Death commanded for brides!

We read the Golden Rule and judge it to be a brilliant distillation of many of our ethical impulses. And then we come across another of God’s teachings on morality: if a man discovers on his wedding night that his bride is not a virgin, he must stone her to death on her father’s doorstep (Deuteronomy 22:13-21).[3]

The Old Testament was not kind to women.  Proof of virginity is a not clear cut.  The woman may or may not have been born with  a complete hymen, and if she does possess it it can be torn easily at any point during childhood and a woman may or may not bleed with her first experience with penetration.  The groom had already paid a bride price and the father had already sold his daughter into an arranged marriage in the tribal custom of the ancient hebrews.  If a groom wanted to take displeasure in the bride and claim she was not a virgin the groom was "commanded" to stone her to death on her father's doorstep.  This continues the belief that the virginity and the proof of it was the only value a woman possessed.  Virginity is worshipped in the worship of the virgin Mary and seen in both the muslim and christian  and jewish cultures as the only quality that makes a woman desirable and valuable.  The root of this obsession with virginity no doubt springs from this Old Testament commandment and continues to this day.  Would the god creator write such a commandment? Or was this a teaching from a patriarchal society?  When we go into court we swear on the bible to tell the truth.  Does the bible tell the truth?
For 4,000 years religious men and women have sworn that every word is in fact the "word of God".
Would a just and loving god prescribe such unjust treatment for a young girl because she did not bleed upon penetration on her wedding night?

Divorce or Die Headline

Today while reading the news I came across an article about a young couple in India who are being told by the tribal elders in their village that a mistake was made in allowing them to marriage as their "castes" do not match up.  The ultimatum, as it has come down from the tribal elders to divorce or be killed by the tribe.  The couple is in the process of trying to figure out how to flee their village.

This situation is interesting to westerners who no doubt feel a sense of superiority that our culture is not ruled by tribal elders, or a caste system or a dowry system.  The article stated that in India thousands of babies are aborted each year because they are girls.  In a male dominated society of male tribal elders male children are being selected and preferred. With a strong dowry system in place young people are not free to choose their lovers and life partners.  The village elders and their parents are the ones in control of their destiny.  Before westerners become so glib,  village "elders" approving who can and cannot marry and society wanting boys as more desirable is part of the history of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.  All of these religions are based on tribal lore with men participating as the central characters.  Men and women have struggled to break free of the ridiculous demands of their religions for thousands of years. I am quite frankly surprised these ancient religions based on the fables of illiterate sheep herders and fishermen still dominates modern day laws and culture and politics. Man made and male dominated religions and traditions are alive and well and thriving today...you would think at least that women would refuse to participate.

Stoning Women to Death

Stoned to Death -- Iranian Woman Faces Barbaric Execution


http://womensissues.about.com/b/2010/07/06/stoned-to-death-iranian-woman-faces-barbaric-execution.htm?r=et

Women in the bible did not fare any better.  John 8: 1-11 A women was brought to Jesus who was taken in adultery.  They said that Moses said in the law (Dueteronomy 22:22-23) that she should be stoned.  Jesus said, "He who is without sin cast the first stone."  Upon thinking of this statement the men left the woman alone. 

During the time of Jesus the Israelites lived under Roman Law on the Romans were the rulers of the land.  The Romans did not observe the practice of stoning virgins who had broken an engagement vow and women who were accused adulterers. I suspect that the religious temple police could not go about stoning whoever they found to accuse as the romans had set up the government and the courts.  The roman government and their court system may have prevented this practice of stoning women.  At any rate,  in a male dominated culture and religion only the virgins have value and women do not have the right to love whom they choose.  It is only when the whole world moves past man made, male dominated religions that condone barbaric practices can women move forward. It is very important to visualize and embrace the female half of god, as both men and women are made in the image of God.