Expert: George A. Card,sfo, M.I - 2/24/2005

Question
hi,
I really want to know what's all this is about? I'm pretty offended when I look at these verse:

gen19:31-36
if there are no unmarried men of the same faith available, a woman shall get her father drunk and have sex with him ( that's obviously immoral)

deut22
marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. if she's no a virgin, she shall be executed.
death is the only exit from marrige. should a married man died without having fathered any male heirs, his brother shall take the widow as ONE of his wives.

gen 3:16
to the woman he said," I will greatly increase your pains in child bearing; with pain you will give birth to children. your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

exodus 21
when a man strikes his slave, male or female with a rod and the slaves die under his hand, he shall be punished. but if the slave survives a day or two, he shall not be punished: for the slaves is his money.

leviticus 25
as for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy your male or female slaves from the nations that are around about you...you may bequeath them to your sons after you, to inherit as a possesion forever.....that the lord intended the blessed institution of slavery to last forever!

I'm not a first timer and had asked many many christian about this issues and the general answers I've received:
1)YOU don't understand the bible....
2)there are "meanings" behind the bible(well that's fine), but ended up everybody giving me many different answers some even contradicts each other.
3)we can't know about it, it's the lord's word, so our duty is to believe in the holy bible.
4)you got to ask the pastor, I don't know.
5)what? you doubt the bible? you better not! you will go to hell!

I never will lied to you, but many christians I've asked said that slavery is OK because it's the lords word! it goes for other nasty things to.

slavery, excutions, sex with father are IMMORAL!!!! it has nothing to do with whether it's the past or future, god's word or or not! it makes people SUFFER! that's what I know about, if you also believe its OK then I really have nothing to say....

I'm seriously concern about this issue and I meant no offense. Hope to hear from you soon.
thank you  

Answer
                     Peace

Dear Kenny
  First the Bible is not the word of God but part of it. The other part is Sacred Tradition, some times called Apostolic.
   Genesis 19:31-36, Does not teach as you suggest. It tells the story of the wickness that Lot's daughters leaded him into.
    Word slavery offen denotes a form of unjust and forced labor,in the more modern sense. However in former days it could also mean type of servanthood over long period of time.
   As for excutions, there are lawful uses of the death pentalty. In the "Catholic Catechism of the Catholic Church" approved as sure norm by Pope John Paul II, we read:
  
2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.
If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent."

In the Christ, the ritual law has pasted but the moral law is vaild.

It seem you have asked your question to non Catholics. For protestants base their doctrine on their personal understanding of scriptures. The faithful Catholic relies on the Holy Spirit who speaks throught the Magisterium (teaching authority)of the Church using Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition, to confirm their understanding.

                    your servant but His first
                          george