God killed 42 children?

Question

So let's see here, according to 2 Kings 2:23-24, God, as ordered by Elisha, had two bears kill fourty two children, who made fun of Elisha's head. Now that wasn't very loving of God, was it? I mean, you make fun of a guy, and you get killed? Shouldn't Elisha show more restraint than that? Even if he doesn't, then God, at least have the kindness to spare the children?

What's going on here Christians? Why did God kill 42 people?

Slam Dunk- So if I become a parent I can kill my children whenever I want? That's where your logic leads.

Biblehelp- Ok, so God murdered/maimed 42 people. I'm afraid that doesn't make your case much stronger. So you insult God, your dead? That doesn't seem fair. I thought God was a God of mercy? And those empty threats won't do you any good without evidence.

jason m: So? Jesus has said that he didn't come to abolish the prophets, but to fulfill them. In addition, it's the same God right? And I thought that God didn't change?

jason m: Ermm... OK? I fail to see how that justifies anything. So it's ok to murder people if they don't run away?

The Daily Way: So then God could be evil, right?

Adam C: Argument from silence. I believe that is considered a logical fallacy. To make matters worse, the context makes it quite obvious that the children were killed.

hillbilly: I fail to see how this justifies a loving god murdering fourty two people.

dimitri: So basically, your answer is threats? Why did God have to do the whole "Law of Moses" thing? Why not just jump to the Jesus part, where he is loving and forgives everybody? Did God like killing people for not believing.

channiek: So if I'm a parent, I can kill my children? I gave life, so I can take it away, right?

Bobby Jim: So let's see here. It's ok to kill people if they don't show you respect? Atheists often don't show the Christian religion respect, so can you kill Atheists? Or am I missing something?

cmhelp1: Right. Mock God... AND DIE!!! That seems rather mean for an all-loving god doesn't it? What happened to "turn the other cheek"?

Answer 1

that happened in the old testamant.......

Answer 2

God is love and has compassion. We christians are not under the Mossaic law, we are under grace of GOD, Jesus save us from that law.
This was the LAW OF MOSSES, It was hard, if you disrespect the prophet of GOD, YOU SHOULD BE punish severely. God has authority, so people simply need to do good things. Elisha could have spare them, but whatever happened, happened for a reason. THE LESSon is respect the Lord and believe in Christ in order for one to escape the damnation of hell. Once a person made God angry, he will be punish severly. Therefore, do not play with the word of God. IT IS LIFE AND ALSO DEATH If one rejects it or make fun of it, because he will pay during judgement day.

Answer 3

According to the message Bible: "This mob of youths was from Bethel, the religious center of idolatry in the northern kingdom, and they were probably warning Elisha not to speak against their immorality as Elisha had done. They were not merely teasing Elisha about his baldness, but showing severe disrespect for Elisha's message and God's power. God sent the bears as judgment for their callous unbelief. "

Answer 4

Especially when you consider that God could have just given the old dude some hair.
I mean if God can cure terminal cancer surely he could do something about baldness.

Thanks for the thumb down.

The bible does indeed say the children were killed for teasing the old bald headed prophet.

Just one of God's many miracles of death and destruction.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

God loves Killing people!

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Another thumb down!
I just love it when Bible believers claim the Bible is absolute literal truth, except of course for this bit, that bit or some other bit that even they can not bring themselves to swallow.

Brother Zombie posted a very nice link.

I especially love it when the Christers say that they can make no sense of it so it must be true.

Answer 5

Elisha called upon God for justice.
The bears came and killed the children.
These children are not innocents.

For their disrespect and disobedience, the parents would have been required to stone their rebellious children to death under the provisions of The Law.
God was merciful to the parents of the children who were doomed anyway. They were killed by bears.

The parents were spared from their gruesome responsibility to stone their own children.
That's mercy and that's "tough love."

Answer 6

The bears didn't kill all forty-two. God in his mercy let some of them get maimed only. You got a problem with that?

God could have burned them alive with his special fire that he reserves for such purposes. Instead he showed mercy, and some of the children actually got away with torn faces and other parts of their bodies.

One kid only had his arm torn off.

Yes, the Bible god is truly a god of mercy.

.

Answer 7

God is eternal, and he knows the soul of each and each guy or woman. God knew those teen's previous, recent, and destiny. If he sent the positioned up to to kill them maybe it grew to alter into not incredibly for what that they had executed up till finally that element to Elisha; whether it grew to alter into additionally because of the fact of evil they'd have executed could they have persisted to stay to tell the story this earth.

Answer 8

Hebrew 10:31, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God."

We must always be careful of what we say about (or to) God. We will be held accountable to Him on judgment day, if not sooner. God bless.

Answer 9

For one thing, persons were considered children up to the age of 21 when then males could be considered for the military, and the Bible doesn't give their ages. Secondly, Elisha was a prophet of God, by making fun of Elisha, they were doing the same to God, they were being disrespectful and disobedient, which is something covered in the Levitical Laws. You can thumbs down all you want, wait to see what happens at Armageddon, you haven't see anything yet. And God is totally within his rights as Sovereign of the universe and Creator of all things. Children are a reflection of their parents, what are you training yours for.

Answer 10

What's going on is that it isn't a good thing to mock one of God's chosen. Remember that even a child is known by his actions and are not beyond the hand of God the Almighty.

God Bless You

Answer 11

D you know ho much time it would take for two bears to go through 42 kids? Did they just stand there and wait for it?

Natural selection at work I guess...