48ca294d   
   XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien, alt.books.cs-lewis   
   From: hayesstw@telkomsa.net   
      
   On Fri, 13 Aug 2010 06:21:15 -0700 (PDT), derek  wrote:   
      
   >On Aug 13, 6:23 am, Dirk Thierbach    
   >wrote:   
   >> Steve Hayes  wrote:   
   >   
   >> The point is that without being able to make the connection that the harm   
   >> was indeed caused by the person believed to have supernatural powers,   
   >> the punishment is not justified. And since we're talking about supernatural   
   >> powers, there's no way to actually make such a connection. Unless   
   >> by association.   
   >   
   >That's _your_ point, but it wasn't _Lewis's_ point.  Lewis simply made   
   >a hypothetical proposition that IF we believed there were witches AND   
   >that they got their powers from the devil AND that they used these   
   >powers to harm others THEN "surely we would all agree that [they]   
   >deserved the death penalty."  If you're prepared to agree with this on   
   >the limited basis that their crimes are proved beyond any shadow of   
   >doubt, then you agree with Lewis.  Of course it's hard to make that   
   >proof - and it should be - but I'm not actually sure I do agree with   
   >him completely.  I've never believed that punishment should go beyond   
   >"an eye for an eye", and if they "bring bad weather", their punishment   
   >should not exceed the harm caused by the bad weather (though clearly   
   >if that involves destroying crops and causing starvation, or bringing   
   >tornadoes, death might be a result).   
      
   My point is that Hutton is making substantially the same point as Lewis when   
   he says that "...a system which believes in magic and has capital punishment   
   for normal murder and arson, there is no other logical situation."   
      
   I don't agree with the system. For a start, I don't believe in capital   
   punishment for "normal" murder and arson either.   
      
      
   Of course Lewis is talking of a different period, at least 1200-1500 years   
   later than the pagan Romans. I suspect that he had the early modern period in   
   mind. It would be interesting to see the context of his comment.   
      
      
      
      
   --   
   Steve Hayes   
   Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/litmain.htm   
        http://www.goodreads.com/hayesstw   
        http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Methodius   
      
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