Why didn't God pull any punches when Deanna had to proove her faith like He did for Abraham?

Question

Deanna Laney heard God speak. He told her the end was near and that she was to prove her faith in Him. He told her to kill her sons in and Abraham-like manner. Unlike with Abraham he didn't step in at the last minute, he didn't supply a sacrificial goat. Two of her sons ended up being stoned to death and the third seriously injured.

After being arrested and brought to justice, she has been called delusional. Why did believers not clamour in her support? Is this public humiliation punishment for not finishing the job she was commanded to or is this yet more proof that anyone who "Hears God speak" should first check with a psychologist before acting on the commands from above?

Clearly there is a biblical precedent that God commands his faithful to kill their offspring, how could Deanna know the difference between hearing God and her delusions?

http://www.courttv.com/trials/laney/033104_ctv.html

Starjumper, if Abraham had known that God would stop him at the last minute and he was simply going through the motions then it would really not be much of a test of faith now would it? Just as Abraham believed the voice, so did Deanna. Simply blaming the bits of the Bible that are being copied by mentally ill people on the Devil isn't a very convincing argument.

Whirlingmerc, this is most definitley not the only section in the bible where things like this happen. I'm not going to list them all here but check out:
http://www.evilbible.com/Ritual_Human_Sacrifice.htm

and

http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/cruelty/long.html

as starters.

MiD, I'll try harder next question round.

Vango, it seems like He did speak to Deanna, which started a load of trouble, including me asking this question and according to Starjumper it is very likely that Baal actually does the talking so, how can I believe it when I hear it...

Answer 1

Why don't you ask Him?

Hm...A valid point GBB. You're right, she might have heard the wrong voice. What I'm trying to say, is: I doubt you'll find that answer on this forum. I still battle to distinguish His voice, and I've been walking the road of Christianity for many years. Often I just go with the common sense I received. Keeping my feet on the earth, that is.

Answer 2

It would be different
and in any case as far as 'Biblical precedent' Abraham lived 4000 years ago and is almost the only case in the Bible remotely like that and with God even stepping in at the last minute. So 'precedent' is hardly true.


I say precedent is harly true... because it is true in a sense... but the sense is fulfilled...
God stepped in at the last minute to save Abraham from sacrificing his 'only son' an interesting phrase... showing Isaac the 'only son ' of promise as Abraham had Ishmael and would later have 6 more by Keturah after Sara died... God would give His 'only Son', the only son begotten from eternity and he would not be saved at the last minute but die on a cross... God did the thing He could not ask another to do in the ultimate manner in the same exact sense, Abraham being a picture pointing to the death and resurection of Jesus

decades before when Abram (Father) and Sarah were already too old to have children, God promised a son... not any son .. but a child who would bless the man who had no children with a child who would be a blessing to every family on earth as Abram became Abraham (Father of Nations)

and after decades, Abraham had Issaac, the miracle child that his hope rested on and that was the Isaac God tested Abraham about... Abram, now Abraham (Father of nations) was declared 'righteous' because of his faith in the child to come, now is tested whether he would lay down the child... and KNOWING that God's promise to bless the world through the child would be filled he still obeyed KNOWING God would have to raise the child to life (as pointed out in the book of Romans) and God sent an angel to stop Abraham at the last minute

In the end, you raise a good question. We all need to be very very sure we are following God and not our imaginations. After all, the Bible says 'the heart of man is desperately sick, who can know it' Abraham met with God over decades and was sure who he was talking to... we should be very sure it is God who is doing the asking and our choices would be pleasing to Him because we are too easily decieved by ourselves and even the devil who would like to put up a false God and a false way to God to throw us off track

Answer 3

So, one must conclude that it wasn't God talking to her. God would never demand children sacrifices (the one time he did, he stopped it for it was never his intention for Isaak to be killed). Baal, the false god, was the one who demanded these sacrifices, and was an abomination to God.

Answer 4

Your pontificating style does nothing for me.

Try sentences beginning with the word "I" rather than "you", "he", "she", "they", or "we."