Philistines, Amalekites, Edomites, Sidonites and all those other tribes in the Old Testament that were mass murdered. (women, children and even their livestock).
In so many bible accounts, entire cities were wiped out without a single living thing left alive because someone said they heard from God and those were his instructions.
We read these stories, believe them and justify them because we are told those are "enemies of God".
In the same Breath, we are told God made everyone. God loves everyone. But then, some people are "chosen" (Israelites) and those who are not chosen deserved to die and have their lands taken?
Doesn't that cancel out God's supposed love for 'everyone' ?
From time immemorial, atrocities have been carried out in the name of God. Land grabs, genocide, bigotry,misogyny and all manner of violence. Unfortunately, we still haven't really evolved because it is still happening.
A lot of Old Testament biblical "heroes" are in my opinion, genocidal maniacs and bloodthirsty warlords that legend and religion have immortalized.
Unfortunately, history is written by the winner.
I wonder what the stories would have been like if the survivors of the genocide perpetrated by Joshua, David, and the others could write their own account of events.
A Philistine boy, waking up to sounds of terror, screams from his mother as she desperately tries to hide from the swords of her attacker. Watching his Father cut down and his entire village burned and knowing his own fate is doomed. Why? Because his people did not serve the god of his attackers.
I read about all that bloodletting and i shudder and i ask questions. I refuse to find a moral lesson to those stories and move on to the next one.
For me, there is no morality to be found therein.

Royalblak007 are u a christian? Oya defend
Lalasticlala pls dnt take it to fp

No
I'm not a Christian

I'm shocked and saddened how so many Christians (rightly) renounce and condemn the actions of contemporary groups like Boko Haram and ISIS, and yet are so willing to rationalize the actions of the ancient Hebrews when the Bible describes them effectively doing EXACTLY THE SAME THING.
Seriously, read Numbers 31. We're talking about a group that's running around, attacking communities who don't share their faith, killing indiscriminately, enslaving women and girls to serve as breeding chattel for those who did the killing, and justifying their actions in the name of God. The only difference is the prophet they invoked in doing it.

Lilisticlili:

I read about all that bloodletting and i shudder and i ask questions. I refuse to find a moral lesson to those stories and move on to the next one.
For me, there is no morality to be found therein.

You are not a Christian. The moral lesson is obedience.

If God commands us to kill, WE KILL!!

Without question.

Lilisticlili:
Philistines, Amalekites, Edomites, Sidonites and all those other tribes in the Old Testament that were mass murdered. (women, children and even their livestock).
In so many bible accounts, entire cities were wiped out without a single living thing left alive because someone said they heard from God and those were his instructions.
We read these stories, believe them and justify them because we are told those are "enemies of God".
In the same Breath, we are told God made everyone. God loves everyone. But then, some people are "chosen" (Israelites) and those who are not chosen deserved to die and have their lands taken?
Doesn't that cancel out God's supposed love for 'everyone' ?
From time immemorial, atrocities have been carried out in the name of God. Land grabs, genocide, bigotry,misogyny and all manner of violence. Unfortunately, we still haven't really evolved because it is still happening.
A lot of Old Testament biblical "heroes" are in my opinion, genocidal maniacs and bloodthirsty warlords that legend and religion have immortalized.
Unfortunately, history is written by the winner.
I wonder what the stories would have been like if the survivors of the genocide perpetrated by Joshua, David, and the others could write their own account of events.
A Philistine boy, waking up to sounds of terror, screams from his mother as she desperately tries to hide from the swords of her attacker. Watching his Father cut down and his entire village burned and knowing his own fate is doomed. Why? Because his people did not serve the god of his attackers.
I read about all that bloodletting and i shudder and i ask questions. I refuse to find a moral lesson to those stories and move on to the next one.
For me, there is no morality to be found therein.

Royalblak007 are u a christian? Oya defend
Lalasticlala pls dnt take it to fp

You also forgot to mention that the people you are attacking were at different times wiped out, enslaved and sold out and sometimes even pynished By God Himself.
And how the people came about in the first place
Well, your mind is made up
So you can only see it from where u choose to see it.

Doesnt stop God from being God of the Universe

first am not righteous but how mortal men made of dust sit down in their houses and question the holy of holies, the only one that have their lives in his hands, the only one that can take their breath any moment he pleases amazes me. indeed God is sooooo merciful.

Lilisticlili:
Philistines, Amalekites, Edomites, Sidonites and all those other tribes in the Old Testament that were mass murdered. (women, children and even their livestock).
In so many bible accounts, entire cities were wiped out without a single living thing left alive because someone said they heard from God and those were his instructions.
.
.
.
.
are u a christian? Oya defend

My opinion:

We are reading an account that is totally one sided but there are some possibilities. One thing that comes to mind is this:

Was that the order of the day at that period? As in if we were able to read the history of other nations at that period and how they expanded and established their kingdom, would it have been similar to what the Israelites did? Let's be honest.

I think it was the order of the day. The Israelites also suffered the same fate or at least something similar at different points in their history.

1. How do you think the Egyptians would have enforced their "no male child" policy that was in effect about the time Moses was born?
2. What do you think the Egyptians would have done to the Israelites if they had overtaken & overpowered them before the red sea?
3. When Balak hired Balam to curse the Israelites, what do you think he was planning to do?

Just thinking o. I'm not justifying or normalizing anything.

Another question I have heard several is the post bible time crusades. Again, I don't know much about the crusades of post biblical times but I will simply believe that humans are capable of doing all sorts of things and hiding under God's name or whatever is available to push and pursue their own selfish ideas/interest

The glorification of atrocities in the old testament against "pagans" was definitely a factor that turned me away from Christianity

NandiIfeoma:
The glorification of atrocities in the old testament against "pagans" was definitely a factor that turned me away from Christianity

so where do u belong now.

hopefulLandlord:
I'm shocked and saddened how so many Christians (rightly) renounce and condemn the actions of contemporary groups like Boko Haram and ISIS, and yet are so willing to rationalize the actions of the ancient Hebrews when the Bible describes them effectively doing EXACTLY THE SAME THING.
Seriously, read Numbers 31. We're talking about a group that's running around, attacking communities who don't share their faith, killing indiscriminately, enslaving women and girls to serve as breeding chattel for those who did the killing, and justifying their actions in the name of God. The only difference is the prophet they invoked in doing it.

hope you know atheist have committed mass murders in the name of their belief.

NandiIfeoma:
The glorification of atrocities in the old testament against "pagans" was definitely a factor that turned me away from Christianity

hope you know athiests have killed for their belief .

Godsfavour78:
hope you know atheist have committed mass murders in the name of their belief.

In the name of which belief?

hopefulLandlord:

In the name of which belief?

the belief of stupidity

Godsfavour78:
hope you know athiests have killed for their belief .

I hope you know there's no holy book telling all atheists worldwide to kill people or sanction murder. I also hope you're not stupid enough to be referring to the death toll of Communists who aren't and were never an accurate representation or spokespeople for atheists

Lilisticlili:
so where do u belong now.

Atheists or agnosticism. I'm open to believing in any religion that actually has compelling evidence for their claims and has a history of being as humane and peaceful as possible but for now, I'm definitely atheist as in lacking the belief in a God