When it comes to biblical honor killing, there are many people who hold different views as to whether it exists or not. There are those who are convinced that the Bible has instances where it calls for the administering of the death penalty to restore the reputation of a family. There are also those who deny this. Those who say the bible promotes these punishments quote various verses to support their claim. The times may have changed and the Christians may no longer advocate for these practices but it helps to show that there is no basis for the practice to be viewed as a strictly Islamic affair. The Quran itself does not mention this practice anywhere.
One of the texts that advocates for the murder of those who bring shame to their families is Leviticus chapter 21verses 9. It says that a daughter of a priest who practices prostitution should be burned to death. This is because she brings shame to her father, a priest, who is of high standing in the community. This is a straightforward example of such punishments to protect a reputation.
Another instance in the same book, Leviticus chapter 20 verses 9 also prescribes death for those children who curse their fathers or mothers. A curse is viewed to have brought shame to the family and such a child must be killed. This passage is similar to what is found in Exodus chapter 21 verses 17.
The above examples therefore point out the existence of honor killings in the Bible. Christians and other people therefore, do not have a basis for claiming that the practice does not have Christian roots. The Bible is one of the pillars of the Christian faith and outlines how Christians may behave right in the eyes of God.
Whenever what is perceived to be a fatal punishment meted against a person to protect the name of their family is reported, there is always a flare up of this argument. The reason for the misconception stems from the fact that predominantly Islam countries such a Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Palestine and Pakistan are where the reports mostly emanate from. This does not prove anything as there are other countries such as Indonesia where there is a large Islamic population but there are no such incidents that are reported.
The argument always starts with those who identify with Christianity faulting Islam as a barbaric faith for condoning such severe punishments. There are also instances where the punishments are meted by members of other religions such as Hindus and Sikhs in India. It is important to note that in predominantly Christian states such as Italy and Brazil, there have also been cases of such punishments.
People have different tribal beliefs and these influence the setting up of laws. These prescribe punishments for various crimes. Because Islam is a religion that demands that those who practice it obey its laws fully, the instances of such deaths would be more frequent and in more states than is currently the case.
The cultural practices of people will always shape how people practice their religion. People will choose to modify their religion to fit to what they believe should be done. This is why biblical honor killings must have occurred at the time of writing the holy book.
One of the texts that advocates for the murder of those who bring shame to their families is Leviticus chapter 21verses 9. It says that a daughter of a priest who practices prostitution should be burned to death. This is because she brings shame to her father, a priest, who is of high standing in the community. This is a straightforward example of such punishments to protect a reputation.
Another instance in the same book, Leviticus chapter 20 verses 9 also prescribes death for those children who curse their fathers or mothers. A curse is viewed to have brought shame to the family and such a child must be killed. This passage is similar to what is found in Exodus chapter 21 verses 17.
The above examples therefore point out the existence of honor killings in the Bible. Christians and other people therefore, do not have a basis for claiming that the practice does not have Christian roots. The Bible is one of the pillars of the Christian faith and outlines how Christians may behave right in the eyes of God.
Whenever what is perceived to be a fatal punishment meted against a person to protect the name of their family is reported, there is always a flare up of this argument. The reason for the misconception stems from the fact that predominantly Islam countries such a Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Palestine and Pakistan are where the reports mostly emanate from. This does not prove anything as there are other countries such as Indonesia where there is a large Islamic population but there are no such incidents that are reported.
The argument always starts with those who identify with Christianity faulting Islam as a barbaric faith for condoning such severe punishments. There are also instances where the punishments are meted by members of other religions such as Hindus and Sikhs in India. It is important to note that in predominantly Christian states such as Italy and Brazil, there have also been cases of such punishments.
People have different tribal beliefs and these influence the setting up of laws. These prescribe punishments for various crimes. Because Islam is a religion that demands that those who practice it obey its laws fully, the instances of such deaths would be more frequent and in more states than is currently the case.
The cultural practices of people will always shape how people practice their religion. People will choose to modify their religion to fit to what they believe should be done. This is why biblical honor killings must have occurred at the time of writing the holy book.
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