So which is more important ?

Question

In the Bible

"An eye for an eye"

OR

"Thou shall not Kill"

I am asking this because people that are pro death penalty always use the excuse "An eye for an eye".

"Eye for an eye" does it not mean if I punch you then only you can punch me back not my big brother/ teacher/parents/Law.

Meaning if you kill me then only I am aloud to kill you back, which makes sense to me.* Sort off* because now no one Kills except for the my murder who will be punished because he broke a commandment.

Can you guys explain because if I am wrong then there is a clear contradiction in the Bible.

Take your time think about it.

Answer 1

The bible is full of contradictions and a country should not base it's laws on what is written in the bible.

I don't think that civilians enforcing law is the right thing to do, although in many cases in our country, it is the only thing to do and I think that these communities that have sorted out child rapists etc, did the right thing as nobody else was doing anything about it.

I am pro the death penalty.

But judgement needs to be passed down by qualified practitioners of law, not by some community leader or bible wielding happy clappy idiot.

Answer 2

Both are important depending on the situation.

Answer 3

I dont know!!!

Answer 4

The Quran says the same.

My interpretation of this law is as such: You are not allowed to kill anyone, If you do then the law of "an eye for an eye" comes into effect.

So if you are killed, someone has to avenge your death (the law)

therefore stick to the first rule of "thou shall not kill"

I hope this explains it

Answer 5

Now you see why a little knowledge is dangerous ! You have to understand in what context it was written .

Remember God gave Samson the power to kill hundreds of people , David killed Goliath and so on . It is also said in the Bible  homosexuality is punishable by death ! You go sit and ponder about this a bit more . I cannot in one answer explain to you the ins and outs of Christianity even if I tried .

Yes I am pro death penalty ,Commandments and laws are different things yet the law used the commandments as basis for the law .

Answer 6

Women gets raped every 20 seconds in South Africa. Hijacking takes place every 6 seconds.  Do you know how many innocent people are killed?  Do you know how much tax you pay when you earn R21 000? R4 000! Do you know how crowded the prisons are in South Africa? Do you know how much it cost to kep a prisoner per day?  Ever wonder what happens to you taxes? Eliminate the criminals, Bring back death penalty, just like in Botswana.  South Africa is not safe at all. 2010 World Cup will be a disaster!

Answer 7

The Bible does NOT preach an eye for an eye. That term is conveniently misconstrued and taken out of an entire sentence that boils down to; thou shalt NOT take an eye for an eye...from the New Testament. In the old Testament it was told to specific people, and not made a general commandment for everybody to abide by.  

Thou shalt not kill/commit murder means exactly what it says. There is not a 'but' or 'unless' after that. I am not for the death sentence although I am sometimes tempted when I read and see some of the horrors people have committed. But I always try to remember that I can not allow the evil deeds of others to influence and twist me into becoming blood thirsty which ultimately makes me one and the same as the murderers.

An eye for an eye/do unto you as you have done unto me. Yes I see your point. Only the person that has been harmed has the right to take revenge. But it is rather a stale mate if a person was murdered and can not murder the person....back.

Hennie, Ayiza has noted the spelling mistakes. Now answer the question.

Answer 8

An "eye for an eye" is often misinterpreted.  It was first used when punishments were much worse than the crime committed.  "Eye for an eye" was intended to limit punishment so that it would be no more severe than the crime.

Answer 9

The Bible says "Thou shalt not commit murder", those are the exact words, truly the Old Testament is very pro-death penalty. At the same time Jesus saved Mary Magdalene from being stoned so the jury is still out...

Answer 10

Deep broer, very deep (now for someone to explain just what it is you've said and I'll feel like less of an idiot)

Answer 11

Ayiza the Bible cannot contradict itself. Every book in the Bible has been written for a specific time and for specific people. Your statement are but one of many different "contradictions", hence us having so many different Christian denominations - Catholic, Anglican, Moravian, Dutch Reformed etc. One cannot take one word and compare it to something else. You have to use it in context to what it was for!

Answer 12

Many translations translate the commandment as you should not murder.  God does not want us murdering someone out of anger, jealousy, and ignorance.  However God understands that there must be order in society and he set up codes/laws that his nation should follow and enforce.   Basically the bible has set up a situation much like today in that the law/courts is the only institution that can dispense justice and not individual people.  Under the law this type of punishment is just however taken individually it becomes murder.  Interestingly our law today is based upon the Judaic law that God gave his people.  We often want to take the physical "10 commandments" out of our courts but the spirit of them still remain.

Answer 13

Ayiza, I think that first on the list should be "Thou shalt not kill".

BUT, if some r****d does kill, then  "An eye for an eye" should be made applicable.

Answer 14

"An eye for an eye" is more like justice.

Whereas thou "shell not kill" means not to kill just out of the pleasure and fun of it.

Answer 15

The Bible is full of contradictions. That is why God gave us a brain and the ability to think and to use logic. The Bible records ancient scholars' views of a variety of ancient times. To try to adhere to all the teachings in it is to try to drive yourself insane. A good many of the teachings do not address issues that are exclusively  20th and 21st century issues. To try to make them fit is akin to putting a square peg in a round hole.

That is my take on the subject.

Answer 16

I echo what Reb da Rebel just said. Could someone please explain what he's trying to say, but if I have to come to my own conclusion:

If I have to choose one of the two, I choose 'Thou shall not kill'. I am against the death penalty.

I don't believe that one bad deed should be avenged with another bad deed.

Answer 17

It doesn't have to be contradictory. It's how you interpret what "an eye for an eye" actually means. It could be if you slap me, I slap you back. If you kill me, how can I possibly kill you back? You don't have to use the saying in regards to death/killing, because then an eye for an eye would not apply.

Answer 18

The term an eye for an eye means if someone takes your eye give him the other eye......well that's how i see it because the Bible is all about love and why would you kill someone or something you love