As I sit down to read Frye's The Great Code I get a few pages into the second chapter and start having my lacuna's. I am forced to retrace my steps numerous times before I give up on the book for the evening and move onto greener pastures...or the Bible. Let us see how this goes.

After speaking about Sodom and Gomorrah in class today I decided to refresh myself about the story. As Lot offers up his daughter's, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man (virgins, so tempting); let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof" (Genesis 19: 7-9).

It is as though Lot feels in the land of Zoar hospitality is valued higher than his own daughter's well being as well as being held higher than homosexuality. This is an interesting perspective because in ancient Greek history we see numerous acts of homosexuality (hence the island of Lesbos comes the common word Lesbian). I guess I just have a hard time believing a mythical (up for debate) God who is supposed to be all loving would rather have a man offer up his two virgin daughters who are supposed to be something special in their own right and are supposed to save themselves for the ones they love or whom their father chooses they love. Instead of having Lot's visitors engage in homosexual acts with the men he is sheltering.

Abraham then attempts to save the people of Sodom and Gomorrah by challenging God in person. How strong Abraham must have been to stand up to God for wanting to kill an entire city. But there aren't any truthful people worthy of saving so they are killed for the betterment of humanity I suppose.

I suppose I am as astonished as David Plotz and everyone in class who was surprised that God is not all loving. He enjoys inflicting pain on his or her people and if people are killed, no biggie they are replaceable as 1, 2, 3. But this does prove one of God's most notable points which is, don't lie. As long as you are truthful you have a chance of success and God proves this throughout the Bible especially to the Egyptians (more the Pharaoh) who are given numerous chances to let the Israelites leave Egypt but the Pharaoh continues to go back on his word 10 times (I believe). It isn't until God smites the Egyptians with boils that the Pharaoh allows the Israelites to leave and this is only because his own David Blaine impersonators could not show themselves.

As I sit here in the library I looked up Hermes and his history as well as hermeneutics to learn more about the two. As the son of Zeus I expected great things of Hermes but come on all he is is fast? Fuck it, I doubt he was even that much faster than Usain Bolt. I am also confused by one of his symbols, the tortoise, how is someone who is supposed to be recognized as a speed demon comparable to the tortoise? Unless it is an attempt to connect to the tale of the Tortoise and Hare in which it is better to be slow and steady than sprint out everything you have. This reminds me of a show I saw on the National Geographic Channel in which a tribe in Africa would successfully run after antelope and other animals until the animal was too tired to continue and they would kill it. But anyways hermeneutics also gives us an interesting definition and as we discussed hermeneutics is the science of interpreting. Instead of boring you with my thoughts click the link I made it is a great history of hermeneutics.