That makes the majority guilty of adultery and deserving of execution.
Not true. It makes them guilty of adultery "in the heart," which was not commanded to be punished with death.
That makes the majority guilty of adultery and deserving of execution.
Let’s take a different capital crime then; disobedient sons. Many sons persistently disobey their parents, so should they be put to death?
... anyone who looks at another person to lust after them ...
Are the parents willing to take them before the judges and say so?
what do you think that means?
I think that statement is pretty self-explanatory..
Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh
on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart.
let's see if we can get agreement that some crimes are so damaging to society that they deserve the death penalty. I have a whole laundry list; let's see if I can get you, lmohm, to agree that a couple of them merit the death penalty
murder
rape
child molestation
I doubt many parents would be.
What if they were? Would the death penalty then be justified for the disobedient child?
Murder, absolutely. I’ve always supported the death penalty for premeditated murder.
As for the latter two, it depends in part on the circumstances. I don’t call for the death penalty for my father who molested me. I do think he deserves punishment, but not death.
I also know someone who committed rape, who is currently incarcerated. Many would wash their hands, walk away, and consider him unredeemable. In a way I do understand this line of thinking, yet I’m trying to see him as more than the crime he committed. I want to see him reformed when he comes out of prison, and am trying to support him in this. It’s so easy to dehumanise those who commit horrific crimes, and so much harder to see them as a person rather than their crime. But in doing so, maybe, just maybe, we can help them reform?
Are the parents willing to take them before the judges and say so?
Murder, absolutely. I’ve always supported the death penalty for premeditated murder.
As for the latter two, it depends in part on the circumstances. I don’t call for the death penalty for my father who molested me. I do think he deserves punishment, but not death
Let’s take a different capital crime then; disobedient sons. Many sons persistently disobey their parents, so should they be put to death?
i appreciate your sentiments and agree that, in the individual case it can be argued. It could be argued for murder, that the murderer is redeemable.
this touches on the reason for laws and punishments - one thing i was surprised to find in the discussion with glory the other day is that some people don't believe that punitive laws have a deterrent effect
how do you feel about that?
do punitive laws, promptly applied, have a deterrent effect on the rest of society?
if we had harsh laws about murder that were swiftly and publicly applied, do you believe they would reduce the incidence of murder?
While I disagree with your position on this topic, Pete, my heart does go out to you. I would call for the death of ANY adult who molests a child or rapes another individual. My reason is because I see it as the only way to protect future victims. However, that doesn't mean that more effort shouldn't be made in support and understanding towards the victims who are conflicted with such outcomes.
You make a fair point here. However, a murderer has taken the decision away from another person over whether or not they live or die. They have chosen to prematurely end the life of another, and so it seems fitting that the punishment for such is to lose ones own life.
Such laws can have a deterrent effect on some people, sure. But for someone who is say driven to murder and wants to be a serial killer, or someone who is driven to rape and wants to be a serial rapist, I don’t think any law one imposes, or any penalty as a result of that will necessarily have a deterrent effect. But other crimes not involving serial rapists and murderers, such as a spur of the moment crime of passion whereby one murders their cheating spouse will likely also not be deterred, because the consequences of their actions is likely the lowest priority in the killers mind.
The biggest issue with harsh laws promptly applied is the drastically increased risk of executing an innocent person. A posthumous pardon does nothing to bring back the life of the innocent person. We have to be absolutely sure the person is guilty.
Of course there is a difference. So the question then arises what does the Bible mean by “disobedient children”?That would depend ... did they refuse to take out the trash or did they beat the next door neighbor's child to death with a baseball bat? It should be fairly obvious to all that there is a difference
between being a brat as compared to a maniacal predator.
You make a fair point here. However, a murderer has taken the decision away from another person over whether or not they live or die. They have chosen to prematurely end the life of another, and so it seems fitting that the punishment for such is to lose ones own life.
Such laws can have a deterrent effect on some people, sure. But for someone who is say driven to murder and wants to be a serial killer, or someone who is driven to rape and wants to be a serial rapist, I don’t think any law one imposes, or any penalty as a result of that will necessarily have a deterrent effect.
But other crimes not involving serial rapists and murderers, such as a spur of the moment crime of passion whereby one murders their cheating spouse will likely also not be deterred, because the consequences of their actions is likely the lowest priority in the killers mind.
The biggest issue with harsh laws promptly applied is the drastically increased risk of executing an innocent person. A posthumous pardon does nothing to bring back the life of the innocent person. We have to be absolutely sure the person is guilty.
an eye for an eye - a principle that has some justification
kinda hard to apply to rape and adultery