1 Samuel 15: 3
Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.
If God (as represented in the Old Testament) is perfect, loving and good then can anyone find perfection and goodness in this verse? Ok, let's assume those babies had to die in order to prevent them from becoming "evil". But that theory doesn't fly because plenty of "evil" people are allowed to exist. If the babies had to die for the greater good of mankind then why couldn't God just painlessly zap them away or let them go to sleep peacefully if they weren't meant for this world? Wouldn't that be a more loving approach? That's why I don't believe the Bible can be the exact and final word of God. Otherwise, God would be less than perfect. I think the people who have had Near Death Experiences give a better picture of God then some of what is in the Bible.
2006-08-01 04:54:12 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Primitive tribe: We want to kill babies.
God invented by primitive tribe: Okay.
Primitive tribe: But we can't just admit we want to kill babies.
God invented by primitive tribe: Okay, okay, I'm telling you to kill babies.
Primitive tribe: Thanks be to the god we created.
2006-08-01 05:00:15 · answer #1 · answered by Sweetchild Danielle 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As a Unitarian Myself, I believe that many of the Biblical stories are just metaphorical. They were written within the context of a particular time and culture, in order to teach a particular moral lesson, or to uphold an ideal which they believed to be important!
2006-08-01 12:04:01 · answer #2 · answered by Windsor 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God wanted every rennet of the Amalekites destroyed.
If God tells you to do something you better do it, or what would befall the Amalekites would befall you.
2006-08-01 12:09:58 · answer #3 · answered by Grandreal 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a very hard question with a very long and involved answer. I would ask you to go to http://www.thenarrowpath.com/
Steve Gregg the pastor there will take you verse by verse and explain to you who G-d is and why he did this.
2006-08-01 12:00:11 · answer #4 · answered by ellieannah 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God hates humans
2006-08-01 11:57:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are too earth-centric. God does not see a person entering into eternity as a loss or a bad thing.
2006-08-01 12:00:37 · answer #6 · answered by Makemeaspark 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is a figment of several people's imaginations. But not mine.
2006-08-01 12:00:29 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because this is not god talking - this is humans trying to justify what they do. these folks seem pretty consistent.
2006-08-03 15:37:57 · answer #8 · answered by cassandra 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good Question! How about people kill (their) babies and claim it is their 'choice' ?
2006-08-01 12:04:01 · answer #9 · answered by John 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When God has pronounced judgment on an entire group of people, it's because those people had reached the point of no return. In the Book of Genesis, when God destroyed the earth by a flood, the Bible said that man's heart was filled with evil constantly. In other words, they only dwelt on evil things, nothing good. God told Noah he was going to destroy the earth and gave Noah instruction on building the Ark. It took Noah over 120 years to build the ark and during that time, he preached to the people telling them of their evil ways and their impending destruction. Noah (and God) gave them the chance to repent and turn aside from their evil ways and to enter the ark for safety. In the end, only 8 people were saved - Noah, his wife, his 3 sons and their wives. No one else repented or accepted the offer of safety in the ark.
So it was with the Amalekites. They had reached the point of no return and would no heed God's calls to turn back and repent. The entire Amalekite nation was like the people during Noah's time. Their hearts were filled with evil constantly and would not heed the call of God to turn away from their evil.
God in his loving mercy allowed the destruction of the Amalekites before their evil spread and consumed more people.
It's not that evil people exist, it's when that person passes the point of no return that they basically tell God "leave me alone, I want nothing to do with you or your goodness" that God pronounces judgment. God knows the beginning from the end.
Let me ask you this, if God allowed the Amalekites to continue to live, what kind of horror and evil could they have unleashed on mankind? You don't know, and neither do I, but God does. We will not know this side of heaven, why God did what He did.
In Exodus 33 (I believe) Moses asked God to show himself to Moses, but God said no because no man can look on the face of God and live (a sinful being can not survive in the presence of a Holy God - God's glory and would destroy him). But God said I will cover you with my hand and pass by and and will show you my back.
When God did that, this is what God said to Moses:
"The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgress and sin, BUT by no means clearing the guilty."
God is a God of love and mercy, but He is also a God of righteousness and justice. We read the above passage of God's mercy and long-suffering, but we skip of the part of "by no means clearing the guilty".
God will plead with us, show us mercy and kindness for as long as He can, but when we completely and wholly reject His mercy, what other choice does He have but to leave you to the the consequences of your actions.
In Romans 1, it said that God's wrath on the unrighteous is to "give them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves". God's wrath is not a bolt of lightning from heaven. God's wrath is to give you up and leave you alone. You either serve God or Satan, there is no middle ground. So, if you say "God, I want nothing to do with you", then who do you serve? God is a gentleman, He will not force you to stay with Him. So, if He leaves you alone, you have just placed yourself under the power and authority of Satan.
Also, the Amalekites were arch enemies of Israel. They constantly attacked Israel, made war with them. When they passed the point of no return, if God hadn't pronounced, the Amalekites would have continued to make war against Israel. God intervened to ensure the safety of his people.
If the Amalekites had repented of their ways, God would have forgiven them and accepted them, but they did not and God had to protect his people.
Let me ask you this, if you had an arch enemy that constantly attacked you and wanted to kill you, would you want God to intervene on your behalf? If that enemy had passed the point where they would not give up and would make it their life's mission to hurt you badly or kill you, would you want God to take whatever means necessary to protect you and your family, even if it meant God pronouncing the death sentence on your enemy? You may not like it, but if the other person won't listen and the only way to stop them was by their unfortunate demise, would you allow God to take them if it ensures your's and your family's safety?
2006-08-01 12:29:34 · answer #10 · answered by 4XTrader 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋