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Many have used that, yes. Many have also used the apologetic that religion is bad to kill millions. Bad people will use whatever they can to manipulate people. Neither one of those ideas are good, nor are they the root cause of any suffering.
Yes--they were a soveriegn nation for a time until they were conquered again. But they were a shadow of what they once were, as you pointed out, under Solomon.
This is where one has to choose - go with the traditional claims, or look at the evidence. And the evidence is that the nation -state of David and Solomon was not as big as it was even 100 years later. The buildings pointed to as Solomonic look now to date to the time of Omri. Thus the claims of those like our old pal Eusebius and the Later, great C34 that Solomon had a seaport on the read sea don't seem true.
Now apply that to your own views. I've seen your posts indicating a more liberal, or metaphorical view of most of the OT. You don't seem to want to read it as literal, historical. Why is that? Because it would mean a God that doesn't fit your preference?
This is where one has to choose - go with the traditional claims, or look at the evidence. And the evidence is that the nation -state of David and Solomon was not as big as it was even 100 years later. The buildings pointed to as Solomonic look now to date to the time of Omri. Thus the claims of those like our old pal Eusebius and the Later, great C34 that Solomon had a seaport on the read sea don't seem true.
Considering that it wasn't that long ago that archaeologists doubted that David ever lived, I'm not bothered by the claims that he wasn't as big as people might think. I know nothing about seaports on the Red Sea, etc...but I am not willing to write off the idea that what we see of Biblical historical narratives are true.
Now apply that to your own views. I've seen your posts indicating a more liberal, or metaphorical view of most of the OT. You don't seem to want to read it as literal, historical. Why is that? Because it would mean a God that doesn't fit your preference?
Considering that it wasn't that long ago that archaeologists doubted that David ever lived, I'm not bothered by the claims that he wasn't as big as people might think. I know nothing about seaports on the Red Sea, etc...but I am not willing to write off the idea that what we see of Biblical historical narratives are true.
I am not in the least surprised that you close your eyes to evidence, using the 'they denied that David existed' argument. I have never seen any claim that David never existed, but if they said there was no firm evidence for David before the Moab stone mentioning the house of David (which is still not proof that he lived, or had an empire - just that a Royal Line was named after him. But I am willing to go with the evidence there) they would have been right. We follow the evidence, you follow faith in Bible claims.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard1965
Because He is not the god that you want?...
And since you picked up on me I'll do this one as well.
No. It is not the god we want. Think that through and it applies to evey believer who makes an apologetic for God's evil deeds. 'It wasn't God - it was man", "It was cruel, but they deserved it", "God had to follow the customs of the time". They are not as literal -legalistic as yourself, saying it's all good simply because god did it or ordered it.
That is not the god they want. So they excuse and explain His deeds to make him into the more humane God they want.
Now you think back over the deeds of the Bible and ask yourself whether you never do that, too.
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