DaPastor said:Hi Michelle,
Concerning your uncle, is he Lutheran? If he is, you can always remind him about how Luther embraced polygyny as a option for believers - and did not consider it a sin! BTW, I do not know if I ever shared with you that I was raised Lutheran, and graduated from a Lutheran Seminary. I am not a Lutheran today, but thought I would just share a little bit about my background.
Blessings
CecilW said:Pastor Randy:
We've talked on other threads about demographics. I've found myself wondering about the basis for the assertion (seen elsewhere too, it seems to be common) that "during this time less than 10% of the Israelites had 2 or more wives."
The source of my skepticism comes from the time of the Exodus. Admittedly the practice could well have changed over time as Israel repeatedly attempted to lose their unique identity among the surrounding heathen nations.
But, as I understand it, one of the Egyptians' excuses for enslaving Israel in the first place was that theeir population was growing so rapidly in comparison to the Egyptions. Was that because the Israelite women enjoyed a shorter gestation period than the Egyptian? Or was it because the Egyptians were monogamist while the Jews were widely polygamist? So much so that the growth rate difference was not insidious or subtle, but distinctly alarming? Though I've seen no proof either way, my guess would be the latter.
A seeming confirmation, and possibility that God specifically intended to USE this situation occurs as they enter Canaan. God tells them that He'll drive the inhabitants out before them as their population expands to fill the country. This seems to imply that their population will be expanding rapidly enough to require more land fairly rapidly.
Just my thoughts ...
Tlaloc said:I invited him to discuss here, I doubt he will come but I thought it was worth a shot. Watch for his topic just in case.
Pastor Randy,
My uncle was a Lutheran, but I think he is kinda non-denominational now. He is a Bible translator and knows many, many languages. I think he mainly focuses on salvation through Jesus Christ making sure to translate the Bible into that particular languages of the villages he is working with. I do wonder what he would say if I told him about Luther embracing pm? Is the issue of plural marriage why you aren't a Lutheran anymore?
I've really enjoy your balanced viewpoints that you bring to these forums--that must come from your Lutheran roots.
DaPastor said:Hi Michelle,
One of my core values is to hopefully be theologically balanced, meaning, I desire to understand Scripture from a wholistic approach. I think that we as believers have a tendency to gravitate to extremes on one side, and neglect the bigger doctrinal picture on the other side. However, since I am just as human as everyone else, holding this value doesn't automatically mean that I always end up balance. On the lighter side, my wives would probably argue that I am not balanced at all...lol
Actually, I left Lutheranism because over the issues of church government, infant baptism, biblical worship and speaking in tongues. If you ever want to discuss these things, just PM me. Because this site is a inter-denominational site, it would cause too much controvery to discuss these things openly. Anyway, blessings Michelle!