The Law

Having finally graduated law school and PASSED THE BAR EXAM, I am surprised that I am still interested in anything having to do with the law. As I was reading Exodus 21-23, I was struck by the similarity of God's laws, as handed down through Moses, to our current criminal laws. I probably shouldn't have been surprised. Where else did we get the ideas for punishment for crimes but from God? But it is really very interesting to a criminal law nut like myself.

Exod. 21:14 But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death.

Hello, first degree murder! From a purely historical standpoint, it is fascinating that our society, and most societies around the world, probably, have followed this law since the time of Moses. Capital Punishment is always a hot-button issue. There are those that are die-hard pro death penalty (hello, Texas). And there are those that see it as a murder on its own. I suppose I fall somewhat in the middle - that is, I am wishy-washy. I think that I believe that capital punishment is okay, but I don't know that, were I to be on a jury, I could actually impose it. At this rate, I won't be making the jury in a capital case any time soon. They want you to be decisive on this issue.

As I read the Bible cover to cover, I wonder how my views on capital punishment will change, or if I will still be indecisive on the issue. I know a lot of people tend to split up God as "the God of the Old Testament" and "the God of the New Testament." I am not sure how I feel about that. My gut reaction is God would not have left us the Old Testament if it weren't important. But I guess the question becomes, why is it important? Are we to diligently follow its laws? Or are we to look at how God was before he sent his Son and be grateful? I am not sure yet. I hope that reading and praying will give me some interesting insight.

In other legal news, God said this:

Exod. 23:9 Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt. 

Ha! Early immigration law is what that is! That is what Nathan and I have always talked about. How can we not welcome immigrants to this country, when that is all any of us are? I am definitely an advocate for legal immigration, but I definitely think the process should be less time consuming and cumbersome. It takes some people literally a decade or more to move here legally just to be with their families. It is no wonder we have such an illegal immigrant problem.