if i am to take a mans life for killing my brother, the courts make me swear on the bible, why am i guilty?
446223
The bible may say an eye for an eye. But one of the 10 commandments is Thou shalt not kill. No exceptions!
776829
No.\n\nWould it be ok for YOU to murder if you didn't have to answer to the "higher law" of your deity?
809013
You are a victim of injustice. But, you are in good company. Christ was killed on false charges of sedition.
129970
OK lets try and unravel this into its core components.\n\nA police officer [I am assuming] has told you that you cannot approach and/or speak to this person.\n\nYou however, feeling guilty over whatever it is that you have done, feel an overwhelming desire to be punished for your transgression.\n\nThis is a normal reaction for many people as they feel the psychological need for punishment as this provides a sense of "closure" and a shift in guilt.\n\nIn your case you actually want him to do something wrong as well, not just punish you, as this means that he cannot point the finger at you because he has done a horrible thing too.\n\nI know people will say..go to your brother first before coming to the temple...but that does not apply to you in this situation.  You harbour no ill will towards this person!  You cry out to God because your sin is before you.  \n\nGod always hears this cry and you need to focus on your relationship with God first.  This is the path to forgiveness for you, not the friend.  You need to understand that God forgives you.  Then, you may be able to forgive yourself.  Finally you may be able to approach this person and ask forgiveness.\n\nRemember, they may not want to forgive you, and that is their right.  Your peace and forgiveness with God is not dependant upon this persons responses to you, even though you did the wrong thing.\n\nGod may be workingnin that persons life too, and Gods timing is not always ours.  Also, some people just need lots of time to be able to forgive, and just because you may be in a hurry to receive it, does not mean you should hurry them up.\n\nThats why it starts with God for you, so that if this man cannot forgive you, you have peace with God that you did all you could to ask for it....and who knows, in time that might help this man to forgive you anyway.\n\nForgiveness is something you ask for from another because it gives THEM the opportunity to heal from the hurt you have done to them.....\n\nIt is never asked for to make YOU feel better about the pain and guilt that you feel for having caused it.\n\nIn your case, you cant approach this person anyway, so this is a perfect opportunity to seek a counsellor perhaps to give you some support with your feelings and how to deal with them.
1026159
What God did...\nThink of it this way... Imagine you're in a courtroom again, you're guilty of many serious crimes. The judge says, "It's a fine of $500,000, or prison." You don't have anywhere near that amount of money, so the bailiff begins to walk you out of the courtroom when someone you don't even know appears. He runs up to the judge with a check and says, "I've paid the fine for you." Now that the fine has been paid, the law no longer has any hold on you. You're free -- because of the gift you were given.\nThis is what God did for you by sending Jesus to die on the cross in your place. So that you wouldn't have to go to Hell, God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross -- suffering the punishment that justice demands. Then He rose from the grave, forever defeating death! The Bible tells us, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) If you will repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus, God says he will forgive all your sins and grant you the gift of everlasting life. Just like the court case we just talked about, if you repent (that means to confess and forsake your sins) and put your trust in Jesus, then you will not have to suffer God's justice in Hell because the payment for your crimes was made by Jesus on the cross.\nIf you're not sure what to pray, read Psalm 51, and make it a model for your prayer. The words are not "magical," what God cares about is the attitude of your heart. When you pray, it should sound something like this, "Dear God, I repent of all my sins, such as (name them). I put my trust in Jesus Christ as Lord (to say Jesus is your Lord means you are now making Jesus the master over your life) and Savior. Forgive me and grant me your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."\nNow read your Bible daily, and obey what you read. God will never let you down.\nWhat should you read? We suggest that you start in the book named "John," and then read the one named "Romans." Whatever you decide to read, make sure you read every day.
962942
I wish I had a dime for every time this question comes up to show the inaccuracy of the bible. Let me use some applied logic, you are standing before a judge with a rap sheet, you look at the judge and say "I believe you are a good man (the judge is a good man, he donates lots of money to charity he has a list of awards for helping people, on and on and on) so that is why I think you won't send me to prison" (a nervous smile) would the judge be loving and kind to let you go? In that same moment would he be JUST to let you go? Let's say that your list of crimes was two miles long, should he just forgive your debt and let you go?\n\nThis is God. He is love, but He is HOLY, JUST. He punishes sin. That is why people who do not take His payment for sin go to hell.
307228
Wow...you hit a very old and debated question.\n\nA few thoughts:\nIf no crime deserves the death penalty, then it is hard to see why it was fitting that Christ be put to death for our sins and crucified among thieves.\n\nRomans 13:4:\n"is not without purpose that the ruler carries the sword. He is God’s servant, to inflict his avenging wrath upon the wrongdoer"\n\nMatthew 26:52:\n"...for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." -Jesus Christ\n\nActs 25:11:\nPaul states: "If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die."\n\nJohn 19:10,11:\n"Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"  Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above..."  \nJesus reminds Pilate that the implementation of the death penalty is a divinely entrusted responsibility that is to be justly implemented.\n\nYou remember when Jesus was on the cross and one of the thieves said "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve."?  Neither God nor Jesus nor the Holy Spirit nor the prophets nor the apostles ever spoke out against the civil authorities use of executions in deserving cases - not even at the very time of Jesus’ own execution when He pardoned the sins of the thief, who was being crucified along side Him. In fact, quite the opposite. Their biblical support for capital punishment is consistent and overwhelming. Furthermore, Jesus never confuses the requirements of civil justice with those of either eternal justice or personal relations.\n\nI think that is enough...
203501
I was molested by my brother when I was 13 and while I would like to say yes, I can't. I've forgiven my brother since then, but my forgiving him doesn't mean that I've suddenly forgot about the entire incident or that I approve of what happened. I think this is not the corse to take. I do think that harsher penalties should be in place though. There was one case that I was watching on Court TV and this guy raped a minor and only got 6 months for it. That's a slap on the wrist. I don't this would be grounds for you to use the word murder though. These child molesters in a sense have murdered their victims, because I and many others will never be the same. I use the word murder because that is exactly what it seems like because they kill your soul and any hope you had for the future.
65830
If someone is imposing their will on yours, then you may kill that person.  That's how I understood it when I read the Satanic Bible.  The whole book seems to be very self-oriented; if anything offends you, get rid of it.  They are just as nuts as all the other religions.
917068
No you cannot refuse.  But you are not asked to swear on a Bible.  You are asked if you solemnly avow that you will tell the truth and are expected to do so or face possible charges of perjury.
1115224
Sorry- you're not through the instruction booklet- If you acknowledge that Jesus indeed died for your sins, then certain requirements are made:  hear the word, believe the word, repent,(that's the loop-hole that gets you) and confess.  Some would add be baptised to this, but from my understanding- optional.  That would eliminate the death bed thing-
1182806
Do you really know what you are saying.  I understand the saying, " you do the crime you pay the time"\nI do not know what you did that was wrong to put you there but live, breathe the air, face your short comings and ask God to have mercy on your soul. To forgive you\nand to Bless you.  Once you are dead you are no more.\nYou can never come back. Look at the side of family members they do not want to see you die. They still love and will so forever and ever. Count the many blessings you have where you are. you could be an example for\nteaching them salvation etc. take hold of yourself and remember God does not put more on us than we can withstand...
321162
It says that in many places in the Bible, but instead of going through all of the passages of scripture, lets take a different route. What does it matter? People keep asking is this a SIN or why is that a SIN or will one go to HELL if one does such and such. These are the wrong kind of questions to ask. These are legalistic questions. People are more concerned with what's LEGAL than with what's RIGHT.\n\nDo you go around killing people? I hope and assume that the answer is no. Why don't you? Is it because it violates your state's criminal code? Would you if they repealed your state's homocide laws? Or would it still be WRONG even if it were legal? Are you simply obeying a LAW or are you obeying your heart?\n\nGod called us to a higher standard than LAW. That higher standard is LOVE. The LAW was given to condemn evildoers, not to produce righteousness. If you, for example, refrain from murder simply to obey the LAW, then you aren't very righteous at heart, are you? I've heard it said once that people want to know where to draw the line so that they will know where to put their toes.\n\nAsk Jesus Christ to enter your heart and save you. He will write His laws on your heart. Then you will concern yourself with what is RIGHT instead of what is LEGAL.\n\nHomosexuality is wrong. It is a perversion of nature. It is harmful to the body, mind, and spirit. It is harmful to children and society. It hasn't always been accepted by society like it is today. I remember when it was illegal in every state. Homosexuals need help, not hatred and not validation, which is hatred diguised as love.
963957
Great question.  We know that the Old Testament preaches "An eye for an eye" but apparantly Jesus made that rule no longer applicable saying to "love thy neighbor as you love yourself" and to "turn the other cheek".  So I find it very contradictory that Christians support the death penalty (among other things but don't get me started).  This is yet another example of Christians who pick and choose which part(s) of the Bible to follow and which part(s) to ignore.  It just depends on what benefits the individual and supports his or her personal opinions.  Not to mention that Christians are supposed to encourage others to get "Saved" before death, so would they not want to reform a person rather than giving them the death penalty?  Would they not want that person to 'let Jesus into their hearts'?  What a tangled web we weave...
845746
You are really a glutton for punishment, aren't you?  It was people like you, ignoramous, that beat Him to a pulp and crucified Him.\n\nIt was because of the sins of mankind, and our self-destructive ways, that caused Jesus to be crucified, don't you even try to "blame God" for that one, you will surely rot in hell.
478638
I think it has something to do with an understanding that everyone has that when you do something wrong, you are required by justice to pay the price for your wrongdoing. The problem is, most of the time we can't just pay things back; life is full of crimes and mistakes that go way beyond just stealing a candy bar and then returning later to pay the storekeeper. So I think it's really hard to forgive ourselves because we don't know if or how we can fully pay the price to make up for it, and sometimes we don't even know if it's possible at all to fully pay things back. There is hope, though, and it comes with something called the Atonement of Christ. Whether or not you consider yourself a Christian and by whatever definition, the Atonement is worth researching and coming to understand. What the Atonement does is it makes up for everything that we can not do for ourselves; it pays the price of justice so that we can feel peace. So if you feel like you're having a hard time forgiving yourself for something you've done, try turning to God for help. Ask him to help you understand the Atonement so you can understand how you can forgive yourself. This was a long answer, but I mean every word of it. The Atonement works. If you try it, you'll see for yourself.
617398
I am guessing you have not been in court lately. I don't belive they do that anymore at least not when I went to tour a courthouse.  Would not make much sense for me to swear on a Bible.  But then I would not lie anyway so it would not matter.