Regarding Deuteronomy, misunderstanding perhaps?

[AnimatedToyRobot]

Hello, I'm new to the forums and had a question regarding a passage in Deuteronomy. I was born into christian faith, however, in my teenager years, I abandoned religion all together. Now 18, I'm searching for a deeper meaning in life and I'm on a self fulfilling adventure to find something more spiritually. I just started reading the bible and stumbled across the passage Deuteronomy 22:28-29. It states "If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives." I don't understand this. In our society today, this would not be tolerated. Am I misinterpreting this? or is there another passage to disprove this? Thanks.

 

[theTruthful]

read 2 samuel 13:1-16

it is a story of a man who forces his sister... but notice what it says in verse 16, when he puts her away. she says, that the evil of making her leave is greater than the evil of forcing her.

you have to remember that this was a very different culture with very different rules. you cant judge it in the same way that you judge things today. but for them, imagine if a man HAD to marry and take care of any woman he forced, along with "buying" her from her father. i bet rape didnt occur a whole lot.

 

[glorydaz]

read 2 samuel 13:1-16

it is a story of a man who forces his sister... but notice what it says in verse 16, when he puts her away. she says, that the evil of making her leave is greater than the evil of forcing her.

you have to remember that this was a very different culture with very different rules. you cant judge it in the same way that you judge things today. but for them, imagine if a man HAD to marry and take care of any woman he forced, along with "buying" her from her father. i bet rape didnt occur a whole lot.

Good answer. I agree...then, too, we learn in the New Testament that divorce was allowed because of the hardness of men's hearts. God has a permissive will as opposed to His perfect will, and the law was given in the Old Testament days to provide a guide until the perfect had come in the person of Jesus Christ.