Personal Responisibility

March 12, 2009, 8:29 am by dc-agape.

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Geniza A Col 14:18-22

4Q266 Frag 10 Col 2:1-15

4Q270 Frag 7 Col 1:6-15

4Q266 Frag 11 Col 2:15-20

The rest of the Damascus Document is about personal responsibility.  The punishment for most of these iniquities is harsh, but they at least teach personal responsibility.  That is something that cannot be said of today’s religions.  Only in Islam are there even rumors of people paying high prices for their own iniquities.  Christianity has become such a “feel good” religion that the Catholics have the harshest punishment…say “Hail Mary” three times and call me in the morning!

I will be listing these punishments that are described in the section of the CD for each iniquity that a member commits.  They range from cutting rations to permanent expulsion from the community.  Something that the NT did hint at:

1^st Cor 5:13 God will judge those outside.  “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth about sexual sin.  And he tells them to expel the wicked!  Very similar to what the authors of the Damascus Document require:

1)  Anyone lying about money (for any reason) would be expelled from the common meal and have their rations reduced for six days.

2)  Anyone bearing an illegal grudge would be expelled from the community for 200 days and then on return have their rations reduced for an additional 100 days.

3)  If that grudge was capital in offense, the expulsion would be permanent.

4)  The act of not taking counsel would require expulsion for a year with reduction in rations for an additional six months.

5)  Even just the act of speaking coarsely would leave a member with expulsion for three months and reduced rations for 20 days.

6)  Disturbing someone else talking would be punished by a reduction in rations for ten days.

7)  Sleeping in the meeting hall would be punished by expulsion for 30 days and reduced ations for an additional ten days.

8)  Anyone leaving the general meeting more than three times without an excuse would have their rations cut for ten days.  Further exits would cause the cut to last for 30 days.

9)  Being seen naked would have a member expelled for six months.  Even just allowing a glimpse of the penis, would cost a member expulsion for 30 days with reduced rations for 10 more days.

10)  Laughing foolishly would have been punished by expulsion for 30 days and reduced rations for an extra 15 days.

11)  Just gesturing with the left hand was bad enough for 10 days worth of reduced rations.

12)  Speaking slander would cause a member to be banned from the common meal for one year.

13)  Slander against the community that person was sent away permanently.

14)  If someone was still willful of heart and broke the fundamentals of Yahad, they were to be sent away for two years.  If that person wants to return, it would be allowed.

15)  Anyone disagreeing with the rulings of the general membership would be sent out never to return.

16)  Anyone taking food from someone else must return it.  The rest of the scroll is too damaged to read the punishment.

17)  Members could “fornicate with their wives” in a way that was not acceptable to the regulations.  That member would be sent out, never to return.

18)  Complaint against “the fathers” was instant expulsion from the membership.  But complaints against “the mothers” only received reduction of rations for ten days.  This was because women had no status in the community.

How would you like to live in that society?  These were harsh punishments for simple infractions, but they did teach the members personal responsibility for their actions.  This is what I always thought religion was supposed to do.  But I am obviously wrong, because the “Christians” in the US definitely do not have any punishment for wrong doings.  I do know that some people believe that attending religion services is form of “atonement”.  In fact, I will leave you with this joke about the difference between a Baptist and a Catholic:

Baptists “sin” on Saturday night. In this way they have to go to church Sunday morning and repent.  Catholics go to mass on Sunday to repent and be forgiven of past sins.  In this way they can continue to sin during the next week.

Posted in Personal Responsibility, Damascus Document, Dead Sea Scroll | Print | 3 Comments »