Good point Randy about Onan. A brother’s widow is not problematic, even today. I knew someone who married his wife’s identical twin sister after his wife died. It sort of made my head spin whenever they came in the office, but morally no problem.
2 Likes
I completely understand all of it. Just pointing out culturally, it was not actually hard hitter and the talmud debated over did those laws cover concubines and so on. It would be a moot point otherwise also since you are forbidden from committing adultery and women could not have multiple wives so therefore a brothers wife was already covered in multiple ways while he was alive.
Thanks for this explanation – I haven’t looked into the Onan story myself, but I remember the name because in some of the very conservative homeschooling circles my parents got ideas from, the story of Onan was considered biblical proof that birth control of any form is a sin. 
1 Like
@jpm
I’ll bet that was surprising.
I think one of the most interesting cases of brothers marrying sisters is the case of Charles and Eng Bunker, the Siamese twins.
One of my ancestors, a widower with three sons, married a widow with three daughters. Then the three sons married the daughters.
3 Likes
The text says:
But since Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, he spilled his semen on the ground whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, so that he would not give offspring to his brother
It sounds more like Onan did not like his brother and did not want his brother’s remembered. He wanted his name to die out.
Prostitution is not typically associated with coitus interruptus. Judah and Tamar are an example.
Thanks Vance, that’s a fair point. Perhaps I should have said “one of the reasons God strikes down Onan is…” rather than “the real reasons” Even so, I don’t think it has to be an either/or but a both/and. His dislike of his brother is shown in how he treats his brother’s widow. Hopefully we can agree that they are complimentary not contradictory themes. Biblical narratives are often like onions with multiple layers of meaning to peel back 
Without being too pedantic, I did say he treated her like a prostitute not that she was his prostitute. I was using figurative language to make the point that he had sex with her multiple times with no intention of providing her a son. Perhaps it would have been more accurate to say that Onan objectified her. However, I didn’t feel that captured the human suffering and injustice that Onan’s actions brought upon a woman who would have trusted Onan to provide her protection and security. Onan abused that trust by sexually exploiting his brother’s widow.
1 Like
You mean it isn’t?! 
3 Likes
There are some who still think so, but I’d like to hope God isn’t mad at me for stopping at 3. 
3 Likes
Well you are doing better than us, we stopped at 2!
NB. no disrespect meant to your parents and cohort by my rash tongue in cheek response.
2 Likes
I dont plan on doing any. Neither marrying. I know sexual relationship outside marriage is a sin but i cant help it. Im unfaithful and really not like living with another person. I think my mild depression has changed my perspective and i like living alone. Well we will see first i need to finish university (or college for those in US)
I admire your progress thus far, Nick. You are succeeding in going to uni (see, an American can say that, too! ). Keep looking to God for wisdom and wholeness, as we all need to do. God bless.
3 Likes
Thanks randy. I do get the hang of this. Im a little more open to socialize while still it does seem a challenge. Have expanded my circle of friends as well by +2 so i guess is going ok😅
3 Likes
Hang in there, Nick. It took me far too long to realise that quality of friends > quantity of friends. Two good, dependable, honest, and compassionate friends are worth 20 flaky, average friends any day.
And don’t buy into the societal lie that good friends will always agree with and support you no matter what you choose to do. A friend who is not afraid to tell you when they think you are being a melon; they’re the one’s you want to keep in touch with. “Better the wounds of a friend than the flattery of an enemy” Proverbs 27:6 (my paraphrase). 
2 Likes
Thanks Liam. They were female friends . (Forgot to mention that). But yeah i have met some new male friends as well from my classes although we are not very close like my other ones which i had since high school
1 Like
To me, that is more than is revealed in the text.
Perhaps, perhaps not. I’m not going to go to the stake over it. Agree to disagree? 
Another question im considering here is whether we must accept a literal flood even at a small range.Because if we dont the whole geneology line falls apart.Heck if we even dont accept Abraham as a literall guy the whole things fall apart i just realized?So anyone having ideas here?
The foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ and the confirmation is the resurrection.
Details of the flood don’t matter.
They do though. If these people didnt exist the whole geneology of Jesus is flaud.