Fw: Situation Ethics in the Bible

Brian Dean bridean@worldnet.att.net
Wed, 18 Mar 1998 22:58:01 -0500 (00890301481, 19980319034918.AAA8083@briandea) 

RON
For example the Pope's recent declarations on capital punishment. I
submit to the Pope's teaching even though it doesn't make total sense to
me. 
 
TILL
How far would Ron carry this?  If the Pope declared that all Muslims
should be killed, would Ron submit to the Pope's teaching even though it
didn't make sense to him?

IAN
Yes. And so would Claire even though she denies she would. Of course, it
wouldn't be a lie, she just said it out of ignorance. She just never
realized it would come to this.

PHIPPS (back after a long hiatus)
I'd like to hear Ron's response to this question, too.  The reason I
find it such an interesting question is that it is *not* entirely
academic... the church really *did* encourage violence and killing (do
the crusades sound familiar?  Or how about the wars of religion in
europe itself?).  What about the inquisition?  If the pope told Ron to
burn his neighbor alive because he was a heretic or drive him out of
town because he was a Jew, would Ron do it?

RON
  It would depend on the context. Don't forget that the Muslims took the 
Holy Lands from a Christian government by force and conquest. The 
Crusades were merely a continuation of this conflict.
  Heretics in the Middle Ages were also rebelling against the state 
government. Laws in that time reflected the common understanding of what 
was necessary. This is not to say that there were not those who 
corrupted the Inquisition for their own ends. The Spanish Inquisition is 
thought to be such a case. Don't forget that heretics were offered the 
chance of repentence. Only those who persisted were burnt, etc. The Pope 
DID reprimand those, such as the Spanish Inquisition, which deviated 
from what was required.
  Wars of "religion" in Europe were also secular wars. 
  In our present context there is no danger of the Pope requiring these 
things.

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