Are there Similarity's between Sodom And Gamora and the USA?

[Ceist]

Originally Posted by ovcatto

There are definitely similarities between Pentapolis (the five cities of the plains which included not only Sodom and Gamorrah, but Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar as well).

Taking my cue from the Talmud (the original source of the Old Testament) the cities of the Pentapolis were destroyed for their pride and greed.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote that:

"The Sodomites, overweeningly proud of their numbers and the extent of their wealth, showed themselves insolent to men and impious to the Divinity, insomuch that they no more remembered the benefits that they had received from him, hated foreigners and declined all intercourse with others. Indignant at this conduct, God accordingly resolved to chastise them for their arrogance." (Josephus, Antiquities I: 194-5)

Further, according to Jewish tradition, again the original source for the Old Testament, the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was related to property;

The Babylonian Talmud writes;

The men of Sodom waxed haughty only on account of the good which the Holy One, blessed be He, had lavished upon them...They said: Since there cometh forth bread out of (our) earth, and it hath the dust of gold, why should we suffer wayfarers, who come to us only to deplete our wealth. Come, let us abolish the practice of travelling in our land.

There were four judges in Sodom named Shakrai (Liar), Shakurai (Awful Liar), Zayyafi (Forger), and Mazle Dina (Perverter of Justice). Now if a man assaulted his neighbour's wife and bruised her, they would say to the husband, Give her to him, that she may become pregnant for thee. If one cut off the ear of his neighbour's ass, they would order, Give it to him until it grows again.

The Midrash on Sodom;

Rabbi Ze'era said: The men of Sodom were the wealthy men of prosperity, on account of the good and fruitful land whereon they dwelt... Rabbi Nathaniel said: The men of Sodom had no consideration for the honour of their Owner by not distributing food to the wayfarer and stranger, but they even fenced in all the trees on top above their fruit so that so that they should not be seized; not even by the bird of heaven... Rabbi Joshua... said: They appointed over themselves judges who were lying judges, and they oppressed every wayfarer and stranger who entered Sodom by their perverse judgment, and they sent them forth naked...

An example of the sins of Sodom provided by the Jewish Encyclopedia fully illustrates the similarities between Sodom and the U.S.

"In Sodom every one who gave bread and water to the poor was condemned to death by fire (Yalḳ., Gen. 83). Two girls, one poor and the other rich, went to a well; and the former gave the latter her jug of water, receiving in return a vessel containing bread. When this became known, both were burned alive (ib.)."

Sounds like Republican/conservative thinking to me.

For more on Sodom, Gomorrah and the Pentapolis;

Sodom and Gomorrah. Who is Sodom and Gomorrah? What is Sodom and Gomorrah? Where is Sodom and Gomorrah? Definition of Sodom and Gomorrah. Meaning of Sodom and Gomorrah.

By the way, the whole sexual deviancy thing didn't appear in religious writings until 50 A.D.

Great information and sources ovcatto!

[Blind Sniper]

Originally Posted by mississauga75

This is the problem with the texts of the bible, everything is some sort of abomination or sin somewhere or another. It isn't a very practical book. Certainly not useful for everyday life if everything was interpreted literally.

That would depend on what type of "every day life" you want to live....
Ever read Proverbs or Psalms? Also check out 1st & 2nd Corinthians concering love. Getting yourself a Message Bible or Amplified might help as well....

[Mr Floyd]

Originally Posted by Redisca

Precisely. The crime of those cities wasn't sodomy per se, but their shocking lack of hospitality. It is interesting, therefore, that most of the same folks who get all worked up about gays having too many rights also foam at the mouth about immigrants.

Yes! So perhaps the description of the USA as a modern day S & G holds some truth but not for what so many think. Admittedly, before researching the topic, I tended to associate S & G with some kind of decadent orgy. Not so much anymore. Still, I believe hospitality would be a lot easier to achieve with legality, in terms of immigration at least.

Boy, it's really easy to point fingers and to blame one particular group for any given problem. Is it ever that simple?

[Mr Floyd]

Ovcatto originally said, in part:

By the way, the whole sexual deviancy thing didn't appear in religious writings until 50 A.D. [End Quote]

I thought I read the meaning as such came even later than that but still, the point is made that perhaps the modern day association with deviancy (nice PC word) is born of the human interpetation of God's words.