On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 12:48:50 EST, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > In a message dated 1/22/2005 11:27:20 AM Central Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I wouldn't have the same respect for a Bahai who joined in on such > accusations when their own scriptures don't seem to have a problem > with burning someone alive. > Especially if we are talking about punishments found in the Quran > which they say they believe comes from God. > > If you wanted to just say we are all playing a big game of Simon Says > with God and that for the previous thousand years or so the rules were > one thing, and for the next thousand years or so they just happened to > change, that's fine. > > But to accuse the Islamic punishments of being brutal and inhumane is > something which is difficult if not impossible for a Bahai to do with > integrity.
> No game of Simon says. The Aqdas allows death for the crime of arson, but it > also says imprisonment is acceptable, that the case and its punishment have > mitigation. Alot of the Islamic penalties can be mitigated as well. They aren't applied in a vacum. There are all sorts of exceptions, and requirements and its a basic principle that you want to avoid applying severe punishments. Make excuses for people. And the society, if healthy, would make it easy to keep the law. Yes, there is a harsh punishment for theft, but the ideal Islamic state is supposed to be a welfare state which would make sure that people's needs are taken care of and economic exploitation is reduced. Yes there is a harsh punishment for adultery, but the society would encourage modesty. And it is actually really easy to get divorced and married. Even if you wanted to be really cynical, in order to convict for adultery you are supposed to have 4 upright witness who see penetration. To get married you only need 2 witnesses and it literally could just take a couple seconds to have a legally valid marriage. > none o the Baha`i mandated crimes > involve a punishment of maiming, for instance or flogging. Burning someone alive is torture. > I think these things reflect cultural attitudes as much as they do anything > else. I think so too. But then the Bahai attitude doesn't have any moral foundation. -Gilberto "My people are hydroponic" __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com 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:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu 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/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
