeding of animals on the sabbath (Mt. 12:11; Lk. 13:15).
  6. Traveling long distances by foot was acceptable (Lk. 24:13,33).
  7. Jesus stated that it was lawful to do good on the sabbath (Mt. 12:12).
  8. Most importantly, Jesus instructed that "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." (Mk. 2:27).
  9. Other New Testament references: Mk. 16:1; Lk. 23:56; Jn. 7:23.

        With the improved understanding that the "sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath," the sabbath observance –transferred to Sundays– can be understood according to a systematic of reasonable priorities.

1. Relationship with God – observing the basically obligatory day of rest through prayer, worship, and the learning of His will with meditation to gain wisdom from knowledge and understanding received at church and Holy Day studies. "We should not absent ourselves from the assembly as some do, but encourage one another."  [Heb. 10:24]
2. Relationship with family – giving attention to and interacting and communicating with wife and children apart from daily cares and concerns.
3. Relationship with relatives and neighbors – at least on occasion visiting or being visited by relatives, friends and neighbors – including those who can't reciprocate.

           Working for profit with reasonable exceptions allowed for cases of necessity, that is, in hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, motels, police, fire, necessary military forces, etc. should, except in cases of emergencies, be strictly avoided. Where work is necessary time should be allotted for church observances and a substitute day off be given. Holy day work should be on a rotation basis.
           The Lord's Day should primarily be used to build one's relationship with God, with family, and for rest. Minimally it should at least be a change of daily routine.

           Concerning the sabbath and laws relating to unclean animals, no authoritative teaching other than Christ's has ever modified or reversed the commandments of God the Father as found in the Mosaic covenant.

Question concerning touching the skin of a dead pig referencing football. Lev. 11:7 —

• Leviticus 11:7-8 "which does indeed have hoofs and is cloven-footed, but does not chew the cud and is therefore unclean for you. [8] Their flesh you shall not eat, and their dead bodies you shall not touch; they are unclean for you."
  
• Leviticus 11:24-25 "Such is the uncleanness that you contract, that everyone who touches their dead bodies shall be unclean until evening, [25] and everyone who picks up any part of their dead bodies shall wash his garments and be unclean until evening."

          The teachings of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles clearly remove this prohibition for Christian believers, even for those who were of Hebrew origin. A believing Jew would still in the present age be subject to and observe this prohibition. While clearly condemned, the penalty attached to the offense was comparatively minor as stated in verses 24 and 25, and not as misrepresented by President Bartlett.

Questions:

1. Should the whole town stone my brother John for planting different crops side-by-side?
2. Can I burn my mother at a small family gathering for wearing garments of two different threads?

• Deut. 22:9-12 "You shall not sow your vineyard with two different kinds of seed; if you do, its produce shall become forfeit, both the crop you have sown and the yield of the vineyard. [10] You shall not plow with an ox and an ass harnessed together. [11] You shall not wear cloth of two different kinds of thread, wool and linen, woven together  (Note: No penalty is given for this offense). [12] "You shall put twisted cords on the four corners of the cloak that you wrap around you.
  
• Leviticus 19:19 "Keep my statutes: do not breed any of your domestic animals with others of a different species; do not sow a field of yours with two different kinds of seed; and do not put on a garment woven with two different kinds of thread."
  
• Genesis 2:16-17 "The LORD God gave man this order: "You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden [17] except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die."

          The bait and switch tactic is typical with non-believers. Following legitimate Biblical quotations –in these cases not politically acceptable or are misunderstood– they make statements that can be clearly shown to be misleading and false. There has never been a death penalty attached to planting different crops side by side or for wearing garments made of two different threads. No punishment at all was prescribed for wearing garments made of two different threads.
          Some Old Testament prescriptions, as with the admonition against eating fruit from the forbidden tree (Gn 2:16-17), were intended solely as a test of faith and obedience. While punishments were attached to some, others had none. Some with punishments prescribed were rescinded in the New Testament such as the prescriptions against the eating or handling of unclean foods (Matthew 3:4; Mark 7:18-19; Luke 12:22; Acts 10: 9-16).

"But as for cowards, the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
                                                                  [Rev. 21:8]

Program aires on NBC (National Broadcasting Company)

1st set of commercials sponsoring the program are:
1. Woodbridge Winery
2. Paramount - Viacom Company
3. Lucky Numbers movie, soundtrack available on Atlantic Records
4. Apple Computers - Mackintosh
5. Worldcom
6. Chrysler 300M, 2001
7. Chandler Fonds - Thursdays
8. Will and Grace - TV program
9. Just Shoot Me - TV program
10. ER - TV program

2nd set of commercials sponsoring the program are:

1. Warner Brothers, a Time Warner Entertainment Company - Bel-Air Entertainment
2. Pay It Forward, "PG-13" movie
3. Applebee's Restaurants
4. DaewooUS Leganza automobile
5. ED - NBC TV program
6. Goodys - department store
7. Jeep Grand Cherokee
8. Southern Leathery Gallery - furniture

3rd set of commercials sponsoring the program are:

1. Staples - office supplies
2. Tide
3. DreamWorks Home Entertainment
4. American Beauty Awards - video and DVD
5. American Century Ultra Fund
6. Lexus LX 430
7. Tylenol
8. Frasier - TV program

4th set of commercials sponsoring the program are:

1. Taco Bell
2. 20th Century Fox - Men of Honor, movie rated "R"
3. GM Card
4. Law & Order - TV program
5. ER - TV program
6. WPMI - an NBC TV station
7. Chrysler Town & Country
8. Champions - Golfers, Life Time Television, AFLAC, Food World, Magnolia Grove Crossing Course

5th set of commercials sponsoring the program are:

1. Toy Story 2 - Video and DVD
2. Chrysler 300M, 2001
3. Campbell's
4. Fannie Mae Foundation
5. Hewlett Packard
6. Providence - TV program
7. Dateline - TV program
8. Law & Order - TV program
9. Warner Brothers, a Time Warner Entertainment Company
10. Michael Richards Show, a TV program
11. 3rd rock - TV program
12. Frasier - TV program

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New Testament quotes rendering all foods clean (approved to eat):

• Mark 7:18-23  He said to them, "Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, [19] since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) [20] "But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles. [21] From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, [22] adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. [23] All these evils come from within and they defile."

• Acts 10:11-16  He saw heaven opened and something resembling a large sheet coming down, lowered to the ground by its four corners. [12] In it were all the earth's four-legged animals and reptiles and the birds of the sky. [13] A voice said to him, "Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat." [14] But Peter said, "Certainly not, sir. For never have I eaten anything profane and unclean." [15] The voice spoke to him again, a second time, "What God has made clean, you are not to call profane." [16] This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into the sky.

• Romans 14:14  I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it unclean.

• 1 Cor. 8:4  So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols: we know that "there is no idol in the world," and that "there is no God but one."

• 1 Tim. 4:3-5  They forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. [4] For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected when received with thanksgiving, [5] for it is made holy by the invocation of God in prayer.