From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!orion!lime!we13!otuxa!ll1!sb1!burl!mhuxv!mhuxm!mhuxh!mhuxa!mhb5b!smb
Newsgroups: net.religion
Title: Re: biblical laws - (nf)
Article-I.D.: mhb5b.236
Posted: Fri Mar 25 21:11:47 1983
Received: Sun Mar 27 04:26:43 1983
References: <892@zehntel.UUCP>

Dunno when there was any divine revelations on stoning adulterers; it is,
however, instructive to read the portions of the Talmud and Mishnah (rabbinic
commentaries, explanations, and interpretations of the Bible) about
capital punishment in general.  Basically, the rabbis didn't like it, and
did their best to bypass the overly strict rules while still staying within
the letter of the law.  For example:  if a member of a Bet Din (literally
"house of judgement", i.e., a rabbinic court) once expressed a belief that
the defendant was innocent, he was not allowed to switch to guilty; one who
had said "guilty" could switch to "innocent".  One rabbi was quoted as saying
that a Bet Din that executed one man in seven years was blood-thirsty; another
contradicted him, saying "nay, one in 70".  (References available on request.)


		--Steve


P.S.  This is just one aspect of what I meant when I said that in
Western religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc., in most of their
different flavors), one must look at the history of interpretation of
the assorted Scriptures to truly understand them, and not just at the text.  
To those who wish to quote Scripture back at me (to the effect that anyone
who looks at any more is sinning, that is), let me respond in advance
with one quote:  "upon this rock I build my church".  If you can convince
all Christians of *one* meaning for that phrase, you're eligible for at
least the Nobel Peace Prize, and probably for canonization -- by *all* sects.