Bible Orders Apostates to be Stoned!!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
When my dear brother Ahmed Abdullah Saeed wrote that all the revealed faiths (or the Abrahamic Religions) have prescribed death penalty for apostasy in his article published at Haveeru Daily, someone commented by saying that only Islam has prescribed death penalty for apostasy.
While I respectfully disagree with my brother Ahmed Abdullah Saeed when he says that Islam has prescribed death penalty for apostasy, it is surprising that there still are people in this country who say that the other Abrahamic Faiths do not impose death penalty for apostasy. The Old Testament of the Bible expressly commands apostates to be killed, and that the New Testament upholds the law. The person is not just to be killed, but is to be STONED to death.
Deuteronomy, Chapter 13, verses 6-10 (The King James Version) reads as follows:
Deuteronomy, Chapter 17, verses 2-7 read as follows:
The Old Testament is still believed by the Jews as the verbatim Word of God and the eternal Law of God for the Jews.
We all know that the Christians (headed by Paul) believe that the law was nailed to the cross. One could therefore say that Christianity does not abide by these commandments of the Old Testament law. However, firstly, we have to remind ourselves that Old Testament is part of the Christian Bible. Secondly, it was Paul who said that the laws of the Old Testament need not be implemented. What does Jesus have to say in this matter? Jesus said according to t he New Testament, Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verses 17-18, that:
When the Christians rejected the laws of the Prophets (which means the Old Testament Injunctions) they were directly disobeying the above commandment of Jesus Christ.Jesus obeyed the laws, and expressly, and repeatedly commanded his followers to obey the laws (See also, for instance, Matthew, Chapter 15, verses 1-9).
It was Paul who nailed the law unto the cross and changed what Jesus had taught.
Furthermore, even Paul did not specifically address the laws and try to repeal them, and his writings in the New Testament show that in the matter of apostasy, he believed in death penalty. Paul stated that those who defied God and worshiped false gods deserved death, in New Testament, Romans, Chapter 1, verses 21-32:
Both the Hebrews and Christians, if they really follow their scriptures, would have to kill apostates. In fact, until recent times, the Christians followed that law, and tortured, killed, burnt, and hanged apostates and heretics. (The Jews had no political authority, as we all know, to carry out the laws of their Holy Book for a period more than 2000 years, and by the time they created a new State [that of Israel] in 1948, they were completely changed, and if they now want to implement the laws of the Old Testament, there would most probably be, at most, a few hundred thousand Jews alive in Israel, for the Old Testament prescribes punishments such as stoning, beheading, and burning for crimes such as secularism, disbelief and sexual sins that are widespread in Israel.) It was only in modern times, after the tradition of "talking about human rights" came about in the Western society, that Jews and Christians revised their practices and started being "liberal" in the matter.
On the other hand, does the Quran contain such a Command? None! The Quran does not say that apostates should be killed. Only a solitary hadith, which does not have sufficient authority to prescribe a Hadd punishment, has told us that apostates should be killed, and this hadith, in addition to being a weak authority for prescribing a Hadd, is in clear contradiction with many Quranic verses.
Why hasn't Islam prescribed the death penalty for apostasy? Why has Islam given man a choice and freedom in this matter? Is it because apostasy is a meritorious deed? Does it mean we can just worship any false god and it is okay? No. Not at all.
Apostasy is, with the necessary mental element, one of the darkest and vilest evils that a man can commit. It is the ultimate abyss of ingratitude and falsehood. Still, God, as the Quran teaches us, wishes to give those who commit it time, either to repent or to fill the cup of their evil fuller and fuller, and then go back to God and be accountable for that.
God says in the Quran, "... Yet, most of mankind do not know", and verily, Truly has the Lord Spoken.
When my dear brother Ahmed Abdullah Saeed wrote that all the revealed faiths (or the Abrahamic Religions) have prescribed death penalty for apostasy in his article published at Haveeru Daily, someone commented by saying that only Islam has prescribed death penalty for apostasy.
While I respectfully disagree with my brother Ahmed Abdullah Saeed when he says that Islam has prescribed death penalty for apostasy, it is surprising that there still are people in this country who say that the other Abrahamic Faiths do not impose death penalty for apostasy. The Old Testament of the Bible expressly commands apostates to be killed, and that the New Testament upholds the law. The person is not just to be killed, but is to be STONED to death.
Deuteronomy, Chapter 13, verses 6-10 (The King James Version) reads as follows:
6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which [is] as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
7 [Namely], of the gods of the people which [are] round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth;
8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
Deuteronomy, Chapter 17, verses 2-7 read as follows:
2 If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,
3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard [of it], and enquired diligently, and, behold, [it be] true, [and] the thing certain, [that] such abomination is wrought in Israel:
5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, [even] that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.
The Old Testament is still believed by the Jews as the verbatim Word of God and the eternal Law of God for the Jews.
We all know that the Christians (headed by Paul) believe that the law was nailed to the cross. One could therefore say that Christianity does not abide by these commandments of the Old Testament law. However, firstly, we have to remind ourselves that Old Testament is part of the Christian Bible. Secondly, it was Paul who said that the laws of the Old Testament need not be implemented. What does Jesus have to say in this matter? Jesus said according to t he New Testament, Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verses 17-18, that:
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
When the Christians rejected the laws of the Prophets (which means the Old Testament Injunctions) they were directly disobeying the above commandment of Jesus Christ.Jesus obeyed the laws, and expressly, and repeatedly commanded his followers to obey the laws (See also, for instance, Matthew, Chapter 15, verses 1-9).
It was Paul who nailed the law unto the cross and changed what Jesus had taught.
Furthermore, even Paul did not specifically address the laws and try to repeal them, and his writings in the New Testament show that in the matter of apostasy, he believed in death penalty. Paul stated that those who defied God and worshiped false gods deserved death, in New Testament, Romans, Chapter 1, verses 21-32:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Both the Hebrews and Christians, if they really follow their scriptures, would have to kill apostates. In fact, until recent times, the Christians followed that law, and tortured, killed, burnt, and hanged apostates and heretics. (The Jews had no political authority, as we all know, to carry out the laws of their Holy Book for a period more than 2000 years, and by the time they created a new State [that of Israel] in 1948, they were completely changed, and if they now want to implement the laws of the Old Testament, there would most probably be, at most, a few hundred thousand Jews alive in Israel, for the Old Testament prescribes punishments such as stoning, beheading, and burning for crimes such as secularism, disbelief and sexual sins that are widespread in Israel.) It was only in modern times, after the tradition of "talking about human rights" came about in the Western society, that Jews and Christians revised their practices and started being "liberal" in the matter.
On the other hand, does the Quran contain such a Command? None! The Quran does not say that apostates should be killed. Only a solitary hadith, which does not have sufficient authority to prescribe a Hadd punishment, has told us that apostates should be killed, and this hadith, in addition to being a weak authority for prescribing a Hadd, is in clear contradiction with many Quranic verses.
Why hasn't Islam prescribed the death penalty for apostasy? Why has Islam given man a choice and freedom in this matter? Is it because apostasy is a meritorious deed? Does it mean we can just worship any false god and it is okay? No. Not at all.
Apostasy is, with the necessary mental element, one of the darkest and vilest evils that a man can commit. It is the ultimate abyss of ingratitude and falsehood. Still, God, as the Quran teaches us, wishes to give those who commit it time, either to repent or to fill the cup of their evil fuller and fuller, and then go back to God and be accountable for that.
God says in the Quran, "... Yet, most of mankind do not know", and verily, Truly has the Lord Spoken.
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