What the Bible really says about Rape. - "The Rape Challenge"
In Western Civilization,(even among those who're not particularly religious), it is quite common to view the Bible as a "good source for moral guidance". Many believers state that the Bible is the word of God, inspired by him, and inerrant in every detail.
There are many passages in the Bible that (to the best of my knowledge) no one currently follows. Many Christians, for example, claim that many of the laws of the Old Testament have been superseded by the New Testament, and are no longer in effect. Among these are such things a prohibitions against eating pork.
But, if god did inspire these old commandments, even if they have been subsequently repealed by god himself, it should nevertheless be true that any commandment god has ever issued must be morally sound. For surely a morally good god, supposedly the author of righteousness and authority source for true morality, would never have inspired an immoral or evil commandment. Therefore, all commandments issued by a morally good god, whether currently in effect or merely limited to a bygone era, must be morally sound, righteous, and good.
People argue, as they have for millennia, over whether some things are morally good or morally bad. But, some matters have nearly universal agreement among nearly all people. Among these is that 'Rape' (when defined as non-consensual sexual activity involving violence, use of force, or threat of harm) is morally wrong.
However, there is no Biblical commandment strictly forbidding rape, provided the victim is not married. The closest the Bible ever comes to speaking against the act of raping a single woman is this:
Deuteronomy 22:28-29: "If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives." (NIV)
The following Bible verses speak favorably of raping virgins, usually as spoils of war. In each passage, the rape is done with God’s explicit permission and most of them were directly planned or commanded by God:
Numbers 31:15-18
Judges 5:30
2 Samuel 12:11-14
Isaiah 13:16-18
Zechariah 14:1-2
Deuteronomy 20:10-24
Judges 21:10-24
Exodus 21:7-11
Deuteronomy 21:10-14
Other translations of the Bible, while not using the word "rape", describe the act of rape. The NASB translation, for example, phrases it as "If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her". There is no doubt that this passage is talking about rape and not about consensual sex.
This is the closest the Bible ever comes to condemning the rape of an unmarried woman. I most certainly condemn the rape of anyone, male or female, married or unmarried. What I find objectionable about this passage is its prescribed way of dealing with the rape. The Bible says, that the rapist and his victim must get married - no options, they are commanded to be married and the father of the victim to be paid an amount in silver.
And so, the Bible commands rape victims to marry their rapists. So, we have the rapist, for the cost of 50 pieces of silver, getting a victim to have his way with for life. I find this one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard of. You punish the victim? You make her marry her rapist? I find this absolutely horrific!
If your daughter wes raped, would you make her marry the man who raped her, for payment of silver?
I issue the following challenge to anyone who cares to accept it, but especially to anyone who holds that the Bible is a book of good morals
I Challenge you make the following three declarations:
I denounce rape (when defined as non-consensual sexual activity involving violence, use of force, or threat of harm) as morally wrong.
I denounce as evil the practice of forcing rape victims to marry their rapists or to otherwise punish rape victims.
I denounce as evil the inclusion of an injunction or commandment in any law, code of ethics, or any other statement of moral principles, which requires, compels, or encourages a rape victim to marry to her rapist.
Since the Bible does contain such an injunction, accepting this challenge necessarily means that you are denouncing the Bible, declaring it NOT to be a good source of moral guidance. Or, at the very least, you would be declaring that the Bible contains and endorses commandments that you consider to be evil.
To me, this is a no-brainer. There isn't anything to debate here. This practice, which the Bible endorses but no group that I know of currently follows, is sickening.