Sunday, October 03, 2004
Law and Catholicism, round eight million
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2004 08:55:36 -0000
From: "aronbengilad"
Subject: Re: Two types of religious law: the ideal and the normative
Dear Richard,
I am no expert on law in general though I did teach family law to
highschool students at one school. I think there is a difference
between the personal law of the heart which Jesus calls each of the
baptised to. This is not necessarily the law of the nation or state. When
Yeshuah said his comments about . Some say "an eye for an eye ..." But I
say etc he was not abrogating the Torah principle fo the Jewish State
where the principle of :An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" as a
standard of Justice in the national law. He was adressing those who took
this principle out of context and used it for personal pay back.
For the Church as the Guide for all nations it must work with the
Universal understanding and principles that come from the Torah as a guide
for the national law of the myriad Catholic nations that have entered the
Church. It does not abolish the Laws but its role is not just to national
Israel but to the Universal Israel of all nations. It is not the role of
the Church to formulate national laws but they are there as a moral
guardian or watch dog and ethical teacher giving the broad moral and
ethical principles that nations must follow in their law making processes.
In the case of the Jewish state the National Law is also God-given and its
outward forms may not be appropriate for other cultures and nations.
We have to discern between what are law for the citizen in the
nation and then moral laws for the baptised. The baptised are called to
resist lustful thoughts but the State is not expected to punish such
thoughts. It is the same for divorce. A Catholic may legally divorce
according to the State laws of Divorce for many valid reasons but on the
spiritual level they are not divorced and thus it is spiritually wrong to
attempt a remarriage.
Sorry I am not clearer.I hope you get what I am trying to say but
making a hash of it.
Cheers Athol
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2004 08:55:36 -0000
From: "aronbengilad"
Subject: Re: Two types of religious law: the ideal and the normative
Dear Richard,
I am no expert on law in general though I did teach family law to
highschool students at one school. I think there is a difference
between the personal law of the heart which Jesus calls each of the
baptised to. This is not necessarily the law of the nation or state. When
Yeshuah said his comments about . Some say "an eye for an eye ..." But I
say etc he was not abrogating the Torah principle fo the Jewish State
where the principle of :An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" as a
standard of Justice in the national law. He was adressing those who took
this principle out of context and used it for personal pay back.
For the Church as the Guide for all nations it must work with the
Universal understanding and principles that come from the Torah as a guide
for the national law of the myriad Catholic nations that have entered the
Church. It does not abolish the Laws but its role is not just to national
Israel but to the Universal Israel of all nations. It is not the role of
the Church to formulate national laws but they are there as a moral
guardian or watch dog and ethical teacher giving the broad moral and
ethical principles that nations must follow in their law making processes.
In the case of the Jewish state the National Law is also God-given and its
outward forms may not be appropriate for other cultures and nations.
We have to discern between what are law for the citizen in the
nation and then moral laws for the baptised. The baptised are called to
resist lustful thoughts but the State is not expected to punish such
thoughts. It is the same for divorce. A Catholic may legally divorce
according to the State laws of Divorce for many valid reasons but on the
spiritual level they are not divorced and thus it is spiritually wrong to
attempt a remarriage.
Sorry I am not clearer.I hope you get what I am trying to say but
making a hash of it.
Cheers Athol
