This report reminds us that Saudi Arabia still crucifies people, though it’s not quite crucifixion as the Romans did it. From Saudi court upholds child rapist crucifixion ruling:
A Saudi court of cassation upheld a ruling to behead and crucify a 22-year-old man convicted of raping five children and leaving one of them to die in the desert, newspapers reported on Tuesday.
The convict was arrested earlier this year after a seven-year old boy helped police in their investigation. The child left in the desert after the rape was three years old, Okaz newspaper said. . . .
In Saudi Arabia, crucifixion means tying the body of the convict to wooden beams to be displayed to the public after beheading.
Unlike some human rights activists, I’m not quibbling with the punishment for this particularly horrible crime. I suspect that beheading the criminal before crucifying him was seen, historically, as a merciful gesture. But the shame of crucifixion–displaying the malefactor for all to see–is retained.
This latter-day version preserves at least part of the significance of what our Lord went through: How heinous it indeed was for Jesus to bear the sins of the whole world, including these child rapes. How repulsive the spectacle. How shameful, that He be lifted up.
God convicted and condemned. God humiliated. God killed.
Nietzsche and the death-of-God theologians, the new atheists who accuse God of immorality, those who mock and blaspheme God today, have nothing on what God already did of and to Himself.
To redeem us.
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Thank you for this.
Our familiarity with the cross makes it difficult to appreciate the shocking scandal of such a shameful death.
I kind of wonder if this isn’t meant to be some sort of backhand towards Christians. Of course they don’t believe that Christ was crucified. Though the Koran has Abraham being threatened with Crucifixion by the Pharaoh, one of those historical anomalys that says this book can’t possibly be true. But nevertheless, you wonder. Crucifixion wasn’t primarily about displaying a person, that it was about that. There are otherways to display a dead corpse for the satisfaction of the people. I just sort of wonder if there isn’t another message being sent here.
Interesting article here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20091103/wl_csm/ocrucefix
I read about this, but hadn’t considered it from the point of view of Christ and His sacrifice, and the ultimate humility of it all. Thank you for that insight.
CRB,
Interesting indeed. I was thinking as reading that article the difference between this and America where the fight is over the ten commandments in School.
Here the Catholics in Italy are actually fighting to retain this visual reminder of the Gospel! and the protestants in the States are fighting for raw law, with no Gospel. I could really care less about displaying the Ten Commandments in our public schools. But I am sort of rooting for these Catholics in Italy.
Perhaps because our Lord suffered this way, we should “quibble” with this type of punishment. It’s barbaric.
I think that as Christians, we should be kind even to the rightly condemned. Thus a torturous death is precluded. This is why prison reform (back in the 19th century) was important. One should divorce the issues of rightful punishment, and mode of punishment. In the former, the law should take its course. In the latter, we should be kind (in kind).
Bror, I also saw the Cross-in-schools debate. I hope the Italians stand fast. BTW here in the white north, we still can have Christian prayer in the schools – it is a school division issue. In the elementary school my kids attend, they recite The Lord’s Prayer and sing O Canada every morning….
The Scylding,
I’m not sure that a beheading is a cruel or tortuous death.
My sincere sympathies with your children for having to sing “O Canada” everymorning. I thought you were against tortuous punishment!:)
Here’s an interesting quote from CRB’s article (@3):
Wow, that’s so … wrong on many levels. Sounds like the Saudis better understand what the Cross means than does Mr. Bersani (and many of his compatriots).
Also, Bror (@9), “O Canada” only requires an octave range, while the “Star-Spangled Banner” requires an octave and a half. You tell me which one is torture (hint: it is no coincidence that it is also the one that is more consistently bungled/mangled of the two).
Bror, our previous country has an extremely long anthem, combining 2 anthems (and tunes), and officialy sung in 4 languages (1 verse per language).
tODD,
@10.
Whereas I do think that it is misguided to think that the crucifix can’t be offensive. And would side with the secularists int he United States to say that it probably would not be in the best interest of public relations to retain it. And maybe it ought even be removed from the Public Schools in Italy.
I still have to root for them. For one, I don’t like this international court, and I can understand the Italians being a little preturbed by a foreign court ruling in disfavor of their own custom, and taking a bit of umbrage to it. I also like the fact that they are fighting for something worth fighting for.
As to “The Star Spangled Banner”, and “O Canada.” Sorry man, I like the Star Spangled Banner, still gives me chills even when it is butchered. And I would find it torture to sing O Canada, though I do realize it must be quite a relief after suffering through the South African Anthem.
Okay, Bror (@13), tell me if this video still gives you the “chills”.
Bror, lighten UP. geez. at least you dont have to sing the brasilian national anthem…
#8 scylding
“One should divorce the issues of rightful punishment, and mode of punishment. ”
I am not sure this goes far enough. the diference between punishment-as-theoretical-deterent and eye-for-eye-vengeance seems rather nuanced to me.
I think christians will naturally look merely for damage-control, and that this will look alot like support of prison time as rehabilitation, without any pie in the sky notion that humans are basically good. The Law can be wielded as both carrot and stick after all.