Funny how everything else was just the culture back then, but it's still it's okay to call gays evil. I think the current culture is to be tolerant of everyone else even if you don't agree with them, but that's just me.
I'll put things into a little more context for you, though.
Sigh. You quoted the letter.
You know what that means? Now I have to go and ANSWER the QUESTIONS therein.
Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that
Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to follow them.
a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a
pleasing odour for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
There would be no place to burn the bulls as a sacrifice, as the Temple is destroyed. So you should not be "burning bulls on an altar as a sacrifice." But the smell would be the same if you had a simple barbeque. And no one gets smited for simply objecting to a smell.
b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would
be a fair price for her?
The fact that selling a daughter into slavery involves serious legal ramifications, including giving up rights to call said child a daughter anymore, and the fact that a father who would wish to do such would be forbidden to do so unless they were at a level of poverty that NO ONE in America is familiar with in order for it to be permitted, so that would be one explanation for the fact that this could never happen.
Also, and much more simple and to the point... Slavery is against the law of the land. Owning slaves is not a commandment. The idea is that IF SLAVES ARE OWNED, there are very strict laws for how to treat them. SO... If the law of the land says that slavery is illegal, then Jewish law agrees that slavery is illegal. And therefore, selling your daughter into slavery would be forbidden. So no price would be suggested as fair.
c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her
period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
Unless you are married to her, it really would be irrelevant. If you are taking THESE laws seriously, you should also be taking into account that a man should not casually touch a woman he is not related to, certainly not sexually.
d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
Because American law forbids slavery. End of story. Not even Mexicans can be owned as slaves. (I know... the whole illegal immigration seems to allow for that type of thing, but ethical living would forbid such things.)
e) I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
Unless your neighbor is a Jew, your neighbor has NO obligation to observe the Sabbath whatsoever. Further, it is not up to a neighbor to kill a person who Jewish law says is deserving of the death penalty. Without the Temple and a Sanhedrin in Israel, there is no way an ecclesiastic case can be tried as a capital offense. So no, you are not only NOT OBLIGATED to kill him, you would be ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN to do so.
f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an
abomination (Lev. 1:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?
Eating shellfish IS a lesser abomination than homosexuality. First of all, non-Jews are permitted to eat any seafood (or any other animal they wish, as long as it is dead first). So for a non-Jew, it is not at all an abomination. It is only called such a thing if a JEW eats them.
Further, the punishment a Jew would get for such a thing (after due process and whatnot) is lashes. The punishment homosexual sex would get the offenders (after due process, which is INSANELY hard to come by) would be capital punishment and being spiritually cut off from your people in the next world.
Hmm... full permissibility for a non-Jew and lashes for a Jew, death and spiritually cut off. You tell ME which is the lesser abomination.
g) Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
Considering that the person involved is most probably NOT a Cohen serving in the Temple, the question is completely irrelevant. If the querent is indeed Jewish, and a Cohen (priest descended from Aaron, Moses' brother), come back and we'll re-evaluate the situation.
h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed,including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?
NO ONE GETS KILLED FOR CUTTING HAIR! Good golly, what is wrong with you people?
i) I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
Last time I checked, regulation footballs are NOT actually made of actual pig leather. But if it is cold, you should wear gloves. Otherwise, don't bother.
j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing
garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev.24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
Oy.
First of all, two different crops in the same field is not even forbidden. It is two seeds in the same hole. So there is nothing even forbidden here. Second of all, there is nothing wrong with a cotton/polyester blend, except, perhaps, personal taste. The forbidden combination is linen and wool. And neither of these sins is punishable by death.
I'm sure that the cursing and blaspheming is not precisely what was intended by Jewish law, so no... Further, even if it was, the Temple is destroyed, so no capital offenses can be tried as such. As such, there would be no stoning said people to death.
Good God, you don't burn these people! Certainly not as a "private family affair!" Not even people who sleep with their in-laws get burned, although some people might desire it. So no killing of any of these people.
I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
Your devoted disciple and adoring fan,
Janat
I've answered Janat (and anyone else who is interested) on behalf of Dr. Laura and anyone to whom Biblical law has any meaning.