A lot of people are terrified, even in this day and age, to question the Bible or question their pastor's words. I have seen this a lot.

You say you don't 'worship' the Bible and yet I have heard many "god fearing' people accuse people of worshiping money.

People don't worship money.

Anyway, if you think you don't worship the Bible, then stop holding it up as the greatest book ever written.

It's NOT.

A lot of people are terrified, even in this day and age, to question the Bible or question their pastor's words. I have seen this a lot.

You say you don't 'worship' the Bible and yet I have heard many "god fearing' people accuse people of worshiping money.

People don't worship money.

Anyway, if you think you don't worship the Bible, then stop holding it up as the greatest book ever written.

It's NOT.

A lot of people are terrified, even in this day and age, to question the Bible or question their pastor's words.

I know you think you don't worship the Bible. (You do call it "holy")
But in my eyes, it looks to me like worship. The 'word of God' is not in the pages of the Bible. All that is in there is ink and symbols and written stories.... sorry. That's what I see and thats what I believe.

Seeing is believing.

Well, not only that, but just look at the stories. There's no way that anyone is going to convince me that these stories are the directives, actions, and wishes of a supposedly all-powerful all-righteous God.

Just look at the story of Exodus. God supposedly frees these Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. Fine. Then he supposedly leads them to a "Promised Land". And what's there? A bunch of heathen Canaanites who are sacrificing their babies to the gods? So this God tells these people to go in an murder every man woman and child on this so-called "Promised Land".

What kind of a "God" would do such a thing?

This "God" isn't even powerful enough to deliver a pristine piece of promised real estate?

Not to mention the fact that this God has just commanded these people through Moses NOT TO KILL, and now he's directing them to kill men, women, and BABIES! The very babies that he does not condone having 'sacrificed' to the gods?

He supposedly frowns upon a very FEW of these children being ritually sacrificed to the gods, but he has no problem with having his people just go in and slaughter them all ruthlessly including all of their parents and children of all ages?

That's supposed to make SENSE?

My question would very seriously be this simple:

Why should I take any of that seriously?

Why should I place my faith in an idea of a God who is that screwed up. What kind of an example is he setting for his people? He just told them not to kill and now he's directing them to mass murder and entire culture.

If that's not sending MIXED SIGNALS I don't know what would be.

Also, if "With God all things are possible", then why didn't he just do away with the Canaanites on his own and clean the place up before his people got there?

Why have them murder another culture as their first deed under his directive?

No way.

These stories are just one culture trying to use their made-up God to justify their own wars and thievery of the land of another culture.

I don't understand why people can't see this. It's as plain as day.

What kind of a God would condone such a thing?

Much less allow it to even unfold if he had the power to avoid it?

There would be absolutely no good reason for God to have the Hebrews do his dirty work. If God wanted the Canaanites dead he should have just waved his magic wand and made them disappear himself. Asking the Hebrews to viciously murder them would be insane.

These stories necessarily have to be nothing more than the made up myths of men. They just used God to condone all their bad behavior from male-chauvinism to brutally murdering other societies.

Not to mention the fact that this God has just commanded these people through Moses NOT TO KILL, and now he's directing them to kill men, women, and BABIES! The very babies that he does not condone having 'sacrificed' to the gods?

Well, not only that, but just look at the stories. There's no way that anyone is going to convince me that these stories are the directives, actions, and wishes of a supposedly all-powerful all-righteous God.

Just look at the story of Exodus. God supposedly frees these Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. Fine. Then he supposedly leads them to a "Promised Land". And what's there? A bunch of heathen Canaanites who are sacrificing their babies to the gods? So this God tells these people to go in an murder every man woman and child on this so-called "Promised Land".

What kind of a "God" would do such a thing?

This "God" isn't even powerful enough to deliver a pristine piece of promised real estate?

Not to mention the fact that this God has just commanded these people through Moses NOT TO KILL, and now he's directing them to kill men, women, and BABIES! The very babies that he does not condone having 'sacrificed' to the gods?

He supposedly frowns upon a very FEW of these children being ritually sacrificed to the gods, but he has no problem with having his people just go in and slaughter them all ruthlessly including all of their parents and children of all ages?

That's supposed to make SENSE?

My question would very seriously be this simple:

Why should I take any of that seriously?

Why should I place my faith in an idea of a God who is that screwed up. What kind of an example is he setting for his people? He just told them not to kill and now he's directing them to mass murder and entire culture.

If that's not sending MIXED SIGNALS I don't know what would be.

Also, if "With God all things are possible", then why didn't he just do away with the Canaanites on his own and clean the place up before his people got there?

Why have them murder another culture as their first deed under his directive?

No way.

These stories are just one culture trying to use their made-up God to justify their own wars and thievery of the land of another culture.

I don't understand why people can't see this. It's as plain as day.

What kind of a God would condone such a thing?

Much less allow it to even unfold if he had the power to avoid it?

There would be absolutely no good reason for God to have the Hebrews do his dirty work. If God wanted the Canaanites dead he should have just waved his magic wand and made them disappear himself. Asking the Hebrews to viciously murder them would be insane.

These stories necessarily have to be nothing more than the made up myths of men. They just used God to condone all their bad behavior from male-chauvinism to brutally murdering other societies.

Also, if "With God all things are possible", then why didn't he just do away with the Canaanites on his own and clean the place up before his people got there?

Why have them murder another culture as their first deed under his directive?

Cowboy wrote:

I've not heard, seen, or even known of someone that is specifically terrified of that.

Try working for a center for battered wives and you'll quickly gain some experience that will change that naive view.

Cowboy wrote:

He asked no one to "kill" anyone. God told these people if they wanted to "promised land" they will carry out his judgment on these people and we all know the only reward for sin is death. No one was "killing" anyone, just carrying out an execution from God's judgment.

The people were "killed" Cowboy. A whole culture was "killed".

Sounds to me like you're seriously deluding yourself into believing that if you "kill" someone in the name of God, then it's not really "killing". That's an extremely dangerous mindset to ponder.

There is no excuse for "killing", Cowboy. Period.

If your religion has you thinking along those lines then it's an extremely dangerous cult. That's the kind of mindset people had when they were burning midwives at the stake as witches too.

That's precisely the kind of mindset the Pharisees had when they crucified Jesus for blaspheme under the direct orders from God as written in their Torah.

It's precisely this kind of thinking that causes suicide bombers to do what they do. In their mind they aren't "killing" anyone. Like you, they just believe that they are carrying out God's will.

That very mindset is what makes this religion so dangerous.

Yeah I'd say those women would be terrified of the men that did that to them, I'll agree to that. But what's that got anything to do with being terrified of questioning the bible? The two have absolutely nothing to do with one another.

Try working for a center for battered wives and you'll quickly gain some experience that will change that naive view.

If you think the bible has nothing to do with it that's where you are extremely naive.

Many of those women stayed in these abusive relationships precisely because they were trying to HONOR the religious institution of marriage, and because they felt that failure to HONOR their husbands would be a SIN.

Now you might say that they would have no need to "honor" their husbands if the husband becomes abusive. But where does it say that in the Bible? On the contrary the Bible states that the ONLY valid reason for divorce is fornication. Abuse doesn't count!

Moreover, the woman is supposed to just shut up and do whatever the man says. He is the head of the family.

I realize that you still quite young, but seriously you should be old enough to know about real life by now.

Fortunately this is becoming less of a problem in these modern times, because of the church and religion is indeed fading out and losing the power of terror that it once held.

But just the same it still plays a major role even today. Although it played a far more powerful role in the 50's and earlier.

Just like the Bible tells children to honor their parents, but it doesn't say anything about the parents needing to be sane or righteous. It just assumes that they should be.

Those kinds of details are huge RED FLAGS that should be screaming out to you that these biblical writings did not come from any God. They don't even carry the wisdom of wise mortals, much less the wisdom of any supposed supreme being. The Bible simply isn't anywhere near wise enough to have come from any God.

Many of those women stayed in these abusive relationships precisely because they were trying to HONOR the religious institution of marriage, and because they felt that failure to HONOR their husbands would be a SIN.

To take it a step further, talk to someone like me whose family basically cast them out when they left the religion they were raised in. Just because you haven't heard it, seen it, or known it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Step out of your box Cowboy, there's a lot more going on then you may realize out there.

You're still pointing fingers. These women obviously shouldn't have married this man in the first place. Why did these women marry a man that would possibly abuse her later on? Why did they not wait and see if that was the man for her? Sounds like these women brought it upon themselves. And if I'm not mistaken abuse may be cause for a divorce. It speaks of immorality and cheating being reasons for a divorce. I'm sure the abuse would be in the category of immoralities.

You're missing the point. Regardless of how they got there, they stayed because they felt they had no choice. If that doesn't say something about the fruits of religion not much will.

Cowboy wrote:

Your beliefs seperate people, you alienate people cause they believe in God.

This is what makes people such as you so dangerous, having this mindset.

You're still pointing fingers. These women obviously shouldn't have married this man in the first place. Why did these women marry a man that would possibly abuse her later on? Why did they not wait and see if that was the man for her? Sounds like these women brought it upon themselves. And if I'm not mistaken abuse may be cause for a divorce. It speaks of immorality and cheating being reasons for a divorce. I'm sure the abuse would be in the category of immoralities.

Was not the fruits of religion, not Christianity in general anyways.

9"And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."

The man being abusive would be in the immorality category. The abuse would have constituted a divorce.

Was not the fruits of religion, not Christianity in general anyways.

9"And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."

The man being abusive would be in the immorality category. The abuse would have constituted a divorce.

That's totally false. I believe in God.

It's the ancient Hebrew lies that I reject.

You're the one you alienates everyone who refuses to worship the writings of the ancient Hebrews as the "Word of God".



Where's the danger?

Where have I ever condoned "killing" in the name of God by speaking of it as though it doesn't amount to "killing"?

No Cowboy. Only YOU have suggested that to "kill" in the name of God is not "killing" but merely "judgment".

No I don't condone killing in the name of God Cowboy.

No danger here.

You're the one who as eluded to that mindset, not me.

You're the one you alienates everyone who refuses to worship the writings of the ancient Hebrews as the "Word of God".