Why does god want to cut off women's hands?

[Esquilax]

What about it?

Well, I'd suggest that, objectively speaking, harmful behaviours like drug consumption, rape and serial murder, should be stopped by mutual agreement for the good of the group.

And so it's just your opinion. Your opinion is noted.

An opinion based upon certain objective, evidently demonstrable facts. That's important to most people, though I'd understand why demonstrating things might be unimportant to a theist.

Ad populum fallacy.

Which is why there was an extra sentence that you happened to delete from the quote, I'm sure by accident, the part about society being self correcting. See, it's not just about majority vote, and I'm amused at your continued need to make my arguments as simplistic as you possibly can; it's about the moral arguments one makes in support of positions that eventually leads to a majority. You can see it time and again through history; slavery was abolished, segregation was abolished, gay marriage bans are quickly going the same way... we learn. Again, this is what you'd expect from a bunch of imperfect humans stumbling through moral issues and gradually growing more complex.

You said that "a functioning society benefits all of its members." You don't seem to think that slave-owning society benefits all of its members. Logical conclusion: your position is that slave-owning societies weren't functioning.

An optimally functioning society, then. Are you happy? Do you feel like you've won a battle? Because from out here, this just looks like petty point scoring.

So judge him.

Oh, I am.

Again, I'm attempting to understand other times and cultures without your holier-than-them attitude.

Right, so you're saying that there's a context in which kidnapping, slavery and rape are morally permissible. That makes you an apologist for evil acts. I'm terribly sorry you think that thinking kidnapping, slavery and rape are bad is "holier-than-thou" but I don't; I'm quite happy judging violent monsters. There's no context that makes these crimes okay.

No, I'm on record multiple times as believing that all morality is ultimately subjective. You're the one setting yourself up as judge of other cultures.

No, I'm setting myself up as a human being capable of having an opinion of the actions of others. There's nothing egotistical about that; I disapprove. Deal with it.