And if the Bible says all sins are equal, then shouldn't you get penalized the same for murdering someone as stealing something, masturbating, having pre-marital sex, overindulging in junk food, or a million other "petty" crimes?
2007-08-16 10:33:35 · 44 answers · asked by Linz ♥ VT 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
FYI, I do NOT agree with it. I'm just asking why YOU don't agree with it if you think the first part of my question is true.
2007-08-16 10:41:20 · update #1
I hope not. I should have been stoned to death when I was 12.
2007-08-16 10:39:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some concepts for you to ponder ...
The old English Common Law (from which many of our earliest laws were derived) is essentially biblical law and common sense. The primary tenet is "no crime has been committed unless there is an injured party."
Keeping with that theme, do you punish the one who masturbates in the privacy of his (or her) own home to the same extent you punish the murderer? In fact you don't punish the former at all. There is no injured party. Therefor no crime has been committed.
All sins are equal in the eyes of God in that they are all a turning away from God. But even God told the Israelites there should be specific penalties for specific sins.
You should study more. There is much to learn. Be careful not to generalize or take things out of context.
2007-08-16 10:47:47 · answer #2 · answered by High Flyer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bible is the guide for the life of the Christian. That is not the same as the laws for this country. There is a separation of church and state.
(I John 5:17) teaches that all unrighteousness is sin, but that does not say all sin is equal. Just that all sin is unrighteous. The bible tells us that for a man to lie with another man is an abomination, and blasphemy is unforgiveable, so it is clear that all sin is not equal.
2007-08-16 10:47:53 · answer #3 · answered by Capri 1230 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Wages sin pays is Death, so in essence they they all in the end have the same outcome, but even God's law accorded for various punishments... remember the 10 Commandments were not the whole of the law now were they the end of the law. God originally designated about 600 laws, and gave Judges room to judge the individuals. He even made an accomodation for the "accidental Mankiller" that when accidents brought death to one person... the individual responsible could run to the "city of refuge," and if they they were deemed not guilty of murder they stayed in the City of Refuge for the remainder of their life or until the High Preist Died... You could say that at least they had a productive life, but it was a life, and not death for murder.
2007-08-16 11:42:26 · answer #4 · answered by Michael 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A great many of our laws do in fact stem from biblcal princples.
As far as saying, all sin is equal, then the bible wouldn't have said "...an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth." That verse TOO has been taken way out of context.
The meaning for "an eye for an eye..."
is stating that the punishment should be not more or less severe that the crime commited.
2007-08-16 10:47:46 · answer #5 · answered by Linda J 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of our laws WERE adapted
from the Bible. They have been changed a lot now, but
many are still there.
If a person reads Deuteronomy and Leviticus, they will find exacting punishments for most "sins".
Of course this was before
Jesus was born and these laws were meant for Israel
only. Many modern day churches hold to these primitive punishments. I do
believe many muslim sects
still hold to very harsh punishment.
2007-08-16 16:58:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can't remember the bible saying masturbation is a sin...most people completely misinterpret God's anger at Onan in the matter of blowing his load on the ground. The Bible has at least two places, that I can think of (and I'm no scholar) where sin is rated as greater or less...one of these from Jesus himself, when he tell's Pilate that his sin is not as great as the Jews that framed him (or tried to), kicked his butt and then delivered him to be executed. These are not hidden passages....Have you read the Bible? or do you base your curiosity on hearsay? Jesus loves you and wants you to get to know him first hand.
2007-08-16 10:51:08 · answer #7 · answered by Christopher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You already proved the point why laws should not be based from the bible.
There are already many interpretations of modern laws, let alone the many more for the bible. you said, as an example, that the bible says all sins are equal. But many would disagree with you. Besides, would you want to be stoned to death for looking at someone the wrong way?
If we even tried to establish laws according to the bible, many of our freedoms that we enjoy and fought for would be lost.
2007-08-16 10:40:22 · answer #8 · answered by Coool 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Some of our laws do come from the Bible, such as marriage and divorce, capital punishment, etc. But it does not say that all sins are equal, murder is more serious that's why murderers were put to death but thieves only had their hands cut off.
2007-08-16 11:00:38 · answer #9 · answered by beattyb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All sin is equal in its ultimate consequence, but not in its temporal penalities. This was true even in the initial Theocracy set up in Judaism. Romans 14 suggests that God puts rulers in their positions and allows them to set laws. I respect that, and am not Theonomic in my view toward civil law and the Bible. I realize some may disagree with me.
2007-08-16 11:00:03 · answer #10 · answered by Todd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sins are forgiving... as long as they are not repeated and the person is walking the right way again. Prayer for forgiveness is necessary to be clean again.
I tend to stick with the laws of the good book. I'm a Christian Spiritualist and It's so nice to know that in Christ, you have a great friend and saviour.
2007-08-16 10:42:28 · answer #11 · answered by Samantha 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋