On Wed, Aug 17, 2005 at 02:19:06PM -0600, Howard Brazee wrote: > John Klein wrote: > > >So why would things that are the same merit different levels of > >punishment? > > It depends on what purpose the punishment has. If punishment is > designed to stop an infant from doing something dangerous, a quick slap > or yell does the job. If punishment is designed to deter revolution, > maybe heads on a spike and no consecrated burial is necessary. > (Morganti blade death?). > > Punishments are designed to deter, to protect the rest of us, and to > satisfy our lust for "justice". Yes. I was taught in sunday school long ago that all sins are the same in the eyes of the Judeo-Christian God - steal a piece of candy, steal a car - it's the same. However, our society treats them differently with respect to punishment. Hence the differences - there are two paradigms, which sort of overlap in the Bible because the religion *is* the culture/society in some places. Kat