Personally Accountable
Both the Koran and the Holy Bible state that the person who committed a crime should be punished for the crime, and no one else. Personal responsibility is an important principle. It is often ignored in our present culture. Everyone seems to want to blame others or some thing, for their misdeeds, omissions or errors. Harry Truman had a saying on his desk, “the buck stops here.” It seems that America as a people and our politicians and representatives have lost this sense of responsibility or accountability.
I remember the night Katrina struck New Orleans. About 2:00 AM I was driving out of Oregon, Ohio in my truck listening to the Coast-to-Coast Radio Show. George Nory, the show’s host, said that a hurricane of Biblical proportions was bearing down on New Orleans. He asked those listeners who believed in God to pray for the city. Myself and others listening to that broadcast prayed for the city. Later I heard that the storm had dropped from a Category 5 to a Category 4 Hurricane and did not directly hit the city.
For five days the storm had been in the Gulf of Mexico and the federal government warned the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans to take emergency action. The Governor and the Mayor were slow in taking any actions on behalf of the citizens. Then the Democrat politicians blamed the President and the federal government for not doing anything. Some said the storm was President Bush’s fault for rejecting the Kyoto Agreement. The hurricane did stop a homosexual celebration set to be held in New Orleans, perhaps one of the few good things to come out of the terrible tragedy.
THE KORANIC ACCOUNT
“If they disbelieve you, say: My deeds are mine and your deeds are yours. You are not accountable for my actions, nor am I accountable for what you do (1).”
“Your Lord will surely reward all men according to their deeds. He has knowledge of all their actions. Follow the straight path as you are bidden, together with those who have repented with you, and do not transgress. He is watching all your actions (2)?”
COMMENTARY ON THE KORAN ACCOUNT
When the god of Islam judges people after they are resurrected from the dead, they will be judged on their own actions and not on someone else’s actions. In the same way at the present time on earth, people are to be judged for their own conduct, and not someone else’s conduct.
During the Persian Gulf War, Saudi Arabia received military support in the way of troops and equipment to stop the expansion of Iraq under Sadom Hussein. Having non-Islamic military on Islamic soil angered Osama Bin Laden. He subsequently helped get 19 men to fly jets into buildings in an attack on the United States. America did good to Saudi Arabia and was rewarded with evil from that action.
Under Sharia Law there is a provision called honor-killing. If a couple has a sexual relationship before marriage, then a relative of the woman often kills the woman. I have never heard of anything happening to the man.
THE BIBICAL ACCOUNT
“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the fathers, so also the soul of the son is mine! The soul that sinneth it shall die (3).”
“The soul that sinneth it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him (4).”
“The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers, Every man shall be put to death for his own sin (5).”
“And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his (Anaziah, King of Judah) hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father. But the children of the murders he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the Lord commanded, saying, the father shall not be put to death for the children nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin (6).”
COMMENTARY ON THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT
God is saying, in the passages quoted above, that each individual will bear the punishment for their own actions and not someone else’s. This goes for the judgments at the end of time and for judgment at this time.
Those who oppose the right to bear arms in the United States will sue the manufacturer of the weapon used in a crime.
Laws have been enacted in some cities holding the parents responsible for the actions of their children and punishing the parents. Yet, laws are passed which prohibit parents from punishing their children to make them obey.
CONCLUSION
You will bear the punishment or reward for your own conduct. “Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reep. For he that soweth to his flesh shall reap CORRUPTION; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap LIFE EVERLASTING (7).”
REFERENCES
1. The Koran, Page 151 Paragraph 10:41
2. The Koran, Page 164, 165 Paragraph 11:12
3. The Holy Bible, Ezekiel 18:4
4. The Holy Bible, Deuteronomy 24:16
5. The Holy Bible, 2 Kings 14:5,6, 2 Chronicles 24:3,4
6. The Holy Bible, II Peter 3:10-13
7. The Holy Bible, Galatians 6:7,8
Your Commentary on the Koranic Account seems a bit muddled.
ReplyDeleteWhile the US certainly did assist Saudi Arabia in the 1990-91 Gulf War, Saudi Arabia did not react or reject the US. A particular group of Saudis, including bin Laden, rejected it. The Saudi government, while sometimes annoyed with US policies, has also generally supported them.
Even in the 2003 war to remove Saddam Hussein, for instance, an action incredibly unpopular with and opposed by both the Saudi public and government, the government nevertheless provided material support for the US, up to and including permitting it to use Saudi soil (in particular, King Khalid Air Base and the air strips near the city of Ar Ar) to launch part of its attacks.
The issue, I guess, is whether we consider the actions of any particular Saudi to represent 'Saudi Arabia'. I think you need to distinguish between individuals, groups, the general public, and the government.
On 'Honor Killings':
The issue is not the honor of the individual, but that of the family, clan, or tribe. A girl engaging in extra-marital sex, including pre-marital sex, is seen as dishonoring her entire family. A boy doing the same thing is not engaged in dishonoring his own family: he's just doing what young men everywhere do. This isn't all that different from the way things were handled not all that long ago in the US, though there was a bit more shame attached to the male.
It was the girl who got tagged as 'slut'. The guy, well, he got bragging rights among his peers.
And if the girl got pregnant, she was shuffled off to relatives in a distant place, if not sent to Puerto Rico or Europe for an abortion. The shame fell on her and her family, not on the one who impregnated her.
Personal responsibility is indeed a critical matter, but seeking to avoid it is pretty much normal human behavior, too. Many of us accept responsibility for our own acts. Too many of us don't, whether they're politicians, the local police, our friends and neighbors.
Males are sometimes the victims in dishonor killings. In Jordan, the figure is about 10%. In the subcontinent, it is higher. Some of the male victims are gay.
ReplyDeleteEllen R. Sheeley, Author
"Reclaiming Honor in Jordan"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHate crime legislation is wrong because only God has the proper authority to judge hate. It is the responsibility of man to judge actual violence acts, theft, and sexual immorality.
ReplyDeleteIf a man is caught having consensual sex with an unmarried woman, the man should be forced to marry the woman (except if the father of the woman refuses to allow it) and never be allowed to divorce.
Exodus 22:16-17, Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (KJV).
"Hate crime legislation is wrong because only God has the proper authority to judge hate."
ReplyDeleteSo what? If it exists, why not use it to do some good?
Matt -
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% correct. Thanks for listing Exodus 22:16, 17, I knew the concept but forgot where it was found.
Anonymous -
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information on male honor killing. This is why I used the wording, "I have never heard anything happening to the man." This left open the possibility for what I did not know.
I don't understand homosexuals’ have to do with honor killing. Homosexuality is an abomination and God calls for them to be put to death in the Old Testament. On the other hand, they can repent of their evil, receive Jesus in their heart and go straight and be forgive. . .
John –
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments . . .
In the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 24:16) it is the responsibility of those who govern to punish those who commit a crime, not to punish the parents, children or someone else. It is the responsibility of the electorate to hold those in office accountable for their actions. Be sure God, the Judge of all the eath, the Lord Jesus Christ will hold each individual accountable for their own actions (Ezekiel 16:4; Jong 5:22). If the government and society does not hold individuals responsible for their evel conduct , then God will hold that government and society accountable and will bring His judgment against the government or society.
Honor killing is nolt a Biblical concept. That means that the God of the Bible does NOT call for it, nor condone it, nor approve of it. He does call for capital punishment for certain conduct. Every crime is against God, not just against another person.
In the case of an unmarried couple having a sexual relationship before marriage – if they are found out then the man must marry the woman and he has no right to divorce the woman, ever, for any cause (Deuteronomy 23:28, 29.) If a man has sex with a married woman then they are both to be put to death (Deuteronomy 22:22). This is not honor killing. It is putting away evil from nation.
Suppose a nation ecides adultery is not worthy of death and such conduct is not punished in a nation. Then the wrath of God, is built up against that nation and God will bring judgment against that nation. We have God’s promise for this (Leviticus 10:8 & 20).
Engaging in a sexual relationship outside of marriage is not what young men do everywhere. Honorable men do not conduct themselves in such a way. God say, “Be holy for I am holy (Leviticus 20:7). Men whose God is the Lord Jesus Christ will not take advantage of a woman even if she asks him to do so, because of his devotion to his God.
A sexual relationship outside of marriage is a sin against the person’s own body (1 Corinthians 6:15-20). It destroys the soul of the individual instead and he has no understanding (Proverbs 6:32).
John -
ReplyDeleteI wrote an article today (6/1/08) in further response to your original comments to my article.