A Letter to Dr. Laura

        An open letter once appeared on the internet, addressed to Dr. Laura Schlessinger, of talk-radio fame. The writer had some facetious (but real) claims against her understanding of the Old Testament, and the Judaic law in general, and wondered how (or if) she could answer him.

        Several examples of his queries were:—

1) Burning a sacrifice

2) Wearing glasses

3) Claiming slaves

4) Eating shellfish

5) Touching an unclean animal

6) Working on the Sabbath.

        As a Jew, she couldn’t answer him because Judaism has never fulfilled or repealed the laws. Ceremonial laws 1) and 2) applied only to the physical temple in Jerusalem. After the temple was destroyed in AD 70, they were no longer able to sacrifice; much of their ceremonial law came to a full stop. However, the moral law continues, as well as much judicial law.

        The Christian, on the other hand, can answer him. Whole strings of New Testament Scriptures throw light on the details. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”[1] The over-all picture is this— “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness”.[2] All those Old Testament sacrifices, following both ceremonial and moral law, were established to deal with the sin of the offerors.

1) But the mere death of an animal could never erase or in any way equate to a man’s or a woman’s sin. A person’s sin was considered to be covered temporarily by the sacrifice; there was obviously a need for a greater than human sacrifice to wipe it out. Christ fulfilled that need. Hence, the end of all animal sacrifice! Why Christ was qualified is the story of most of the New Testament.

2) What about wearing glasses? This is ceremonial law again; as the radio-listener said, “Leviticus 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight.” A simplistic answer might say that there is no altar today so this is a moot problem. Going a bit deeper, we might point out that the Apostle Paul had bad eyesight (he had to write “big”) and apparently he, as a righteous Jew, still felt free to approach the altar.[3]

3) Look at the third example— claiming slaves and selling humans. This is forbidden by other New Testament scriptures; it is immoral and criminal. For instance, James tells us[4] that showing favoritism by preferring a rich man over a poor man (or a free man over a slave) is as much a sin as adultery or murder, because we are no longer loving our neighbor as ourself. Even the Apostle Paul said if you can get free, do.[5] Freedom is the preferred condition and is most basic to Christianity.[6]

4) & 5) Regarding shellfish and pigs, there are more New Testament quotes— The Christian believes that God spoke directly to the Apostle Peter through a vision of all kinds of “animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air”, and made it very clear that, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”[7] And when the Jerusalem Council sent out instructions about how to treat Gentiles, they included these simple words about food:— “Abstain from…what has been strangled, and from blood.”[8] No other restrictions apply.

6) Working on the Sabbath (Saturday) is the next touchy issue for Jews. This is again a ceremonial concern, not a moral one, and Christians consider the Sabbath fulfilled with the death of Christ. The Apostle Paul basically said that it’s okay to “consider every day alike”.[9] A year or two later, he said, "Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, or a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." [Col.2:16] The best day for a Christian now is Sunday, commemorating His resurrection. He has put no binding legal requirements on that day!

Finally, we have Christ’s own comment on all the problems, handicaps, burdens, and sins of life:— “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”[10]

There is no restriction and no longer any reason to stay away.

And now the Temple is Jesus![11]

[Note: The original letter and an attempted Christian response are at Pastor Kevin, or https://www.calvarypo.org/HANDS/1022.pdf?form=MG0AV3

In 2020, James M. Kauffman published a 96-page book entitled, “Cyber Abuse: The Dr. Laura Letter”.]

[1] Matthew 5:17 ESV.

[2] Romans 10:4 ESV.

[3] Acts 21:26.

[4] James 2:8-11 NIV. Love your neighbor as yourself…if you show favoritism, you sin…

[5] 1 Corinthian 7:21 ESV. If you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.

[6] Galatians 5:1 ESV. For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

[7] Acts 11:5-10.

[8] Acts 15:20.

[9] Romans 14:5-6.

[10] Matthew 11:28-30 NIV.

[11] John 2:19-21.