The Bible Explained, part 22/40: Justice

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THE BIBLE EXPLAINED

A Guide to the Holy Bible
for Parents and Teenagers

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Where did you come from?
What is your purpose?
What happens when you die?

These questions--and more--are answered in 'The
Bible Explained', which is based on the teachings
of the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is a collection
of ancient books which claim to be the word of the
one and only God. This one and only God claims to
be the sole creator, owner, and sustainer of all
things; he further claims to hold the one and only
key to eternal life. Are these claims true? Get
the facts and then decide for yourself.

This document is meant to be understood by everyone,
and is therefore written in plain, simple language,
avoiding complex religious jargon.

Understand the Bible like never before.

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Introduction
Quest for Truth
The Holy Bible
Origin and Destiny
The Big Picture: Good and Evil
The Story of Man
The Purpose of the Earth
The Standard and the Test
Work: The Key to Success and Life
Pyramid Society
Failure of Man
Male and Female
Family Relationships
Marriage and Family
Sexual Immorality
The Value of Life
Multiplication and Overpopulation
Racism
Creation and Evolution
Government
Politics
Justice
Words, Speech, and Censorship
Church Matters
Monotheism, Jews, and Christians
Temptation
The Nature of Evil
Life and Death of Satan
Reincarnation
The Rapture
The End Times
The Near Future
Preparing for the Future
Groups and Labels
Understanding Judgement
Preparing for Death
Conclusion
Appendix A: Questions and Answers
Appendix B: The Ten Commandments
Appendix C: Marriage

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TITLE: "The Bible Explained"
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-----<excerpt from book>

Justice

Justice is "just conduct; fairness; the exercise of authority in the maintenance of right." [Oxford Dictionary] Justice assumes the existence of right and wrong, but who is qualified to divide right from wrong? The owner of a thing is the only legitimate authority over said thing. If God created humans, then he is their owner and, therefore, the only legitimate authority over them -- the only one qualified to issue rights and wrongs regarding them. If man is the product of chance, then no one created him and, therefore, no one owns him, so there is no legitimate authority over him -- and the notion of right and wrong is null and void, since no one is qualified to decree same. Men may arbitrarily decree rights and wrongs, but no one will be judged by man's laws; all will be judged by God's law.

God's Justice: Justice is equal recompense for a wrong. There is a basic law of physics which states: 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.' This law is not only true in the physical world, but also in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world, this law is called 'justice'. Justice is precisely defined thusly: "You shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." [Exodus 21:23-25] Anything more is unjust; anything less is unjust. The administration of justice must always be done in public; justice must never be done in private. In ancient times, justice was performed in the 'gate of the city' -- the most public of all places.

Mercy in Judgement: One may argue that justice should be tempered with mercy. Exactly: we should apply the same measure of mercy to the criminal as he applied to his victim. Anything else would be unjust and unfair. The punishment must always equal the crime. Never forget the victim.

Avoiding Two Wrongs: Regarding justice, one may argue 'two wrongs don't make a right': Absolutely correct. God alone is qualified to determine what is wrong and what is right, being the creator and owner of all things. God has said it is wrong to murder; he has also said it is right to administer justice. Thus, in the case of murder, if we fail to render life for life (as commanded by God), we commit two wrongs: The first wrong is the crime; the second wrong is the failure to administer justice. However, if we do render life for life, we commit one wrong and one right -- which cancel each other: Justice. If we fail to render justice, we may thereby initiate an endless cycle of revenge.

Eyes and the Eyeless: A popular objection to God's justice is summarized in the following adage: 'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.' In order for one to lose an eye, he must first take and eye; if no one takes an eye, no one will ever lose and eye: if a person does not wish to be punished, he should not violate his neighbour. God instituted the 'eye for an eye' law in order to put a stop to endless revenge: A man is to answer for his own crime; and the punishment must be equal to the crime: "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin." [Deuteronomy 24:16] "Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." [Deuteronomy 19:21] On the surface, this type of punishment seems cruel, however, it is fair and just. If we fail to administer God's justice, we perform a great disservice to the criminal, since, with the accumulation of time, his punishment will be greater in the Day of Recompense.

The Crucified Law: One may argue that the sacrifice of Jesus nullified God's law. Really? Did God suddenly become lawless and unjust? Is it possible for God to nullify his word? "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." [Isaiah 40:8] Furthermore, consider the words of Jesus: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 5:17-19]

Justice Delayed: The law of God requires life for life: "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man." [Genesis 9:6] In cases of criminal homicide (first-degree murder), justice is composed of two parts: man's part and God's part. Firstly, man has a God-given obligation to dispatch the murderer to him immediately upon his conviction; secondly, God will render eternal judgement upon the murderer. This approach is necessary because the victim is with God and, therefore, cannot return to the earth: thus, the convicted murderer must be sent to the Father in order to face his victim. When man fails to do his part in administering justice, he shows contempt for the law of God -- and he will be held accountable for it. Furthermore, if we fail to administer God's commandments, not only do we show scorn for God, but our society will be overrun by criminals.

Capital Punishment: Capital punishment -- the payment of life for life -- is an absolute necessity in any civilized society: "And whoever kills an animal shall restore it; but whoever kills a man shall be put to death." [Leviticus 24:21] The death penalty should be imposed on every murderer, rapist, and kidnapper: "He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death." [Exodus 21:12] "But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die." [Deuteronomy 22:25] "He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death." [Exodus 21:16] If we fail to execute those worthy of death, we concede that the life of the criminal is of greater value than the life of his victim. Why should the criminal continue to live while his victim is scarred or dead? What if an innocent man is unwittingly executed? We should hope that God would intercede and prevent this from happening; if God does not intercede, know that he alone is wise and he has the power to restore whatever has been lost. If God does not permit a single sparrow to fall to the ground apart from his will, how much more will he intervene for the blood of an innocent man, who is worth far more than many sparrows. Since we cannot know the heart and mind of another, God does not expect us to be infallible in our judgements; but he does expect us to try our best at whatever we do. Every murderer will ultimately be judged by God; and the victim of the murderer is with God -- patiently awaiting the Day of Judgement: therefore we should speedily dispatch the murderer to God, that justice may be served -- after all, justice delayed is justice denied. Those who seek to deny or delay capital punishment due a convicted criminal become accessories to his crime, and will be judged accordingly. Justice suffers when people love this temporal world and hate justified death.

Opposers of Capital Punishment: Those who oppose capital punishment are doing the work of their father the devil, who opposes the laws of God. Those who support murderers are of their father the devil, who has been a murderer from the beginning: "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." [John 8:44] In Judges 19-20, a group of men, within a larger community, brutally raped a woman so that she died; when news of the crime got outside the community, outsiders came to administer justice on the rapists; however, the men of the community refused to hand over the rapists, so God killed both the rapists and those who shielded them from justice: Thus, if you stand in the way of God's justice, you subject yourself to the same judgement due those whom you shield. Those who oppose capital punishment will be charged as enablers, abetters, and accessories to murder in the Day of Judgement. Please note that the follower of God is obligated to disown all murderers: "A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit; let no one help him." [Proverbs 28:17]

Obligation to Execute Murderers: "Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death." [Leviticus 24:17] "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man." [Genesis 9:6] "So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it." [Numbers 35:33] Notice that the only way to repair the damage done by the murderer is to execute said murderer. If the murderer is not executed, the land becomes polluted (cursed).

Wrongful Death: Only those who believe in God can support capital punishment; those who oppose capital punishment do not believe in God. How can I say that? Because those who believe in God know that God is in complete control of all things. There are no such things as accidents and, hence, accidental death: "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." [Matthew 10:29-31] If God cares for birds, he will also care for men, who are worth more than birds, since they are made in his image.

Death Penalty: A convicted murderer, who is at least twenty years of age, shall be held in prison for 1260 days; on the following day, he will be executed. A convicted murderer, who is less than twenty years of age, shall be held in prison until he reaches twenty years of age; then he will be held in prison for an additional 1260 days; on the following day, he will be executed. This grace period is provided as an opportunity for the convicted murderer to repent of his crime and learn the requirements of the laws of God -- should he choose to obtain life eternal as prescribed by the LORD God.

Executions: Executions must be public and dramatic and, therefore, must be held in the public square of a large city, so that others may see -- and fear: "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil person from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear." [Deuteronomy 21:21] Executions should not be subtle, but dramatic. I recommend beheadings and hangings; lethal injections, gas chambers, and the electric chair should be avoided. Beheadings via guillotine is best, since such executions are quick, dramatic, and unambiguous.

The Executioner: The executioner himself is never charged with any crime for doing his job; nor is he in need of forgiveness for doing his job. God will only charge the executioner if he fails to do his job in the administration of justice.

Prison: Prison is a place of punishment which resides outside the laws of open society. A convicted criminal has no rights under the law, since, by breaking the law, he has demonstrated contempt for the law: therefore, he has forfeited his shelter under the law. A convicted criminal shall be kept locked in his cell at all times; he shall not be allowed visitors; he shall be allowed nothing in his cell except a bed and toilet. If he breaks the rules of the prison (by vandalizing his cell, for example), he shall be executed. Being sheltered in prison is a privilege, not a right: "According to the sentence of the law in which they instruct you, according to the judgement which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left from the sentence which they pronounce upon you. Now the man who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall put away the evil person from Israel. And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously." [Deuteronomy 17:11-13]

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The above book is available for purchase at:

http://www.amazon.com

Search for:
TITLE: "The Bible Explained"
AUTHOR: "Arrant Knave"
ISBN-10: "1468197061"
ISBN-13: "9781468197068"

Or try this direct link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Bible-Explained-Parents-Teenagers/dp/1468197061

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The above excerpt from 'The Bible Explained' is copyright
2010 by Arrant Knave. All rights reserved. No part of this
document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
prior written permission of the publisher, except by a
reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be
printed in a newspaper, magazine, or journal.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are
taken from the New King James Version (R). Copyright (C)
1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.

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