The bible is immoral

Taken from "Dossier of Reason" A. The bible is so unclear on morality as to leave modern Christian's split on the issues. B. Old Testament Morality 1. Human Sacrifice a. God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Gen 22) b. Anything devoted to God, of man or beast, shall be put to death (Lev 27:28-29). c. God's anger is sometimes turned away by killing people (Num 25:4, 8, 2 Sam 21). d. Jephthah sacrifices his daughter to fulfil his vow to God (Judges 11:29-39). e. Mesha, King of Moab, sacrifices his firstborn (2 Kings 3:27). f. Prisoners of war are sacrificed (1 Sam 15:33, 2 Sam 21:1-9, Num 21:2). g. A messiah will be beaten and crucified to pay the penalty for man's sin. Ps 22, Is 53 2. Animal Sacrifice a. Much of exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy are devoted to the manner in which animals are to be slaughtered, smeared onto the people, distributed, burnt and eaten. b. 22,000 oxen, 120,000 sheep sacrificed at dedication of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:63, 2 Chron 6). c. Blood of the sacrificial animals is to be smeared over thr priests and the people (Ex 29:20, 12, 21, Lev 4:6-7,17-18, 25, 30, 34, 5:9, Ezek 43-46). d. A heifer is to be killed if a man is found murdered by someone unknown (Deut 21:1-9). 3. War a. Much of the old testament is a record of Israel's wars, with god as their protector and champion. b. Psalmist prays for God to be on his side in war (Ps 35:1ff). c. David is praised for ten thousand slain (1 Sam 18:6-8). d. David wars on the Geshurites, Gezrites and Amalekites to steal their land (1 Sam 27:8). e. With the Lord's approval, Joshua mows down Amalek and his people. EX 17:13 4. Genocide and Slaughter a. Genocide is a tool used by god to further israel's interests. It is usually unclear what the exterminated had done to deserve annihilation other than being in the way of the israelites or worshipping a different god. b. The Israelites slaughter Hamor and his city and plunder it (Gen 34). c. Moses is commanded by God to exterminate the Canaanites, the Amorites and the people of Bashan "and show no mercy" (Deut 7:1-2, 9:3, Num 21). d. Moses orders "every man" among the Israelites to slay his brother, companion and neighbor, as a punishment for the idolatry of all, and 3000 die (Ex 32:27-28). e. God commands Moses to slaughter 24,000 people and hang their heads in the sun (Num 25). f. God commands Moses to slay the Midianites because the Israelites are seduced by them. All males (including infants) and adult women are killed; virgins are enslaved (Num 25:17,31:1-2, 7, 15-18). g. God's annihilation of Sihon's people and others (Deut 2:30-35, 36, 3:1-7). h. God commands Moses, in any city near the promised land which does not agree to become a vassal state of the Israelites, to kill all the males and take the women and children as slaves and the animals as booty, but in any city in the promised land the Israelites are to kill every living thing, sparing no one (Deut 20:10-17). i. Joshua, with the help of God, annihilates numerous tribes and cities, "left none breathing," "destroyed all that breathed, as God commanded" (Josh 6:21, 8:24-27, 10:, 11:11,14,21-22). j. Judah slays 10,000 Canaanites (Judg 1:4) and 10,000 Moabites (Judg 3:29) k. Danites destroy "peaceful" Laish and kill its people for no reason (Judg 18:27). l. Judah and Simeon utterly destroy Zephath (Judg 1:17). m. Samuel tells Saul that God wants to annihilate the Amalekites, including infants and women, which Saul then does, slaying all the inhabitants except Agag the king (1 Sam 15:1-9). n. David leaves no man or woman alive in the countries he invades: Geshurites, Gezrites and Amalekites (1 Sam 27:9,11). o. David takes Rabbah and puts its people "under saws...and harrows... and axes of iron and made them pass through thebrickkiln" and does the same to all the cities of Ammon (2 Sam 12:31, 1 Chr 20:3). p. David executes 2/3 of Moab by measuring a line (2 Sam 8:2). q. More slaughter by David (2 Sam 8:5, 13, 10:18). r. God helps Judah kill 50,000 Israelites (2 Chr 13:17). s. Esther gets permission for the Jews to slaughter all their enemies, including women and children, which they do, then celebrate it and institute the feast of Purim to remember it (Esther 8:11, 9:1-19). t. "Let none [of Babylon] escape" (Jer 50:29). u. "Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children," says God (Ezek 9:6). 5. Cruelty, Barbarity and Violence a. God requires all male infants to have their penises mutilated (Gen 17:10-27). b. God orders horses to be hamstrung (Josh 11:6). c. Judah cuts off thumbs and toes of his captive Adonibezek, which is justified because he had done it to his captives (Judg 1:6-7). d. Samuel "hewed [King] Agal in pieces before the Lord" (1 Sam15:33). e. David boasts of his cruelty (2 Sam 22:41-43). f. David pays 200 foreskins as dowry (1 Sam 18:27). g. David "shed blood causeless" (1 Sam 18:31). h. David's treatment of captive people of Rabbah: he "cut them with saws, put them "under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln" (1 Chron 20:3, 2 Sam 12:31). i. Jehu has Jezebel killed and her body mutilated (2 Kings 9:3-37). j. Ahab's family are slaughtered (2 Kings 9, 10); this is praised by God (10:30). k. "Happy shall be he that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones [in revenge]" (Ps 137:9). l. Samaria's infants will be dashed in pieces, pregnant women ripped up (Hos 13:16). m. Other dashing of infants, ripping of pregnant women (2 Kings 8:12, 15:16, Isa 13:15-18, Hosea 10:14). n. The righteous will laugh when their enemies fall (Ps 52:6). o. Cruelty, vengeance and hatred permeate the Psalms, e.g. 59:10-13, 68:21-23, 109:6-14, 139:19-22, 140:10. p. Hell, which God created for punishment of his creatures, is a place of everlasting torment and cruelty (Rev 14:11, 16:9), a continuation of God's torment of unbelievers in this life (Deut 28:15-68, Lev 26) q. David praying for the death of someone who spoke against him, and that his children become poor vagabonds hated by all. Ps109:1-115 6. Deceit, Treachery a. Jacob and his mother deceive dying Isaac so that Jacob receives his birthright blessing. This is how the Israelites become God's chosen people i.e., god honors the deceit Gen 27. b. Jacob's sons promise Shechem their sister Dinah, but slaughter him instead, and the whole city (Gen 34). c. God instructs Israelite women to borrow the Egyptian women's jewelry and not return it (Ex 3:22). d. Rahab the harlot, who betrayed her city to Joshua, is rewarded for her treachery with her life and becomes an ancestress of Jesus (Josh 6:22-25, Matt 1:5, Heb 11:31). e. David on his deathbed breaks his promise to Shimei not to kill him and instead arranges to have him killed (1 Kings 2:8-9,2 Sam 19:21-23). f. Elijah is to anoint Hazael king of Syria (1 Kings 19:15) but Hazael becomes king by treacherously lying to Benhadad and murdering him, following the instructions of Elisha (2 Kings 8:8-15). g. Jehu uses treachery to destroy the worshippers of Baal (2 Kings10:18-28). 7. Polygamy a. Lamech is the first polygamist (Gen 4:19). b. Polygamy is discouraged in the king (Deut 17:17). c. Abraham takes Hagar as wife while married to Sarah (Gen 16). d. Abraham has concubines (Gen 25:6). e. Isaac takes more wives. Gen 26:34-35 f. Jacob married Leah and Rachel (Gen 29, 31:50; this violates Lev 18:18). g. Rachel gives Jacob her maid, Leah also (Gen 30:1-4, 9-13; in this Jacob violates his covenant at Gen 31:50) h. Gideon has 70 sons "by many wives" (Judg 8:30). i. David had many wives, violating Deut 17:17 (1 Sam passim, e.g. 25:42-43, 2 Sam 3:2-5, 5:13-16), but God gave them to David (2 Sam 12:8). j. Solomon had 700 wives, 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3; Song 6:8 says 60 wives, 80 concubines, and "virgins without number"). k. Rehoboam had many wives (2 Chron 11:18-23). l. Law provides for protection for the son of a polygamous wife whose husband hates her, but no protection for the hated wife herself (Deut 21:15-16). m. Law about authorizing polygamy (Ex 21:10). n. God will use polygamy as a punishment (Isa 4:1). 8. Prostitution a. Boaz pays Ruth in barley for spending the night with him (Ruth 3:15). b. Leah buys sex with Jacob by giving Rachel the mandrakes which Reuben had harvested (Gen 30:14-16). c. God orders Hosea to purchase a harlot (Hos 1:2, 3:1-2). 9.Abuse of Women a. A mother is unclean for twice as long after the birth of a daughter as after a son (Lev 12). b. A woman is "unclean" during her menstrual period and for seven days afterward, i.e. for approximately half her adult life and is not allowed to come into contact with men. (Lev 15:19-28, Ezek 18:6). To purify herself each month she must make a "sin offering" (Lev 15:29-30). c. Only males can enter the covenant, since it requires the rite of circumcision. d. Adam blames Eve for his sin in the Garden (Gen 3:12). e. Eve's curse is that Adam shall rule over her (Gen 3:16). f. A wife is listed among her husbands property, after the house (Ex 20:17, Deut 5:21). g. God gives the Israelites rules and regulations for selling their daughters (but not their sons) into slavery (Ex 21:7-11). h. Miriam is made a leper temporarily for speaking against Moses (Num 12:1-10), but Aaron, who was equally guilty, is not punished. i. Moses enslaves 32,000 virgins (Num 31:18, 35). j. Israelites slaughter their fellow Israelites of Jabesh-Gilead to obtain wives (Judg 21:1-14). k. Males of Benjamin are advised to get wives by abducting women of Shiloh (Judg 21:16-23). l. A divorced woman is as unclean as a whore and unsuited as the wife of a priest (Lev 21:7, Ezek 44:22). n. Rules for taking a captive woman to wife and what to do if you decide you don't like her after all (Deut 21:10-14). o. A rape victim must marry her rapist. The rapist must pay a penalty to the victim's father, but not to her (Deut 22:28-29). (To be continued)