To which I replied: "If God orders it, it cannot be evil. Though a mortal in error might call it that. However, if they're made aware of the evil they've done, I doubt that absolves them or that a person has the authority to erase their own debt, it just means they're aware of their unfaithfulness to the message. It is up to God whether they're given a chance to repent and be reconsecrated. I'm not sure how Catholics see it, but I've never run across the term "absolve" or "absolution" in scripture." (Because a person might call something evil just because they themselves don't like it, which does not actually determine whether something is good or evil. I thought you were implying that somehow by writing down the evils they had done that would automatically grant them "absolution", since you mentioned them being absolved. But you evidently are not being entirely faithful in the belief that while an individual might escape the human concept of justice no one escapes God's justice. Because only He knows what is in a person's heart.)
Then:
Which I thought indicated that you were concerned with people being deceived into doing evil while thinking it was a mandate from the Almighty.
To which I replied:
"Yes, deception is perhaps not only part of Satan's game, maybe most or all of it.
1 Corinthians 3:18 Let no one deceive himself. . . . .
1 Corinthians 6:9 . . . Don’t be deceived. . . .
1 Corinthians 15:33 Don’t be deceived! . . .
Galatians 6:3 For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Galatians 6:7 Don’t be deceived . . .
James 1:16 Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers.
James 1:22 But obey God’s word. Do not just listen to it. If you just listen to it, you fool yourselves.
James 1:26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, . . .
1 John 1:8 Do we say, ‘We have no wrong ways’? Then we are fooling ourselves, and we do not know what is true
1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. . . .
1 John 4:1 Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. . . .
There are many more verses warning you not to be deceived, so it evidently is a common thing and a good idea for you to guard against. I too know firsthand that both self-deception, and even willingly believing the lie of someone else, to get what I wanted at the time have led to my being unfaithful. The Holy Spirit will not suggest to anyone that doing something sinful, selfish, carnal, or outright evil is okay or allowable(even just once); if such a messenger as suggests that sort of thing visits you, or anyone you may know, it is not to be believed."
and then:
To which I replied:
"To clear up what seems to be confusion about the OT, NT, and the nature of God, the angry Father of the OT did not go anywhere or get replaced by the NT. Jesus was sent to give us an example to follow, that if one obeys that example he or she may escape the righteous wrath that the Father has towards sin and evildoers. The law wasn't canceled by His example, but fulfilled, as He said:
"It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law" Luke 16:17 Therefore "everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man"Matt7:26 and complete will be his destruction.
More NT verification that God hates sin and sinners
"But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption"2Pet2:12
"And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." 2Peter3:7
" It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God." Heb 10:31
"for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29"
Again thinking you were really seeking to understand that no human, or group of humans, is the authority on what is good or evil in God's eyes; because finite and flawed humans will be making their evaluations from self-serving, very partial, and finite and flawed opinion-based knowledge. But it occurs to me that you are not really seeking to understand that, but instead are playing devil's advocate, and will have an endless amount of "if"s, "and"s, and "but"s for anything anyone says.
The answer "God ordered it so it's not evil" is a vile answer to justifying the murder of infants in that passage. What's even worse is that you portray disagreement on that as being heathen like.
"If we kill babies with out any divine orders, then it's evil... but if god wants us to do it that makes it good"
"If you are against God ordering to kill babies then you are deceived and following satan". Do you understand how this sounds like? This is the same reasoning that caused the violence during the dark ages, the Salem Witch trials, the burning of people to stakes, and other forms of barbarianism in every religion. All of them had this same reasoning that it's not evil due to being of service to the "orders" of their god.
What makes you different from the terrorists and the people back then who commit murder due to "what god said"? Because you think your god is real? (note, i use "your" because i don't believe in a tyrant god. I don't believe the God of Christianity is evil and just changes what is evil based on his authority)
If this story the killing of infant cannanites was of a different religious book like the Quran or the Vedas, you would see this book and this god as completely evil. Imagine your reaction to Jihadists, satanists, and whatever non-christian religion if their response towards infant murder is justified because "their god is above the laws and whatever he decides is holy". You'd think that is absurd and vile.
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