20th Century Yahweh - How much killing is too much?

For Christians, Biblical wars waged by, and in the name of, Yahweh, are justified. Any criticism of them is viewed as the result of failing to look at the war in its correct context.

20th century wars, on the other hand, are first of all wrongly blamed upon atheism, and then cited as demonstrating its evil effect!

What if the Old Testament war-lords had had modern weaponry at their disposal? What if their numbers of dead for ancient wars matched the numbers we saw killed by the military maniacs of last century? Given 20th century military resources, would Joshua, Gideon, etc, not have used them to similar effect? And would they still be revered after having done so?

If Moses or King David had killed the same number people as Hitler, or Stalin, would Christians be as happy to hold them up as heroes?

How far can Holy War go before it becomes unholy?

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• God
• Bible
• Jesus
• Yahweh
• Hitler
• Stalin
• War
• atheism
• atheist
• Christianity
• Old
• Testament
• Nazi
• Communism
• Nazism
• Communist

[roont]

@lou4ii "If that's hard for u then pray this: "Jesus if You're real, show me."

I tried that. My cat farted... does that count?

[Templetonq]

@lou4ii 1God.

There are clear traces of polytheism in the OT. At first Yaweh was a tribal god with some unique characteristics. The OT authors took care to portray him as superior to foreign gods. The Exodus wasn't so much about freeing the slaves as showing that Yahweh was more powerful the Pharoah. So Yahweh manipulates Pharoah's mind to prove a point, rather than sparing thousands of lives.

[Templetonq]

@lou4ii Yes. There is more to the human condition than logic, but have you ever known it to go wrong? If the HS gives you insight into the workings of the universe why is the Bible so unscientific?

But my point: any incredulity can be dismissed with a: "you just don't understand".

[Templetonq]

@lou4ii Yes. That's the response I was expecting. Only those who agree with you are true believers.

[dingodavid]

Joshua called in an airstrike on the Amorites.

Joshua10:7-11

'So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him... And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands"...So Joshua came upon them suddenly...And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel...And as they fled, the LORD threw down great stones from heaven upon them...and there were more who died because of the hailstones than the men of Israel killed with the sword.'

[lou4ii]

@Templetonq but I'm a scientist, Tt. & so is God. logic is a child's game and is the enemy of reason. The science "shoe" is on my foot. True science comes from intuition and inspiration. I just try to ask God, and He shows me how it works, 'cause He MADE it. It's 1of the gifts of The Holy Spirit: "prophecy". That's what I try to use when I compose these comments. I ask Jesus to make the comment. Just remember, we prophecy in part for now. I'm trying to give you Jesus; what Jesus sez.

[lou4ii]

@Templetonq That's a very good question. Heaven (1,200 miles long, wide&high) also will have "foundations" after it touches-down on the newly-restored melted-down&re-made Earth. & it seems that most of the fundies'll end up in the basement cause they squeaked: got saved but no "crown". Never really did anything; weekend Christians. all that fundie noise is mostly just brag. True Christians are an extreme minority on Earth now. Maybe one per million. 4 1/2hearts there'll b "hell in heaven".

[Templetonq]

@lou4ii Fundies always say that but never demonstrate a superior understanding. If you all have the same Holy Spirit why can you not agree on anything?

There would be plenty of Xians who would disagree with some of what you just said.

[Templetonq]

@lou4ii The man without reason does not accept the things that come from science, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are logically discerned.

It doesn't sound so convincing when the shoe's on the other foot does it?

[lou4ii]

Listen people, this is all secondary. of course if you decide to get saved, all the angels of heaven will rejoice. But the war has been won: the way had to be prepared for Jesus to come at the beginning of the common era, die on the cross, get resurrected and take the 7-sealed scroll of the future from The Father's Hand as The Lamb of God, and open the seals thereof. Mission accomplished. It's over. get it? It's done. That's it. the rest is history: Millennium and then melt-down&recycle.

[lou4ii]

@Strangerinasland I sympathize. I really do. But, you see, the reason why none of you get it is because u missed out on the principle of Divine Selection. Because you didn't ask to get the Holy Ghost upgrade, you've devolved. I make perfect sense. U are just simply incapable of grasping the most elementary of realities. That you must choose to live. No upgrade, that's it. & yes, you are all Scrooges, clutching your sacred money 2 ur chests. That's y u're having global financial crises.

[lou4ii]

@roont old man roont was state of the art made a joke about cat and a fart. had2explain it to me u see, so next it'll b the cat had to pee.