The Judeo-Christian God is Immoral

You have defined morality as "the application of social norms and standards of behavior which govern the interaction between people in a particular society." However, as you pointed out, standards of behavior change with different cultures. For your definition to work, everyone everywhere must agree. But, we don't. If your definition is true, then absolute morality doesn't exist; morality is completely subjective. What we think is wrong may be considered right to someone else and therefore may not be inherently bad. For example, using your definition, whatever God did in the Old Testament may have been the social norm for that time and therefore be moral. If there is no absolute standard of morality, it is hard to judge whether actions done in the past are immoral or not. Biblically, I would describe morality as a set of rules given by something other than us which everyone everywhere must follow. I say "something other than us" because if morality came from our personal convictions it would be ever-changing and of no value. But you are arguing that God, from whom morality comes, disobeys his own rules of morality and is therefore immoral. To prove it you used several examples when God has done seemingly shocking things. You said that God commands us not to kill (Exodus 20:13), yet there are examples throughout the Old Testament (such as the Flood) where God did kill. However, when I looked up the verse you cited, Exodus 20:13 (NIV), it does not say, "Thou shalt not kill;" it says, "You shall not murder." The definition of kill is, "Cause the death of (a person, animal, or other living thing)." The definition of murder is, "Kill (someone) unlawfully and with premeditation" (Oxford Dictionaries). One of the examples where God killed is in the Flood. This was not murder, however, because it was not unlawful"the people truly deserved punishment. "The Lord saw how great man"s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain." Genesis 5:5-6 (NIV). Because of his justice, God cannot let sins go unpunished. Romans 6:23 reads, "23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." You gave us Psalms 137:9 as an example of immoral cruelty. It reads, "Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!" In context, the Jews had just had been taken away from their land, and their children had just been dashed against the rocks by their captors, the Babylonians. They were wishing for justice. You gave us another verse about a child being stoned for rebellion. However, if you look at the passage, it actually never says child; it says son. This son is a drunkard and will not listen to discipline. His parents have done everything they can. God had to show his people that the consequences of sin are real. As for your last two examples about the poor thief and the murderer, I'd like to know exactly what verses you used, because often in context things become clearer. You have given me these verses to prove that I am more moral than God, but I'd like to show you one of the many examples where God has been kinder than we as humans would ever be. The most obvious one is Jesus. Would you give your only child to be killed in place of a bunch of sinners? That's kindness at its extreme. Here are a couple other examples from the Old Testament showing God"s patience and compassion: In Isaiah 55 he says, "Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous his thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways. " (Isaiah 55:7-8 NIV ) "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:18-19 NIV) Enjoy!