> Let's just say she is guilty, I just can't get behind stoning women for non-capital crimes, but God commands it.

Generally, God doesn't encourage this anymore, only back then. However, this is general and does depends on a case-by-case basis.

> Now let's say there was a knife to her throat and she didn't cry out. Or she was knocked unconscious by her attacker and couldn't cry out. God doesn't make allowances for those situations..

God's laws and rules aren't* absolute (see asterisk below for more on this.) He does make allowance for such things.

A perfect example of this is in Galatians 5:18, "But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law."

Which says that if you're guided by the Holy Spirit, you don't even need to follow the law of Moses. You must be careful with this, however, as to not break the law falsely just thinking you're guided by the Holy Spirit. God will have the final judgement.

This may also apply to such things as the women crying out load when being raped, that if she's guided by the spirit, she is not under law to cry out, but more than likely if she's guided by the spirit, she will cry out. (If you read the link to Ellicot's commentary after the single asterisk, it seems that actually the Jews of Old Testament must follow the law of Moses, but today people of the Christian faith, due to Jesus Christ, _have_ this discretion when led by the Holy Spirit; and so, maybe the women back then would be guilty absolutely if she does not cry out in earnest.)

> Now let's say... the bible can be oddly specific about other things.

One parenthetical note which you probably already know, the Bible has real laws and examples for us to follow, yes, but It's not appropriate for there to be an asterisk of every example, with every little if statement and reminder how it must be interpreted because that'd be one long, messy Bible.

> I maybe reading between the lines, but it basically says, if she isn't heard crying out (in town) then she's guilty.

If she cries out in earnest in town, she wouldn't be raped. If, however, she _is_ raped somehow, she is not guilty. In this case, though, I do not know exactly what would happen to her, because it's possible that she would be wrongly persecuted. Or, maybe she would be spared by God Himself.

If she isn't spared by God and she is brought to death by God's rules, she'll still be judged justly by God whether she goes to heaven or to hell, and judging from [7], heaven is better than [an early] death here on Earth.

> All that said, I like the intention of religion. I just hope we can someday replace ancient religion with a more modern one based on reason and not fear.

It's not based on fear like it used to be. Imagine living in Israel in those days, with the idea of being stoned to death for sinning or worse placed in an eternal hell for sinning. That is fear. But since the coming of the Messiah, if you just believe in Jesus Christ, you'll go to heaven :)(read below for more on this.)

Fear is why people were stoned to death because stoning instilled fear into people who were doing the stoning and the community, as a result, they would fear sin because they witness the terror of being stoned to death. As a result, this created a civil, healthier, happier (, etc.) society both today and back then.

> I would agree with that, but then I would extend it to say that time needed religion with an all knowing and active God to keep people in there place. I'm not sure it's needed anymore.

Yes, and maybe that's what God thinks: it's better now if He takes a more passive role. Maybe, that's why the holocaust happened, because God has decided to let us develop naturally and suffer naturally the consequences for our sins, knowing that good will prevail.

However, maybe this is something you can learn from Him yourself, because I'm not sure myself. Although, He may be taking a passive role, nonetheless, He helps those who believe in Him. If you let him, He'll take a more active role in your life, and the Holy Spirit will guide you.

> As much as I love debating religion... Plus, in the end, it doesn't matter because if you're right, everyone I know and love is going to hell with me and I'm okay with that.

Jesus died for our sins!!! You only have to believe in him [0][1][2][3][4][5][6], and you'll go to heaven. And I will meet you there, my friend!!

Finally, I'll leave with this, that is great guidance to me and maybe to you as well:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

-- Matthew 22:37-39

So, love your God with all your heart and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. These are the two greatest commandments.

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* Read Ellicot's commentary for Galatians chapter 5: http://biblehub.com/commentaries/galatians/5-2.htm. From this, it seems that God's laws and rules aren't absolute if you are a Christian instead of a Jew that is whether or not you believe in the Messiah being Jesus Christ. Also, it's a commentary that says that if you believe in Jesus Christ (again thereby Christian) then being circumcised helps you none. In other words, if you're Christian, God doesn't care if you're circumcised, which deflates your previous comment about circumcision.

[0] John 6:47 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

[1] Acts 16:31 - “They said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'“

[2] John 5:13 - “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

[3] John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

[4] John 24:6 - Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

[5] Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For by grace are you saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves – it is the gift of God. Not by works, so that no one can boast.”

[6] John 1:12 - “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

[7] Matthew 18:8-9 - "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell."