I'm flailing a bit here because I've been an atheist since I was 14. I read the Bible through and it didn't take. It seemed inconsistent and judgmental to my 20th century eyes.
The dietary restrictions seem to be a matter of health and hygiene. It was potentially fatal to eat pork and shellfish when they couldn't be properly refrigerated. Salmonella is not pretty.
The sexual guidelines? Animal intestine skin was once used as a condom but it was far from safe. Things have moved on a great deal since then.
Circumcision is performed as a matter of course in children in hot climates, including Australia, which is an essentially Christian society. Again, a matter of health considerations.
That it was incorporated into religious tenets must have seemed sensible at the time but the time has gone, in view of the fact that most people now bathe every day and indoor bathrooms are the norm.
In short, that email was well-meaning but so silly it's hard to comprehend. Your choices and preferences are as valid as anyone else's.
no subject
The dietary restrictions seem to be a matter of health and hygiene. It was potentially fatal to eat pork and shellfish when they couldn't be properly refrigerated. Salmonella is not pretty.
The sexual guidelines? Animal intestine skin was once used as a condom but it was far from safe. Things have moved on a great deal since then.
Circumcision is performed as a matter of course in children in hot climates, including Australia, which is an essentially Christian society. Again, a matter of health considerations.
That it was incorporated into religious tenets must have seemed sensible at the time but the time has gone, in view of the fact that most people now bathe every day and indoor bathrooms are the norm.
In short, that email was well-meaning but so silly it's hard to comprehend. Your choices and preferences are as valid as anyone else's.