Comments on: Your Friday Firestorm #44

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:52:25 +0000

I had always regarded HBO as taboo. Now that you have introduced “Flight of the Conchords” I will forever be wishing I was tuned in.

By: Bandanamom

Bandanamom — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:25:53 +0000

I fully admit it anywhere. My current Bishop and I have discussed Big Love at dinner before (he doesn’t watch it but his wife does) – so I’m not keeping it a secret.

We may be statistical outiers in admitting we watch HBO and Showtime. I’m pretty sure my Bishops wife would not have admitted it if I had not brought it up first. I’m a former Bishops wife so she may have felt it was okay to spill the beans to my husband and me.

By: MCQ

MCQ — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:02:58 +0000

I love HBO and Showtime and watch them a lot more than network TV. That’s right. I said it.

By: MikeInWeHo

MikeInWeHo — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:19:28 +0000

You fully admit it in the Bloggernacle, or at church? I hope you’re right about Steve not being a statistical outlier, but where’s the proof?

By: bandanamom

bandanamom — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:43:05 +0000

I’m not sure if Steve is a statistical outlier or just honest. I love Flight of the Conchords, have HBO (how else am I gonna watch Big Love?) as well as Showtime (love Dexter). I know of lot of LDS friends in my stake who love these shows too – they just won’t admit to watching them. I fully admit it.

By: Latter-day Guy

Latter-day Guy — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:44:52 +0000

Arizona, your parents TOLD you that??! Apparently your family doesn’t have the strict “No Conception Stories” policy that my family had.

By: Arizona

Arizona — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:17:47 +0000

And to think that I was still conceived by the pull out method of my parents. And they survived it.
I think that anytime the Bible talks about God killing someone is somehow bogus. I would hate to think that God’s love for me would include potential Heaven inflicted death for a sin

By: MikeInWeHo

MikeInWeHo — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:52:38 +0000

re: 8

Probably very few, and let’s not even think about Showtime. Flight of the Conchords performed at Amoeba Music a few days ago, and I suspect there weren’t a lot of TR-holders queuing up around the block on Sunset Boulevard. You’re a statistical outlier, Steve.

By: Ray

Ray — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:50:55 +0000

#73 – I need to know these things BEFORE I watch the movie! All this time I thought it was just escapist fantasy.

#75 – Nice!

By: John Hamer

John Hamer — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:32:48 +0000

I also don’t think that this story implies that birth control or masturbation are sins.

Er and Onan are just set-ups for the Tamar narrative — she’s the lead character here (the woman who is not getting access to Onan’s seed). The important narrative for the Lord here is to pass the Abrahamic blessing down to David and the Davidic dynasty of the house of Judah.

Throughout Genesis the birthright continues to get past generation by generation through vigor and obedience to the Lord’s command, rather than through primogeniture. From Abraham it goes to the younger son Isaac (son by Abraham’s sister, Sarah) instead of the older Ishmael (son of Hagar).

Isaac’s younger twin son Jacob grasped at Esau’s heel coming out of the womb and seized the birthright. Judah is given the blessing to rule over the tribes of Jacob (Israel), over the heads of his elder brothers. Judah’s first set of sons here are equally unvigorous and disobedient to the Lord. Failing to produce sons (or to even try) definitely tharts the Lord’s plan of giving the sceptre to David. The result is that the generation is passed by and Tamar goes back to the source, seducing her father-in-law Judah.

Tamar, in turn, has twins (literarily mirroring the Jacob/Esau story) and the one who breeches out (Peretz) is the ancestor of David and the Kings of Judah. It’s not about the seed, it’s about the birthright.