When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property. (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)
2007-04-04 03:30:03 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Social standards may have changed, but God is supposed to be unchanging. Why did God change his mind?
2007-04-04 03:33:37 · update #1
How frightening is it that Millions of people devote their life to these teachings? Or do religious zealots ignore the bits of the bible that don't like?
2007-04-04 03:33:29 · answer #1 · answered by mia 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What that verse did not say (and the rest of the bible says it plenty of times) is that God will give the final punishment. It says nothing about the man getting a disease and dying a slow painful death, or going bankrupt and losing the slave, or the accident that leaves him maimed, or the loss of respect/love from family/friends due to dude being an *ss......
What goes around, comes around. God does not forget and the punishment he gives will be just.
2007-04-04 10:47:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God will punish those for doing harm to others in His time and His time only. We as Gods kids can deal out punishment that was set up by our laws, but God has a final say to what truly happens to this individual.
The punishment of complete separation from God is the worse punishment that one get.
2007-04-04 10:35:39 · answer #3 · answered by waeyeaw 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually , God didn't change , He is the same yesterday , today and forever . And since Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins , God can't punish them because The Holy Spirit is with them ( with everyone , because Jesus died for all humanity ) to convert them and because of free choice and free will . They can only be punished for their lifestyles , actions , etc , when they are no longer in the world of the living ( in other words dead ) and if they didn't receive Christ , because while we are still on earth we still have the chance to receive him , but once we die or we're dead , there's no turning back ... and another thing if you're not saved ( no offense ) but you can't understand the bible because you still haven't met the author ( God ) or better yet surrendered / submitted to him .
2007-04-05 11:53:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Offer the Church's resources to both the women who are abused and the men who abuse. Both groups need Jesus' strength and healing.
Bishops condemn the use of the Bible to support abusive behavior in any form. A correct reading of Scripture leads people to an understanding of the equal dignity of men and women and to relationships based on mutuality and love. Beginning with Genesis, Scripture teaches that women and men are created in God's image. Jesus himself always respected the human dignity of women. Pope John Paul II reminds us that "Christ's way of acting, the Gospel of his words and deeds, is a consistent protest against whatever offends the dignity of women."
An abused woman may see her suffering as just punishment for a past deed for which she feels guilty. She may try to explain suffering by saying that it is "God's will" or "part of God's plan for my life" or "God's way of teaching me a lesson." This image of a harsh, cruel God runs contrary to the biblical image of a kind, merciful, and loving God. Jesus went out of his way to help suffering women. Think of the woman with the hemorrhage (Mk 5:25-34) or the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). God promises to be present to us in our suffering, even when it is unjust.
2007-04-04 10:41:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bible is a historic book and has to be seen in the historic context.
Yes, I agree, a lot of things in the good book are difficult to understand from todays wordlview, but ..
the most important thing is...
God cannot be understood rationally anyway, you either have faith and belive or you don't, real understanding comes from experiencing his love and forgiveness, not from reading and analysing
God Bless you
2007-04-04 10:34:23 · answer #6 · answered by ralfbless 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is the same standard often used today in the US to distinguish between "murder one" and manslaughter. Because the victim was still alive after the beating, the owner did not intend to kill them. He stopped before the victim was dead. If they die later, the owner would not be charged with "murder one". He could still be charged with manslaughter. In it context, this scriputre is one of several right together that deal with the difference between premediated murder and manslaughter. When this single sentence is taken out of the paragraph to which it belongs, it is easy to missunderstand it.
2007-04-04 10:40:20 · answer #7 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because social standards have changed since that religion was conceived.
2007-04-04 10:32:15 · answer #8 · answered by Ferret 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because God is a male Supremist or Chavinist Pig - to put it bluntly.
2007-04-04 10:33:25 · answer #9 · answered by Lukusmcain// 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
because 'god' (if a god exists) is a woman hater! Just look at the way woman are treated in ALL religions!!!
2007-04-04 10:32:55 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋