Divine Law

Religion itself is a type of code of conduct, and ties directly into the culture and lifestyle of those who practice the religion. Divine Law is the code of behaviour that dictates how the religious followers should preferably behave. Those who break the Divine Law, or laws, were sometimes charged with serious crimes, and executed, especially during the era in which Christian Church and State were merged. The practice of social punishment for breaking any form of Divine Law, is still practiced today in some cultures, Islam, for one, but also lesser known religions and spiritual beliefs, around the world, usually in small clans and tribes that still live without modern technology.

Divine Law is defined as being “any law (or rule) that in the opinion of believers, comes directly from the will of God (or a god).” The rules are delivered by the gods in the form of prophets, saints, or other religious characters, and are recorded, either into a form of scripture, such as the Bible, or the Quran. In smaller social civilizations, such as African tribes, the Divine Law is carried by word of mouth, through traditional oral historical methods. The village or tribe’s holy man, or shaman, –healer, storyteller, psychopomp, etc., is keeper of these rules, and it is his or her job to make sure that all the members know the rules.

The same pretty much applies to modern religion, –priests relay the Divine Laws of the Bible, or other religious texts in church. Or in Buddhism, Islam, and other religions, in which priests, or monks are charged with the obligation to make sure that everyone is aware of Divine Laws. However, there obligation is also to offer salvation and mercy, or forgiveness for broken Divine Laws, –though punishment of some kind is still used in some cases, whether self-administered, or administered by a priest. For example, the tradition of Confession in Catholicism; a man goes in, confesses his sins, and is forgiven, but is usually required to perform penance.