User talk:SouthWriter/sandbox/An atheist's objections/@comment-1777104-20100707201329

Oer, I will attempt an answer to your objection concerning the "bloodthirsty bastards" of the ancient Israeli armies. In short, you do not accept the concept of holiness and the necessary judgment due to all who have rejected Him. The nature of mankind is to rebel and live apart from God. This works out alright on earth for many, but everyone gets punished in the end. For some, the evil gets so bad that judgment comes in this life. And that was the case in Canaan. In order to clean up the land for habitation by the Israelites, the Canaanites had to be eliminated. God used the Israeli army to do the job. In many cases, the armies did not complete the job, and this lead to the predictable downfall of the new inhabitants - eventually becoming as bad as the people that were spared.

Of course, the idea of the rise and fall of nations is nothing new; but when we factor in the sovereignty of God over all things, many object that they cannot "believe in" such a God. This does not change God, and God does not depend on our "deciding" to believe anyway. These things are "spiritually discerned" and are obviously rejected by those who are still "of the world." No matter of argument or debate will "change the minds" of these people. Only God will do that.

Your second post is therefore completely understandable, since it is from an unchanged mind. You have most of the facts down, but your interpretation is tainted by your mindset. God is all you said, and more. He is also righteous and holy. And then, He is merciful and loving towards those He wishes to be with Him forever. All others suffer the consequences of being human - punishment by banishment (with degrees of discomfort).

You got the "protection racket" thing wrong, though. Believers are first redeemed -- Jesus dying, paying the price to "buy" them out of the consequences of sin -- and then changed (new minds and spirits) so that they can trust the resurrected Jesus to be their Master. Believers do not love God as Creator, but as Savior. Our lives apart from Him are under a different "father" and it is only after we are "born again (or 'from above')" that we can say He is our Father.

And yes, this time you were "nice."