Why order people to kill in god's name at all?

[Chad32]

In these books, mostly the Abrahamic religions, it will tell people to kill heretics. Kill witches. Kill blasphemers. Don't you think it's a bit suspicious? Yahweh doesn't seem to have a problem personally killing in the stories. Why does he need anyone to be his hitman? Go spread the word. If someone refuses, let your god handle it. He's the all powerful creator. If he feels that someone is being so insulting that they should die, why not do it himself?

It seems to me that this should be seen as a sign that religion is a human construct. If you want to argue free will, then just let the person live until they die and be judged. If you think that they have gone too far in insulting the all powerful creator of the universe, let that guy deal with the person. But no. There are all manner of verses in the bible and such that say if people don't conform, and try to convince others not to, you should kill them. Often painfully, as with burning or stoning.

What if some atheist convinces a crowd that may otherwise get into heaven? Then god or his followers aren't doing a good enough job at being rational people. After all, if you have to follow up your point with violence, you probably don't have a good point to start with.

[Jacob(smooth)]

Perhaps God gets RSI from smiting. My wife can make the dinner but she appreciates it when I make the effort for her

[Chad32]

That would make sense, though your wife isn't all knowing, present, or powerful. I mean Yahweh is supposedly standing right beside us all the time, watching what we're doing. If he wasn't, I could understand if he wanted people to help him with his burden, and it would only be fair of us to do so.

[Laza]

Well i guess that if he is making us follow all these rules , the least he can do is let us burn our own witches.

[Jacob(smooth)]

Quite. Its only polite

[Minimalist]

God is a dick.

[Jacob(smooth)]

He might have a few more worshipers on this forum if he was. People LIKE dicks.

[Ryantology]

I don't really understand it. You want to talk about inconsistencies in the Bible, how about an all-powerful god with such crippling insecurities? The huge number of admonitions to kill should be the first and most obvious clue that it's all made up.

[Chad32]

It's just a drop in the bucket, to be sure. The use of force, and prevailing superstitions is the main way christianity grows, and since both have been in decline in many places, christianity has shrunk in places where it used to be most powerful.

[Tonus]

It certainly is interesting that just after commanding them not to kill, god gives the Israelites a list of things that they can kill people for doing. Then later he promises to give them a homeland of their own... if they kill or enslave the current tenants (unless they are virgin girls). Only religion could make rape seem like a better option.