How come God condones war?

Question

Deuteronomy 3:3 So the LORD our God also gave into our hands Og king of Bashan and all his army. We struck them down, leaving no survivors.

Joshua 6:2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.

6:24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it

Joshua 8:1 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.

And my personal favourite:

Judges 11:30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD : "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."

And sure enough God helped again in yet another war, even though this man would later keep his promise of a burnt sacrifce. The sacrifice?

Judges 11:34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter.

No he wouldn't burn his own daughter would he? Not a man that an all seeing God would help?

Judges 11:39 After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.

Oh no he actually burnt his daughter alive?

So God not only condones war, but helps people win wars despite the result of the burning of an innocent girl........no to mention the thousands killed for exercising our beloved free will.

God also condone sexism, homophobia, and isn't quite the God you think He is.

Answer 1

he is a bloody god,.. always got to have someones, or somethings blood!!!

Answer 2

You have mixed two different things, descriptions of human actions that are not sanctioned by God and those that are.

Jephthah made a foolish (perhaps diabolical) pledge and compounded the folly by fulfilling it. At no point is it indicated that God approved. Recording an event in the Bible does not indicate that God condones the act.

Further some quotes are about what people concluded God had done, "God delivered Ai" rather than what God had actually done.

The part where your concern is warranted is where God explicitly commands war, execution, etc. Certainly, the story at the end of Jonah shows that God, in general has compassion for all people. Smite he may but there is no joy in it.

But does God at any time condone smiting, war and execution. Certainly. We would all support a plea of self defense. We would also support a plea of defense of an other from imminent danger. (He had raised the knife to strike her when I shot him.) The question then is, did any of these acts represent some form of violence to prevent something worse. I honestly don't know if Jericho would have committed some greater evil if it had not been destroyed. I am confident that God would not have ordered its destruction (and note that the destruction was not for gain since nothing was to be taken) unless some evil was prevented in by that act.

Answer 3

It may seem that he does condone war even to this day, however if you notice, all the times that He DID condone war was for the benefit and salvation of His chosen people. Today He does not condone war because it is senseless and anyone hating his brother does not and cannot say he loves the Father at the same time.

Answer 4

Those who lean unto there own understanding of scripture are leading others astray and blinded by their "pride!" But this has to occur for the Kingdom of God is coming to this earth and establish His way as the only way.

Pride is man's downfall. The End of the circle of man's self rule will be the beginning of Christ's Kingdom but that "pride" must be broken first!

Answer 5

As an agnostic, won't be in a position to declare one way or the different to the 1st section (tho an undesirable lot of human beings look to think of their very own version of a extra appropriate ability smiles upon slaughter in its call). As to the latter, Bush became probable thoroughly easy in the charges you checklist...would not make him any much less manipulative or a liar tho IMO.

Answer 6

God condemns evil and condones fighting against it. Evil needs to be stopped. Can you imagine what this world would be like if Hitler had not been defeated? Would you want to live in a world were everyone was put to death who that dictator didn't like? God has always been behind the righteous in their battle against evil men. Read the Bible and you will see that.

Answer 7

GOD approves the actions of the righteous. They were set as an example by GOD as to what happens to people who follow other gods. the ammonites were a group of people born of sin or mixing the race at that time was wrong.

Answer 8

If you look at context - most wars were in self-defense and werent initiated.

It is naive to think that wars should never be fought. There are sometimes legitimate reasons for doing so - and no the current war in Iraq doesnt come close.

Answer 9

The Old Testament God was a genocidal murdering maniac--a fact no amount of excuses can cover up!!

Answer 10

The god of the bible is extremely cruel and vengeful, among other things. Who could worship such a god?

Answer 11

God condones war because He created us with the ability, and even the desire, to fight them. He's been at war with Lucifer since before He created us, meaning, He's a warrior. And we're created in His image.