In Reply to: real world or not it's too damn brutal posted by damaged on October 12, 2006 at 22:27:04:
The reason for posting this is to learn what the bible/Torah is really saying, taking out the falicies and false interpretations. Read below for the other parts you must have missed.
You write as though the laws are set up to enable such abuse. This is the opposite of the truth. It has already been explained in detail how the laws were designed as deterrants to abuse.
It's wholly disingenuous to cherry-pick one phrase from one law, ignore all context, project your own distorted interpretation upon the phrase, and then declare the wrong conclusion as Torah law.
"Teachings like that: have made countless people suffer horrific abuse, including the sg"
Countless people? Again, just the opposite; as it has already been demonstrated, the Torah system was a deterrant to abuse, reducing the reality of abuse.
"i can just see mene being beaten to within an inch of her life when i read about the bible telling you just how much of a beating is allowed"
You are seeing something that is not there. As it has already been shown, the Torah does not "allow" vicious beating or improper usage of the discipline rod. Just the opposite, as I have explicitly shown.
Perhaps you can explain to me how this is meaningfully different from a parent using reasonable corporal punishment methods to discipline their child? It's permissable today, unless the parent uses unreasonable methods - such as using a potentially lethal object (e.g., a rock or a heavy rod) or such as deliberately hitting a body part that can potentially cause serious injury.
As I've shown, it was likewise with the slave owner under the Torah system.