
Prejudice, hatred and
retaliation by God against individuals and religious groups
“God
is described as exhibiting intolerance and anger towards
humans in many Biblical passages:
God rejected a sincere offering:
Adam and Eve had two sons: Cain, a farmer, and Abel, a
shepherd. Both gave an offering to God: The former was a
vegetable sacrifice; the latter, animal. The Lord had no
respect for either Cain or his offering. This triggered
Cain's murder of his brother. Liberal theologians are
divided on their interpretation of this passage. Some
believe it originated in a story of ritual human sacrifice.
Others suspect that God rejected Cain's sacrifice as
inadequate because it was plant and not animal. Many
religious conservatives believe that God's rejection of Cain
and his sacrifice was related to unconfessed sin in his
life. Hebrews 11:4 supports the latter interpretation.
Genesis 4:2-5 "...And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain
was a
tiller of the ground... it came to pass, that Cain brought
of the
fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he
also
brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat
thereof. And
the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto
Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was
very wroth, and his countenance fell."
God killed the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah:
God exterminated all of the inhabitants (men, women,
children,
infants, newborns) of these two towns. Although many
denominations teach that the crime for which God punished
these people was homosexual behavior, other verses in the
Bible show that the actual crime was their lack of kindness
towards and abusive of strangers.
Genesis 19:24-25 "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon
Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And
he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the
inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the
ground."
God killed Onan because he avoided his duty to impregnate
his sister-in-law:
God had killed Er because he was wicked. This gave his
brother, Onan, the religious obligation to engage in sexual
intercourse with Er's widow. The resulting baby would be
considered Er's offspring. Onan did not want to impregnate
Er's wife. The exact reason is unknown. He practiced an
elementary (and unreliable) form of birth control: coitus
interruptus. God killed him because he did not perform his
religious duty. These verses were used in the past to
condemn masturbation. That appears to be based on a
misinterpretation of the passage.
Genesis 38: 7-10 "And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in
the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. And Judah said
unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and
raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed
should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto
his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest
that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which
he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also."
God killed Lot's wife:
Some men, who were actually angels, told Lot and his family
to flee from Sodom, advising them to not look back or stop
until they reached the mountains. Lot negotiated with the
men to get permission to only flee to a nearby town, Zoar
instead of to the mountains. The men agreed. Once they had
reached Zoar, had met of the instructions of the men, and
were safe, Lot's wife seems to have assumed that they could
look back at the devastation -- at Sodom which contained the
remains of her son-in-laws, her more distant relatives (if
any) and her friends. God killed her and changed her to a
pillar of salt.
Genesis 19:26 "But his wife looked back from behind him, and
she
became a pillar of salt"
God attempted to kill Moses:
After God selected Moses to lead his people out of Egypt, he
apparently changed his mind and attempted to kill him. His
wife
Zipporah took a piece of flint, amputated her son's foreskin
and
touched Moses' feet with it. This apparently prevented God
from
killing Moses. ("Feet" in ancient Hebrew were sometimes used
to refer to male genitals). The story does not make a great
deal of sense; theologians have debated over its meaning for
centuries without resolution.
Exodus 4:24-26 "...the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin
of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a
bloody husband art thou to me."
God killed untold numbers of Egyptians:
God selected Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. But God
also "hardened the heart" of the Pharaoh (Exodus 4:21, 7:3,
14:4 and 14:17) so that the Pharaoh would not readily let
the Jews leave. The result was a series of 10 plagues of
increasing severity, culminating in the death of every first
born human and animal in Egypt (except for the Jews who had
sprinkled blood on their doorposts). Finally, the Pharaoh
allowed the Jews to depart.
Exodus 12:29 "And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD
smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the
firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the
firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all
the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night,
he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there
was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where
there was not one dead."
Religious civil war among the Israelites:
Two religions were followed by the Israelites at the time:
one group worshipped Pagan Gods; the other worshipped the
God of the Torah. God was displeased, and decided to break
his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Israel. He was prepared
to destroy all of the Israelites because of the religious
beliefs of the Pagan minority. Moses convinced God to permit
just the slaughter of the 3,000 adult male Pagans, and their
wives and children.
Exodus 32:28 "...Put every man his sword by his side, and go
in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay
every man his brother, and every man his companion, and
every man his neighbor. And children of Levi did according
to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day
about three thousand men."
God ordered Israelites to destroy Pagan temples:
God ordered the Israelites to drive various Pagan tribes out
of
Palestine, and to desecrate the religious altars, obelisks
and idols
that had been used in worship. God later orders that they
not inter-marry with people from other tribes.
Exodus 34:11 "...behold, I drive out before thee the
Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the
Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to
thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of
the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the
midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break
their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt
worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous,
is a jealous God."
Rejection of women, and disabled or imperfect men as
priests:
Women were prohibited from the priesthood. Men who have
bodily defects were also not allowed to become priests. This
included a man who was blind or lame or a dwarf, or who had
a broken nose, an extrafinger, a humped back, pimples,
scabby skin, crushed testicles, etc.
Leviticus 21:16-23 "...Whosoever he be of thy seed in their
generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to
offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man he be that
hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a
lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or
crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye,
or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;"
God killed Jews at Taberah:
During the 40 years of wandering through the desert, some
Jews
complained about their hard life. God heard the complaints,
became angry, and destroyed some outlying parts of the camp,
presumably killing the inhabitants:
Numbers 11:1 "And when the people complained, it displeased
the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled;
and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them
that were in the uttermost parts of the camp."
God killed Jews at Kibroth-hatta'avah:
God had provided manna for the Israelites to eat in the
desert. But the people found a steady diet of manna (and
nothing else) to be intolerable; they missed meat. They wept
because they no longer enjoyed the varied diet that they had
enjoyed in Egypt. God was enraged. He caused quails to
converge on the camp so that the Israelites would have
plenty of meat. Afterwards, he killed large numbers of the
people with a plague because of their complaining.
Numbers 11:10-34 "Then Moses heard the people weep
throughout their families...and the anger of the LORD was
kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased...And there went
forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea,
and let them fall by the camp...And while the flesh was yet
between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the
LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the
people with a very great plague."
God killed 250 Jewish leaders and their families:
Korah, Dathan, Abiram and about 250 of the leaders of the
Israelites decided that they wanted to abandon God's
instructions and adopt a more democratic form of government.
They complained to Moses about the status of the priesthood.
They believed that the entire congregation is holy, and that
the priests should not exalt themselves above the common
folk. They also objected to Moses' status as a dictator. God
caused the ground to open and swallow the four main leaders.
They were and their families were killed and descended into
Sheol, the underground caverns where the dead live a shadowy
existence. God sent fire to burn alive the remaining 250
leaders, their wives and children.
Numbers 16:1-35 "Now Korah...and Dathan and Abiram...and
On...rose up before Moses, with...250 princes of the
assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And
they gathered themselves together against Moses and against
Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too muchupon you, seeing
all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the
LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves
above the congregation of the LORD?...And the LORD spake
unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from
among this congregation, that I may consume them in a
moment...And it came to pass...that the ground clave asunder
that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed them up, and their houses, and
all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their
goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down
alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they
perished from among the congregation. And there came out a
fire from the LORD, and consumed the 250 men that offered
incense."
God sent a plague which killed 14,700 Jews:
Following the mass murder of 254 leaders and their families,
almost all of the Israelites complained about the terrible
loss of life among these holy people. God was displeased and
sent a plague which killed almost 15,000 Israelites.
Numbers 16:41-49 "...all the congregation of the children of
Israel
murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have
killed the people of the LORD...And the LORD spake unto
Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that
I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their
faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put
fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go
quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for
them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague
is begun...And he stood between the dead and the living; and
the plague was stayed. Now they that died in the plague were
14,700, beside them that died about the matter of Korah."
God orders genocides:
The Israelites had exterminated the Amorites. God ordered
them to also wipe out the Bashan in the same way.
Numbers 21:34-35 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Fear him
not: for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his
people, and his land; and thou shalt do to him as thou didst
unto Sihon king of the
Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. So they smote him, and his
sons, and all his people, until there was none left him
alive: and they possessed his land."
God sends plague which killed 24,000 Israelites:
While in Shittim, all of the Israelites began to follow
another
religion. They worshipped Baal, a God of the Moabites and
other Pagan tribes. The Biblical text is a bit confusing
here. It says that: God ordered Moses to kill all of the
tribal leaders of Israel as
punishment. God sent a plague as punishment. Moses ordered
that all Israelites who had worshipped Baal be executed.
(Since all of Israel was involved in Pagan worship, this
would presumably include everyone.) A young man, Phinehas,
saw an Israelite man, Zimri, with a Moabite woman, Cozbi.
Phinehas became enraged that one of their men had become
involved with a woman from another tribe. He murdered both
of them with a single spear thrust. God was pleased with
this action and stopped the plague at the point that 24,000
had died.
Numbers 25:1-18 "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people
began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And
they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods:
and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And
Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the
LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said unto
Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up
before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of
the LORD may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto
the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were
joined unto Baalpeor. And, behold, one of the children of
Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish
woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the
congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping
before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And
when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the
priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and
took a javelin in his hand;
And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and
thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the
woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the
children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were
twenty and four thousand. And the LORD spake unto Moses,
saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the
priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of
Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I
consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of
peace:"
God orders genocide of the Midianites:
God ordered that the Midianites be exterminated because of
their
religious beliefs and practices. The Israeli army kills all
of the
Midianite men, and took the women and children captive.
Moses was angry that the army had taken the women captive
instead of murdering them. He ordered all of the boys and
any women who were not virgins to be killed in cold blood.
Virgin girls, some 32,000, were allowed to live.
Numbers 31:7-41 "And they warred against the Midianites, as
the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males...And
the children of Israel took all the women of Midian
captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all
their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their
goods...Moses was wroth with the officers of the host...And
Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women
alive?...Now therefore kill every male among the little
ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with
him. But all the women children, that have not known a man
by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."
God orders extermination of residents of Canaan:
Canaan is an area which includes modern-day Israel, the
occupied
territories, and part of Lebanon and Syria. Its borders are
defined
in Numbers 34:1-12. The Canaanites were well established
there.
According to the Bible, Joshua led the Israeli army into
Canaan
killing any adults and children who did not vacate the land.
God's
motivation for ordering this destruction appears to have
been the
religion of the Canaanites. Their carved stones, molten
images, and open-air religious sanctuaries were to be
desecrated and destroyed. Much of the book of Joshua
describes the carnage.
Numbers 33:50-52 "And the LORD spake unto
Moses...saying...When ye are passed over Jordan into the
land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants
of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures,
and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down
all their high places:"
God hardened the hearts of the Canaanites so that they
would resist the invasion of the Israelites:
Joshua 11:19-20 "There was not a city that made peace with
the
children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of
Gibeon: all
other they took in battle. For it was of the LORD to harden
their
hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that
he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no
favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD
commanded Moses."
All of the people in Jericho men, women and children,
were killed or murdered:
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."
The king of Ai was kidnapped and later murdered. All of the
rest of the inhabitants, young and old, were killed or
murdered.
Joshua 8:25 "And so it was, that all that fell that day,
both of men
and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai."
Five armies from southern Canaan joined together to fight
the Israeli army, and were wiped out:
The five kings were captured and murdered in cold blood. The
Israelites then attacked each of the cities in the area:
Makkedah,
Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir. Every person was
killed.
Joshua 10:28-39 "...Joshua took Makkedah...he let none
remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto
the king of Jericho. Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and
all Israel with him, unto Libnah...and he smote it with the
edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he
let none remain in it...And Joshua passed from Libnah...and
smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that
were therein...Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help
Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had
left him none remaining. And from Lachish Joshua passed unto
Eglon...and all the souls that were therein he utterly
destroyed that day. And Joshua went up from Eglon...and
smote it with the edge of the sword...and all the souls that
were therein; he left none remaining...he...destroyed it
utterly, and all the souls that were therein. And Joshua
returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir...and utterly
destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none
remaining:"
An alliance of many kings joined to fight Joshua. They
were defeated:
The Israelites "did not leave any that breathed."
Joshua 11:4-15 "And they went out, they and all their hosts
with
them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea
shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. And
when all these kings were met together, they came and
pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against
Israel...And the LORD delivered them into the hand of
Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon,
and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh
eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none
remaining. And Joshua at that time turned back, and took
Hazor...And they smote all the souls that were therein with
the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was
not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. And
all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them,
did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword,
and he
utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded. Joshua...left nothing undone of all that the LORD
commanded Moses."
Two kings on the east side of the Jordon river, and 31
kings on the west side were killed and their cities
destroyed:
Joshua 12: 1-24 "Now these are the kings of the land, which
the
children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the
other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the
river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the
east: Sihon king of the Amorites...Og king of Bashan...And
these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the
children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west
[list deleted]...all the kings 31."
God threatens to kill men who allow their children to
marry outside their group:
God forbade men of ancient Israel from allowing their sons
and
daughters from marrying people from the surrounding Pagan
nations - people who were not part of Israel.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4 "Neither shalt thou make marriages with
them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his
daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn
away thy son from following me, that they may serve other
gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you,
and destroy thee suddenly."
Destroy the temples of other religions:
No places of worship are to be tolerated; all are to be
destroyed.
Deuteronomy 12:2-3 "Ye shall utterly destroy all the places,
wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their
gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under
every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and
break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye
shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy
the names of them out of that place."
God permits a human sacrifice:
Jephthah led the fight against the Ammonites. He promised
God that if he was victorious that he would conduct an human
sacrifice, ritually murdering the first person to meets him
on his return to his house. God gives him the victory, and
does not intervene when Jephthah ritually murders his only
daughter.
Judges 11:30-39 "And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and
said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of
Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever
cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I
return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be
the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt
offering...And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and,
behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and
with dances: and she was his only child...And it came to
pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her
father, who did with her according to his vow which he had
vowed.”
Prejudice, hatred and
retaliation by God against individuals and religious groups
http://www.religioustolerance.org/intol_bibl1.htm