Victim's Rights: The Biblical View of Civil Justice [Hardcover]

Gary North (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 316 pages
• Publisher: Inst for Christian Economics (October 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930464176
• ISBN-13: 978-0930464172
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,404,396 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding book! Exceptionally thought-provoking!, March 26, 2002

By A Customer

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This review is from: Victim's Rights: The Biblical View of Civil Justice (Hardcover)

In my opinion, this is one of Gary North's best books, right up there with "The Sinai Strategy" and "Honest Money." In this book, which is a spin-off of "Tools of Dominion: The Case Laws of Exodus," North describes the Biblical view of the law as it is found in Exocus 21-22 and then applies that perspective to contemporary legal situations. The results are truly eye-opening.

Why, for example, when a thief robs a victim, does the thief pay damages to the State rather than the person he robbed? Why does the victim of the crime often receive nothing for having been robbed (unless he receives it though the insurance he himself paid for)? Why do the fines from speeding tickets go into the general funds of the city or county in which the infraction occured, rather than go into a fund to pay for the injuries to other drivers and pedestrians who are hit by speeders? When the funds go to the city, doesn't this encourage the corruption of underposting the speed limit, speed traps and ticket quotas for traffic cops?

Who is the victim of crime, the person who was robbed, beaten up or the family members of the person who was murdered, or is the victim of crime the State? Who should receive restitution from the offender, the victim or the State? Under our present non-Biblical system, the State receives the compensation from the criminal, not the actual victim of crime. It doesn't make sense. And because of that, our society is becoming increasingly lawless over time, not law-abiding.

I most highly recommend this book to anybody who is interested in better understanding the Biblical view of one of the major social issues of our time. Regardless of whether or not you are a Christian, this book will have you thinking and reflecting deeply on the issues it brings up.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Introduction to Applied Theonomy in the Justice System, December 22, 2008

By 

Nathan Albright (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victim's Rights: The Biblical View of Civil Justice (Hardcover)

This book is an introduction to the Theonomic view of civil justice, viewing the death pealty, kidnapping, fines, lex talionis, dueling and legitimate violence limited liability, and negligence within the framework of the covenant lawsuit. Basically, North argues persuasively that biblical punishments are based on mankind's role as a representative of God an are based on the ideals of equality before the law as well as restoration of losses to the victim. The book is a brief but convincing examination of how the biblical view of justice is far superior for both the victim and the criminal (as well as society) to our humanistic alternatives, and demonstrates why prisons are a bad idea. For those who are interested in a short introduction to the fundamental legal principles of the Bible as they involve civil justice, this book is an excellent beginning, looking at the case laws of Exodus 21 and 22 in the light of their continuing applicability for Christians and society outside today.