>We have to be extremely careful of our reading of the bible, it was written in different time with people of different views and acceptable values. i don't believe that we can take out only the passages that we like or agree with and say that because it is in the bible it is ok as there are many more i believe anyone would have trouble justifing. selling one own daughter is ok, working on the sabath, which a lot of us do from time to time, is punishable by stoning, wearing clothing made of two different types of cloth...
>the list goes on and on but i have included a few of the less agreable views in the bible below.
>
>
>Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors. "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today,
>doing what is pleasing to him." (Deuteronomy 13:13-19)

It's like God should have made Himself a play-mate while He was at this creation lark, isn't it, to keep Himself from getting bored. He used to sit around thinking, "I'm bored. How can I p*ss of my creation today, with some petty laws, just to keep them on their toes and make sure they break my top commandment "Thous shalt not kill" so I can get them on that one at the pearly gates". The above quote, if I read it properly says: "If some bad-ass among you has lead some people astray, top the lot of them..."

Say, how come He hasn't had written any more rules/laws in the last few thousand years? Does He think we wouldn't fall for it, or play ball anymore? I wonder why that is. Oh, yes - we're too smart now. Besides, His son came and changed all that killing palaver didn't He. What was God doing? Sulking cos JC changed the way the business was run?

And why was it only the people in the middle east that were screwed about like this? Us pagans over here were happily going about killing each other without divine intervention. But I doubt we went to the lengths that these poor wretches had to go to, in the name of God.

Amen