Dark Religion

A part of our Rutgers Church's Marchers at the March for our lives.

You shall not give any of your offspring to sacrifice them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. (Lev 18:21)

What does this quotation from the Third Book of Moses mean?  Endless books and learned articles have been written about this strange commandment. I list below some of the most common questions and theories.*) Nevertheless, I doubt that we would ever know the answer with any reasonable level of certainty and I have been closely studying Ancient Middle Eastern religions for more than three decades.

     But several matters are undisputable - Molech, simply for its Semitic word-root MLK(MLCH) is associated with the sphere of ruling, governing, power, politics or ideology. And to these political ends children were dedicated in some ritual which, with a high degree of probability, involved their death.

     After the tragedy in Sandy Hook Elementary School and subsequent school shootings I started to realize that our society and especially some of our politicians are deeply tainted by this dark business - offering our children and youth to Molech. It is done indirectly, by the unwillingness to follow common sense and elemental reason or by the recalcitrant inability to change or enact some simple basic laws of gun control. Our politicians sacrifice our youth for their political and ideological expediency.
     Indeed, this entire dark business has all the marks of a false religion - an idolatry of military grade guns led by the dark priests from the NRA assisted by the choirs of corrupt politicians all reciting the blasphemously misconstrued Second Amendment, while children are being slaughtered in our schools. And as if it was not enough, the chief dark wizard (actually painted orange) did not know anything better, but to suggest arming school teachers and coaches, thus converting teachers (priests of knowledge) into the armed demons of this dark religion.

     Enough! We must stop these human sacrifices in this political and ideological idolatry of guns. In the name of religion of life, we must not give any more of our offerings to this dark monster of deadly politics.

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*) The very language and terminology is not clear. Is it about dedication or sacrifice? Is it a sacrifice of firstborns or just a sacrifice of any babies? Is Molech a name of a deity, the name of a ritual or just a grade of a ritual? If "Molech" was a name of the deity, which one exactly and how it should be vocalized? Molech, Malik, Milku, Muluk? (Mind you, in Semitic languages we often do not know the vowels.) Is it the name of a proper deity or a title for just any ruling deity (“melech” means “king”) or does it denotes a deified office of a king?
Was it a proper sacrifice or, for instance, just a cremation of stillborn babies in the hope of a new pregnancy? Can we connect this passage with the well documented Punic practice or should we look for some closer Middle-Eastern cognates?
These are just some of the most common questions associated with this biblical trope, each of them could be subdivided into further and more minute questions and themes.

In Pursuit of Justice

I used to have a problem with the American concept of justice. So often justice was presented as consisting in retribution and vengeance, concentrating primarily on punishing perpetrators and not enough rehabilitating them or restoring harmony among victims an society.
After the horrendous tragedy in Parkland Florida I realised that at least part of American society, its young people, is able to get over the curse of retributive justice and envision and demand a higher concept of justice, which is often called restorative justice. Children and young people are more mature than many adults. They are not distracted with howling for blood, they stay focused on asking and demanding solutions.
That is the original ancient concept of justice. For instance, in the Bible, Greek justice, DIKĒ, was defined as what was customary, balanced and harmonious. Hebrew justice TSADAQAH was what was right, legitimate, lawful, a state of harmony and social health.
Moreover, Hebrew justice is described as flowing like rivers, springing like water, and like rain in a parched land. Imagine an arid or semiarid Middle Eastern land and you understand that Hebrew justice is not about punishment but about bringing and restoring life.
This Sunday we will hear a parable in which Jesus encourages us, his disciples, to seek this salvific, redemptive, restorative justice and never give up.