How does one respond to claims that God is a baby-killer?

[tannis]

I recently read in an online forum that a pro-choice activist uses the following tactic to upset pro-lifers outside abortion clinics: He asks them how they can protest against abortion when their own God is a baby-killer? The evidence for his claim is the killing of the first born sons of Egypt in the Exodus. He seemed very proud of his ability to confuse and upset the activists to the point of them “packing up and leaving within the hour”

How would you respond to such a claim? The obvious (on-topic at the abortin clinic) answer is to say that whatever actions happened in the past, abortion is still wrong.

But the larger question which is still disturbing to me is how do we reconcile the angry and often violent God of the Old Testament with the loving God of the New Testament? Its not our place to question God, but how can we (do we?) accept or defend the killing of the sons of Egypt?

Thanks for reading my question, I look forward to learning more here on your site!

Tannis

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

As the author of human life, God has the right to take human life when and where and however He chooses. We, however, are not the Creator of life and do NOT have that right. God alone knows when He wants us. There is nothing to defend. God Himself, in the Person of Jesus, suffered a violent death and redeemed the world thereby. In the Old Testament the chosen people were constantly disobeying God. Now God does not have human emotions as God, so He didn’t actually become angry, even though this is how the human authors of Scripture described Him.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.