What kind of lunatic would make a rape victim marry her attacker?

Question

(Deuteronomy 22:28-29 NLT)

If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must pay fifty pieces of silver to her father. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will never be allowed to divorce her.


What kind of lunatic would make a rape victim marry her attacker?

Answer 1

This is the King James Version. This is the version considered to be the most accurate.

Nice try, but you knew that this translation was bad, and that is why you used it.

Deuteronomy 22:28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

If you have a legit question, that's one thing, but when you purposely attempt to deceive, you loose all credibility.

Answer 2

It is an extremely complicated study. And a short version can not convey what was meant by it. But the entire purpose of the old covenant was to show how far removed from right (Him) we were. God gave then a set of rules that would best make a society work.
If you happen to know a rape victim you will better understand the mess they are in (for the rest of their life). And the punishment the husband of a rape victim goes through is extremely hard (his choice) So in Gods great wisdom He removed an innocent person (the man she might have married later) from the punishment living with the mess the rapist left behind. Now the girl has someone to provide for her, (Remember these were old times, before women's rights, welfare and other social programs) And the piece of selfish sh-it that raped her has a got a life sentence of providing (i.e. paying for) his mess. The end result is a more stable society, which is good for everybody. And the uncontrolled emotion (i.e. lust) or the vulnerability of the girl that was an attraction to rapist to start with in time (mostlikey) will come to love her, repent of his actions before God, and be a better citizen of a society God is trying to form for them to live in peacefully. He loves us and wants us to have the best. So by forcing this, it is the best for everybody. God is only making the best of a bad situation.

Answer 3

What ignorant fool would assume that Hebrew women living four thousand years ago would have the right to exist independently in a strictly patriarchal society, the same way women could do now in Western countries? In a patriarchal society, it was good enough if unmarried women would be allowed to live with the rest of her married brethren; how much more for a woman whose chance at marriage is literally nil because she had been raped once. Forcing a woman to marry her violator was that system's kindest solution to a social problem. Instead of blaming God, why not try to study ancient psychology and societal norms?

Answer 4

A Divinity as seen by a male-dominated society that saw rape as a property crime against the father or husband of a woman instead of a crime of violence against the woman herself. This is the same society that saw a rape victim IN the city who did not yell because of fear as an adulteress to be stoned (although it assumed that if the rape was in the country that the woman cried out and just was not heard -- better to be raped in the fields, I guess)

Unfortunately, we still have a "blame the victim" attitude towards this crime -- regardless of religion (although interestingly enough, many of the NeoPagan religious paths have a MUCH more enlightened attitude about rape)

Answer 5

That practice is from a different time, with different beliefs. At that time, many people believed that the rape victim was the one to blame. Because of this, she (or perhaps even he) would be defiled, disgraced, and unaccepted. She would, because of those beliefs, become "unmarriageable." This law was instituted to protect that woman. When the man was forced to marry her, he then was forced to become her protector.
Today, with the (appropriate) belief that the victim is a victim, that law would be cruel. But back then, it was probably the only way a victim would ever find a spouse.

Answer 6

It's not a law meant to benefit the woman, it's supposed to stop the man and make him think twice about raping a woman, so he isn't "stuck" with her.

Doesn't mean that it's not abhorrent, and a sad example of "logic"...

Answer 7

Can you think of any worse punishment than having to live with a woman who absolutly hates your guts? If the guy didnt kill himself after a few weeks with her, I'm sure the woman would do the deed for him.

Answer 8

Mis-translated and out of context!

This is actually a response to pre-marital sex; the Hebrew word for violent rape is an entirely different word.

The punishment for violent rape is death to the attacker (as it should be).

Answer 9

You can't judge primitive laws and understanding of life by today's standards. Life was much harder. Believe or not, these religious laws were far kinder to women than the laws in general. A young woman, unmarried, who had been raped was usually seen as worthless to her family and society. She had no marriage value. Her life was generally ruined. Prostitution would be her next and only step. Disease, poverty and a short lifespan would follow. This law that enforced a marriage gave her value and status within society. It gave her rights that even her husband couldn't easily take away. Although they probably aren't rights that women would appreciate today, they were often the difference between life and death.

Answer 10

It also says that if a man marries a girl and decides he doesn't like her, he can accuse her of not being a virgin at the time they were married. If her parents can't prove she was a virgin, she is to be stoned to death in front of her father's house. But, if they CAN prove it, the husband has to pay the father for insulting his name and the guy can't divorce the girl.

Lucky girl.