(urth) The Wizard

[António Pedro Marques]

Daniel Petersen wrote (08-03-2012 20:07):
> Hey, I thought you didn't want to discuss this! :)

Yep. Now I should be writing a lengthy reply, because the issues you raised 
deserve it, but I have no time so I'll just have to be succint and not enter 
into them.

> The *larger* summary of the doctrine of God from the entire OT could not
> possibly be accurately represented by a summary of the (alleged) doctrine of
> God one garners merely from the orders to exterminate the Canaanites (...)

Notice I said:

'The key word is *summary*. Otherwise there's just no way to go around all 
the clear, insistent and absolute *orders* to fully exterminate the Canaanites.'

I meant two things here:

1. It's unsophisticated because/if it's a *summary*.
2. The violence in the first books of the OT just can't be glossed over. 
Those of us who stand by the whole canon should be ready to defend it with 
more than just saying the people who wrote it were savages.

A point I didn't make, but I think one of you Danielses invited it: no 
amount of descriptions of יהוה‎ as merciful can make up for actions by him 
which seem to contradict it. Other things may, but not simple adjectives. 
Adjectives are cheap. Istr a passage (in Exodus?) where, a little after some 
egregiously violent bit (or a recollection of one), יהוה‎ refers to himself 
as slow to anger and quick to forgive. That just won't do in its face. In my 
opinion it doesn't work for the Qur'an, so it doesn't work for the Bible 
either. We must be able to defend God better than that. I think we can. I 
don't think we work hard enough.