[Jorge]

Biblically, I see nothing to suggest that the life of an adulteress' unborn child was considered worth anything. Putting an adulteress to death would certainly kill her unborn child as well, but I see nothing to suggest that the adulteress was supposed to be kept alive until she gave birth.

Interesting point. I never thought about this.

[supercat]

Interesting point. I never thought about this.

It does raise some tricky issues. There are some practical and moral reasons for wanting the unborn child destroyed:

1. If allowed to live, it may regard itself as the woman's husband's heir, creating considerable strife.
2. The Old Testament recognized that it is sometimes proper for children to suffer for the sins of their parents.
3. Some adulterers might be hoping to pass on their seed to future generations; making it clear that children conceived in adultery will not survive would thus serve to discourage this.

Under Old Testament morality, I think there is no problem whatsoever with a rape victim destroying any child sired by her rapist. Under New Testament morality, things are a little more complicated, but that's a subject for another post.