The Reasoning:
The Mosaic Law had to have a divine origin because it has laws in it that man could not conceive. It is reasoned that man cannot think in terms of having a Law that he cannot enforce. For example, the law against coveting. It's secret, in your heart and head and only you and God know when you're doing it...Air tight, right? This law is so enlightened and covers a form of sin man wouldn't even be aware of, it must be from God. If this Law is from God then the rest of them must be too...
V S.
The Challenge:
Deuteronomy 19:15- The Two Witness Rule... Is this law equally enlightened, covering all the bases??? Hardly. Are child abuse and domestic violence not considered sinful, or at least sinful "enough" to require a clearly stated law or a Divinely Enlightened way to investigate such things. Anyone clever, devious or perverted enough to sin in the presense of less than 2 people (one of whom is a child, in the case of child abuse) can "get away with it". This law is so flawed it's sad. It's not perfect. Can it be considered Divine or Enlightened or even adequate? If the Bible got this wrong, it makes a thinking person wonder what else it got wrong.
Did sexual, emotional, and physical abuse of children not occur in ancient times? Did women not get beaten by their husbands? If so then the Bible really is out of date.
I mean, seriously, not muzzling the bull or boiling a baby goat in the milk of its mother are addressed specifically (the one about the baby goat is stated at least three times for crying out loud!)
Perhaps specifically protecting women and children could have been one of the Big 10 commandments...maybe replacing one of the first four detailing very specifically how God wants to be worshipped (he does a good job protecting himself here, 4 out of 10 all about him...) Or, heck, keep all ten the way they are and add two, make it the 12 commandments, like the 12 everything else in the Bible.
The most disgusting part of the whole thing is how it is handled. When the allegation is made, the "Elders" are instructed to do something truly brave and heroic. They are told to call "Legal". They make a telephone call. These men supposedly worthy of double honor and one of the stars in the right hand of Jesus (or whatever) the men in charge of souls, shepherds of men muster their courage and...MAKE A PHONE CALL. Any man who becomes aware of such a thing and does nothing to prevent or stop it is not much of a man. That's all there is to it. Now, is this fair? I mean, these men are just doing as they are told. Fine. Then the man behind this policy is not much of a man, much less a god.
I don't know the best way to handle stuff this complicated. I bet no man does. But a god should.