Jehovah's Rules of Engagement
I found it very interesting reading some of the biblical rules for war and genocide. The following passages are from Deuteronomy 20:10-18.
That's quite the offer of peace. Forced labor or death! Reminds me of God's offer for us today - worship me as king or burn in hell.
OK, all the men were to be killed and now the women, children and livestock are to be taken as plunder. Jehovah gives the green light to slavery. Although he does compassionately remind his people in Exodus 21:21 to make sure, after a hearty beating, that the slave can get up after a day or two.
Here is where the real trouble begins. The justification for killing men, women and children is the fear that they will lead the fickle Israelites away from God. But how on earth could a toddler, or an 8 year old teach them to worship false gods? I find it highly ironic that they are murdering children to prevent themselves from sinning against God. What do you call killing children? Wouldn't the opposite be better - let them worship false gods to prevent the killing of children? What does this say about Jehovah? He'll have children murdered in order to have a "holy" people around to stroke his vanity and tell him how awesome he is.
A final thought (for the literal minded) - if humanity really ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and God really said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil", then how come most of the civilized world knows that genocide and slavery are wrong but God doesn't?
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. (Deuteronomy 20:10-13)
That's quite the offer of peace. Forced labor or death! Reminds me of God's offer for us today - worship me as king or burn in hell.
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.(Deuteronomy 20:14-15)
OK, all the men were to be killed and now the women, children and livestock are to be taken as plunder. Jehovah gives the green light to slavery. Although he does compassionately remind his people in Exodus 21:21 to make sure, after a hearty beating, that the slave can get up after a day or two.
16 However, 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 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. (Deut. 20:16-18)
Here is where the real trouble begins. The justification for killing men, women and children is the fear that they will lead the fickle Israelites away from God. But how on earth could a toddler, or an 8 year old teach them to worship false gods? I find it highly ironic that they are murdering children to prevent themselves from sinning against God. What do you call killing children? Wouldn't the opposite be better - let them worship false gods to prevent the killing of children? What does this say about Jehovah? He'll have children murdered in order to have a "holy" people around to stroke his vanity and tell him how awesome he is.
A final thought (for the literal minded) - if humanity really ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and God really said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil", then how come most of the civilized world knows that genocide and slavery are wrong but God doesn't?
posted by R.K. at 9:27 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home