INKIE: However, let me ask you, SBC: Your use of the word “condone” is interesting. What actually does that word mean? If I understand it, and I believe I do, it means: “to pardon or overlook voluntarily; especially to treat as trivial , harmless, or of no importance.”
Inkie: Actually, the Bible doesn’t “do” anything. It can’t “condone” anything. It’s just writing, as in this case, that describes events. It doesn’t condone. It doesn’t approve or disapprove. It’s a book. In truth, people take what is written to influence and put a spin on what is written.
Is this the meatiest part of your argument? By what authority of semantics do you insist that the contents of a book cannot condone something? It's understood (by rational, thinking humans) that views set out in books are endorsements of the author. Do we really need to establish that? Had I said, "The bible teaches us to love one another," I don't think I'd have to clarify what I meant.
According to the OT, the penalty for raping a virigin was that the rapist must marry the girl and 50 shekels must be paid to her father. (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) The bible SAYSthat. (Durrr, but the bible doesn't "speak!" Yeah, whatever.)
That is just one case in which the rape victim's rights are treated as "trivial , harmless, or of no importance" by the bible.
Inkie: Now, while the book (the Bible) may or may not do what you attribute it to do, do you believe that God or his Christ do that?
The bible condones rape, therefore Yahweh condones rape (God doesn't change), therefore Jesus condones rape ("he who has seen me has seen the father", etc).
But, wait, since those acts are incompatible with the concept of a god of love and that constitues one (of many) massive contradictions, I don't think the bible was written by a benevolent creator at all! So to answer your question I don't think god or christ condone rape anymore than Allah condones it.
