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Religion, Practice and Science of Non-Violence
law-giver and judge. He lays down commandments, embodying justice among people, and expects people to observe them. Those who observe his commandments, earn his appreciation and love and are rewarded; those who do not observe them but later humbly and earnestly repent, get the assurance of forgiveness, but those who neither observe His commandments nor repent suffer His wrath.
In the Old Testament, the patriarchs and prophets (Noah, Moses and others) say:
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death .... And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.?
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death .... And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour, as he hath done, so shall it be done to him: breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth fot tooth.3
“And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and behold if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother, then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother. So shalt thou put the evil away from among you .... And thine eye shall not pity: but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
The God of the Jews does not mind punishing the enemies of the Jews.5 He has no humane feelings for them, sometimes ordering for wholesale slaughtering of their captives, including men, women, and children.
All the welcome things that God's goodness provides should be consecrated to Him and be used in His service for human happiness, and when so used they are pleasing to him.
Gen. IX. 6. 2 Exodus XXXI. 12.23-3. 3 Lev. XXIV. 19, 20. 4 Devt. XIX. 18, 21.
5 Like the gods of the Vedic Aryans. The period of Vedic Aryans is between 1500-1000 BC. Moses lived about 1200 BC.
6 Judges 20: 23-21: 24.
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