men and women, infants and children, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys." - From the Bible: 1st Samuel 15:3
Why does God want us to murder all non-believers and their animals? Is this why the Crusades and the Inquisitions happened? Is the Bible a danger to humanity?
2006-12-28 07:18:20 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
ROTFLMBO...no. This verse, as many others used here, is out of context both to the word and the historical aspect. It is Old Testament. The Crusades were led by MAN not God and for reasons that benefitted Man and not God. Once again, it is always wrong to hide greed and the need for power behind any belief.
The Bible is like a gun, its not the Bible or gun that is the danger, but that they are dangerous when used by the wrong hands.
MGloria
2006-12-28 07:25:03 · answer #1 · answered by Morning Gloria 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First of all, it is NOT true that God wants to murder all non-believers and animals. This was a specific instance in the Old Testament of a group of people who had become so wicked that God determined their destruction was necessary. In the words of Scripture, "Their iniquity was full."
However, that is an Old Testament frame of reference. In the New Testament, the Bible says in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 that is the job of believers to pray for all men that they might come to the knowledge of Truth because it is God's desire that everyone is redeemed. The NT also says that God is not willing that any would perish. But God also doesn't want to force anyone to believe -- He wants people to come to Him by free choice.
While God did pronounce judgment in the Old Testament upon the Amalekites (in part because of their opposition to Israel), he nowhere tells believers that we are to go and force Christianity or Judaism on the world.
Contrary to that, however, another major world religion has its primary text instructing that anyone that doesn't convert to their religion should be destroyed as infidels and that this should continue until the whole world is ruled by that religion (I'll leave you to figure out what that is.)
What makes the New Testament different is Christ. Since his death, burial, and resurrection (see Josh McDowell's "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" or Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ" -- both books written by former atheists that detail the facts surrounding these events), His followers are exhorted to love others and serve them. They are to win the hearts of others by demonstrating the character of Christ in their lives.
As for the Crusades, you need to know a bit more about history. When Constantine was emperor, he claimed to have a vision saying "In Christ, conquer." So he immediately marched his whole army into the water to "baptize" them and declared them Christians. You need to understand, though, that just having an emperor declare you a Christian and march you through water doesn't produce a change of heart. Real Christianity is a conversion of the heart. There is no evidence from Constantine's subsequent life that he was truly a follower of Christ. In fact, the priests of pagan religions suddenly became priests of Christianity after Constantine's edict. So they "clothed" their pagan ceremonies in Christian language and made them part of "church."
This is the "church" you have conducting the Crusades. There was no real desire to convert the heathen. It was just a grab for territory and power and money. But two things have resulted from it: (1) It left a bad taste for Christianity in people who haven't made the distinction between real Christianity sharing the love of Christ and Christians-in-name-only who have used religion to suit their own ends. (2) It hurt those in the Muslim world.
Christianity should never be spread by force, but by love serving others. Unfortunately, history reveals that some have taken a noble faith and used it for purposes of political expediency. This is shameful. But even today people are doing this same thing.
2006-12-28 15:38:06 · answer #2 · answered by familyorchestradad 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's good to question the Bible. Is a passage right; is it wrong? People tend to agree simply because it comes from the Bible. I do not agree with everything in the Bible, and that is the reason why God likes me. Which is ***-backwards to conventional thinking.
2006-12-28 15:23:13 · answer #3 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good job of MISQUOTING 1 Samuel 15:3. Try actually READING the Bible - or at least cutting and pasting from it - if you want to ask a question about it. By deliberately misquoting the book you only make yourself look foolish. (Which I hope you aren't.)
2006-12-28 15:24:02 · answer #4 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God doesn't want us to murder anyone, that was old testament and this is the new testament days, Two different covenants. The crusades were from the Catholics, not necessarily Christians.
2006-12-28 15:22:04 · answer #5 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not non-believers but Amalek. They had an irrational hatred of the Jews and as long as one lived the Jews had to watch there backs.
Haman was a Amalek and many feel Hitler was as well.
2006-12-28 15:20:43 · answer #6 · answered by Quantrill 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to read the WHOLE Bible, not just a couple verses... God doesnt WANT us to kill anyone, He wants us to show mercy. The OT shows Justice and what is the penalty for sin... the NT shows mercy and that we ALL deserve the punishment for sin.
2006-12-28 15:21:56 · answer #7 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you an Israelite? Are you in the desert, being given instruction by God?
Get thee to the New Testament and try again.
2006-12-28 15:22:13 · answer #8 · answered by watcherd 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's funny how God ordered the Israelites to kill people but then has a commandment against killing people.
2006-12-28 15:21:23 · answer #9 · answered by Incoherent Fool 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its really is something to think about.
A further concequence of that question is: why did he need people to do the killing, when he seemed to be doing such a great job all by himself?
2006-12-28 15:29:45 · answer #10 · answered by big j 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋