Lets Settle This

[libalchris]

As a matter of survival the ancient Isrealites needed to defend themselves against the unprovoked and aggressive violence of other nations. War presents problems in which there are no good options. Sometimes the only options are bad and worse. Suppose all the opposing men were killed while sparing the women and children. Then what? Leave them to starve? A fast death is better than a slow agonizing one.

What, omnipotent omniscient God can't figure out a way to defend his children without piles of dead women and children?

Enslave them? Besides the immorality of slavery, many of the enemy women would have shared the wickedness of men and seek vengence. Meanwhile the children would grow resentful of their captors and continue the violence. The resulting death toll could easily have been greater than the slaughter.

Immorality of slavery... cough cough... bible condones slavery cough... cough...

[Neo-Scholastic]

Immorality of slavery... cough cough... bible condones slavery cough... cough...

Not exactly, capturing people for slavery is expressly forbidden. (Ex 21:16) Slavery among the Hebrew tribes was more like indentured servitude. Mosaic laws for slavery protected them from abuse and mistreatment. So although slavery was not prohibited, neither was it approved.

[Angrboda]

As I recall, the Canaanites only crime was that they were inconveniently placed on the Liebensraum that God had promised to Abraham, and were engaged in busily minding their own business.


Not that there's any archaeological evidence that any of that happened, and ignoring the fact that the Bible itself documents God's failure to fulfill his promise.
It's a nice fairy tale, as long as you have enough sense to recognize it as such.