So if Abraham didn't prostitute his wife, what would you call it?

Question

Ladies, if your husband said, "I love you, but I'm gonna let the President have you so he won't kill me" how would you feel about this? I just can't concieve of this man being any kind of role model.

Before anyone starts with the thumbs down for Bonnyrogue, It was a joke in reference to an answer I posted earlier.

Answer 1

I'd have to say, "Sorry, but you can take care of that yourself."

Answer 2

Yeah, he really screwed up, didn't he?

He was a passive guy, and was in a situation where he was afraid for his life, and so he put his wife in the position to pay the price, unfortunately. (The Bible is full of "real" people -- who do wonderful things sometimes, and terrible things other times, and often it's the same person.)

Having agree with you overall, I think your generalization was sloppy: I think there's a small distinction to be made in someone aggressively offering his wife up to an enemy as you have painted it, versus pretending not to be married and then letting whatever happens happen.

It's the difference between active intentional evil vs. the passive evil that happens out of cowardice, although no ill intention was meant.

(I'd compare it more to the difference between a soldier who actively shoots his friend in the back when surrounded, so that enemy thinks he's on their side, versus the soldier who runs away and leaves his friend to fend for himself when their position is overrun. Both actions suck, but you're ascribing false intentions to Abraham. He failed his wife out of fear, not indifference, and we have all experienced fear.)

So what else do you know of Abraham besides this? Pretty broad conclusion to draw from this particular behavior.

I wonder what I would find I went back through your life, or my own life, or anyone else's life -- could I find a moment of passivity or cowardice, where we simply didn't stick our necks out when we should have, potentially allowing someone else to pay the price we should have paid?

And is that moment the definition and value of our lives? Does it negate anything positive we might have done in the meanwhile?

That's the question you need to ask yourself here.

Answer 3

According to the Bible, God also allowed women raped and your little children slaughtered.

From God’s so called Bible - Isaiah 13:15-18

“Anyone who is captured will be run through with a sword. Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes. Their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes. For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off. The attacking armies will shoot down the young people with arrows. They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for the children.”

How any decent person can believe and follow the Bible is beyond imagination, seems like religious people just ignore the bits they dislike and twist the rest into a happy delusion, much like the behaviour of drug addicts.

Answer 4

You're choosing one incident in Abraham's life to focus on...that isn't fair. Abraham did commit alot of sin, noone is perfect, not even "role models". The miraculous and wonderful thing about Abraham is that he learned to have such uncomparable faith in God! Abraham set out on a journey at the call of God, not knowing where he was going or why, with little or no provisions, at the request of God, and took one step at a time in pure faith! Noone is a perfect "role model" unless you count Jesus himself. There were many men beloved of God that did awful things...Abraham was one and David, God's favorite, was another. God loved these men because they showed faith and had the courage to get done God's will. God does not expect us to be perfect, He expects us to lean on Him and trust in Him to show us the way we are to go!

Answer 5

Lol, I always thought this was one of the crazier stories of the bible. Heck, it's possible some messed up things went on in the brief period that Pharoah had "custody" of Sarai.

Though I guess that story ends with God admonishing Abraham, so that's the explaination you're gonna be getting.

Answer 6

It is just too bad to have this kind of story about Abraham in the bible,it is just too bad.

The Muslims Quran refuted the bible story and have a nobler tales about Abraham and all Muslims have a high regard for Abraham.

Answer 7

What Abraham did was wrong in regards to giving his wife to another man so that he woudn't be killed. Abraham was afraid for his life but at that time in his life, he wasn't strong in his faith. He was still learning about the character of God. People make mistakes but don't discredit Abraham's faith in God just because he failed in this area of his wife. Abraham was noted for his faith in God - when he was 100 years old, he believed God would grant him a son. He also believed that God would spare his son when God required him to sacrifice Issac. God did spare Issac's life. The faith of Abraham was amazing - the more He knew God the stronger his faith was. That simple concept is what we all need in our own lives.

Answer 8

Are you referring to the incident where Abraham and Sarah were in Egypt. . .and the Pharaoh wanted Sarah for himself? And Abraham did not protest but, instead, suggested the two of them were siblings?

(This was actually a ploy to save her from harm. . .as it was the tradition of Egyptian royalty for princes to marry their sisters. . .and Pharaoh apparently thought they were a royal family from Haran/Ur. ) You do not have to like Abraham. . .or Biblical history. . .but this is not "the" incident in which to be critical of him.

See Rabbi Teleshkin's book "Biblical Literacy" - you might enjoy it.

Hope this helps!

Answer 9

I'm no longer married, but if this was the outcome, as it was for pimp Abraham, he could have her:

GEN 13:2: And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.


Interesting how the bible claims it was to avoid being killed, but, they ended up rich for her efforts (and his pimping).

Answer 10

And what about God asking Abraham to sacrifice his child?

That is some tough love.

Answer 11

Fairytales.