Question for Christians

[steve_bakr]

Did you mean to say "of," or did you mean "by?"

If you mean the latter, I hope that the clergy members wouldn't actually get any say in the proceedings. If someone is hearing voices that are commanding the person to commit murder, leave it to the psychologists for the sake of the public (and the police, if it's serious enough).

I meant "by." While psychiatric pathology is under the purview of the psychiatrist, a misunderstanding of the foundations of Christianity is best given over to the counsel of the clergy. I favor a comprehensive approach.

 

[Gottservant]

The bible contradicts your statement:

Numbers 31: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

God told Moses to murder.

If the Midianites were threatening the people that kept the Law "thou shalt not murder" murdering them would be lawful, because you can't both keep the law and not keep the law.

Sure if you strip that of context, it sounds like God is asking to murder, but in the fuller context He is preventing murder.

If you are talking about my Australian neighbours, no I don't get asked to murder them; if you are talking about neighbouring countries that threaten Australians, I may well get asked to murder them and would not happily do so.

It's all about frames of reference: if someone doesn't believe life is sacred, it's not really murder to them anyway.

The point is who is guilty? It's not as if God ever says "no I didn't ask" when He most certainly has asked, so what's the problem? Are you suggesting God gets off the hook because He is God? He doesn't!

 

[ThinkForYourself]

If the Midianites were threatening the people that kept the Law "thou shalt not murder" murdering them would be lawful, because you can't both keep the law and not keep the law.

Sure if you strip that of context, it sounds like God is asking to murder, but in the fuller context He is preventing murder.

If you are talking about my Australian neighbours, no I don't get asked to murder them; if you are talking about neighbouring countries that threaten Australians, I may well get asked to murder them and would not happily do so.

It's all about frames of reference: if someone doesn't believe life is sacred, it's not really murder to them anyway.

The point is who is guilty? It's not as if God ever says "no I didn't ask" when He most certainly has asked, so what's the problem? Are you suggesting God gets off the hook because He is God? He doesn't!

I thought God could do anything. Was God unable to come up with a solution that didn't involve murder, because I can: Why didn't he simply move the Midianites to the other side of the world?

What about the flood that murdered everyone but Noah and his family. What's the context for all those murders?