John_Graves@cellbio.duke.edu (John Graves) (12/17/90)
In article <Dec.14.04.26.18.1990.28226@athos.rutgers.edu> gfs@odin.icd.ab.com writes: > Any time and every time we choose money, wealth, success, over > love, friendship, helping someone truly in need, we are truly condemning > ourselves just as surely as Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt. I read an exegesis of the Lot's wife story that turn's this on its head. Especially in the context of the next scene. Lot's wife does indeed not want to leave Sodom behind. She has friends there. She has made her home there. And like many of us, she is not convinced that the people who live there are so bad, at least they didn't want to rape her virgin daughters. As Lot and his wife they are commanded not to look back. In the exegesis I read the reading was retranslated as Lot's wife looked back and wept. She was full of compassion and love for her fellow beings. When she turned and saw the destruction she could not fail to realize the extent of God's punishment and she could not help but let it affect her. She wept and was unable to continue, a virtual pillar of stone. Now contrast this to the virgin daughters. Having left behind their betrotheds in Sodom they were afraid that they would have no children. To solve the problem they got their father good and drunk and raped him to produce children. Now I ask you, who was more virtuous, the loving caring woman who cried for Sodom or Lot who offered his daughters to protect a couple of strange males, or Lot's daughters who deliberately raped their father to produce an incestuous race. My lot goes with Mrs. Lot. Unfortuately I cannot remember who came up with the concept originally. John Allan Graves Unitarian Universalism Duke University An inclusive religion! and all its components () including the Divinity School, \__/ disavow anything I say. II