I was appealing to the law of Christ for theological purposes, but your response was: "I'll leave grace, mercy, forgiveness and all of that jazz to theologians." And you must leave it because you cannot overcome the point.
It's irrelevant from the viewpoint of politics. :idunno:
No, I agree kidnappers were put to death under the Mosaic Law. Your position is Moses could have flogged them instead, right?
Maybe. It could well be the case that flogging is a fitting punishment for at least some cases of kidnapping. Whereas you have a univocal view of justice (exactly the same thing is just in all cases), I have an analogical view of justice (the same principles of justice always hold true, but are expressed differently in different circumstances).
Moses, perhaps could have prescribed flogging for a different people in different circumstances.
Unless, of course, you insist on a univocal view of justice: then there is one and only one just punishment for kidnapping, and this is the penalty which ALWAYS must obtain.
My position is the moral precepts were not abrogate (Mt 7:12; Ro 13:8, et seq.) but the juridical and ceremonial precepts were abrogated (Jn 8:11; Col 2:14).
The fact that the juridical precepts were abrogated doesn't indicate that they were anything less than perfectly just. The circumstances simply changed and rendered them obsolete. There's nothing amazing or even particularly theological in this.
Nobody lives under Hammurabi's code any more.
I've never denied the Mosaic Law was just, only pointed out to you the fact that God stated he gave them laws that were not good.
This is a complicated theological question which simply doesn't have political significance. Do you wish to claim that the Law of Moses was unjust? If you don't, then do you wish to insist on a univocal conception of justice (there is one and exactly one just punishment for any given crime, no matter the circumstances)? If you do, do you wish to assert that the laws should not be just?
If you say "no," to the first question, "yes" to the second question and "no," to the third question, you are stuck, bro.
My point about being dead in sin when you sin relates to the Mosaic Law. Isn't that punishment enough?
Politically speaking? No. The State shouldn't concern itself with these questions.
Assume your wife did something against you that was actually a sin; isn't the wages of sin enough? Will you still beat her after you forgive her seven times seventy?
I'm simply not concerned with sin. I'm concerned with
crime. I'm not looking at adultery as a sin against God. I'm looking at it as an injustice against the husband and a crime against the State.