>Again - let me be clear - I am not a Biblical scholar (which should be fairly obvoius by now.) So, these are probably not the best answers - but - it's all I've got...
>
>First, the Lord is good to all and He does show mercy to everyone. The Bible speaks of how it rains (being a good thing) on both the good and the evil. The fact that He lets any of us live is a mercy - for we all deserve immediate death for our sins. This does not mean that He is good to all - all the time. There are times where His justice requires that he "destroy" people. I see no contradiction here - sorry.

Destroy people? So it is not enough to make them change their ways but he has to destroy them? Isn't he omnipotent?

I see then that according to you the only way to deal with sinners and with your enemies is to destroy them. Like Sodom and Gomorrah? Were they all sinners? Even children and babies? How about Moslem babies during the Crusades? Why weren't they spared? How about Moslem women during the Crusades? Why were they pillaged, raped and killed? Your god has some fine enemies indeed!

Or is it that your god is not omnipotent and couldn't stop them?