by A. J. Jacobs
rationality transcended in, 275
forklifts and cement mixers, God as arguably in, 152-53, 212
forty days:
Israelite impatience with, 16 much to talk about in, 52, 69
Fourth Commandment, 71
see also Sabbath
freedom from choice, 141-44, 268, 332
free speech, responsibility vs., 251
free will, 109, 311
Freud, Sigmund, 28
on obsessional character of religion, 148
fringes, see tassels
Fryer, Greg, 324
Frying Pan, fashion show at, 286-88 dismayingly provocative outfits worn at, 287
foxy payot fondler given the brush at, 288
fundamentalists, 231
beyond-the-pale, 293
on Bible's authorship, 201
cafeteria religion as seen by, 327-28
domino theory of, 67, 336
modernists vs., 67, 337
as modern phenomenon, 277 polygamous sects of, 136
red heifer in eschatological scenario of, 188-90
righteous idiocy as logical
direction of, 119
serpent handlers, an engaging subclass of, 294-99
Galambush, Julie, on Israelite
bloodletting, 246-47, 335 Galatians, Epistle to, on crucifying one's passions and desires, 286
games:
forbidden, 72, 203
movie-title, 147
gay marriage, creationists on, 59
gender equality:
Bible's moments of, 240-41
Israelite level of interest in, 135
gender segregation:
Hasidic, 85, 87
Samaritan, 218-19
Genesis:
on Abraham's attempted
deception of the Pharaoh, 144 on being fruitful and multiplying, 17
on circumcision, 317
on creation of the heavens and earth, 56, 60
on early-rising Abraham, 141 on Eden's population, 58
fertility "dominant theme" of, 18-19, 335
on the heat, 310
on how man and woman must cleave to each other, 187 on Jacob and Esau, 237-38, 239 on Leah's again conceiving and bearing a son, 314
on Leah's trade of son's dud mandrakes for a night with Jacob, 116, 117
on the Lord's promise to Abraham to multiply his seed, 158 on the Lord's view that Adam should not live a solitary life, 213
on offering drink, 140
on pain in childbearing, 10
pot smoking supposedly favored by, 233
on speaking to the Lord about sparing Sodom, 126
Tamar's tale in, 146-47
on tithing, 17
genocide, biblical, 245
geocentric universe, far-out
creationists' belief in, 63 Gerizim, Mount, sacredness of, 218, 219
germaphobia, 49, 240
Gershom ben Judah, one-spouse-only law of, 135
Gershon (friend), 84-86
Gil (ex-uncle), 12, 190, 339
adoring and docile cult followers of, 102
autobiography of (Coming Back to Earth), 101-2
biblical literalism of, 5-6, 223 biography of (Yea God), 103-4 cult leadership qualities observed in, 224
ex-nephew's first meeting with, 45, 221
family dread and denial of, 7, 46 faulty sign language of, 224 God's eye is evidently on the sparrow's droppings that fall on, 222
guests who give lip to, 223-24 inspirational tassels of, 6, 17 omnivorous spirituality of, 5, 102-3
"Only holy topics!" demanded of guests by, 223, 234
parents' forgiveness for AJ's meeting with, 46, 317
quasifamous dinner of, 221-25 theological principles of, 102-3, 222-23
three years' silence of, 102
gleanings, 165-67, 208
in AJ's cucumber fiasco, 165-66 Ruth's gathering of Boaz and, 166
updating harvest idea in, 166-67
Glickman, Kim, extrasensory talents imagined in, 275
global warming, Falwell's
reassurances about, 260
God:
attempted visualizing of, 21-22 avoiding idolatry in worship of, 328-29
God (cont.)
bargaining with and wasting time of, 189
children punished for fathers' sins by, 144-46, 338
cluttering in-box of, 96; see also prayer
despite intercession, Sodom and Gomorrah laid waste by, 126-28
a different type of cooking dung as Ezekiel's plea to, 89
as dwelling more easily in text than images, 106
Eden justly regulated by, 41
feeling the pleasure of, 38
first words to Adam from, 19
first words to Moses from, 59
free will as lesson to parents from, 109
how the sparrow's droppings may be eyed by, 222
human emotions of, 153
"immersion journalism" as creation of, 18
interactiveness of, 52-53, 69, 153
Jonah's fury at, 83
on a "learning curve," 268
mainly said when preceded by "Oh my," 21
minister's specifications for a wife met on time by, 189-90
name of, 21, 46, 75, 281
at Paramount, 227
prosperity seen as will of, 271
reason for praise of, 220
three phases of belief in, 248
thunderous curses tipping scale against blessings of, 113
traditional arguments for
existence of, 20
unconditional love from, 313
what to tell children about, 152
woman now on drawing board, Adam told by, 213, 322
as Yahweh, boss of all other Gods, 183
God: A Biography (Miles), 145 Gods and Generals, 242
God's Politics (Wallis), 269
"God willing," 236-37
Goldberg, Michelle, on Dominionist influence, 293
Good News Bible, 9
Good Samaritan, Jesus' parable of, 119 Good Samaritan Coffee Shop, 219 good servant, parable of, 306-7 Gordon, Nehemiah, on biblically sound diet, 307
gossip (evil tongue), 99-101, 156-58 see also forbidden speech
Gould, Stephen Jay, on science vs. religion, 67
grace, pre- vs. postprandial, 95
Graham, Billy, 266
hotel rooms specially prepared for, 130
Greenberg, Steven, on partnership of God and humanity, 267-68
"Greetings from Idiot America" (Esquire), 60
guides, see spiritual advisory board
guilt:
about disadvantaged ancient Israelites, 80
about disobeying traffic rules, 283, 285
about eating eggs, 186
about fate of ritual chickens, 162, 164-65
about honoring parents, 241-42 about inadvertently pilfered exgirlfriend's Bible, 332
Jewish, in general, 70, 93
about lying to Mr. Berkowitz, 54 about lying to the Falwell folks, 262, 291
about neighbor Nancy, 323
about pestering pigeons, 188 about righteous idiocy, 118-19, 227-28, 310
about the slave/intern, 306
about tefillinless binding, 198 about transgressions when biblical year ended, 331-32
Hackman, Gene, earth conceded to be older than, 60
hair, hairstyles, 150
function of side locks in, 181-82, 202
of Israelite vs. the pagan cut, 181-82
olive oil dabbed on, 42
Paul's decree on length of, 11, 181 Halloween, off-limits paganism of, 88 Ham, Ken, 57-59
AJ trumped on science knowledge by, 58
Ham (son of Noah), filial disrespect of, 242-43
Hammurabi, code of, 246
Handbook of Bible Law, A
(Weisman), 292-93
subtitle of (says it all), 293
hand chopping:
biblical acceptance of, 67
i
n self-defense, 111
handshaking, bacteria-ridden custom of, 240
Handy Seat, urban impurities avoided with, 52, 88, 120
Hanukkah, 87, 121
harp of ten strings, 167-69
one designed by ex-uncle, 222
strolling the Upper West Side with, 169
underground devotion to, 168 Harris, Robbie, 68, 134, 340
on avoiding idolatry, 328-29
on literal meaning vs. rabbinical interpretation of Bible, 68 Harris, Sam, 98
Harrison, Barbara (Julie's mom), 234
AJ's coveting spurred by, 27-28
in negotiated photo shoot, 105 Harrison, David (Julie's stepdad), in Starbucks debate, 138-39 Hasidic Jews, 30, 84-87, 125
AJ's fear that Jasper might, among many other things, join the above, 327
dancing with, 84-86, 168, 214
Lubavitcher sect of, 84-86, 163
pantheism of, 103
wackjobs really the exception among, 162-63
Hebrew alphabet, rough spots in learning of, 250
Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), 102-3, 335
AJ's OCD and germaphobia dovetailed by, 48-49
in Bible project, 10-11
compassion vs. barbarism in, 245-46
marriage and polygamy in, 135-36
prosex parts of, 286
Samaritan Bible vs., 218, 339
slavery in, 244-47
small variations seen in, 70
troubled conception of promising offspring in, 19-20
see also Torah; specific books Hebrew calendar, 47, 336
hell, why Jehovah's Witnesses are uncomfortable with concept of, 76
"helmet," origin and use of, 108-9, 310-11
Hendrix, Jimi, 115, 194, 244, 323, 325 Hensley, George, father of Tennessee serpent handling, 295
Heschel, Abraham Joshua, on the Sabbath, 125
Heston, Charlton, 227
waters rolled back by, 13
History of God, A (Armstrong), 183 Hitchens, Christopher, 98
Holofernes, seduction and beheading of, 52
Holon, Samaritans living in, 217 Holy Land, AJ's pilgrimage to, 208-25
Home Depot, Noah seen as serious patron of, 152
home-schooling movement, 293 homosexuality:
as "abomination," 67, 135, 202, 230, 263, 266-67
in Cafeteria Christianity, 327
capital punishment for, 10, 293
Christian view on, 45, 138
in critique of biblical literalism, 202-3
evangelical stance on, 263
homosexuality (cont.)
in evangelical study group, 264-68 in God's punishment for pagan Gentile sins, 263, 267
religious right's cultural view of, 266
honesty, see truth telling
Hood, Ralph, on serpent handling, 299
Hopper, Dennis, 101
Hosea, Israelites' idolatrous ways censured by, 89
hospitality, 303-4
of Abraham and the Middle East in general, 303
Hubbard, Dean, on bride acquisition and red heifer projects, 189-90
human beings:
convenient excuse for not
touching 51 percent of, 49 mucky origins linked to selfconcepts of, 107-8
Humanist Perspectives, 309
I Ate a Bug Club, 174
ibn Ezra, Abraham, on how to think of a (married) pretty woman,
28
idols, idolatry, 24, 96, 231
apartment stripped of images
verging on, 154
destroying of, 8, 105
familial effects of, 105
forty-five rules on, 30
happy medium sought between
Amish and Taliban views on,
104
in Protestant Reformation, 105 in today's cults of personality, 106 impurity laws, female, see purity laws impurity laws, male, 240-41, 339 incest, 135
in the Lot family, 232-33
penalty for, 91
Incredible Mr. Limpet, The, 61 individualism, biblical group identity
vs. European idea of, 213-14 Inherit the Wind (movie), unfairness
seen in, 61-62
insects, deadly, in Revelation
prophecy, 192
insects, edible, 172-76
as consumed willy-nilly in daily
diet, 175-76
sending for, 174-75
survival in biblical times on, 176 tasted, 175
intelligent design, creationist
dismissal of, 57
Intercourse, Pa., moral victory on
passing through, 31
International Preschool, 108
internet, intercessory prayer sprouting
on, 127
in vitro fertilization (IVF), 116-18,
337
Bible noncommittal on, 117 Julie's eggs implanted, 146
success of, 158-59; see also twins,
Jacobs
Tamar's tale as parable of, 146-47 Iraq, 160
Jehovah's Witnesses not found in,
75
Nineveh now in, 83
war in, 75, 297
Isaac, 141
inexplicable near-sacrifice of, 109,
164, 197, 218
Rebecca as pretended sister of, 144 Sarah's late-life conception of, 19,
20
Isaiah:
on being called forth from the
womb, 308
on a cause of sleeplessness, 125 on his hypocritical followers, 192 on preaching good news to the
poor, 65
on walking naked and barefoot,
88
Ishmael, as first circumcision subject,
319
Islam:
images avoided by, 104
Ishmael as forefather of, 19
"Israel," meaning of, 53
Israel, modern:
AJ's feelings on return from, 228-29
forbidden fruit grown in, 171-72 herding sheep in, 7, 204, 211-12 persistent hospitality in, 303 Samaritans dodging political raindrops in, 217
security grilling before flight to, 209
sojourn with ex-uncle in, 220-25 some commandments observed only in, 214
teenage AJ in family visit to, 45 see also Jerusalem
Israelites, ancient, 99, 123, 155
Christians who still believe in laws of, 254
comparing the God of Spinoza, Tillich, and the Jedi knights with the God of, 153
complex sacrifice rules of, 160 entering mind-set of, 50
explaining locust diet of, 176 immortality achieved through descendants of, 145-46
Jubilee law of, 63-64
lost tribes of, 217
menu marking of territory by, 170
