Quote:
Originally Posted by raytri
I'll note that you're using a different version of Chronicles than I am. But in any event, what you have is Asa swearing an oath to God, including promising to kill all nonbelievers. "All of Judah" rejoiced at the oath", and the Lord rewarded them for their devotion.
Well, that's one way to rationalize ignoring unpleasant things in one's holy book.
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Well, that's one way to read it but I think it is not only mistaken, but demonstrates your bias. It is obviousthat that portion was added by the Chronicler. The oath was not to kill for God but to
entered[s] the covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their forefathers, with all their heart and with all their soul. Their reward was peace with their neighbors.
In fact the covenant was entered into because:
3. Now there were many days for Israel without a true God and without an instructing priest, and without the Torah.
4. And they returned to the Lord, the God of Israel, when they were in distress, and they sought Him, and He was found by them.
5.
And in those times, there was no peace for anyone going or coming for there were great turmoils upon all the inhabitants of the lands.
6. And nation was crushed by nation and city by city, because God discomfited them with all troubles.
7. But you be strong and let your hands not slacken, for there is reward for your work."
It is not my holy book, fyi. I am merely a student of the religions. My version is the Jewish Bible, (not a Christian translation) here:
http://www.chabad.org/library/articl...Chapter-15.htm
Quote:
Originally Posted by raytri
Oh, please. Leviticus is a listing of laws. There's every reason to think they were enforced. Especially because, as I said, it's not like the laws would have been unusual for the time.
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Actually they were unusual at the time. Do you know of any other codified law that demonstrates your point? As far as I know the ethics and morality laws as well as the hygiene laws were not in effect with any other culture. The laws that were enforced were generally enforced on all Jews, not merely the by and for the elite.
Quote:
Originally Posted by raytri
I'll grant that the Quran is more violent, in quantity if not in quality. But that doesn't mean that the violent parts must rule or dominate, and be emulated literally, any more than similar passages in other religions cannot be tamed. It's easy enough to read the Quran as the story of a warlord who spread a religion, not a religion that requires war.
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Only if you read it with a much more forgiving eye than you are reading the Bible! To quote
you :" Well, that's one way to rationalize ignoring unpleasant things in one's holy book."
The problem is that unless you are willing to meet violence with even more violence you will be dominated by those (however small the group) who in fact use the violence to rule and dominate others. If a violent Muslim meets a turn-the-other-cheek Christian, the Muslim wins and eventually dominates. And even if 99% of Muslims were peaceloving, 1% can cause incredible havoc in the world.
My prediction:
By the time Islam is
'tamed,' your descendants will be praying 5 times a day and reading the Koran in Arabic.