Their Secret PartsAt 54:54 into part 2 the formal debate has ended and questions are being taken from the audience. Dan Barker was asked:
“You stated that there are no actions that are absolutely wrong, such as lying, etc., that there is always an exception. When then is rape considered okay? What is the exception to this action?”
We deal with the rest of Dan Barker’s response to this question, the part in which he invokes the concept of alien rape voyeurs, in our original essay. Here we deal with his citation of scripture as he responds by stating:
“In the Bible rape is considered ok, the God of the Bible commanded and condoned rape.”
He cites Isaiah 3:16-7 and tries very hard to infer rape, which is something that the passage does not imply.
“Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing [as] they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.”
It is of the utmost importance in contemplations such as these to set aside what we may think or feel towards Christianity, the Bible or its God. The question at hand is whether or not Dan Barker has accurately depicted the Bible’s statements. He stated that “the God of the Bible commanded and condoned rape” and offered a specific reference to Isaiah 3:16. Thus, the question is not what we personally think and feel but whether the text states what Dan Barker claims?
Let us note that Dan Barker stated “God said, ‘because you are sinful women_'” But the text states “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty_” This means that they were acting high, exalted, lofty, and arrogant. No, “What’s wrong with that?” or “So what?” about it. The question is Dan Barker’s accuracy as he proclaims what the Bible states to his debate audience and, through the recoded media posted on the World Wide Web, to numberless others.
Dan Barker stated, “That Hebrew word for ‘secret parts,’ I don’t need to translate that word for you” and then moves on. That Hebrew word for “secret parts” is Strong’s number H6596. Its “Root Word (Etymology)” is “from an unused root meaning to open.” The “Outline of Biblical Usage” is “1) sockets, hinges, secret parts (meaning dubious) a) sockets b) secret parts.” And it is found in the Bible two times: once in Isaiah 3:17 and once in 1st Kings 7:50 where it quite literally means door hinge.
Verses 18-26, where the chapter ends, read thusly:
“In that day the Lord will take away the finery: The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the crescents; The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils; The headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands; The perfume boxes, the charms, and the rings; The nose jewels, the festal apparel, and the mantles; The outer garments, the purses, and the mirrors; The fine linen, the turbans, and the robes. And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; Instead of a sash, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. Your men shall fall by the sword, And your mighty in the war. Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she being desolate shall sit on the ground.”
Note that the references are not to sexual violation but to their excessive luxuries, the Lord will take away: finery, anklets, scarves, crescents, pendants, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ornaments, headbands, perfume, charms, rings, jewels, apparel, mantles, garments, purses, mirrors, fine linen, turbans, robes, sash, well-set hair, rich robe, and beauty.
But what is wrong with these luxuries, nothing when properly handled. We must consider the context, something which apparently Dan Barker has not done and something which, sadly, many skeptics will not do upon hearing his proclamation that “The Bible says_”
While the greater context is complex in that involves the interaction of nations, their wars and the taking of captives, the immediate context directs us to what in common parlance may be referred to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. There is no assistance from the lofty and haughty towards the impoverished.
Isaiah 3:14-15 state:
“The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders of His people and His princes: ‘For you have eaten up the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the faces of the poor?’ Says the Lord GOD of hosts.”
Also, this was not a one way tirade against women, consider Isaiah 2:11,
“The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”
The point of stating “discover their secret parts” does not refer to rape but to a common practice of the time whereby captives would be humiliated by being stripped to whatever extent.For example in 2nd Samuel 10:4 and 1st Chronicles 19:4 we learn:
“Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, [even] to their buttocks, and sent them away.”
Also, in Isaiah 20:4 we learn:
“So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with [their] buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.”
Thus, part of the irony is that the lofty and haughty men and women would have that which they most prized taken away from them upon the next clash of the nations.
Dan Barker’s handling of this issue, with his emphasis on the alleged and fallacious claim of Biblical degradation of women, reminds me of the typical unscholarly mention of wives submitting to their husbands. Again, the answer is quite easily found by those who put the least bit of effort into dealing with a subject fairly rather than merely seeking sound-bites by which to besmirch the Bible, God and Christianity.
Ephesians 5:21 states, “submitting to one another in the fear of God.” And it then goes on to state something that I have come to understand much better as a married man. This is how I would state it: marriage can be challenging and the man and woman must do that which is difficult for them to do-men show love, women submit.
This is how verses 22-28 read:
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her_So husbands ought to love their own wives.”
Men are to love their wives “just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” I can think of two things that are meant by “gave Himself for her.” I can give my life for my wife by jumping in front of a bullet. Jesus literally gave His life in this way by dying in our place. Also, I could give myself by devoting myself to her as we sometimes hear the term for example, “He gave his life to the research and cure of disease.” Jesus also did this in His life of service to others.
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