On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 09:44:24 EST, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > In a message dated 1/24/2005 8:33:48 AM Central Standard Time,
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > But that's not even the main issue. The thing I'm having trouble > seeing from your perspective is why God would have mandated the > punishment to begin with? Even though I disagree with many of the > things you mentioned in your list, not one of them would be any less > true before 1844. Scott: > Because then it was appropriate to mark the habitual thief in a way that was > easy to spot. Gilberto: And now we don't want habitual thieves to be easy to spot ?!? You want stuff stolen from you? > Punishment for theft nowadays in the west is imprisonment with the hope that > the perpetrator can be rehabilitated. Gilberto: I'm having a hard time taking that as a serious argument. A large number of people in prison are there for non-violent drug related offenses. If this is really about rehabilitation and compassion, certain kinds of behaviors would be decriminalized, and people would be treated more and prosecuted less. > Rehabilitation would be more difficult > if he was branded or mutilated for his crime. I'm not so sure. Such a person would have definitely paid their debt and could be more easily forgiven I would think. Scott: > Baha`i perspective is that the Islamic punishment suited the time and place. > It doesnot suit THIS time and place because God has altered it. If that's > unconvincing, who said you had to be convinced? This is a discussion, how > often will discussion lead to convincing those who hold contrary positions? Yeah, you have a point. People aren't often convinced to change their minds. "My people are hydroponic" __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
