Question about Islam and Punishment Systems...

[USResident]

Re: Question about Islam and Punishment Systems...

@NameInUse

I don't believe in the death penality. As for cutting off noses, I was simply compounding all theocratic "judicial systems" as one. Which they most certainly are. What religious ajudication suggests in not justice, but revenge. It is the law of the jungle. The taliban killed someone by a wall falling on him, they said it was part of their religion. Stoning to death is a barbaric act. Adultery is a personal matter, not a matter of society. Religions prescribe a world of black and white where justice is absolute. That is not the real world. In the real world, everything is grey. Moreover, killing someone does not in anyway benefit society. One should be made to pay for taking someone's like by forfeitting their own and becoming a ward of the state. One should do hard labor for the rest of their to repay society for what was lost. But this is a moot point. Islamic, or any theocratic judicial system, is a throw back to the tribalism in which they were born. Someone suggested that Saudi Arabia has a low crime rate. This is a perfect example. What crime rate is being referred to here? Saudi Arabia is a hot bed for terrorism. The poor may be forced live piously, but the rich sheiks come to Vegas and live it up with whores and gamblers. Again, tribalism only inflicts on the poor and weak. That is no justice.

I think there are certain major differences in the belief and philosophy of muslims and non-muslims (ones who do not believe in religion as a message from Allah). First and foremost for a muslim is since we believe Quran to be Allahs message to us we do not question the wisdom in it because to us it is like questioning Allah and doubting his wisdom. This is something that becomes clearer to a muslim each passing day as the society and sciences progress. There are certain things in the Quran that we cannot understand because we have not advanced enough to grasp the wisdom behind it. Even if we did its still about obedience to Allah. This is how Allah tests us.

Now as for the punishments like you mentioning not believing in capital punishment. The punishments Allah has prescribed for certain things have instant affects on the society we live in. They are meant to deter the soceity from indulging in it. Allah has made it clear the things he does not approve of and dislikes. So as a muslim we have stay away from those things. If Allah does not approve of it then who are we to contradict it. After all we are the creation of Allah and he has set rules for us. We cannot value life more than Allah does. If he has prescribed capital punishment for his creation in certain matters it is based on insights he has into his creation i.e. the way they interact, the we way think, the way we visualize, the way we perceive etc etc. Capital punishment in Islam for Adulteres is only for the married couple not for unmarried people. The act of punishing is to preserve the moral fabric of a society and to instill fear into people so they abstain from indulging in punitive acts. Let me put it this way when you are not afraid of something then you venture out to do it again and again. This act may be good or bad though. The act of ending ones life has different meanings and preceptions depending on the context in which they happen. It is an act of murder when it happens without the right of taking someones life. Like you said stoning to death is Barbaric, would somebody in the right mind or someone who is fearful of Allah want to go through it, I'm sure no. The punishment from Allah also signifies how disliked such an act is for him. God has made clear to stay away from certain things and you are are saying I don't care and to reduce the impact of it we have come up with these other systems of punishment. You are focused on the fact that the punishment is cruel and painful but you completely skipped over the fact that what are doing is wrong also then. How does capital punihsment harm the society provided the sentencing is justified i.e. like it was proven that the person killed somebody or was proven to be an adulterer.