Misguided Pity

There are two recurring phrases in Deuteronomy that caught my attention the other night. As I continue to reflect on them and consider the consequences of these commands from God, I am beginning to believe that much of the American church misdirects its compassion.

The first phrase is "purge the evil from your midst." It first caught my eye in Deuteronomy 21:21. Through Moses, our Lord commanded the Israelites to perform capital punishment by "ston[ing] him to death with stones." The him refers to a rebellious and unrepentant son, who is "a glutton and a drunkard." Strictly following this command, said God, would cause the people to "hear" and "fear." This phrase occurs several more times.

A few chapters later, 25:11, God tells His people that their "eye shall have no pity." He is referring to a wife who comes to the defense of her husband. If her husband is fighting with another man, and she tries to "rescue" her spouse by seizing the "private parts" of the other man, then her hand was to be cut off. The idea of showing "no pity" for lawbreakers occurs several times.

My point in bringing this up is not to re-institute Old Testament punishment in America. It was never here to begin with. However, this pitiless hatred of sin causes me to ask two significant questions with follow-up questions. First, how would we respond if our country instituted identical punishments for identical crimes? Would we cry out "unmerciful?" Would we accuse the government of being "unChristian?" Would we bemoan the death of "sensitivity?" Would Christians unite for some form of "the natural rights of man," which the new punishments violate?

Secondly, is probing the "psychological" and "sociological" reasons for crime, as well as pushing "rehabilitation," missing God's point? What is the reason God gives for expelling brothers and sisters from the community? Does He tell His people to consider the "background" or "family upbringing" of the offender? Education level? Class? Ethnicity? Intelligence?