According to the Bible, God instructed Moses to use genocide, not slavery.
Depends on the instance. On close examination, genocide only applied to peoples whose lineage could be traced back to the Nephilim – an interesting pattern, especially with the link to the Goliath story.
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Yep.
I am reminded of the Chinese wisdom for dealing with conquerors, knowing it will not be long before the advantages of their culture will soon turn these conquerors into more Chinese.
At that point in their history the culture and traditions of Israel were too weak. We saw what happened even when Solomon took many wives from different cultures – soon the religious practices from those cultures had spread among the Israelites. So I can see a reason why God might have taken a different approach at that time.
The point is that morality is not absolute, unconditional, and unchanging. The circumstances do make a difference.
That is what humans are capable of. Wouldn’t God be capable of more?
Like I said above, you seem to be limiting all of this to what humans are capable of. God couldn’t stop the Israelites from being attacked, even non-lethally?
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I do not see how, within the bounds of freedom. Once God starts controlling or dictating we are in the realm of a dictator . That may be the “New Heaven and New Earth” of scripture but it is not now
It is like you complaint about death and suffering. There is a price of freedom. The only way to stop such things is to remove that freedom. Which boils down to what I said before, kill or imprison, (enslave being a form of imprisonment) neither being the ideal solution.
Richard
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The Old Testament is full of examples that contradict your views. For example, God hardened the heart of the Pharaoh so that he wouldn’t release the Hebrew people. Also, I don’t think the first born decided they should die because God prevented the Pharaoh from releasing the Hebrew people.
Inly if you buy into a hyper controlling Jewish view of God. It contradicts freedom of choice.
And that negates the follow up. The OT view of God is not the same as the NT and current view.
That simply isn’t true.
Feel free to describe a set of circumstances in which genocide is an acceptable moral choice.
Easy. I would consider genocide an acceptable moral choice in dealing with a race of sociopaths/psychopaths whose pleasure in life is bringing horror and suffering to others. And by the way, I think that is a good description of humanity before the flood.
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So you have a simplistic view of human nature, and would rather massacre people - including newborn babies - than educate or rehabilitate them.
Your willingness to advocate slaughtering innocents because of the character of their parents suggests it’s a good description of you too.
Aw cum on! on! you think it is really that simple/ Just educate them?
Although punishing the children for the sins of the father is denounced in Scripture, there is a certain pragmatism and reality that idealism cannot compensate for. Yes, in an ideal world you re-educate, but the prison system would seem to suggest that the only thing learned in prison is how to be a better criminal.
Perhaps wiping out the parents and adopting the children could be seen as the lesser of all evil options, but it almost amounts to slavery in terms of indoctrinating the children away from their cultural beliefs.
If you think you are the master race, no education is going to persuade you otherwise.
Richard
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If you really think that adopting a child from another culture “almost amounts to slavery”, then you have such a warped view of what slavery entails that your views on it are irrelevant.
Yeah, go on, take it out of context, I would.
i am not talking about all adoptions, or even modern adoptions out of necessity, I am talking about enforced adoption to change a culture from being meglomaniac.
You can be guaranteed to see the worse of anything I write.
Richard
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As bad as that is, it’s still nothing like slavery.
What you write is so appalling that I don’t need to twist it.
Perhaps you would like to discuss the details of slavery?
It stats with restricting the freedom of both action and choice of an individual. The upbringing of children could be seen as slavery inasmuch as they are under the control and influence of the parents who limit their freedom of both action and thought. Parents try to train children to their values which is basic indoctrination. A child cannot just go where they please, for what ever justification.
Richard
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Certainly. Slavery is owning, using and treating other people as property.
Raising children is not slavery.
Slavery is ownership, not parentage.
As I said, what you write is so appalling that I don’t need to twist it.
Do you not own your children?
If not, who owns them? They do not own themselves in terms of freedom.
Idealism never understands reality.
I call a spade a spade, not a shovel
Richard
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No. Parents do not own their children. They are responsible for them.
No-one owns them.
I understand reality.
Reality is that some people treat their children as property, that can be used or abused for whatever purpose those people desire, up to and including being sold for profit, much as they would treat a car.
I oppose those people.