Biblical Morality

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Miles
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Biblical Morality

Post #1

Post by Miles »

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"1. According to the Bible I understand that I am free to own slaves. Naturally, I must abide by God’s perfect laws on how to beat them, how to sell them and how to pass them to my children when I die.
Now the Bible says I can buy slaves from strangers but I live in a city where almost everyone is a stranger. Does this mean I can buy from anyone, or does it mean I can only buy from foreigners, like the Canadians or Mexicans?


2. I have two unmarried daughters. If either of them should be raped in the countryside, I know she will have to marry her rapist and may never get divorced but I was just wondering about the penalty the rapist should pay. The Bible says 50 Shekels of silver but should we take account of inflation? And how much would that be in dollars?


3. If I buy a man’s daughter as a sex slave and if she is no good in bed, I know I can pass her on to my son. But, if she fails to please my son too, I am obliged to sell her back to her father. In this case, should I insist on getting a full refund, or is there a discount for wear and tear?


4. My son does sometimes go out with his friends drinking and from time-to-time answers me back. Reading the holy scriptures, I see I have been too lenient with him. Next time it happens, I’ll take him to the outskirts of the town with some other men and we’ll stone him to death. I see now that is the most moral thing to do.
But the Bible is a bit scant on details, it doesn’t advise what size stones to throw at him. Small ones would allow him to suffer longer and large ones would get the job done quicker. Can Bible experts offer any advice?


5. My neighbor is a doctor in a hospital, and I often see him sneaking out of the house on the Sabbath to go to work. I know I should stone him to death for this evil but there are so few stones in my locality. Would it be acceptable to beat him to death with a baseball bat?

6. Most legal systems in the world presume people are innocent until proven guilty but the Bible has it the other way round—we are presumed guilty from birth. Should we incorporate that Biblical principle into U.S. law?"
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JehovahsWitness
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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #31

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:30 pm
JehovahsWitness wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:58 pm
Miles wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:44 pm But out of curiosity, just where do you see me to seemingly veer off?
It seems to me that the OP was dealing with the relevance and morality of Hebrew law, not any supposed punishment in Christian theology.
I thought it was pretty much all god's Old Testament morality that was likely written in Hebrew (New Testament morality having been written in Greek), not any morality of the laws the Hebrews originated.

I have no idea what this sentence means. I understand every individual word, but taken together, I have absolutely no idea what is being said, so I cannot respond. Perhaps you would care to rephrase ?
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

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Miles
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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #32

Post by Miles »

JehovahsWitness wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 3:06 pm
Miles wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:30 pm
JehovahsWitness wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:58 pm
Miles wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:44 pm But out of curiosity, just where do you see me to seemingly veer off?
It seems to me that the OP was dealing with the relevance and morality of Hebrew law, not any supposed punishment in Christian theology.
I thought it was pretty much all god's Old Testament morality that was likely written in Hebrew (New Testament morality having been written in Greek), not any morality of the laws the Hebrews originated.

I have no idea what this sentence means. I understand every individual word, but taken together, I have absolutely no idea what is being said, so I cannot respond. Perhaps you would care to rephrase ?
Your implication that the examples in the OP "deal... with the relevance and morality of Hebrew law" fails to recognize the distinction between its two forms; Hebraic casuistic, or case law, which is based on precedents involving issues such as property rights; and apodictic law, those regulations in the form of divine commands. Hence my attempt to underline the examples as apodictic law; laws dealing with morality from the Bible. So as far as the examples having anything specifically to do with the Hebrews it would have to be with their language, and certainly not not any morality stemming from laws originating with them; casuistic law.


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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #33

Post by JehovahsWitness »

Miles wrote: Fri Nov 06, 2020 7:37 pm ...my attempt to underline the examples as apodictic law; laws dealing with morality from the Bible.
Okay fair enough; it's your thread . Well my response to the specific laws and principles alluded to in the OP are below.


SLAVERY
Does the bible condone abusive slavey?
viewtopic.php?p=1023798#p1023798

Was sex slavery sanctioned by the Mosaic law?
viewtopic.php?p=1023801#p1023801

How much would a biblical shekel be worthy today?
viewtopic.php?p=1023800#p1023800

FAMILY
Is it wrong to marry a prostitute?
viewtopic.php?p=1023794#p1023794

Are biblical rules about rape applicable to our day?
viewtopic.php?p=1023799#p1023799

Were drunkeness or insolence capital offenses?
viewtopic.php?p=1023803#p1023803

LEGAL PROCESS
Was there a legal process for Sabbath breakers?
viewtopic.php?p=1023805#p1023805

Was the presumption of innocence a legal right in a criminal trial under Hebrew law?
viewtopic.php?p=1023807#p1023807
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

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Re: Biblical Morality

Post #34

Post by nobspeople »

[Replying to Miles in post #1]

Morality is subjective. People use many different things to consider themselves 'moral'. As long as people use the bible to keep them moral, and don't force it on to my family, it doesn't matter much to me (other than it being annoying).
If it works for them, good. If it doesn't work for me, that should be good for them as well. Unfortunately, many times it's not. Which is when problems come about.
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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