[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I can understand hating the human sacrifice part, but not believing the same law? If that's the case do you believe that one side or the other of the medieval religious wars was right, and that the other deserved death? I don't see any difference between the Hebrews destroying the Philistines and the Catholics destroying the Protestants. Both committed mass murder in the name of their God. I'm not saying this is God's fault - I don't know. I'm told there is an old Hindu saying that goes "No god should be judged by the sort of people who claim to worship him." That said, I have to question whether any god who orders murder is to be trusted, or whether any book which makes those sorts of claims is to be believed.

Having read most of commandments, of which I can assure you I have failed miserably to keep, I find nothing in them morally henious. As far as I can tell there is no commandment to murder either. But like I said, like any laws given by a king there is benifit when they are followed and no benefit when they are not.

Yes, we all have a choice. Some choose to believe blindly, and some choose to question everything, especially stories in which people are commanded to slaughter everything in sight in one text and love their enemies in another.

In a nutshell best I can explain the destruction of certain nations were for the purpose of giving the land to Israel, and to rid that land of pagan activity and influence. Also, too the nation of Israel included those who sojourned with them and followed Torah. Keep in mind Torah was given as a light unto the gentile nations too. It is there for everyone to see and to live by.

Me? I'm still looking for some evidence.

I have no particular part in mind. My question was "How?" This is a problem I have living where I do. The major local religion insists they believe the King James Bible to be true, except for the parts where it's translated incorrectly. Interestingly the parts that are "incorrect" are the ones that disagree with their doctrine. This can be taken either way, so it can be true or it can be convenient.

So, how does one tell?

For me I stopped sitting and listening to the christian colledge educated masters of divinity and started reading things for myself. Personally I have a 1611 ed and a Koren hebrew/english bible and I found the Nsrv pretty good for that thing called the new testement. I also found others online to study with who could help with the hebrew part. Since then one thing I learned right away was not to be so blasted dogmatic 'you must believe 'this' or burn in hell'. Especially since reading the Tanakh in bibllical Hebrew I came to the conclusion there is no constantinian hell ruled over by some dude with horns and a pitchfork. But is the bible evidence of that? Well, thats for you to decide.