Imagine Abraham in court today?

Question

The charges:-

Attempted murder, Cruelty.

Evidence, Confession by Abraham that he took his son up a mountain, tied him up and prepared to sacrifice him by burning him alive. and was only prevented from carrying out the act by an angel.

Mitigation, Abraham says that he wanted to prove his faith in God and that Isaac was strong enough to have resisted if he had wanted to.

Counter mitigation, Why would a loving God put a father and sons love to such a cruel test and why would Isaaac need to be tied up at all if he was a willing sacrifice.

Possible verdict?

1. Mad as a hatter, institutionalise him for life
2. Guilty of Attempted murder and extreme cruelty
3. Not guilty, a role model to be followed by fathers from then to the present day

What is your verdict?

And do we charge the one he says put him up to it with incitement to murder, extreme cruelty and being one sick God even madder than poor old Abe?

Chaplydia. Do you have children? Do they know what you would do?

Answer 1

Don't forget his previous crime. Abandoning his son and the mother of his son in the wilderness. No water, food or even a horse or donkey to ride. Lovely guy.

Answer 2

The Bible:
Around 2200 BC, Abraham lived and founded the Jewish people
(Genesis)

The Experts:
Historians and other scholars agree that Abraham probably never really existed.

At first glance, the story of Abraham and his family seems real enough. The cities, places, rituals and peculiarities of everyday life Genesis describes - they all really existed.

But theologists, historians and archaeologists have found that on closer inspection, the story of Abraham doesn't hold. Most serious bible researchers have concluded that we shouldn't take it literally. It's a beautiful story - but a story it is.

For starters, the Abraham epic is full of errors. The bible repeatedly tells us that Abraham possessed camels (Gen 12:16, Gen 14:10). Yet Abraham lived 1,300 years before camels were domesticated.

In Genesis 37:25, Abraham's son Joseph is sold to a caravan of camels 'loaded with spices, balm and myrrh' on its way to Egypt. But trade in these goods only blossomed 1,200 - 1,300 years later.

And there are many more mistakes like this. In Genesis 14:14, Abraham chases four kings to the city of Dan – a city which according to the bible itself was founded only a thousand years later (Judges 18:19). Abraham is said to have lived among the Chaldean's (Gen 11:31) and the Philistines (Gen 21:34). But both peoples weren’t around yet.

And how about Abraham's son Isaac visiting the city of Gerar? (Gen 26:1) You guessed it: Gerar didn't exist yet.

According to the bible, Abraham lived about 2,200 BC: the time when Stonehenge was built and the pyramids were still brand new.

We know nothing about individual people who lived back then. Abraham would make an incredible exception!

Genesis gives us even the tiniest details about Abraham's life and times. It quotes him. It tells us all about his dad Terach, his brothers Haran and Nachor, his wife Sarah, his mistress Hagar and his sons Ishmael and Isaac!

Of course, it is more likely the story of Abraham was invented much, much later. As the Dutch journalist and writer Marcel Hulspas put it:

“Abraham’s story is so vivid and rich in details that it seems as if in Genesis, suddenly a powerful light torch is lit that pierces forty centuries of darkness to unexpectedly give us a clear view on one individual human life. Not the life of a king, but that of a simple kettle herder.”

More likely, Abraham’s story reflects other, older myths - we'll give you some examples elsewhere on this site.

At best, Abraham's story may contain some loose elements out of the lives of other legendary people that really did exist. In that respect, Abraham would be much like King Arthur or Santa Claus: 1 percent truth, but 99 percent myth.

But why then is it in the bible?

According to the leading Jewish bible archaeologists Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman, it has to do with politics.

Most likely, it was written later on as a 'literary attempt to define the unity of the people of Israel.' It gave the Israelites a mighty and heroic history, a 'pious past'.

The Abraham epic assured everyone: you have a right to be here, because God has been friends with you for over a thousand years already.

Answer 3

Alas, 'tis simply a metaphorical tale designed to illustrate the principle of putting God first in your life.

Taking Abraham to court over this story would be akin to charging Stephen King with murder for the books he has written.

Answer 4

Abraham was being obedient to God. It doesn't mean he WANTED to do it...but He felt obligated to a God he knew was Sovereign, Compassionate, Patient, and Holy.
God knows both the heart of Abraham and the heart of Isaac and HE knows EXACTLY what we can deal with. 1Cor. 10:13
My verdict is #4
1=guilty
2=guilty
3=guilty
4=redeemed ! His faith in that Sovereign God was credited to him as righteousness.

Answer 5

His lawyer would claim diminished mental capacity and plea-bargain it out, and the kid would go on "Jerry Springer"...

Answer 6

Don't forget that he also married his sister, had sex with his female slaves and then cast that slave and their bastard son into the desert.

Great guy.