>> LB>> don't accept men who hurt their spouses.  In a very
real sense God is
>> the
>> >> spouse of every worthy soul:  to hurt him by sin is as
unacceptable as
>> >> permitting a man to beat his wife.  I know that I have
never struck my
>> wife:
...

>> BK> OTOH, better to let each be responsible for his or her own
>> failings to God, and we keep out of punishing sin.
>> ...
 Rc>  No, here I disagree.  Assault and battery of the kind
 Rc>  mentioned above IS properly stigmatized by society
 Rc>  and rightly punished by the state.  Actual, physical
 Rc>  harm to persons does come under the state's purview.

 Each should be responsible for his failings *TO GOD*. That is
 his sins against God.

 Assault is a secular crime, regardless of the victim. As such it
 is under Caesar's purview.

 Rc>  Granted, of course, that charges are filed by the injured
 Rc>  parties against their batterers.

 Charges can be filed by the authorities if they are made aware
 of the assault, regardless of the wishes of the victim.

BOB KLAHN bob.klahn{at}sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... Mason to Dixon: Well we gotta draw the line somewhere!
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