The Old Testament [...] was busy laying down the death penalty for women who wore men’s clothing
But Deuteronomy 22:5/Deuteronomy#22) says nothing about the death penalty. It’s just an abomination, which presumably means, “You’re going to hell, but we won’t necessarily stone you.”
A better argument would be, “The Old Testament [...] was busy laying down the death penalty for victims of rape.”
“If there be a damsel that is a virgin betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them to death with stones; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor’s wife: so thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.”—Deuteronomy 22:23-24, ASV/Deuteronomy#22)
I guess they thought it unlikely that the girl tried to scream or that she was threatened with immediate violence. And if she’s not already engaged (28-29), she is forced to marry her rapist without the possibility of divorce.
But Deuteronomy 22:5/Deuteronomy#22) says nothing about the death penalty. It’s just an abomination, which presumably means, “You’re going to hell, but we won’t necessarily stone you.”
A better argument would be, “The Old Testament [...] was busy laying down the death penalty for victims of rape.”
I guess they thought it unlikely that the girl tried to scream or that she was threatened with immediate violence. And if she’s not already engaged (28-29), she is forced to marry her rapist without the possibility of divorce.