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15.1 God slaughtered innocent Egyptian children. The first Holocaust.
"…the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon…" Ex 12:29
15.2 God had Moses slaughter his own people, and he blessed those who did it. The second Holocaust.
"…Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour…and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." Ex 32:27-29
15.3 Men and boys, even their slaves, were sexually mutilated for religious, not for health reasons. They probably suffered great pain without anesthesia. At the time, this procedure probably caused many painful infections and agonizing deaths.
"This is my covenant with you and your descendants…you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised…it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you." Gen 17:10-11
"Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised." Gen 17:13
"…Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him." Gen 17:23
15.4 Lot offered-up his virgin daughters for rape by the population of Sodom to avoid having his male house guests assaulted. Lot gives non-sodomites a bad name.
"…men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old-surrounded the house. They called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.’" Lot: "Look, I have two daughters, who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." Gen 19:4-8
In a disturbingly similar story, a man offered-up his maiden daughter and a concubine to gang rape by a mob in order to protect a male guest. The concubine died on his doorstep, and her corpse was cut up for distribution.
"…the men of the city…beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house…saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. And the…master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what stemma good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing. But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light. And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house…And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered…he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel." Judg 19:22-29
15.5 God negotiated with Abraham on the degree of wickedness required to justify killing everyone in Sodom.
Abraham: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are 50 righteous people in the city? Will you…sweep it away and not forgive the place for the sake of the 50…Far be it from you to do such a thing to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked…Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
"If I find 50 righteous people…I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Abraham: "…45?" "…45…I will spare it."
Abraham: "…40?" "…40 I will not…"
Abraham: "…30?" "…not if I can find 30"
Abraham: "…20?" "…20…I will not destroy it."
Abraham: "…10?" "…10, I will not destroy it." Gen 18:23-32
15.6 Not only did God kill men for merely indulging their curiosity, but God slaughtered 50,070 bystanders as well. What was God hiding in the ark? What good was the ark if it didn’t hold something worth consulting? What good was the contract (the covenant) the ark held unless one could read it? What good was it other than to necessitate a priesthood?
"And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men…" 1Sam 6:19
15.7 God ordered the merciless slaughter of entire populations during aggressive wars for the conquest of Canaan by his chosen people. Joshua’s murder of women, children, and infants would have certainly have been in contravention of our present laws of warfare, not to mention any notion of civilized conduct. Here were war crimes of the first water.
"And the Lord our God delivered [Sihon] before us; and we smote him…and all his people. And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:" Deut 2:33,34
"And we utterly destroyed them [in Bashan], as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children, of every city." Deut 3:6
"When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them:" Deut 7:1,2
"But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:" Deut 20:16,17
"And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old…with the edge of the sword." Josh 6:21
"For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai." Josh 8:26
"And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword…he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain…" Josh 10:28
"And the Lord delivered [Libnah] also…and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it…" Josh 10:30
"And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel…and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein…Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining." Josh 10:32,33
"And they took [Eglon] on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day…" Josh 10:35
"And they took [Hebron], and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining…but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein." Josh 10:37
"And he took [Debir], and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining…. So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded." Josh 10:39,40
"And the Lord delivered [Joshua’s enemies] into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them…and they smote them, until they left them none remaining." Josh 11:8
"And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. And all the cities of those kings…and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded…And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe." Josh 11:11,12,14
"And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims…Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities." Josh 11:21
15.8 God would also punish pregnant women and unborn children for failure of their larger society to toe the line.
"Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up." Hos 13:16
15.9 God had entire cities slaughtered, including women and children. One was for a 400-year-old offense.
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling…" 1Sam 15:2,3
"Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women…" Ezek 9:6
15.10 In a couple of cases, everyone in a city were ordered killed, everyone except the virgins who were given to the victors.
"Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." Num 31:17,18
"…smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children…Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male…" Judg 21:10-12
15.11 David slaughtered both men and women.
"And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites…And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive…" 1Sam 27:8,9
15.12 David mutilated two hundred Philistines he slew.
"Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins…" 1Sam 18:27
15.13 David tortured the captured Ammonites in horrible ways.
"And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon." 2Sam 12:31
"And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon." 1Cr 20:3
15.14 David murdered two-thirds of his prisoners in Moab.
"And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive." 2Sam 8:2
15.15 Elijah had hundreds of rival priests murdered.
"And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape…and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there." 1Kgs 18:40
15.16 Elijah commanded the murder of a hundred soldiers by fire.
"And Elijah answered…let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty…And Elijah answered and said unto them…let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty." 2Kgs 1:10-12
15.17 Elisha murdered forty-two children for taunting him. This was accomplished by cursing in the name of the Lord no less.
"…there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked [Elisha], and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them." 2Kgs 2:24
15.18 Elisha anointed Jehu by assassinating his predecessor and everyone associated with him.
"[Upon receiving Jehu’s letter]…they took the king’s [Ahab] sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel…And [Jehu] said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning…So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining." 2Kgs 10:7,8,11
15.19 Menahem, one of the kings of Israel, was a murdering fiend of the worst kind. He had pregnant women ripped open.
"Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up." 2Kgs 15:16
15.20 An angel from God slew 185,000 men.
"And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand…" 2Kgs 19:35
15.21 The Danites slaughtered the inhabitants of Laish and looted this peaceful town.
"And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire." Judg 18:27
15.22 The children of Benjamin attacked Jabeshgilead and killed everyone except four-hundred virgin girls. They then took the pick of these captives as wives. This didn’t satisfy their needs, so they also ambushed some young Shiloh women.
"How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them of our daughters to wives…And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children. And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man. And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male…and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not…Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh…And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught…" Judg 21:7,10-12,14,20,21,23
15.23 God acquiesced in Samuel’s brutal murder of a captive.
"And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal." 1Sam 15:33
15.24 The New Testament’s main theme, salvation from eternal damnation, was itself an atrocity. If one sins a little, one is damned to "everlasting punishment" and torment by fire. No matter how bad we are, we can only commit a finite number of sins; but the Bible would have us damned to an infinite amount of punishment.
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Mt 10:28
"Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire." Mt 18:8
"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Mt 23:33
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink…Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment…" Mt 25:41,42,45,46
"…it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And…it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And…it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one shall be salted with fire…" Mk 9:43-49
"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." Lk 12:5
"And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…I am tormented in this flame." Lk 16:23,24
"…If any man worship the beast…the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God…and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone…And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night…" Rev 14:9
"…These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Rev 19:20
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Rev 20:10
15.25 This eternal torment was even invoked for someone else’s transgression, i.e. Adam’s original sin.
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" Rom 5:12
"For as in Adam all die…" 1Cor 15:22
"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin…" Gal 3:22
15.26 Indeed, the majority of humans would be eternally damned.
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Mt 7:14
"…Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Lk 13:23,24
15.27 Even ignorance of God and Christ was punishable by eternal damnation.
"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." Ps 9:17
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12
"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:" 2Thes 1:8
15.28 Other trivial or religious offenses resulted in eternal damnation.
Idolatry. 1Cor 6:9 & Rev 21:8
Calling someone a fool. Mt 5:22
Unbelief. Mk 16:16 & Lk 12:46 & Jn 3:36 & Rev 21:8
Being wealthy. Mt 19:24 & Lk 6:24 & 16:19-31
Being tricked by God. 2Thes 2:11,12 & Jn 12:39,40
Failure to grasp Jesus’ obscure parables. Mk 4:11,12
15.29 However, this eternal torment, whether deserved or not, could be avoided by shedding human blood and by engaging in human sacrifice. This sacrifice involved an innocent and virtuous man.
"For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Mt 26:28
"…the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts 20:28
"…For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:" 1Cor 5:7
"For [God] hath made [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2Cor 5:21
"…now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Heb 9:26
"In whom we have redemption through his blood…" Eph 1:7 & Col 1:14
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood…having obtained eternal redemption for us." Heb 9:12
"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Heb 9:14
"…the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified…" Heb 10:29
"…through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." 1Pet 1:2
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 1Pet 2:24
"…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1Jn 1:7
"And [Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins…" 1Jn 2:2
"…Unto [Jesus] that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," Rev 1:5
"…thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood…" Rev 5:9
"…and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Rev 7:14
15.30 The Bible said you could not save yourself from eternal torment, not even by good works. Mercy would be at God’s whim or by predestination.
"For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth…What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy…Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." Rom 9:11,14-16,18
"Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Rom 8:30
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will," Eph 1:4,5
"…they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world…And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev 17:8, 20:15
15.31 But if you were God’s elect or faithful, you wouldn’t be punished.
"And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Acts 13:39
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness…Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." Rom 4:5,8
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Rom 5:1
"…ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness…But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." Rom 6:17,18,22
"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth." Rom 8:33
"All things are lawful unto me…all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." 1Cor 6:12
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God…Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" 1Jn 3:9, 5:1
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