I'll try...
Is the OT the Word of God? - Yes.
Are these moral punishments? - Not for us today in this society.
For somebody who claims, or at the least judges Christianity, Argy hasnt a clue as to what Christianity is.
I am sure he and many other atheists around here dont realise the OT is a Jewish book for the Jews, as I am sure they havnt realised that the consequence of sin is death.
Sadly they read only the parts of the bible that justify their respective ignorance and flat out refuse to leave their pre conceived ideas.
The atheists actions are much the same as the actions of the Pharisees.
Argy wants to be served answers like a spoon fed child, its no way for an adult to act.
Again Argy if you want the truth why not go sit down with a Pastor of a local church.
The wages of sin is death, thats the fact.
The problem in the Old Testament is the law states that
everybody deserves to die, the law is impossible. Every child is disobedient.
But thats the law.
The law cant be any other way.
We look to Jesus. He fulfilled the law.