Hi Friend,

One of the primary ways communities protect citizens is by passing laws. They soon learn it isn’t as simple as it looks on the surface. The law may solve the problem—or it may not help, or it may make the problem worse, or it may be something for the rest of us to laugh at. A few years ago, a law was passed in England making it illegal to raise your arms while riding a roller coaster when the temperature is above 77 degrees. If you’ve ridden a roller coaster you understand the thrill a person feels imitating a bird in flight while descending a steep track—you must lift your arms and let freedom ring. You may also sympathize with the passenger seated next to a stranger who neglected to use Right Guard on a hot day while enjoying the ride. So, the English passed a law to protect those who bathe regularly, and the rest of us may be forgiven for a moment of amusement.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control—no stranger to nonsensical laws—published guidelines for college students on how to kiss. And you thought they already knew. The CDC guidelines instruct all students to wear a surgical mask during this activity. Did the people who wrote this law ever attend college? Did the writers really expect students to obey? The reason for the law, you may have guessed, is to prevent the spread of the flu. If followed, I predict the guidelines will prevent more than that.

All this brings to mind the rather frequent complaints about biblical laws. In his book "My Year of Living Biblically," author A. J. Jacobs writes about laws in the Bible that he considers hard to follow or that make no sense. Even so, Jacobs is forced to admit that, at the time of writing, there was probably a good reason for them. He also confesses that most remain beneficial today.

Skeptics often have a field day over biblical laws they consider nonsensical. They question the validity of biblical inspiration and the judgment of those of us who believe God was leading Israel.

The most frequent complaint concerns mixing woolen and linen fabrics, which even Jacobs admits was probably intended to distinguish Israelites from Gentiles. Today, we mandate how police officers dress for the same reason. Future generations may look back at our culture and wonder why every state had a different license plate design. There may have been more wisdom to the prohibition against mixed fabrics than there is to unique license plates now.

Another biblical law that gets its share of criticism is the prohibition against shaving the corners of the beard. Oh well, the Cincinnati Reds had much stricter rules on facial hair for their ball players for many years. To be honest, the players looked better than their opponents, even when they lost. Dress codes have been around for so long; I wonder about the judgment of a person who gets too caught up in judging people who lived 3,500 years ago for having the same rules.

In fact, laws still on the books in most states and even in nations are less defensible than anything Moses ever wrote for the civil government of ancient Israel. Did you know that it is against the law to sell an "E.T" doll in France? They forbid the sale of dolls that do not have a human face.

In New York, the penalty for jumping off a building is: Death. It isn’t clear if anyone has ever been prosecuted. New York also has a law against calling a sandwich a "corned beef sandwich" if it is made with white bread and mayonnaise. In California, not known for common-sense laws, it’s illegal to set a mousetrap without a hunting license.

In the state of Washington, it is illegal to have sex with a virgin under any circumstances, including the wedding night. In Oklahoma, you can be arrested for making ugly faces at a dog, even an ugly dog. In Wilbur, Washington, it is illegal to ride an ugly horse, but you can make faces at him.

In Massachusetts, it is illegal to go to bed without first having a bath; another law prohibits bathing on Sunday.

Most of these laws are antiquated. But as late as 1979, women were banned from using hotel swimming pools in Jidda, Saudi Arabia. And today, in Athens, Greece, a driver’s license can be revoked if the driver is deemed either "poorly dressed" or "unbathed."

There will never be a time when laws are not necessary. Good laws reach above man to the ultimate lawgiver. And there is only one God who can be trusted to make good laws. The Ten Commandments are the greatest set of laws the world has ever seen. In a world of terrorists, it was the God of the Bible who outlawed murder. The God of Israel was the only god to command man to tell the truth, to honor private property, to honor parents, and not covet another man’s possessions. These are the core tenets that establish the foundation of a civilized society. They are also unique to nations founded on Judeo Christian values.

So did I hear someone say they don’t believe in the God of the Bible because some laws don’t make sense in the 21st century?

Until next time,