American Taliban

By now you may have heard about Mary Lambert a Sunday School teacher who was fired after 54 years because the minister of her church, Rev. Timothy LaBouf, decided to adopt a "literal interpretation" of the Bible and could no longer tolerate a female teaching males.

In the letter of dismissal, LaBouf quoted the first epistle to Timothy: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."

Now of course a church is a private, tax free entity and can choose to blatantly discriminate on the basis of gender, race or whatever else floats their boat. The twist comes in this story because LaBouf is one of the all male members of Watertown NY's City Council.

LaBouf has taken great pains to say that his views on women in the workplace only apply within a religious setting, but we wonder if his literal interpretation of the Bible may in the future come into conflict with his official government role.

For example, what if a constituent comes before the Watertown City Council with the following problem:

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

How shall Councilman LaBouf respond to that?

Or what if a towns person emails him the following quandary:

My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

Or, what if LaBouf has a daughter and desires to sell her into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. Does anyone have any idea in this day and age, what they think would be a fair price for her?

Questions, questions, questions...

If you have any for Rev. Councilman LaBouf, you can visit his blogand ask him yourself:

http://baptist13601.blogspot.com