Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So what do you all think of these passages from Deuteronomy 20. God here is describing what to do when going to war.
To those of you who believe in Christianity...answer me this...why is the God of Love giving these instructions? (to those who don't...I would also like your input if you would like to give it!!!!)
IT seems that the city that the Israelite army approaches has 2 choices:
1) open up to the Israelites and accept forced labor (slavery), or
2) to get killed by the sword and have all of your women and children plundered.
In the last section it talks about how the Israelites are to kill everyone in the cities that Lord God is giving them as an "inheritance."
So even though God said, thou shalt not Kill....there was an exception if those people happened to be Pagans or worship false Gods? In the last sentence it's like Yahweh is telling them "well you better kill them all otherwise they might teach you to follow the wrong God." Is this really the same entity as Jesus saying this? How could that be?
Deuteronomy 20: 10-18
10 When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.11 If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. 12 If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. 13 When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.14 As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
16However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 Completely destroy[a] them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. 18 Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God
So what do you all think of these passages from Deuteronomy 20. God here is describing what to do when going to war.
To those of you who believe in Christianity...answer me this...why is the God of Love giving these instructions? (to those who don't...I would also like your input if you would like to give it!!!!)
IT seems that the city that the Israelite army approaches has 2 choices:
1) open up to the Israelites and accept forced labor (slavery), or
2) to get killed by the sword and have all of your women and children plundered.
In the last section it talks about how the Israelites are to kill everyone in the cities that Lord God is giving them as an "inheritance."
So even though God said, thou shalt not Kill....there was an exception if those people happened to be Pagans or worship false Gods? In the last sentence it's like Yahweh is telling them "well you better kill them all otherwise they might teach you to follow the wrong God." Is this really the same entity as Jesus saying this? How could that be?
Deuteronomy 20: 10-18
10 When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.11 If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. 12 If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. 13 When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.14 As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
16However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 Completely destroy[a] them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. 18 Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God
Do you believe that there is a difference between murder and justifiable killing? Is there ever a time where you believe that it's an acceptable (not necessarily "good") behavior to take a life?
Do you believe that there is a difference between murder and justifiable killing? Is there ever a time where you believe that it's an acceptable (not necessarily "good") behavior to take a life?
Yes. Do you believe its ever acceptable to kill a 2 yr. old child, if so when? Please answer the question directly and don't divert this to an abortion or morality thread.
Yes. Do you believe its ever acceptable to kill a 2 yr. old child, if so when?
Please answer the question directly and don't divert this to an abortion or morality thread.
You asked why God had the right to kill, even though he stated not to kill. Your original post made this a morality thread. The question is if God has the right to kill his creation or not.
I would say yes--God does have the right. He used the Israelites to carry out his judgment.
Yes. Do you believe its ever acceptable to kill a 2 yr. old child, if so when? Please answer the question directly and don't divert this to an abortion or morality thread.
You will never get a response...because there isn't one.
There are many instances in the "bible" where wholesale killing, raping and pillaging is allegedly commanded by God...even the wholesale slaughter of innocent children.
It truly amazes me that people in this present century actually believe this INSANITY to be true and justifiable, just because some lunatic wrote that God said it.
Do you believe that there is a difference between murder and justifiable killing? Is there ever a time where you believe that it's an acceptable (not necessarily "good") behavior to take a life?
Yes I do, as in self-defense....but that wasn't what I was asking. Look at what the scripture actually says...and tell me what you honestly think about it.
You asked why God had the right to kill, even though he stated not to kill. Your original post made this a morality thread. The question is if God has the right to kill his creation or not.
I would say yes--God does have the right. He used the Israelites to carry out his judgment.
That isn't what I asked really.
But why not answer this question: is that Jesus Christ (if you believe he has the same Will as God)...saying
"When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.14 As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves" ????
And is it Jesus, who said to turn the other cheek, who commands to "Completely destroy[a] them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you" just because they follow other Gods?
You will never get a response...because there isn't one.
There are many instances in the "bible" where wholesale killing, raping and pillaging is allegedly commanded by God...even the wholesale slaughter of innocent children.
It truly amazes me that people in this present century actually believe this INSANITY to be true and justifiable, just because some lunatic wrote that God said it.
Hey Christy, what's up! Long time no talk!
It took me a long time to have the courage to really re-evaluate what I had blindly believed. I think there are many Christians who just don't study the whole Bible enough too. If they did, they'd have a better chance of realizing what's going on.
There is definitely a powerfful positive spiritual Force at work in the Universe. The problem is...I think it's been grossly misrepresented...sometimes accidentally, as man has tried to figure it out...but all too often intentionally.
Yes I do, as in self-defense....but that wasn't what I was asking. Look at what the scripture actually says...and tell me what you honestly think about it.
The state has a right to execute criminals. That's effectively what was going on here. God was ordering the execution of the guilty.
On the other hand, God was very serious about making sure the family line for Jesus, the Messiah, was pure. Israel was to remain separated from the other nations.
The morality the Hebrews decided to assign to their projected deity was reflective of the prevailing morality associated with war in ancient times. In the 20th Century we were shocked that the Nazis reverted to the enslavement of the populations of the nations which they occupied, but in Biblical times, this was common practice. One of the goals of conquest was the capturing of slaves. Killing all of the surviving war age males was common practice, turning captive women into sexual workers was common, enslaving children was common. The Egyptians did it, the Greeks did it, the Carthaginians did it, the Romans did it, the Persians did it, what would have been unusual would be for a conquering power to not do these things.
The Hebrews determined that their god must be accepting of all this since it took place on a serial basis.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
