LEV244 … biblical interpreters [who] hold that homosexuals are being punished by aids for that homosexuality, [] might be surprised to find that the Hebrew Bible does not necessarily punish homosexuality with a plague but rather in (this verse) and verse 28 suggest exile as the appropriate punishment and verse 29, karet, which recent biblical scholarship tells us indicates that this person will not have any progeny or will be excommunicated from the group. (D.J. Wold, 1978, University of California, Berkeley, Unpublished Dissertation, "The Meaning of the Biblical Penalty Kareth;" Encyclopedia Judaica, Vol. 6, p. 121; Encyclopedia Miqrait, Vol. 4, pp. 330-2.) Additionally, among other crimes mentioned in the same chapters of Leviticus (punishable with karet) are included: 1. The offering of sacrifices without priestly authority (Leviticus 17:9), 2. The eating of blood of animals to be sacrificed to God (Leviticus 17:10), 3. Spirit or ghost consulting (Leviticus 20:6), 4. Cursing father or mother (Leviticus 20:9). In all of these cases, the specific crime and punishment is mentioned and they all share the same punishment with homosexuality. While many of these crimes in Western society have been circumvented, ignored or changed, homosexuality continues to be seen as biblically forbidden and punishable by divine action. The association between homosexuality and the punishment of "plague" is, however, incorrect according to the Bible. In addition, one would be hard-pressed to explain why other "sinners" guilty of equally heinous crimes (according to the Bible) do not contract aids or why IV drug users contract aids when there is no category similar to IV drug abuse in the Bible? The selective use of this category is, therefore, both potentially harmful and poor biblical scholarship and should not be used.