Here's a shocker for you all: The guy who challenged me on the air to produce the passage from the bible that says disobedient children should be stoned (for which he would donate $100 to the Skeptics Society), sent us a check for the amount just like he said he would on the air. His name is Lennard Cumbow, from Northboro, MA, and he struck me on the air as a man of integrity. Sure enough, he is. In fact, the radio talkshow host was hoping for a little on-air fight (good for ratings you know), but after introducing the two of us and setting up her audience for this forthcoming battle of the bible titans, Lennard announced "I was wrong and I will pay the Skeptics Society $100.00." End of discussion. It was great and renewed my faith...er, I mean my confidence...in human nature.

I promised in return to post the correct name and web page of the organization I referenced (for where I would have had to donate $100 if I was wrong): Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership <www.jpfo.org> in Milwaukee.

I received a lot of supportive e-mail, plus some rather interesting additions, which I post here for your amusement and edification, on both virgins and stoning.

Passage removed 14.02.2004 at request of the submitter

At http://www.tencommandments.org/ they are sure, and call for the re-introduction of stoning.

Have you seen the Landover Baptist Bible Punishment Quiz?? It's full of examples like this, and it's hysterical to boot!

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0800/biblequiz.html

http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/

The 15th chapter of the book of numbers verses 32 - 36 contains one of my favorite examples of Bible Morality. It read as follows:

32: And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

33: And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

34: And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

35: And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

36: And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.