an all Omni God, fiction, or an intolerant society?

I think there is little (if anything), in the Bible which is not either culturally accepted standards; presented as God's word, political power-plays of the day; presented as God's word, or ancient myths (accepted to be true like the flood); presented as God's word.

I would also say that if there are a few religions which do not, at some level, promote some form of bigotry; leave it only to the followers of those religions and a little time to apply bigoted views through their doctrines.

Crazy use of semicolons there, Beastt.

I view the Bible as a record of people attempting to understand the divine. It's interesting to see the shift from Old Testament to New Testament. In the OT, we have a strong tribal mentality. The Pentateuch has a set of laws governing Jew-Jew relations, and another set of laws for Jew-Gentile relations. There are cases where total war was engaged, and the authors believed God wanted Israel to commit what we would today call genocide against other nations.

Things underwent a huge shift from tribal to global mentality in the New Testament, when Jesus was asked "Who is my neighbor?" and responded with the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and this is the kind of example that I believe we should follow today.

Aerika said:

Originally Posted by Beastt

I agree with Aerika on this; it's still intolerance and therefore, still bigotry. If someone's religion teaches they should kill those of differing beliefs is not still killing?

Bigotry is about what one believes, not why they believe it.
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Is this an example of men using the name of God as justification of war and murder ?

Originally Posted by Ezekiel 9 5-7

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.
And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city
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Or is it an example of a bigoted religion ?


Perhaps it's a fictional writer by the name of Ezekiel or an example of God ordering the deaths of infants and young children for the sins of their fathers.


Jesus reinforced thou shall not kill in Mathew. Killing innocent infants and children is murder using any definition of the word.

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The problem is that you are considering two different dispensations (LAW vs. GRACE). Also if you note that this was to begin at the sanctuary and before the house. The reality was that they represented everything that was WRONG among the supposed believers and not different faiths. The Israelites were all suppose to be of the very same faith or they were not of the chosen; otherwise, what is created is confusion.