How to respond depends, of course, on the age of your student. This earlier discussion thread should be of help to you in forming a response:A student of mine asked me why God (in the Old Testament) killed people. The example he used was when the Egyptians were killed to save the Israelites. He said, “That makes God a hypocrite because He’s supposed to love everyone.” How should I respond to that?
He’s God, and not only is God not bound by human law, He wrote human law!A student of mine asked me why God (in the Old Testament) killed people. The example he used was when the Egyptians were killed to save the Israelites. He said, “That makes God a hypocrite because He’s supposed to love everyone.” How should I respond to that?
I’m not even sure if Scripture says God loves everyone, but I hardly think it would be loving to allow the Egyptians to get away with injustice and idolatry. Keep in mind the fact that society at the time of the Israelites was centered around a different kind of love than we think of today - that is, true, agape love. This kind of love is taking of action that best benefits the community as a whole, or the “common good”, as opposed to the individual-centered society we have. (This is the kind of love that drives a “mama bear” to do whatever it takes to protect her cubs.) This is because the Israelites were in far greater danger of being destroyed by an evil attitude; they did not have the Catholic Church, against which the gates of hell will not prevail. If exceedingly strict punishments were necessary to preserve a God-fearing society, so be it. Nowadays, we are in no such dangers. This is why we are so shocked by the stories of the great flood and the Passover.A student of mine asked me why God (in the Old Testament) killed people. The example he used was when the Egyptians were killed to save the Israelites. He said, “That makes God a hypocrite because He’s supposed to love everyone.” How should I respond to that?
I hate to be the devil’s advocate here, but I think this answer is precisely the problem; isn’t it hypocritical for God to break His own rules simply because He is God? Perhaps a more satisfactory answer would be that God isn’t as unjust as we think. Remember there are two Great Commandments, and the greater is to love God. It makes sense that the love of God should surpass the love of neighbor, as in Abraham’s case.God and humans are not to be held to the same standards. God has at times commanded people to do things that humans on their own would not be allowed to do, for instance Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac. This simply means that God has chosen to reveal Himself in different ways to individuals in specific circumstances than he does to humanity in general.
As Augustine says in Book 1 Ch 21 in City of God, *“When Abraham was ready to kill his son, so far from being blamed for cruelty he was praised for his devotion; it was not an act of crime but of obedience.” * Since God is the Lawgiver, it is impossible for His actions to be unjust since His actions and justice are inseparable.
I think the answer to this depends on your view on the inerrancy of scripture. If you view scripture as inspired, rather than literally God’s word, the killings in the OT are seen as more the product of men writing in their culture and time.A student of mine asked me why God (in the Old Testament) killed people. The example he used was when the Egyptians were killed to save the Israelites. He said, “That makes God a hypocrite because He’s supposed to love everyone.” How should I respond to that?
The Catholic Church does recognize Sacred Scripture as being the inerrant Word of God. This does not necessarily mean everything in it is to be taken literally, but the account of the Exodus certainly seems to be literal, otherwise the Jews would have no reason to celebrate Passover.I think the answer to this depends on your view on the inerrancy of scripture. If you view scripture as inspired, rather than literally God’s word, the killings in the OT are seen as more the product of men writing in their culture and time.
But when did God ever establish the rules He gives to Mankind as the rules He gives to Himself?I hate to be the devil’s advocate here, but I think this answer is precisely the problem; isn’t it hypocritical for God to break His own rules simply because He is God? Perhaps a more satisfactory answer would be that God isn’t as unjust as we think. Remember there are two Great Commandments, and the greater is to love God. It makes sense that the love of God should surpass the love of neighbor, as in Abraham’s case.
You’re not serious, are you? If God can’t follow rules that He expects humans to follow, how is He any better than us? Obviously, either there is some justification for God’s actions that we simply haven’t found, or God is a hypocrite. No God would say to his creations, “Okay, people, here’s how it’s gonna work. You follow these rules to keep yourselves civil and holy, while I abitrarily break them whenever I feel like it.”But when did God ever establish the rules He gives to Mankind as the rules He gives to Himself?
That’s the problem with this
because He’s God.You’re not serious, are you? If God can’t follow rules that He expects humans to follow, how is He any better than us?
Why can’t He?No God would say to his creations, “Okay, people, here’s how it’s gonna work. You follow these rules to keep yourselves civil and holy, while I abitrarily break them whenever I feel like it.”