Jewish museum honors homosexuality

[muman613]

Now that RaulMarrio brought up the issue of capital punishment let us find out what AskMoses says about it...

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/239,523177/What-is-the-Jewish-view-on-capital-punishment.html

What is the Jewish view on capital punishment?

Capital punishment, or dinei nefashot in Hebrew, is mentioned early on in the Torah in regard to punishment for murder: immediately after the flood, G-d commanded Noah: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man will his blood be shed, for in the image of G-d He created man” (Genesis 9:6). It is precisely because man reflects the Divine image that we were commanded to deal strictly with anyone who diminishes the expression of His image by committing murder.

Other transgressions were also liable to capital punishment, including adultery and idolatry. After the giving of the Torah, other transgression also became liable to capital punishment, such as desecrating the Sabbath. (Obviously the latter applies to Jews only).

During Temple times all capital cases were decided by a Beth Din of 23 members. Certain situations required a special Beth Din (the Sanhedrin) comprising 71 members. Capital cases could only be judged in the Holy Land. 40 years before the destruction of the Second Temple (in 70 CE) the rabbis ceased to hear capital cases.

[Ed. note: Read about "When and why did the Rabbis discontinue capital and corporeal punishment?"]
http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/239,18783/When-and-why-did-the-Rabbis-discontinue-capital-and-corporeal-punishment.html

Capital cases required at least two witnesses who actually witnessed the crime (no circumstantial evidence was accepted). The accused had to have been warned that his actions would incur the death sentence. Witnesses in capital cases were cross examined extensively by the judges. If their testimony did not concur fully the case was dismissed. If the witnesses were found to be deliberately telling untruths they themselves would be tried for murder.

The verdict in capital cases was decided by a majority – a majority of one in order to exonerate the accused, but a majority of two was necessary in order to convict him. Interestingly, if all 23 judges gave a guilty verdict the accused could not be put to death, since there “cannot be a Jew in whom nobody sees the good.”

Conditions for convicting and executing a person were so restrictive that a Beth Din that put to death more than one person in 7 years, and some say in 70 years, was referred to as a “destructive court”.1

In recent years leading rabbinical authorities in the United States have been consulted by the government regarding the Orthodox Jewish approach to capital punishment. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, one of the foremost modern authorities on Jewish Law, explained: “the death penalty is administered . . . not out of hate for the wrongdoers or [even] out of concern for the stability of society . . . but rather so that people should be aware of the seriousness of these prohibitions and therefore would not transgress them . . . And so, throughout the generations there were virtually no murderers among the Jews, because of the gravity of the prohibition and because they were educated by the Torah and by the punishments of the Torah to understand the gravity of the prohibition, and not because they were simply afraid of the punishment.”2

We can learn from his reply that the educational dimension of a system of justice is at least as important as the deterrent factor. Severe punishments are meant to impress upon citizens the gravity of the crime.

Rabbi Moshe adds that although Jewish Law does not advocate capital punishment in all cases, it nevertheless permits the death penalty to be applied where the law of the land permits it. However this should be restricted to cases of particularly cruel murders, or in a situation where bloodshed becomes widespread and out of control and the threat of capital punishment will restore respect for the law.

To end on a positive note – the word for “dead” in Hebrew is met (spelled mem tav). When one adds to them the letter aleph – an allusion to the Master of the Universe, Alufo shel Olam, this spells the word for truth – emet. Education about G-d teaches truth and prevents crime.

[Raulmarrio2000]

Muman, I have seen several anti-Semite sites who claim Jews and Noahides are dangerous to Mankind because they would join to enforce the Noahide Code someday and will execute most Gentiles for not keeping it properly. So, this kind of post only feeds them. In fact, while it may be permitted to execute murderers by Gentile courts, capital punishment applied by Torah or Noahide Courts will probably never be used again according to Jewish beliefs. Many sages state that the Sanhedrin will only be validly established by Eliahu haNavi on the eve of Redemption, and that there will be no sins after Redemption comes. Stating that it should be done now, according to Torah, is simply false. By the way, do you have the source about punishment for sexual misconduct (other than adultery - having sex with another man's wife) under Noahiude Laws? A Moreh once said on a Noahide Site, that there are different opinions about other sexual sins.

[Dr. Dan]

Dan Ben Noah

Do you think someone should be punished for their sexual orientation, but do not practice homosexuality?

Do you expect someone without arms and legs to run a marathon?  If not, then how would you expect a homosexual live a heterosexual life? 

Again, I'm not warranting a homosexual lifestyle.

[Raulmarrio2000]

Dan Ben Noah

Do you think someone should be punished for their sexual orientation, but do not practice homosexuality?

Do you expect someone without arms and legs to run a marathon?  If not, then how would you expect a homosexual live a heterosexual life? 

Again, I'm not warranting a homosexual lifestyle.

Dr. Dan
The Noahide Laws forbid the act of sodomy. ( A man having sex with another man). -Though I once read a moreh saying in a Nohaide site that the inclusion of sexual sins  others than adultery has been disputed at some time- but according to most opinions, a homosexual Gentile, or any other Gentile, is not bound to live a heterosexual life, getting married and having children. It's just said that they should not do sodomy!
P/S, some opinions say that the commandment of being fruitfull still applies to Gentiles, and that we are also bound to get a wife and have children, but this would also condemn anyone who stays single.

[Dr. Dan]

So does a single man have the right to rape a woman so that he can use the excuse that he needs to fulfill a commandment to be fruitful and multiply?

Dr. Dan
The Noahide Laws forbid the act of sodomy. ( A man having sex with another man). -Though I once read a moreh saying in a Nohaide site that the inclusion of sexual sins  others than adultery has been disputed at some time- but according to most opinions, a homosexual Gentile, or any other Gentile, is not bound to live a heterosexual life, getting married and having children. It's just said that they should not do sodomy!
P/S, some opinions say that the commandment of being fruitfull still applies to Gentiles, and that we are also bound to get a wife and have children, but this would also condemn anyone who stays single.