Freethought & Rationalism Archive

mrs. atticus · 12-02-2007, 04:32 PM

Next semester I'll have to write a paper in my literature class at college. The theme is 'Law and Justice in Literature', and I've been thinking about choosing the bible as my piece of literature. I would be looking at it from a purely secular point of view and comparing what it presents as law and justice to modern law and to modern perceptions of ethics and justice.

However, I would only be able to examine a few selected texts from the bible, and this is where I need your help:
Which parts of the Bible should I include in my paper?
Which parts would you choose to read carefully, analyze and comment on if you had to write a paper titled 'Law and Justice in the Bible'?

I'd love to get some suggestions (a short explanation as to why you would suggest a certain passage/part/book of the bible would be helpful).
Thanks in advance.

mrs. atticus · 12-02-2007, 04:36 PM

Oops - I just realized I posted this in the wrong forum! I meant to post it in the Lounge. Maybe someone can move it there? Sorry.

skepticalbip · 12-02-2007, 07:16 PM

If you want biblical law then Exodus is where to go. Start with the ten commandments in chapter 20 then keep reading. Following is about a hundred more that sound a lot like Muslim Sharia law that makes us cringe.

Aikanaro · 12-03-2007, 04:01 AM

Deuteronomy as well. It's incredibly fucked up, even more so than Exodus.

WCH · 12-03-2007, 08:36 AM

A warning: stay away from Job unless you're prepared to look at it as a complete myth; it takes a lot more work than simply looking at the verses for examples of differences to our law, as the subject of the book is essentially "what should a good Jew do when all the stuff that's supposed to happen doesn't?"

In fact, as a general rule, if something you read seems weird or out of place, it probably is for a reason, and if you want to be accurate to what the book meant, not just what it appears to say, you might need to do more research than you may be expecting. A lot of the laws are specific injunctions against rituals performed regularly by neighbouring tribes, for instance.

TomboyMom · 12-03-2007, 12:04 PM

Were you thinking of anything in particular? I find a key feature of biblical (in) justice the idea of punishing one person for the wrong of another, as

Quote:

I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me

Exodus 20:5, or 1 Samuel 15:

Quote:

This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy [a] everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' "

This is of course an ancient and primitive idea. It also crucial to the core concept of the Bible, especially as Christians see it, as we are all cursed with original sin because of something that Adam and Eve did.

Brian63 · 12-03-2007, 04:17 PM

Alan Dershowitz wrote a fantastic book on this subject:

The Genesis of Justice : 10 Stories of Biblical Injustice That Led to the 10 Commandments and Modern Morality and Law (or via: amazon.co.uk)

Don't just copy his arguments, but definitely read them.

Good luck!

Brian

BriAnna · 12-03-2007, 05:01 PM

I think this thread would get better results in BCH

Solitary Man · 12-03-2007, 05:10 PM

While the Torah has much to say on the law, the prophets uniquely expound on justice. Why was Sodom destroyed? Genesis isn't clear, but Ezekiel lists reasons like "pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me".

Baalazel · 12-03-2007, 05:32 PM

I would suggest Leviticus. The entire Pentateuch could use a quick scan but Leviticus is the book to concentrate on.

Baal

12-02-2007, 04:32 PM	#1
mrs. atticus Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Zürich, Switzerland Posts: 40	Question for those who know the Bible well... Next semester I'll have to write a paper in my literature class at college. The theme is 'Law and Justice in Literature', and I've been thinking about choosing the bible as my piece of literature. I would be looking at it from a purely secular point of view and comparing what it presents as law and justice to modern law and to modern perceptions of ethics and justice. However, I would only be able to examine a few selected texts from the bible, and this is where I need your help: Which parts of the Bible should I include in my paper? Which parts would you choose to read carefully, analyze and comment on if you had to write a paper titled 'Law and Justice in the Bible'? I'd love to get some suggestions (a short explanation as to why you would suggest a certain passage/part/book of the bible would be helpful). Thanks in advance.

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12-02-2007, 04:36 PM	#2
mrs. atticus Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Zürich, Switzerland Posts: 40	Oops - I just realized I posted this in the wrong forum! I meant to post it in the Lounge. Maybe someone can move it there? Sorry.

12-02-2007, 07:16 PM	#3
skepticalbip Contributor Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Searching for reality on the long and winding road Posts: 12,976	If you want biblical law then Exodus is where to go. Start with the ten commandments in chapter 20 then keep reading. Following is about a hundred more that sound a lot like Muslim Sharia law that makes us cringe.

12-03-2007, 04:01 AM	#4
Aikanaro Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 347	Deuteronomy as well. It's incredibly fucked up, even more so than Exodus.

12-03-2007, 08:36 AM	#5
WCH Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Toronto Posts: 6,290	A warning: stay away from Job unless you're prepared to look at it as a complete myth; it takes a lot more work than simply looking at the verses for examples of differences to our law, as the subject of the book is essentially "what should a good Jew do when all the stuff that's supposed to happen doesn't?" In fact, as a general rule, if something you read seems weird or out of place, it probably is for a reason, and if you want to be accurate to what the book meant, not just what it appears to say, you might need to do more research than you may be expecting. A lot of the laws are specific injunctions against rituals performed regularly by neighbouring tribes, for instance.

12-03-2007, 04:17 PM	#7
Brian63 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: My own little fantasy world Posts: 8,911	Alan Dershowitz wrote a fantastic book on this subject: The Genesis of Justice : 10 Stories of Biblical Injustice That Led to the 10 Commandments and Modern Morality and Law (or via: amazon.co.uk) Don't just copy his arguments, but definitely read them. Good luck! Brian

12-03-2007, 05:01 PM	#8
BriAnna Contributor Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Banished to WI Posts: 12,634	I think this thread would get better results in BCH

12-03-2007, 05:10 PM	#9
Solitary Man Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: ירושלים Posts: 1,701	While the Torah has much to say on the law, the prophets uniquely expound on justice. Why was Sodom destroyed? Genesis isn't clear, but Ezekiel lists reasons like "pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me".

12-03-2007, 05:32 PM	#10
Baalazel Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Alabama Posts: 649	I would suggest Leviticus. The entire Pentateuch could use a quick scan but Leviticus is the book to concentrate on. Baal

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