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How can Evagelicals believe in the absolute truth of the Bible?
When the Bible, particularly the old testament tell of God ordering so many evil crimes how can they believe in its absolute truth.
God orders the killing of innocent people even after the Ten Commandments said “Thou shall not kill”. For example, God kills 70,000 innocent people because David ordered a census of the people (1 Chronicles 21). God also orders the destruction of 60 cities so that the Israelites can live there. He orders the killing of all the men, women, and children of each city, and the looting of all of value (Deuteronomy 3). He orders another attack and the killing of “all the living creatures of the city: men and women, young, and old, as well as oxen sheep, and asses” (Joshua 6). In Judges 21, He orders the murder of all the people of Jabesh-gilead, except for the virgin girls who were taken to be forcibly raped and married. When they wanted more virgins, God told them to hide alongside the road and when they saw a girl they liked, kidnap her and forcibly rape her and make her your wife! Just about every other page in the Old Testament has God killing somebody! In 2 Kings 10:18-27, God orders the murder of all the worshipers of a different god in their very own church! In total God kills 371,186 people directly and orders another 1,862,265 people murdered.
The God of the Bible also allows slavery, including selling your own daughter as a sex slave (Exodus 21:1-11), child abuse (Judges 11:29-40 and Isaiah 13:16), and bashing babies against rocks (Hosea 13:16 & Psalms 137:9).
This type of criminal behavior should shock any moral person. Murder, rape, pillage, plunder, slavery, and child abuse can not be justified by saying that god says it’s OK.
I know that most Christians believe that God is a good and loving god and realise that the Bible cannot be taken as 100% God's rules and laws.
So how can the Evangelical church keep believing that it is the ultimate and unquestioning word of God. I would be interested to hear how they can support this belief which they are constantly quoting to oppose abortion, homosexuality and the truth of evolution etc.
4 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
Whoever has repented, God has been willing to save. Think about it: When the firstborn in Egypt died, any family that followed God's directions about marking their homes were spared. God provided a way out. When Joshua attacked the city of Jericho, Rahab and her family escaped because they wanted to join the people of God. Hundreds of years before Joshua's time, God told Abraham that he'd have to wait for his claim on the land of Canaan, because God was unwilling to destroy the people living there at that time. He gave them centuries to change their violet and depraved lifestyle. The corrupt city of Nineveh repented and God saved the whole bunch. Other details about warfare in those days help me understand God's mercy a little better. For instance, most of the time, women and children had fled before the actual fighting began. Whenever the Israelites went into an enemy city, they were first to make an offer of peace. If the people accepted it, they wouldn't be killed. The pattern is consistent: Whoever has wanted to be saved, God has saved.
Source(s): Let me tell you about my father. When I was young, he continually left my mom and us three kids to fend for ourselves. And I was there when he killed a helpless animal with his bare hands. If that was entirely the case, you could be justified in believing that my father was a tyrant. However, there's some missing information. The reason he left us each day was to work to earn money to provide food, clothing, and shelter for us. And the reason he killed a helpless animal was because it had been hit by a car and was in agony. He put it out of its misery, and grieved him to do so. So, now you have a balanced view of my dad. He was a loving father and a very compassionate man. One view of God from the Bible can paint Him to be a tyrant, but entirely of Scripture we see a different picture. God bestowed life on each of us. Think of what He did for you. He gave you life itself, eyes to see with, ears to hear beautiful music, and taste buds to enjoy delicious food. He created the blueness of the sky and the awe of the sunset. He gave you a nose to smell the fragrance of flowers. He lavished you with His kindness. He didn't treat you according to your sins, but has shown incredible mercy to you in allowing you to live this far. Add to that the fact that He became a person in Jesus Christ, and in Him we see the most compassionate, loving person who ever lived. He demonstrated His love for us by suffering unspeakably and dying for our sins. With that extra knowledge, it's easy for me to look at anything God did and say, "All His judgments are righteous and true altogether." You say, "But he instigated the deaths of men, women, and children!" Yes, and He did that not just with the Canaanites, but with the whole of humanity. The Judge of the universe said that the soul that sins shall die; in Ezekiel 18:20. God proclaimed the death sentence on everyman, woman, and child. But this same God of justice is rich in mercy and will grant everlasting life to everyman, woman, and child who humble themselves, repent of their sin, and trust in Jesus Christ. - Super KittehLv 51 decade ago
It is a lie to say God ordered evil crimes in the Old Testament.
God did use the nations surrounding Israel to judge Israel and he used Israel to judge the surrounding nations.
It is a lie to say God condones child abuse. You are taking verses out of context, which is dishonest. Also, nothing in the Bible talks about a sex slave.
Hos 13:16 and Psa 137 was a prophesy that babies would be dashed against stones, not God telling anyone to do it. Yet another lie on your part.
It is a lie to say murder, rape, pillage, plunder, slavery, and child abuse can be justified by saying that God says it’s OK.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Are you asking people or are you asking God?
Of course God can not be evil, right? You know that.
So why did these things happen in the Bible?
Just like you have your own choice to your way of thinking so did the people who were warned of the consequences to detestable actions.
The penalty you receive from action is by choice.
These people made their own choices, God does not force people to do anything.
Did you read about His blessings to those who love Him and obey His Commands? What are His commands huh? - to Love, Worship, Not steal, not to committ adultery - have sex before marriage, fornicate, rape etc, not to Mis Treat any one including Slaves etc, etc, etc. the lists of what He tells us NOT TO DO goes on.
So if you ask and accuse Him for your own faults and the faults of others when His laws to protect are already specific and clear, will you not sound foolish or ignorant as to who you are and who God is?
And anyway,,,,,,,to do this and behave right you need God's forgiveness and power by faith in Him, Jesus Christ. A Men. Or your arguing for nothing and completely wasting your time.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Biblical ignorance is a sad thing to see in one such as yourself.
For one thing, the Bible has NEVER, EVER been proven false historically, geographically, scientifically, or archaeologically.
As for those who God had killed (not murdered), they refused to obey the basic rules he put down. They used their 'religions' in evil ways...human sacrifices, to put is nicely...temple prostitutes (male and female), just to name two.
Just because it happened in those times (and still does) does not mean God supports it.
Time for you to do some REAL Bible study instead of copying pasting nonsense that you didn't check out on your own and don't really understand.
YOU PEOPLE are a real sad bunch. Thinking you know what you're talking about when you're just talking outta your hind parts.
