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Debunking
the Arguments of Christian Fundamentalists and Apologists
Biblical Atrocities committed by God and his
followers:
The no-win indefensible issue for Christians
(WARNING: The following section may be graphically
disturbing!)
Oddly enough, the subject of
Biblical atrocities by God and his followers is relatively unknown by the
average fundamentalist, but yet they are spread out all over the Bible. I
decided to dedicate a whole section to this topic, because it alone debunks
Christian fundamentalism. Despite all the theological, logical,
scientific, factual arguments above on both sides, the list of things in this
section itself pretty much disprove that the Bible is God’s word. No one
in their right mind would believe that God would do or order such things.
Anyone could use the arguments in this section alone to make the Christians
look bad. These are the kind of things that churches don’t discuss
because they are just inexcusable. Even the best, most eloquent and
articulate Evangelists and Apologists, such as Billy Graham or William Lane
Craig, could not explain Biblical atrocities away satisfactorily. Not
even remotely. It is a no-win situation for the fundamentalist when you
bring these atrocities up, and I’ll tell you why.
All you have to do is take an
example, such as the murder of innocent children by God or his followers, and
ask the Christian “Do you agree with God and the Bible that this should have
been done?” or “Would you have carried out those orders from your God if
you lived in Old Testament times?” If they reply yes, then it will
make them look like horrible monsters no better than the Nazis. But if
they reply no, they will be denying the authority of their Bible and God.
Therefore, it puts them in a lose-lose
situation. And if you press the issue, they know they will have lost the
argument, being put in an indefensible position. Then they will either
retreat from it while rationalizing the issue away, or changing the subject to
attack your motivations by asking if you have any deep psychological issues
against God. And resorting to character assassination rather than the
issues is a sign that the person has lost the debate. The ancient Chinese
conqueror Sun Tzu, who was undefeated in battle, wrote in his treatise The
Art of War that one of the main
principles to utilize was to “Place your strength against your enemy’s
weakness.” Well that’s a perfect illustration of what I’m talking
about here. You place the strength of these arguments of Biblical
atrocities, against their weakness of being in a morally indefensible position,
and push on until they give up and retreat, knowing deep down inside that
you’re right, but not being able to do anything about it out of duty to their
faith. That’s the winning tactic. I will show you an example of
this in a section below.
Christians know deep down
inside that these atrocities committed by God and his followers are wrong,
inhumane, and immoral, yet they have to rationalize them away and make sense
out of them to fit their beliefs, as explained in the beginning section of this
article Understanding the mentality of Bible-believing Christians.
And that’s what’s sad about this, to be so locked up by your fanatical beliefs
that you ignore your natural basic decency and morals. Some though, are
so deeply bothered by it that they fall away from the faith.
Let’s begin and reveal things
that may come as a big shock to most Christians.
Would God kill or order
the killing of innocent children?
This may be a shocking
question to pose. How could we possibly even ask whether a good, loving,
just, fair, righteous holy God would do such things? Nevertheless, that’s
what’s in the Bible, which is supposedly the “word of God”. Take a look
at these verses below from the Bible where God either kills innocent children
or orders/condones the killing of them, in order to punish disobedient parents.
(The relevant phrases have been bolded)
"And
it came to pass, that at
in
the
throne
unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and
all
the firstborn of cattle." (Exodus 12:29)
"Now
therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill
every
woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls
who
have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."
(Moses
- Numbers 31:17)
"And
the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his
sons, and all his people. And we took all his cities at
that time, and utterly
destoyed
the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city
we
left none to remain:" (Deuteronomy
"And
the LORD said unto me, 'Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all
his
people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as
thou
didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon'.......
And
we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon,
utterly
destroying the men, women, and children, of every city."
(Deuteronomy
3:2-6)
"This
is what the LORD says: Now go and smite Amalek, and
utterly
destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both
man
and woman, infant and suckling, ox
and sheep, camel and ass ....'
And
Saul ... utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword."
(1
Samuel 15:3,7-8)
"And
Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that
Uriah's
wife bare unto David, and it was very sick........ And it came to
pass
on the seventh day, that the child died........." (2 Samuel
12:15-18)
"And
he went up from thence unto
way,
there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him,
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." (2
Kings 2:23-24)
"Every
one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is
joined
unto them shall fall by the sword. Their children also shall be
dashed
to pieces before their eyes; their
houses shall be spoiled, and
their
wives ravished...... Their bows also shall dash the young men to
pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the
womb; their eye
shall
not spare children." (Isaiah
13:15-18)
"Prepare
slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that
they
do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with
cities.......
For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts....."
(Isaiah
14:21-22)
"And
I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and
the
sons together, saith the LORD: I
will not pity, nor spare, nor have
mercy,
but destroy them." (Jeremiah 13:14)
"The
hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat
in the destruction of the daughter of my people. The Lord hath
accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a
fire in
"And
the Lord said unto him,....... And to the others he said in mine hearing,
Go
ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither
have
ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children,
and
women: but come not near any man
upon whom is the mark; and begin
at
my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the
house."
(Ezekiel 9:4-6)
"Behold,
I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with
her
into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I
will
kill her children with death; and
all the churches shall know that
I
am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every
one
of you according to your works." (Jesus - Revelation 2:22-23)
Would God order people to
dash infants against rocks and floors?
These verses below would make
anyone speechless!
"O
daughter of
that
rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that
taketh
and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." (Psalms 137:8-9)
"The
people of
against
their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be
dashed
to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open." (Hosea 13:16)
"Every
one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is
joined
unto them shall fall by the sword.
Their
children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their
houses
shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished." (Isaiah 13:15,16)
"Their
bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they
shall
have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare
children." (Isaiah 13:18)
Would God make parents eat
the flesh of their children?
This is morbid and unheard
of! Yet it’s in the Bible!
"I
am the LORD your God, ...... And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and
the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat." (Leviticus 26:13,29)
"And
thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy
sons
and of thy daughters, which the LORD
thy God hath given thee,
in
the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress
thee:..............
And toward her young one that cometh out from between
her
feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall
eat
them for want of all things secretly
in the siege and straitness, wherewith
thine
enemy shall distress thee in thy gates." (Deuteronomy 28:53-57)
"Therefore,
behold, the days come, saith the LORD,..... And I will cause them to eat the
flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat
every one of the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith
their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them."
(Jeremiah 19:6-9)
"Therefore
fathers shall eat their sons in the midst of you and sons
shall
eat their fathers.......I will
send famine and wild beasts against you
and
they shall rob you of your children;
pestilence and blood shall pass
through
you; and I will bring a sword upon you. I, the Lord, have
spoken."
(Ezekiel 5:10, 17)
"The
hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their
meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. The Lord hath
accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a
fire in
Would God order pregnant
women to be ripped open?
This one is just totally
unspeakable, yet it seems that God and his prophets approved of it.
What’s ironic is that if God was against abortion as the Christian Pro-lifers
claim, then why would he order bloody savage abortions below that kill both
mother and child? Obviously, these Pro-lifers don’t know their Bible that
well.
"The
people of
rebelled
against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will
be
dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open." (Hosea
13:16)
"At
that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and
everyone
in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open
their
gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women."
(2
Kings 15:16)
Would God kill 70,000
people to punish one man?
Here, the Bible says that God
once killed 70,000 people instantly just to punish their leader, King
David. How would Christians today feel, I wonder, if God killed them to
punish their political leader? Would they feel ok with it? Would
they feel that it was fair?
1
Chronicles
"So
the LORD sent pestilence upon
seventy
thousand men."
Would God order his
followers to kill each other?
Here is a strange incident
where God seems to get entertainment out of watching people kill each other,
resulting in 3000 casualties. It reminds me of people placing bets in a
ring of Mexican cock fighting. Now, kids of today may enjoy making people
in a video game kill each other. But this is supposed to be literal
historical fact! Take a look.
Exodus
32:27-29
27
Then
he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
`Each
man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp
from
one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'"
28
The
Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of
the
people died.
29
Then
Moses said, "You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you
were
against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this
day."
Christians, if God asked you
to carry a sword and go around killing as many "brothers" as you can
among you, would you do it? Would you? Be honest!
Would God approve of a vow
to kill one’s own daughter?
Here is an odd and tragic
story, and what is odd about it is that God seems to approve of it too.
Here a man named Jephthah makes an odd vow to kill his own daughter in exchange
for victory in battle, and God actually accepts his proposal! But before
you read it, keep something in mind. Christians will say that this was
Jephthah's fault and that God didn't command him to make his vow. However
God clearly indicated his APPROVAL and ACCEPTANCE of the vow when he gave
Jephthah victory over the Ammonites, which is what he asked God to do in
exchange for his "sacrifice"! In other words, God agreed,
accepted and approved this!
Judges
11:29-39 (English-NIV)
29
Then
the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed
Manasseh,
passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced
against
the Ammonites.
30
And
Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my
hands,
31
whatever
comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in
triumph
from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it
as
a burnt offering."
32
Then
Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them
into
his hands.
33
He
devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far
as
Abel Keramim. Thus
34
When
Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to
meet
him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was
an
only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter.
35
When
he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You
have
made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the
LORD
that I cannot break."
36
"My
father," she replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to
me
just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your
enemies,
the Ammonites.
37
But
grant me this one request," she said. "Give me two months to roam
the
hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry."
38
"You
may go," he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the
girls
went into the hills and wept because she would never marry.
39
After
the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he
had
vowed. And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite custom
Would God make people eat
feces?!
This one is utterly
disgusting, but it’s what the Bible says that God made some people do!
"And
thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung
that
cometh out of man, in their sight. And the LORD said, Even thus
shall
the children of
whither
I will drive them." (Ezekiel 4:12-13)
“Behold,
I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of
your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.” (Malachi 2:3)
Why would God need the
sight of severed heads to calm his anger?
Look here, these events are
so gross and horrific! They are barbaric Nazi-style executions in the
Bible, ordered directly from God directly! I'm not sure if the “heads” in
the verse refer to human heads or to the leaders of their people, but either
way, it's horrific! Don’t you think an all-wise, eternal God would have
the ability to calm his own temper without requiring the sight of severed heads
to cool himself down??? I mean, why can’t he just meditate like Buddha to
calm his own anger???
Numbers
25:4
"And
the LORD said unto Moses, 'Take all the heads of the people, and hang
them
up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the
LORD
may be turned away from
Would God order the mass
execution of unarmed captives?
Now look at this too.
It's a mass execution of the helpless and unarmed! There is NO excuse for
this, people!
2
Chronicles 25:12
"The
men of
them
to the top of the rock and threw them down from the top of the
rock;
and they were all dashed to pieces."
Would a loving Jesus
declare that he would kill innocent children?
This next one is incredibly
shocking and goes against all impressions of Jesus, both religious and
secular. Here, Jesus appears in a vision to
"Behold,
I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with
her
into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I
will
kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that
I
am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every
one
of you according to your works." (Revelation 2:22-23)
Why would an all loving
God discriminate against the handicapped?
Here is another odd
one. You would think that a merciful loving God who loves people
unconditionally and shows no partiality would not have anything against people
who are handicapped. But take a look at this verse here about who can and
can’t come to offer food to God. (And oddly enough, if God disliked the
handicapped, why would he make people that way?)
Leviticus
21:16-21
16
The
LORD said to Moses,
17
"Say
to Aaron: `For the generations to come none of your descendants who
has
a defect may come near to offer the food of his God.
18
No
man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame,
disfigured
or deformed;
19
no
man with a crippled foot or hand,
20
or
who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has
festering
or running sores or damaged testicles.
21
No
descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to
present
the offerings made to the LORD by fire. He has a defect; he must
not
come near to offer the food of his God.
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