How does killing a dove or a lamb cleanse a woman of sin for giving birth? Lev12:6-8?

Answer 1

It doesn't. Just silly old superstitious nonsense written many hundreds of years ago by religous fanatics obsessed with sin and cruelty.. Plenty of that in the Old Testament.

Answer 2

*** How does killing a dove or a lamb cleanse
a woman of sin for giving birth? Lev12:6-8? ***

It doesn't cleanse, it atones or so they say. Sacrificing a dove or a lamb was done by the Priest after the woman's purification cycle was completed.

This was set as occurring at the end of forty one days
from giving birth, if the woman gave birth to a boy.
And eighty days if she had given birth to a daughter.
Such practices were said to be an atonement
( Kippur ) and signified that the woman was once more one with the tribal community.

Examples: Offerings and cleansing..

The Bible Genesis 22:7
Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

The Bible Luke 5: 13-14
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. " I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

These offerings were not generally known to be used for food
by the Priests. What was for the Levitical Priests was
the tithe (or tenth). Such practices do appear to expose the pagan roots of the times in which they occurred.

Answer 3

Well I'm not a Christian but I think you need to understand the context that the verse is coming from. Giving birth in itself wasn't a sin, but upon birth you came out with original sin. Killing an animal was the sacrifice you made. But Christians believe that it was Jesus who replaced that sacrifice, and all you need to do is confess and repent. Keep in mind that Leviticus was written by the Levis-- the authors were priests and everything in their heads that was going on had to do with living that life and how to be as cleansed of sin as possible.

Answer 4

I am a spiritual person. I don't think you can take some of
the scriptures literally. I wouldn't kill a fly- unless in self
defense.. I think that every living thing was given life by
its creator and far be it for me to take that away. Sacrifices
are meant to show devotion and I think that by fasting or
by personal suffering of sort (lent) its more meaningful than
taking the life of a beautiful dove or lamb.

Maybe I'm wrong. But, just maybe I'm right. I just go by the
feelings in my heart. And I make no excuses. They're my
own personal convictions. I couldn't slaughter anything and
I know my loving God would accept that.

Thanks.

Answer 5

A woman was considered to be unclean when she was on her menstrual cycle, and back then they had to give sacrifices to cleanse their selves after each menstrual cycle. We no longer have to do that, because Jesus was our ultimate sacrifice. However it is still wrong for a man to have sex with a woman while she is on her menstrual cycle.

Leviticus 18:19 Do not have intercourse with a woman during her monthly period, because she is ritually unclean.

Leviticus 20:18 If a man has intercourse with a woman during her monthly period, both of them are to be driven out of the community, because they have broken the regulations about ritual uncleanness. †

Answer 6

I don't know why this was necessary. I don't think it had as much to do with cleansing of sin, more of a ritual of purification.

When you are standing before God, you can ask Him. He knows.

But, really, its all part of the old covenant anyway. We are now under the new covenant of the cross. The only two commandments that Jesus gave were "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind." and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Those two actually encompass all of the 10 Commandments. Maybe that's why Jesus then said, "On these two commandments hang all of the Law and the Prophets."

Answer 7

Giving birth is not a sin. There is a lot of blood associated with giving birth, so the woman needed to be cleansed from the blood loss. Female blood loss frightened ancient man. They didn't understand it. It was honestly probably more of a thanksgiving offering that she survived childbirth and blood loss than anything else.

Answer 8

I think the ritual understanding is not that the woman getting forgiveness of sin for 'giving birth,' but rather, it is pointing out that she has 'given birth to a sinner.'

Answer 9

I don't think it does anymore. After extensive reading about sacrifice to the places of worship, I think the priest and whomever....just wanted the dove, lamb for food. After all they were not paid to be guardians of the temples or whatever.

Answer 10

That is old testament burning of sacrifices
Jesus is the Sacrifice for all the world, that no longer applies