LEX TALIONIS: And Eye for Eye would Leave the World Blind (Gandhi)

RETALIATION

”Cast the first stone”

Jesus of Nazareth

In collective oriented societies the Capital Punishment in form of stoning has been existing long before the Lex Talionis, (An Eye for an Eye) was expressed in the Torah. The individual who endangered the normative reproduction pattern and thus threatening the clan, the tribe, the family or group, or hinting at any form of individualism was seen as anomalistic and deadly disloyal.

We have every reason to believe that this sinister canon (popular law) has been in existence long before 5000 years B.C. when the world was believed to have been created according to the Old Testament. Perpetual revenge, blood feuds and vendettas stretching over centuries (!) are still part of formerly nomad or transhumance cultures as found in the Balkan (Albania, Greece inter alia) to Sicily and Italy and in milder forms on the Iberia Peninsula. Crossing the Mediterranean they are in full force but for somewhat other reasons.

In a habitat with severe living and survival conditions this may be understood from a survival instinct context. One single member could jeopardize the productive unit, adapted to the ecological niche and may result in extinction. The modes of killing has been a popular field of development throughout history and the technically improved methods introduced by the Babylonians were welcomed and embraced by Europe, implemented enthusiastically by the colonialist during the expansive three decades until Reason, with roots in the 18th century, put a stop to the most brutal and horrifying forms of executions. Nowdays lethal abuse leaves no trace thanks to the impressing torture skills developed in Latin America in the late seventies and the eighties, by the assistance of physicians and psychologists as had already been done in the third reich.

The contemporary "stoning" in the West, possibly the oldest way of killing another human by public consent, does not mean throwing stones physically per se, but mobbing and persecution of the deviant, be it physically, mentally, emotionally or sexually. The media promoted outing of celebrities or decision makers may virtually destroy people who differ from social and political codes known as correctness, although, paradoxically, people are being encouraged to develop self sufficiency, uniqueness and strive to satisfy the personal desires by almost no matter what means to achieve personal goals according to capacity.

Stoning, as a punishment, as above mentioned, is older than most religions and, if closely scrutinized, seen paradoxically as an abomination in spite of frequent use. Starting late in the development of global religions we get a notion from the Ten Commandments which stipulates "Thou shall not kill" to the teachings of Jesus from Nazareth, (” Cast the First Stone”) and the numerous Asian peace oriented religions such as Buddhism, Jainism and African Lemba and many more, to the secular conventions and agreements on the human rights, lays the foundation on which the Occident looks with horror to what took place in Somalia a couple of years ago. A  thirteen year old girl witnessed a rape and was stoned to death by the Somali police force, resting, allegedly, on the Sharía Law, because the little girl having had the audacity to tell publicly what she had witnessed, an abominable legal construction gradually expanded and implemented by theocrats by adding convenient amendments and adjustments (Idjnads) after the death of the Prophet.

The adaptation of the superstructures of the developing cultures has had a perverse impact on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Church fathers of Christendom decided what parts of the remnants of holy scriptures which served their purposes and gospels were promptly excluded, thus altering the authentic teachings of the original oral tradition and message. During the centuries amendments in forms of endless restrictions and demands of obedience and submission in all secular matters were made in the name of God and Christ, with very little or no substance equalled in the oldest sources. The pattern of development of two of the dominant religions, Christianity and Islam, are astonishingly similar in their adaptation to secular power, be it executed by theocrats or royal houses. The flexibility of embracing pagan cosmology and rituals may have been more evident in colonialist Christendom whereas present day Islam has a vivid tradition of reflecting the society in which it, according to the Qóran, to continuously expand regarding anything from using the Internet to dress codes.

Burning women, especially intellectually gifted ones, at the stake, a plague which spread epidemically over the Old World principally during the 17th century as a result of the contagious Jesuit Inquisition exterminating everything that did not match the dogma, spilling over to the various creeds within Christendom is yet another proof of religion going overboard and perverting the core of the initial messages or gospels. I strongly believe that we can be convinced that the Nazarene never expected that He would be called upon while colonialist staged genocide in all parts of the world in His name.

Buddha sayings give no indications of permission to turn out the light of life, nor do any of the many facetted syncretistic religions of the Middle East and Asia Minor. Obviously there is no automatic connection between religion and the secular modes of reproduction, which makes it confusing. By using the dialectical (Hegelism) method of understanding the dynamics of development of the austere and severe misuse of power in the name of God even makes "sense", seen from a scientific point of view, but Buddhism, inter alia, proves otherwise. However, miltant Buddhist in southeast Asia do no longer hesitate to kill.

A theocracy, such as contemporary Iran, is a construction beyond our comprehension but was present in the Old World until the 18th century when secularism gained acceptance. The obvious strive to control people mentally, politically and socially by calling upon God was as much a reality in Europe and predominant normative mindset of the early Middle Ages enforced by the expanding hunger for power by the Papists and not unknown to the austere reformers such as Calvin.. To legalize killing by referring to the Divine Being still justifies coldblooded murder whether it is by injections in the US or a possible stoning in Iran, Somalia or Sudan. Death Penalty still exists, although God has been substituted by the Government and the State in leading "democratic" power centers and not erased in the normative mindset of ordinary people at all.

Structural violence as seen repeatedly where domestic laws allow authorities to use deadly violence against their own countrymen are constantly on the agenda. Killing Egyptian or Yemenite rebels running amok in the streets of will have no punitive repercussions. The measures taken by "states" and "nations" when questioned or openly defied are regarded as national affairs unless a third nation´s interest is at stake. A third part and its allies may arrive with well armed troops to "pacify" and indulge themselves in the general´violence and turmoil. Thus civilians, whether rebellious or not, will die, be it in Thailand, while we are sunbathing on the famous the beaches or in Haiti when hunger generated riots occur. It has become so commonplace, in spite of Humanitarian Laws protecting civilians, that we raise no eyebrows at killings on a massive scale.

Nobody can be indicted unless a scapegoat can be found to appease the opponents once the turbulence has slowed down. We regard it as a phenomenon of poverty and oppression and rest assured that this will never take place in our part of the world. Twenty years have gone by since Yugoslavia was tore itself into pieces. Inside the federative Russia, between her hostile neighbors and Belaruss, assassinations of civilians take place on a daily basis. We do not intervene. We are installing cameras in every possible corner or doorway in our private war against terrorism. And we are all within our rights. The fundamentalists are acting on a Holy Mission (Jihad) and so are we but without God on our side, since he was expelled from Reason and Know How several decades ago.

The right to execute any human being, no matter the reason, with religious references, be it Sharía, or the Old Testament Lex Talionis as the inspirational source of Post Modern legislation shows that religion is one thing and God something else. When we attack the flamboyant stoning of alleged criminals in Somalia or Iran, the step the gallows or the lethal injection as a means of implementing the Capital Punishment in China, the USA and Russia, there is no level of sophistication by comparison. The result is the same whether executed in the public or behind bars. Death.

I can think of no possible excuse for taking somebody else´s life, based on secular or religious law is abominable. Murder is murder no matter what you may call it. By the way the murder devices in a highly technological nation such as the USA have been performing poorly lately. People choke to death for fifteen minutes or more....

People get what they deserve? Too many mistakes are made. Contemporary DNA techniques have freed numerous victims who have had to walk down the death road. How does the open democratic society defend itself from callous criminality and organized violence? I don´t know. This has to be the core of discussion in an era when fundamentalism and organized crime are becoming present to a scaring degree in everyday life.

The overwhelming density of people in mega cities and the constant urbanization globally may have something to do with fear, threat, scattered social networks, facing thousand of unfamiliar faces on a daily basis, networking built in cyber worlds and not in real life. The amount of stress hormones and the risk of an adrenalin generated acting out is sixty times higher in urban conglomerates that in a rural context because of a constant stress level we do not even acknowledge. The rural social control may be a pain in the a-s but also a means of social intervention to hold violence at bay.

When you hardly known the people on your street corner or in your condominium, how can you possibly take an interest in a thirteen year old girl murdered by the authorities in Somalia? Recent research insists that we, as a species, are not disposed to be confronted with the amount of strangers that have been commonplace to us. Unconsciouscly we produce adrenaline and cortisole and other transmittor substances and hormones on a constant basis as if faced with a perpetual threat. We know that hens overly crowded in enormous farms start to attack each others. To kill is not something at rest deep in our reptile memory. As for now we let others do the dirty work for us....