War Crimes in the Bible

@suzianne said
Even though I think that this rare insight into your thoughts is tragically wrong, I do acknowledge your free will right to think what you want.

It's not a "rare insight". I've been saying it here for over ten years.

@fmf said
It's not a "rare insight". I've been saying it here for over ten years.

Just answer the question. Or I suppose you could dodge some more.

Your choice.

@suzianne said
IF "their invasion and occupation of Canaan" WAS "something their God told them to do", then would it, to your way of thinking, legitimize their actions then and since?

I don't see how I could talk about having belief in such a God or in a god figure that ordered such things from the perspective of the present day ~ an era less primitive and morally depraved as back then.

I suppose if I were an ancient Hebrew living in that bronze age era, threatened with stuff like being judicially murdered for some food-related faux pax or for not "honouring" my father even if he was an a$$hole or he was sodomizing me or some such, I would probably have gone along with 'I am one of the Chosen People' and thought that the genocide was a holy one, so to speak. I might have raped captured women as well after forcing them to marry me.

If I had been Midianites, I might have wondered why the Hebrews' god figure hadn't revealed Himself to me and my people instead of just ordering us all killed.

Your question is a bit like the sort of thing dj2becker used to ask: things like 'Let's say if God was real and you knew it, what reason would you have to say you do not believe He was real?'

So my answer is no. Just as, I imagine, your answer would be 'no' to this: if you really believed that your God had told you to kill divegeester, and it was definitely your God telling you to do it, then would it, to your way of thinking, legitimize you killing him?'

Your answer'd be 'no' right?

@suzianne said
Just answer the question. Or I suppose you could dodge some more.

Your choice.

What am I dodging?

@suzianne said
Even though I think that this rare insight into your thoughts is tragically wrong, I do acknowledge your free will right to think what you want.

"Tragically wrong"?

In what way? What is 'tragic' about not rooting for the Hebrews?

@fmf said
"Tragically wrong"?

In what way? What is 'tragic' about not rooting for the Hebrews?

The Hebrews are the people of God led out of a state of slavery who have a cultivated concept of morality and ethics.

@philokalia said
The Hebrews are the people of God led out of a state of slavery who have a cultivated concept of morality and ethics.

I know what your's and Suzianne's religion is, but how am I supposed to view not sharing your beliefs as being "tragic"?

@fmf said
I don't see how I could talk about having belief in such a God or in a god figure that ordered such things from the perspective of the present day ~ an era less primitive and morally depraved as back then.

I suppose if I were an ancient Hebrew living in that bronze age era, threatened with stuff like being judicially murdered for some food-related faux pax or for not "honouri ...[text shortened]... hen would it, to your way of thinking, legitimize you killing him?'

Your answer'd be 'no' right?

If a father was sexually harming his son... He'd legally have been put to death.

Every single food violation involves stuff like purifying yourself.

The invasion of Canaan and all other wars were for self preservation.

You should try to be rigorous in understanding the internal logic of the Bible even if it is just so you can criticize it accurately.

@philokalia said
If a father was sexually harming his son... He'd legally have been put to death.

Who'd have believed the kid?

@philokalia said
Every single food violation involves stuff like purifying yourself.

Morally speaking though, the food stuff was nonsense.

@philokalia said
The invasion of Canaan and all other wars were for self preservation.

This does not make all invasions and wars for self-preservation divinely inspired.

@philokalia said
You should try to be rigorous in understanding the internal logic of the Bible even if it is just so you can criticize it accurately.

I am not persuaded by the "internal logic of the Bible" nor the supernatural causality that it's claimed it's based on.

@fmf said
Who'd have believed the kid?

So you're saying that it's inconceivable that Hebrews would've basically had anything remotely resembling justice.

Why?

Like, why do you place endless "what if" type scenarios here? Is this really persuasive?

I don't really get this style of thinking.

It's pretty transparently grasping at straws.

I don't believe in classic Korean criminal codes but I'm not accusing it of being impotent in like catching and punishing murderers and implying that the average Korean would've hated all forms of justice and not lifted a finger to help a kid if they had the chance.

@fmf said
This does not make all invasions and wars for self-preservation divinely inspired.

Where's the criticism, though?

@fmf said
I am not persuaded by the "internal logic of the Bible" nor the supernatural causality that it's claimed it's based on.

But you should understand it whole criticizing the Bible so we don't have to invest lots of time correcting what the actual stance is when it is stated wrongly and sloppily in the criticism.