The Bible is the 4,000 year old basis of all Common Law and International Law. Folks here should read it before they take a swipe at it. But then who can fault them when 80% of Christians don't actually regularly read the Bible themselves.
The laws of Deuteronomy 22:13–29 are related in that they deal with offenses involving women.
Verses 13–22 deal with crimes involving a married woman, and verses 23–29 deal with crimes involving an unmarried woman.
In that latter section, verses 25–27 clearly address the crime of rape: “If out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her.”
The issue of the Bible at large is always against force while defining consent.
2) Exodus 22:16 is a parallel law: “If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife.” No force is involved, only seduction. It’s a case of consensual sex and requires the same penalty as prescribed in Deuteronomy 22: the man pays a fine and marries the girl he slept with.
In the New Testament, rape is not mentioned directly, but within the Jewish culture of the day, rape would have been considered sexual immorality. Jesus and the apostles spoke against sexual immorality, and Jesus suggested such immorality is justifiable grounds for divorce (Matthew 5:32).
Further, the New Testament is clear that Christians are to obey the laws of their governing authorities (Romans 13). Not only is rape morally wrong; it is also wrong according to the laws of the land. As such, anyone who would commit this crime should expect to pay the consequences, including arrest and imprisonment.
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