rizdek

Do we need to understand a culture to recognize what is immorality? Taking of slaves, even in war times, was and is wrong. That's why for the most part civilized nations stopped doing it.

So what if "everybody else is doing it." Isn't that the christian declaration: "Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't make it right."

sschlichter

so, then answer the question in post #554 about war reparations and WW2.

Johnny Skeptic

Here is all of my post #47:

There is nothing in that post that argues against the institution of slavery. Historically, surely many slaves were better off being slaves. If the institution of slavery was sometimes legitimate, equal treatment of various ethnic groups by Hebrews would have been legitimate too.

Not just now, favoritism is the only issue that I have ever had in this thread.

What questions? The only citizenry that I am concerned with in this thread is Hebrews, their Hebrew slaves, and their non-Hebrew slaves. Hebrews considered it to be harsh to involuntarily force Hebrews to be slaves for life, and that was forbidden by law. On the other hand, Hebrews did not consider it to be harsh to involuntarily force non-Hebrew to be slaves for life, and that was permitted by law. That was immoral.

sschlichter

Are all laws that differentiate between a citizen and a non-citizen immoral for all cultures?

It is against the law to hire a non-citizen in this country without a work permit while a citizen can work wherever he can get hired? Is that immoral?

simple questions.

Johnny Skeptic

All laws are not the issue in this thread. The only issue that I am interested in for purposes of this thread is whether or not it was immoral for Hebrews to force non-Hebrews to be slaves for life.

That is not analogous to the discussions in this thread because ethnicity regarding Old Testament slavery, and citizenship regarding modern times, are two entirely different issues.

In the U.S., it is illegal to discriminate against people based upon ethnicity. Do you agree with that?

Since I have not studied the issue that you mentioned, I do not have an informed opinion on it. What is your opinion regarding the issue?

sschlichter

So, you do not feel you are informed enough to answer my question about current events but you are informed enough to judge the OT law immoral even though it is in a language you do not understand and a culture you are not from and time period separated from yours by 3000 years and geographically on the other side of the planet.

Is this a fair assessment of your position?

Exciter

War has always been immoral.
Yes, to both. It's funny you mentioned WWII...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leviticus 20:11 And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

The website does contain three pictures. One, of some urns that reportedly have the cremated remains of bones of infants and some older children thought to be the result of human sacrifice.

The reason they think they are from human sacrifices... the Bible says so.

The other two pictures are of an Egyptian relief located in the temple of Amun at Karnak
.
The article says it seems this and it looks like that about the picture... not exactly evidence that it is, without doubt people practicing child sacrifice, sorry.

The relief shows two children being held over the sides, which could mean any number of different things.

sschlichter

going to war against Hitler was immoral? Are all forms of self defense immoral? I think I see your problem with OT law now.

As far as child sacrifices, I guess you will just have to take it up with Cornell University, if you do not agree with their web-site. They were one of about 1000 examples that I selected.

Exciter

War is immoral, period. If you can't see that then, I don't think there's very much that can be done or shown to you that it's immoral.

No. Some threats to self are pretty much unavoidable.

No you don't see or else you'd see that it was immoral , that's my problem with OT law.

Why? You are the one who brought it up. I asked for something that won't say because the Bible says so, lol.


Doesn't really matter who's website it is. If they say that the remains are from child sacrifice because the Bible says so, it is not evidence, lol, do you not realize that you are discussing this with atheist, skeptics and other people who are not part of your congregation?

sschlichter

so, self defense can be moral unless it is at the national level. I.e. An individual has the right to defend himself but not when you pool them together?

I am having trouble getting my thumb on the pulse of how you determine the morality of certain actions. How many people does it take to switch from a moral self defense to an immoral one?

As far as Cornell, you reject them as a Christian apologetic source then? Should I find a more secular school for you? Maybe you should pick the school, book, whatever that you feel represents the cutting edge of archeology. I did not even know there was apologists at Cornell.