Stoning in the Bible

Stoning in the Bible

Sami Zaatari

One can often find Christians attacking Islam due to the issue of stoning, they claim that this proves that Islamic law is barbaric, and is backward! For instance Christian apologist David Wood has released a new blog thread on his answeringmuslims.com site concerning a stoning that took place in Somalia:

http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2009/12/sharia-in-somalia-muslims-stone-man-to.html

David Wood posts the story as a bad thing; and it obviously works since the comments from his Christian fans show that they obviously disliked what happened, and this can be seen from many other Christian apologists and their supporters.

All of this brings me to the main point, what in the world are these Christians talking about? Have Christians failed to read their Bible? If one were to read the Bible, then one would know that the stoning that took place in Somalia is 100% Biblical!! So it makes you wonder, are these Christians hypocrites? Or are they simply ignorant?

In fact, the Bible doesn't just call for stoning on adultery, but calls for stoning on a whole range of issues! Here are the Biblical passages on stoning:

anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death. (Leviticus 24:16)

If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death?the girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man's wife. You must purge the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 22:23-24)

If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the LORD gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God in violation of his covenant, and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars of the sky, and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. (Deuteronomy 17:2-5)

If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deuteronomy 13:6-10)

If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard." Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)

'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.' (Leviticus 20:27)

While the Israelites were in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp." So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD commanded Moses. (Numbers 15:32-36)

But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death." (1 Kings 21:10)

The Bible even calls for the stoning of animals!

"If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. (Exodus 21:28)

So as one can see, the Bible is filled with verses that call for stoning, hence my question to Christians such as David wood is, from what basis do you attack Islamic law on stoning? It certainly isn't a Biblical basis! Rather it seems Christians like David Wood are arguing from a LIBERAL foundation!

You just have to laugh at the irony, many Christians like Wood often attack Liberals, yet when it suits Christians, they will start to act like Liberals just so they can attack Islam, because I repeat, there is no Biblical basis to attack Islam on stoning, it's purely from a liberal world view.

Now Christians may give us the same usual response, that the verses on stoning come from the Jewish Bible, so it doesn't apply for them. Okay, that's fair enough, but the question remains, why do you attack Islam for supposedly being barbaric because it calls for stoning? Stoning laws may not apply to modern day Christians, but they're still in the Bible, and stoning laws from the Bible did apply in one point in history! So if stoning laws are barbaric and backwards, then the same should apply to the Bible, the Bible was backward and barbaric for establishing stoning laws in one point in history!

Furthermore Christians have a problem with the issue of stoning, the reason they oppose it is not because stoning doesn't apply to them anymore, and rather Christians have a major issue with the stoning itself. They see it as savagery, barbarism, and something terrible. So if Christians want to be consistent, then they should also condemn their Bible for having stoning laws, because I repeat, Christians have a problem with the stoning itself, their problem isn't because stoning laws was for the Jews only! If Christians are honest enough they will even admit it, that they're main problem is with the stoning itself, not that the time of stoning is no more.

So Christians just prove their double standards, they will savagely attack stoning in Islam, calling it barbaric, brutal, and backwardness. Yet they will completely ignore it when it's in their own Bible, and they will continue to praise their God for being so holy and lovely!

The problems don't just end there for the Christians; the New Testament says nothing about banning stoning! I have an easy challenge for Christians; bring me a single verse from your Christian Bible which condemns the law of stoning, a single verse that calls it barbaric, brutal, and backward.

Christians are Christians are they not? Hence Christians must argue from a Biblical foundation, if they have an argument against Islam their argument must come from the Bible, hence Christians must do the following:

-Bring a single verse from the Bible (Jewish and Christian) which condemns stoning

-Bring a single verse from the Bible which calls stoning barbaric and backwardness

-Bring a single verse from the Bible which abrogates and cancels out the stoning law

Surely that shouldn't be so hard for the Christian, but I won't hold my breath because I know they won't be able to, because the Christian problem with stoning IS NOT BIBLICAL, it's their own personal problem with it, which stems from a LIBERAL basis!

Amazing isn't it, Christians are arguing against Islam based on Liberal viewpoints, not Biblical ones, and what's more funny is that these same Christians will bash Liberals whenever they can! Heck, liberals would be very proud of Christians like David Wood, because these Christians are moving away from their Bible, and starting to think like secular Liberals! Indeed, Liberals would be very proud of this.

In conclusion I would like to summarize what we have:

-Christians claim Islam is brutal and barbaric for having a law of stoning

-The Bible is filled with stoning laws on many issues, not on adultery alone

-Therefore the God of the Bible who established these laws must also be brutal, barbaric, and backward

-The God who established these laws in the Bible is the very same God of the Christians

And Allah Knows Best!

www.muslim-responses.com

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