Violence in Old Testament against infants

[jcrichton]

I don’t understand why people are so keen on reinterpreting parts of the Bible into symbols and metaphors only when it is convenient for them to do so.

So judging from the context of verses like 1 Samuel 15:3, there is no indication whatsoever that this should be taken as metaphor or as anything else other than an actual description of what really happened. No authoritative source in the Catholic Church has ever taught otherwise.

Believers from the time these texts were written until the 20th century didn’t seem to have a problem with such passages to the degree that they radically reinterpret them; and yet now we are supposed to believe in 2017 that we have suddenly arrived at a point where we can reinterpret these thousands of years old texts appropriately and the proper light which somehow eluded all of the scholars and saints from the previous two thousand years? I find that hard to believe.

If we reinterpret these passages of OT violence against infants, why not reinterpret basically all of Genesis? “The loving God I know wouldn’t drown people en masse in a flood, so the whole Noah story is merely symbolic.” Why not do this? Where does the reinterpretation end?

Hi!

…I think it goes to your screen name… people tend to barricade themselves in their own importance, understandings, and judgments…

…why are people so taken with events that are said to have happened thousands of years ago?

…there are over 30 million people living in slavery today (about 40 percent children), mostly under sexual slavery… why aren’t people concerned about these poor souls?

…the UN has even rejected/halted the Catholic Church efforts in helping those who are rescued from such exploitation because the Catholic Church refuses to engage in the culture of death (abortion, contraception, sterilization…)… similarly, the Catholic Church was banned (forced to close) from maintaining orphanages and adoption agencies because homosexuals made it a point to force the Church to accept them as candidates for adoption of children from Catholic agencies… where were these people who are so concerned for the welfare of children? Why did they not assist in keeping these agencies open for the good of the orphaned/abandoned children? (…just as a counter demonstration: did the government or those seeking to force the Catholic Church to accept homosexuals as adoption candidates adopt those children whose adoption through the Catholic Church was impeded?)

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[jcrichton]

If everyone is scared about God commanding innocents, remember there is none righteous, not one. Those who lived uprightly among them moved to Sheol and now are with God in Heaven.

Hi, James!

…and what is also important to keep in mind is that Jesus died on the Cross for the Salvation of all (BC through AD)… that, in the Spirit, He went down and Preached to those souls that were imprisoned prior to His Incarnation, Death, and Resurrection!

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[HelenRose]

Why are we so shocked about the violence in the Old Testament against infants when we are a society that kills a million innocent unborn babies each year.

When you read the Old Testament carefully you will see that children die because of the misdeeds of their parents. It is no different now. We are a society of people who place adult desires and wants above the needs of children. We have turn upside down the purpose of sex. Children are treated as if they are by-products of sexual misbehavior. Children carry on their backs the stupid decisions made by their parents.

We can blame God if we want to but the blame rests on society and parents not God and certainly not the children. That was true 3000 years ago and it holds true now.

 

[jcrichton]

Why are we so shocked about the violence in the Old Testament against infants when we are a society that kills a million innocent unborn babies each year.

When you read the Old Testament carefully you will see that children die because of the misdeeds of their parents. It is no different now. We are a society of people who place adult desires and wants above the needs of children. We have turn upside down the purpose of sex. Children are treated as if they are by-products of sexual misbehavior. Children carry on their backs the stupid decisions made by their parents.

We can blame God if we want to but the blame rests on society and parents not God and certainly not the children. That was true 3000 years ago and it holds true now.

Hi, Helen!

I fully concur!

…I have nothing against animals, other then that stupid anthropomorphic elevation of pets/animals to human level (i.e.: ‘my baby’ or ‘your momma…’ etc.); but have you noticed the number of commercials/programs that are constantly aired on television seeking to move people’s heart to aide the abandoned/mistreated animals? …which in itself it is a righteous thing to do… except that similar concern does not exist for human children–it seems that big money is only generated by the killing of children in their moms’ wombs… so why care for their welfare (physical and mental health and wellbeing)?

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[fred_conty]

I don’t understand why people are so keen on reinterpreting parts of the Bible into symbols and metaphors only when it is convenient for them to do so.

So judging from the context of verses like 1 Samuel 15:3, there is no indication whatsoever that this should be taken as metaphor or as anything else other than an actual description of what really happened. No authoritative source in the Catholic Church has ever taught otherwise.

Believers from the time these texts were written until the 20th century didn’t seem to have a problem with such passages to the degree that they radically reinterpret them; and yet now we are supposed to believe in 2017 that we have suddenly arrived at a point where we can reinterpret these thousands of years old texts appropriately and the proper light which somehow eluded all of the scholars and saints from the previous two thousand years? I find that hard to believe.

If we reinterpret these passages of OT violence against infants, why not reinterpret basically all of Genesis? “The loving God I know wouldn’t drown people en masse in a flood, so the whole Noah story is merely symbolic.” Why not do this? Where does the reinterpretation end?

St. Augustine in the 4th century took this in an metaphorical way and wrote about it. So it isn’t something that has just come to light in the 21st century.