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Bible passages that appear immoral today
Part 2 of 5: Mass murder and genocide

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Topics covered in this essay:
 | Acts of mass murder and genocide:
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Genesis 6:5-9:
"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God."
God is described as having created the earth, mankind, other living things,
and the rest of the universe in the early chapters of Genesis. But he apparently
was unable to foresee the future behavior of his creations. In particular, He
did not predict the degree of wickedness that mankind would exhibit. He regretted
his decision to create mankind. So he decided to commit the ultimate act of
genocide, by murdering the entire human race: men, women, children, infants and
newborns. God decided to exterminate people by drowning - a slow and painful way to die.
He allowed Noah to survive, along with Noah's wife, his three sons and their wives.
But the Bible states that the rest of the human race were wiped out, including
young children and infants who had not reached the age of accountability.
In the 20th century, the most serious acts of genocide involved
less than 1% of the human population. Examples are: the extermination of the Armenian minority in
Turkey, the extermination of Jews, Roma (Gypsies) and others by the Nazis, the
extermination of the ethnic Albanians by the Serbs in Kosovo
in the former Yugoslavia. The perpetrators have become the most hated of people.
But the genocide resulting from the great flood is far more serious. It is recorded as
having destroyed over
99% of the human race, leaving only eight humans alive.

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The Israelites invaded Canaan and, under God's instructions, exterminated
seven nations in widespread acts of genocide: the Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites,
Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They continued to commit genocide
against other groups.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2:
"... the seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto
them."
Joshua 6:21:
"And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and
woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the
sword."
This latter passage describes one event in the invasion of Canaan by the ancient
Israelites. After the walls of the city of Jericho fell, the soldiers ran into
the city, and murdered all its inhabitants: elderly men and women, mature
men and women, pregnant women, youths, boys, girls, infants and newborns. Their goal was to
entirely wipe out the Canaanite culture by destroying its people; this is one
definition of genocide. Incidentally, the people were butchered by the edge of
the sword, because the weapons did not have pointed ends.
Joshua 10:40-41:
"So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.
And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto
Gibeon."
As recorded in Joshua 11:19-23, God had "hardened the hearts" of
the Canaanites, so that all but one city attempted to fight the Hebrews in
battle. The sole exception were the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. "As the LORD commanded
Moses", all of the rest were defeated in battle; their cities and
populations were destroyed. This included people of all ages: men, women
children, infants and newborns.
Genocides and other extreme atrocities are recorded in:
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Genesis 19: - Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for being:
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Uncharitable to their widows, children and poor |
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Abusive to strangers. |
More details |  |
Joshua 8:24 - City of Ai |  |
Joshua 10:26 - Joshua murdered five defenseless kings of the Amorites in cold blood. |  |
Joshua 10:28 - City of Makkedah |  |
Joshua 10:29 - City of Libnah |  |
Joshua 10:31 - City of Lachish |  |
Joshua 10:33 - City of Gezer "...Joshua smote him and his people
until he had left him none remaining." |  |
Joshua 10:34 - City of Elgon "They left none remaining." |  |
Joshua 10:37 - City of Hebron |  |
Joshua 10:38 - City of Debir |  |
Numbers 21:2-3 - City of Hormah |  |
Numbers 21:33-35: Land of Bashan "...they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land." |  |
Deuteronomy 2:21-24: The Ammonite, Horim, and Avim people. |  |
Deuteronomy 2:26-35 - Land of Heshbon "...we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to
remain." |  |
Judges 4:16 - City of Sisera |
Acts of genocide are condemned by all religions and secular groups and by the
international community. Genocide of the Geshurites, Gezirites, and Amalekites:1 Samuel 27:8-9:
"And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the
Gezrites, and the Amalekites ... And David smote the land, and left neither
man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses,
and the camels, and the apparel. And David saved neither man nor woman
alive"
The Living Bible translates verse 9 as saying "They didn't leave one
person alive." David and his men apparently stole the animals and clothing,
while killing all the people: the elderly, men, women, youths, children, infants
and newborns.


Copyright © 1997 to 2012 by Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2012-JAN-22
Author: B.A. Robinson
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C.M. Laymon, "The Interpreter's one volume commentary on the
Bible," Abingdon, (10\99), Page 158-159.
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J.D. Douglas, Ed., "New commentary on the whole Bible: Old
Testament volume," Tyndale (1991), Page 398

Copyright © 1997 to 2012 by Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2012-JAN-22
Author: B.A. Robinson 
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