Death Penalty for Certain Sins in Ancient Israel

Today I read Leviticus 20 where the Lord explains that all the commandments He just gave to the children of Israel concerning honoring their parents, no homosexuality or incest or bestiality, carry the death penalty.  In other words if any of the children of Israel commit these sins, they are to be put to death.

In this day and age where most people feel that the death penalty should be done away with, I personally do not feel this way, this probably seems harsh.  However, it's just like with any cancer, it has to be cut out.  If it is allowed to remain, it can spread and then the body dies.  The reason Heavenly Father had the Israelites kill or drive off all the people that currently inhabited the land of Israel is because the Israelites were prone to falter and fall away and if they had been allowed to remain, there would have been problems. 

So it is with the sins that Heavenly Father forbade them from doing in chapter 18 and 19.  He knew that if anyone committed these sins and were not slain for it, that the sins would spread and would cause other people to also do those things.  Now, many would probably argue that after Christ came, the death penalty has been done away with and would no doubt cite the story of the woman taken in adultery that Christ allowed to live as their example.  Such people would do well however to remember that Christ still condemned the behavior, adultery, and told the woman to sin no more.  He did not say it was ok to commit those sins, He merely did not put the woman to death over it. 

From this story we can glean that it is still wrong to curse one's mother or to engage in homosexual practices or any other sexual perversion that God has listed.  This includes adultery.  I personally deplore adultery of any kind.  There is never a reason for it, ever.  If you are unhappy in the relationship then the relationship needs to end, you do not have sexual relations with anyone who is not your spouse, ever.  I have no sympathy for these people of any kind.  God's way is the only way to true, everlasting happiness.  I invite all those who doubt to try it and see.  Until tomorrow.