Good evening E.
"21:22
If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief
follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he
shall pay as the judges determine.
21:23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life
(So the miscarriage caused by the man isn't "mischief." It's only worth a fine, according to the Bible.)"
I think you have not understood the true significance of this passage, or the implications it has with regards to your position on abortion. Put simply, this passage says if a woman is caused to go into premature labor, but the subsequent birth is normal, and the child unharmed, then a fine is to be imposed. However if the premature labor results in the death of the child, then it is a life for a life.
In other words the penalty for causing the death of the unborn child is equal to that for murder. "Life for life" do you see the equivalency ?
As to your two previous posts to me, I believe you have failed to demonstrate that the new Testament is hateful, or advocates hatred towards Jewish people in general. Paul's words from the ninth chpt of Romans are reflective of not only his heart but of God's as well.
"I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen."
In fact the purpose of the Cross, is to accomplish not only reconciliation between Gentile and Jew, but ostensibly, between man in general, and God.
2Cor 5:18-21
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us:
we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Martin Luther was a great man who had faults like each of us. I would never defend views that advocate hatred toward Jewish people. I am not yet convinced that there is not some degree of historical revisionism at play here. I will have to read the original sources in context first and then make a determination, but I will say I find the things quoted to be very disturbing, at least initially. It's easy to cut and paste out of context quotes from five hundred or a thousand years ago to make a person look bad. Anything that comes from a source like "infidels" is immediately suspect in my mind. It is possible for great men to hold some very wrong ideas, while at the same time seeing other things with incredible perception. I wonder what the view of our times will be like, five hundred years removed? We who kill our unborn children for mere convenience. I somehow doubt it will be viewed as simple mischief.
Greg |
