Resolved: YHWH should not be worshipped

Rebuttal of R1: "As he claims that the motive of God was genocide" Destruction of Amelek is Genocide, they were not even a people that lived on the land of Canaan. God specifically pointed that Amelek was to be entirely destroyed. (Exodus 17:14) "Then the LORD said to Moses... I will completely blot out the name of Amelek from under heaven" Genocide doesn't entail a morality nor is it specific to ethnicity. Even if people are being immoral, or even starting war against you, genocide is "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group". Note: "national group", such as Canaanites. So, say what you want, but there can be no other definition for the complete annihilation of a group of people besides Genocide, and we, as a society, have deemed Genocide not morally acceptable. If you want to accept Genocide, that"s on you" but just know what you are promoting. "it makes it very clear that this has nothing to do with Jews going out and killing Gentiles for global conquest reasons" not Global, but Land conquest reasons, the Conquest of Canaan. The reason for giving that land is quite absurd as well, because it doesn't have to do with righteousness, in Duet. 9, as you show it says multiple times "it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess" but "to accomplish what (the LORD) swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob". So, this isn't a case of someone morally right squashing that which is morally wrong, just a case of one group taking from another who are both wicked, but this group is descendant from Abraham and not Ham (who's descendants are eternally cursed because he saw Noah naked and drunk). "Second, all the violence of the Old Testament must be read through the lens of the New Testament." So, he later fixes everything?... no those people still suffered.. the violence doesn't just get erased, if that's what you're meaning. "atrocities committed against children, women, and others" so, the Jews KILL ALL the children, women and others? and He kills all the first-born in Egypt because the Jews are slaves. Even though, Jewish rules for the (Gentile) slaves they have are actually rather cruel as well. Not to mention the implications of when Moses kills the Egyptian because he's whipping a Jewish slave, whereas there are certainly no rules against Jews whipping their gentile slaves. As well as the often practice of taking your wives handmaidens to bed (Jacob in particular, but David takes the cake when he has a dude killed because he knocked up his friend's wife and doesn't want his buddy to find out). So, I'm not sure what wickedness you can really claim objectively. Sure, they are wicked in God's eyes because they are Gentiles living in the land given to His Children, but as Gentiles, we should be angry that he has decided that. On a separate note - "A scientific example is obvious the Theory of Evolution has gaps and inconsistencies" - does it? "we should not follow this God until we can definitively figure out these confusing actions of the Old Testament." That's not what I'm saying in my first argument, I'm making it very clear that God has wrong us and we should be angry about it... there is not "until". Plus, I thought we agreed that everything in the bible was true? So, it's not like we're gonna find out something later, we have to believe it as it is today. Rebuttal R2: To begin here, the difference between my R1 argument and R2 is that R1 was more focused on a Gentile v. Jew argument: what the Jews did to Gentiles by command of God. R2 is more focused on God v. Humanity, that regardless of your ancestors, you should still be pretty turned off by. "As we see Pro's uninformed argument for God being jealous" Exodus 20:5 "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me," I don't see how that can be interpreted as "zeal". It means he gets mad if you like anyone else!! Simple and clear. So, besides to Prove a point "the Adversary", why did God kill all of Job's family and animals and make him terribly ill? To show his love? His power? His wisdom? "If God did nothing but create this universe He would be worth following for the mere sake of His wisdom." With great power comes great... wisdom? I didn't know that was true. I never once doubted God's power" the bible makes it VERY clear that he is ALL powerful. He could quell Satan and all evil in an instant if he wanted to. I would never doubt that. His Wisdom on the other hand, is relative. If his Wisdom should be that which would bring the most people to love him, I would say he's done a rather poor job. "my family is mostly not just [non-Christians], but God haters." According to the Old Testament (or the 10 commandments as stated above) you will be punished for their idolatry, and so will your kids. That sucks to hear, but that's the truth of His word. Take it as you will. "No amount of hate or persecution from the supposed intellectuals making fun of my belief will ever stop my faith." This is a startling sentence, for multiple reasons. I think the world is full with hate from all sides, and while I do think that Jesus makes a lot of good arguments for Love, His connection to Judaism brings a lot of baggage with it that we need to reconcile, we can't just gloss over. "God does put Himself first because He is a God of love and His decisions for you and I are the best." I don"t see how that is a "This therefore That" statement. Rebuttal R3: "Hell in Scripture is a place of eternal torment and suffering as Jesus Himself said where the worm never dies and the fire is not quenched." That place is called Gehenna (as it actually says, before translation). Commonly also known as the "Lake of Fire", which the people in Sheol (Hades) will be cast during the End of Days. And I pointed out seventh-day Adventist who are Annihilationist. There are other groups as well; Bible Students, Christadelphians and various Advent Christian churches, as well as the Church of England. These are backed by verses Matthew 10:28, John 3:16, John 6:51. (PS. Just because the worms don't die and the fire isn't quenched doesn't mean your soul will live there permanently, those two can be true and your soul can be annihilated.) "Hell is hell because God is there" yes, God is everywhere. It is commonly understood though that being with God in Heaven and with God on earth are two different things, same goes for Sheol. "God is not a means, He is the end." Interesting that you should say this because I think it applies back to R1. I was thinking of countering with a "ends justifies the means" argument, but thought it'd be too clich"'. That's what you would have to argue for right? That all the on-the-cover wickedness that we read is really justifying an end that only God knows (or was later revealed). Does it justify the means? Philippians 2:5-11 - Interesting, I am not familiar with this verse. it looks rather robust and I must commend you. Taking this as truth would certainly lend me to profess to Christianity. I don't see a way around this fact. If I am to profess Christianity in the future, I might as well do it now. So, a great debate, but I think you got me there on the Philippians. Within the construct of the debate, it's all yours. Congrats! So, I would recommend the votes go to Con for pointing that out. That said, on a personal note, I just don't see that as possible... weird for the bible to say that really. I'd have to believe that some people, in their Free Will, will oppose YHWH. (contrary, if you destroy all those who oppose, you forfeit the hell argument). Very interesting... Thanks for the great debate!