Oklahoma State Legislator Implies Jesus Disapproves Of Oklahoma
On June 24, 2009, Oklahoma State Legislator Sally Kern wrote an op-ed in the Oklahoma Gazette titled "Preserving Traditional Marriage." In it, she leads the reader to the conclusion that Jesus disapproves of her home state, baseball, and ice cream, among other things.
State Legislator Kern Insists Things Unmentioned In The Bible Are Things Jesus Disapproves Of
In her op-ed, Kern writes:
Jesus' silence on homosexuality is not an endorsement of it. He also said nothing about rape, incest, drugs or pedophilia. Surely, these aren't acceptable?
Kern is absolutely right - omission does not imply approval. But her premise leads to an extensive list of other things unmentioned by Jesus which, therefore, have no standing in the New Testament.
Gambling, for example, is generally acknowledged to be a risky pastime for one's wallet. But the only time the issue is discussed in the Bible is during descriptions of the Roman soldiers gambling for Jesus' clothes at the crucifixion. Jesus' lack of teaching on the subject does not imply that He either approved or disapproved of the activity.
Below are a few additional things Jesus did not comment on, leaving modern followers in the dark as to what His guidance on their application would be:
Oklahoma
Post-it notes
Baseball
Ice cream
Sally Kern
Cell phones
Sky-diving
Business cards
Horseback riding
iPods
Diet Coke
United States of America
Biblical interpretation is a complex and controversial practice. Ms. Kern should probably refrain from guessing as to what Jesus' opinion was on any topic, unless He stated it explicitly.
