What will change, what wont, and why it matters sex matters how to enjoy reading your bible images of joy. Ehrman is an engaging writer and does an excellent job of making skeptical scholarly claims understandable for the average person even if you dont agree with their. Csb apologetics study bible, mahogany leathertouch. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god by paul copan. Csb apologetics study bible, hardcover, thumbindexed. Homosexuality always be ready abr apologetics ministry. Peter guirguis may 23, 2017 apologetics 26 comments every few weeks, i get an email from a new reader of the blog, and he or she will ask me something like this. The cities of the plain, including sodom and gomorrah genesis 1819 3.
Bible problems not long after i became a christian, many moons ago, i was given a book with the subtitle 101 problems from the bible solved. Every two years we produce a new catalog in both print and electronic editions. How can we believe in the god of the old testament. The book won christianity todays 2012 apologetics book of the year of the award. Genocide and the god of the old testament october 4, 2016 in theology and christian apologetics by guest by jc lamont many people take issue with the idea that god commanded the jewish nation to initiate war. In most of the book, he explains the philosophy youll need to know to understand the arguments in the last chapter of the book. Every christian serious about evangelism should add this tactical book to their apologetics library. However, nowhere in the bible does it say that god destroyed sodom and gomorrah due to homosexuality. But dont expect any arguments to the best explanation, since the book is about st. Atheists, skeptics, and other critics of the bible have raised a variety of objections and questions about the existence of god and the reliability of the bible objections and questions that christians should be prepared to answer. Recommended apologetics books on the reliability of the bible.
It was a bloody war of total destruction where god used his people to execute his moral judgment against his wicked enemies. Genocide and the old testament posted on march 6, 2007 by john oakes wrote in apologetics, bible, philosophy. Atheist richard dawkins considers the war over canaan to be one of the most morally atrocious aspects of the ot. It is clear that in the book of joshua, god commanded the jews to utterly wipe out people groups that inhabited canaan. How does christian apologetics reconcile god being good. Section three opens with paul copan and matthew flannagan defending the bible against accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide. Hesss paper dealt with several passages in the hebrew bible dealing with the wars of conquest and whether archaeology proves or does not prove the reality of genocide in the wars of conquest.
Skeptics claim that a person who believes both that god exists and that the bible is gods authoritative word is rationally committed to four claims. Genocide and the old testament there is one question which comes up repeatedly, both as i travel and teach. Bible verses related to genocide from the king james version kjv by relevance sort by book order 1 samuel 15. Great books for teens and parents from bethany house. Studies in hebrew narrative and poetry 2000, is a model of close literary and theological exegesis. Introduction the ethical and theological difficulties brought to fruition by the conquest narratives in the book of joshua are several. He recently published a sequel with walls that critiques naturalistic ethics, god and cosmos. New atheists like richard dawkins, christopher hitchens, and sam harris accuse him of genocide, and most christians have no idea how to answer. A number of cases of mass killings of people, apparently at god s behest, are recorded in the old testament. I will argue why from questions of historicity of the biblical texts, biblical inspiration, and the nature of god. Thomas aquinass firstcause argument for gods existence.
However, i believe such accusations betray both an ignorance of the context and of the examples history has shown to be genocide and or ethnic cleansing. Genocide and the old testament evidence for christianity. Christian worldview and christian apologetics for your. Bengurions attachment to the bible was shared by almost every zionist leader of his generation and the next. I havent kept track, but im guessing ive done it now somewhere. However, copan and flannagan do far more than offer an apologetic on why their arguments fail. More recently, israeli education minister naftali bennett. What our world would be like without christianity the new believers guide to the christian life. Genocide is the utter and complete destruction of an entire ethnic people group. The top 3 apologetics books christian philosophers say you.
Pdf books in addition to our two popular monthly journals, apologetics press also publishes numerous books, tracts, research articles, article reprints, video tapes, audio tapes, and other items. The god of the bible is often charged with gross immorality, especially for ordering entire nations to be destroyed in the old testament. The scripture defended, a reply to bishop colensos book, on the pentateuch and the book of joshua, toronto, 1863 show them no mercy. Years later, when the israelites were in the land and began worshipping false gods, it was not until they started sacrificing their children that god sent the babylonians to take them captive. I dont believe the bible comes close to revealing god as genocidal. The egyptian firstborn sons during the passover exodus 1112 4. An inspirational coloring book all things bright and beautiful.
It describes the apocalypse, the last judgment of all the nations and people by god, which includes plagues, war, and economic collapse. It has been my practice for nearly four decades to read through a different translation, version or edition of the bible every years. The god of the old testament commanded the israelites to commit genocide. Recommended resources for apologetics pprotestant and noncatholic authors books. The book is by far the best apologetics book ive ever read. Skeptics claim that a person who believes both that god exists and that the bible is god s authoritative word is rationally committed to four claims. The ancient bible authors use ancient, near eastern expressions that sound like utter destruction, when they dont actually mean that. Hess noticed that in the rules of holy war in deuteronomy 20, the israelites were commanded to conquer the cities towns in the nrsv that. Bible scholar daniel hawk is uniquely qualified to tackle the issue of biblical violence. He commanded israel to cleanse canaan of its immoral, idolworshiping nations after the exodus, and in 1 samuel 15 he instructed them to destroy amalek completely, man and women, child and infant, oxen and sheep, camel and.
The book of revelation is full of imagery of war, genocide, and destruction. This is one of the best how to apologetics books in print today. Did god really command genocide, exposes the special pleading, cherrypicking and blatant truthtwisting employed in many arguments used by atheists and skeptics. The word apologetics comes from the greek word apologia found in 1 peter 3. There on the cross jesus takes on the force of gods judgement upon himself, despite his obedience to god and our. He has spent the bulk of his career wrestling with the book of joshua, arguably the bible s most troubling book, with its account of the conquest of the land. Bart ehrman is an exchristian bible scholar and professor who writes popularlevel books teaching why many scholars believe the bible isnt a reliable source for faith. Only evil, selfish men would concoct a book like that. Ravi zacharias international ministries 54,795 views. In the book of joshua god commands israel to slaughter the canaanites in order to occupy the promised land. Was that just the old testament god who demanded that.
I finished reading trough the apologetics study bible earlier this week and want to write a bit about the experience. Some have suggested that this is a command to commit genocide, although we dispute this in our book and attempt to bring clarity to this and related questions. This comprehensive guidebook provides answers to many common questions regarding the christian faith. The authors make a distinction between commands god decrees occasional vs. This intrusion theology is fulfilled by the ultimate eschatological judgement intrusion the cross of christ. Introduction no book is more maligned in todays relativistic, antireligion culture than the bible. The bible, god, genocide, slavery, misogyny, and other. Some biblical critics have accused the god of the bible of being genocidal or an ethnic cleanser. I have argued that we have some good reasons to accept the biblical account of the israelites conquest of the land of canaan under joshua as historically grounded. I was a new believer and still at the phase of the grass being greener, the sky being bluer and everything being wonderful seen through the eyes of my newfound faith. Reasonable theologys ten most recommended apologetics books include titles from ravi zacharias, lee strobel, greg koukl, norman geisler and other top apologists. You think christianity is true because you live in the west and were brought up in the christian faith.
The old testament are eschatological judgement intrusions. When it comes to the murder of the innocents, god does not spare even his own people. Sodoms sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. Divine violence and genocide in the book of joshua.
The seven chapters in this short book are packed with helps for the believer in giving a defense of the faith. Did god really command genocide coming to terms with the. The bible story of joshuas destruction of jericho, and the invasion of the promised land in general, is morally indistinguishable from hitlers invasion of poland, or saddam husseins. The paper will close seeking to briefly outline why christians can still hold to morally problematic. Apologetics for genocide the problem deuteronomy 20. From constant public attacks of the new atheists to the revelation of mythical and thus false elements discovered within its pages heralded by liberal scholars, the bible has lost its place of prominence and influence in the mind of the american psyche. They are under contract with oxford university press for a third book.
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