Originally posted by Adrift
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Keep in mind that in the rest of the ancient near east, punishment for breaking laws was often far more severe, often involving torture and mutilation of the offender. The reason for the relative harshness for breaking these particular laws was to keep Israel sanctified and purified from the rest of the nations so that Israel could usher in the promised Messiah and bring all of the world, both Jew and Gentile, both you and I, back into communion with the creator of the universe. These laws were created in a heavily collectivist agrarian state that lacked prisons, policing, and the social nets that we take for granted. These laws were created in a pre-Pentecost, pre-Incarnation period when the Holy Spirit was only accessible at limited times to the prophets of Yahweh. They were issued under the shadow of a true theocracy that was hampered by the inaccessibility of the Holy Spirit. A theocracy that, while in power, rarely, if ever, carried out these extreme punishments, and whose power would eventually be usurped under occupation and exile. Under the Christian worldview, humanity now lives under a drastically different set of rules. One where moral failings are still sinful, and to be avoided, but where punishment is doled out by secular authorities, not a theocracy. Christians believe that through Jesus' death and resurrection, we are now under a new administration of grace where rather than punishment, God would rather us all turn from our sin, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and live more than abundant lives today and forever.
So, yes, Christian do believe that God proscribed certain max punishments for breaking his laws at a very particular place, period and context within history, and that he was justified for doing so within that place, period and context. And it does not apply to all places, periods and contexts. I'm not sure why no one else answered this question, but if I had to guess it wasn't because they were chicken, but because previous experience has taught them that anything that would take time to explain to you would likely be waved away, or further a sideline discussion that no one in this threads is interesting in engaging. Especially seeing as a lot of this sort of thing has been explained to you before.
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