Re: Woman Beating in Quraan
Any book of law/ guidelines, ancient or modern, if you notice, typically has a triad. 'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity', for example. The third is typically the one that places a leash on the other two. Thus my rights to liberty and equality are mellowed down by the need for/ sense of fraternity for the rest of the people (courtesy Charles Handy).
Very few of us really know about the major religions, but I am willing to bet that all of them are full of such triads just as most morden constituions are. Hence it may not be appropriate to take one specific phrase and take a literal view of it. The whole Book is the message, not parts of it. If I can take a specific phrase and claim that Islam does not, say, discriminate against women, I should be willing to concede if you take another phrase in isolation and try to prove the contrary.
I am reminded of what I was told some 15 years ago. Apparently smuggling is not haram because it has not been proscribed by the Quran (apologies if I am wrong). I was amazed by how some people could take things so literally.