Besides noting that evilbible.com can only logically condemn any action, such as human sacrifice, by appealing to assertions based on personal preference spiked with outrage we have also noted that thus far the author’s claims remain unsubstantiated.
We will now consider a section of the evilbible.com page entitled, “God Commands Burning Humans” the entirety of which reads,
[The Lord speaking] “The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the LORD and has done a horrible thing in Israel.” (Joshua 7:15 NLT)
Now this is tricky, at least for the undiscerning, as the section was entitled “God Commands Burning Humans” which is true but not in the way one may think particularly as the section is part of the “Ritual Human Sacrifice in the Bible” page.
This has nothing to do with “Ritual Human Sacrifice” but is a case of capital punishment. We should take a moment to keep in mind that regardless of what we may think about the laws of the Israelites these are laws by which the nation had agreed to live. This situation pertains to Achan who had taken action which ended up causing the deaths of about three thousand men. Thus, after an investigation ensued the sentence was death and was carried out by stoning. Being burned with fire pertained to the disposal of the corpse (v. 25).
The next section is entitled, “Josiah and Human Sacrifice” and, again, consists of just the title and two quotes, all the better:
At the LORD’s command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, and he arrived there just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to offer a sacrifice. Then at the LORD’s command, he shouted, “O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you.” (1 Kings 13:1-2 NLT)
He [Josiah] executed the priests of the pagan shrines on their own altars, and he burned human bones on the altars to desecrate them. Finally, he returned to Jerusalem. King Josiah then issued this order to all the people: “You must celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in the Book of the Covenant.” There had not been a Passover celebration like that since the time when the judges ruled in Israel, throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah. This Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem during the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign. Josiah also exterminated the mediums and psychics, the household gods, and every other kind of idol worship, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. He did this in obedience to all the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the LORD’s Temple. Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since. (2 Kings 23:20-25 NLT)
That evilbible.com’s author selectively quotes partial and self-serving texts is obvious yet, why the author goes from beginning the page with a lot of comments with a little bit of quotes to a lot of quotes and no comments makes me wonder if the reason is that it is clear from the context (if the context was even read) that these quotes are mere pull quotes meant to make a point only when premised on the preconception of there being “Ritual Human Sacrifice in the Bible.”In this case; is the text about “Josiah and Human Sacrifice”? Josiah-yes, human sacrifice-no.This is another case of capital punishment.The “man of God” prophecies of the altar that “On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you.” Since the King protests the prophet’s words, because the King favored the worship of false gods, the altar splits right then and there in keeping with God’s sovereignty.Now to Josiah who administered the capital punishment by executing “the priests of the pagan shrines on their own altars” and “exterminated the mediums,” etc.These were not human sacrifices and where not sacrifices offered to the God of the Bible upon His altar.I can only wonder why evilbible.com’s author, the New Atheists and atheists in general are so very selective about against whom they pour forth their impotent condemnation. Why, in cases such as these, is it against the Jews only? Are they even aware who was being sentenced to capital punishment here?
Fortune cookie makers? News paper horoscope writers? The for hire birthday party palm reader?
One of the things that Josiah did was that he, “defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Moloch” (2nd Kings 23:10). This was true ritual human sacrifice; to “make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Moloch” meant that parents were having their children sacrificed by fire. Where is the condemnation of evilbible.com’s author, the New Atheists and atheists in general? Nowhere to be heard-let’s get back to condemning the Jews!
In our consideration of evilbible.com’s rape in the Bible page we encountered fallacious claims that the Jews had “sex slaves” and yet, the Gentile Pagans literally did have sex slaves and temple prostitutes in service of, apparently, the pimp god. Where is the condemnation of evilbible.com’s author, the New Atheists and atheists in general? Nowhere to be heard-let’s get back to condemning the Jews!
Prof. Richard Dawkins wrote:
The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.1
Would he ever write “Moloch is arguably the most unpleasant character_”? No!But of course not! After all; who worships Moloch anymore? I may argue that Moloch is the god of abortion who has hundreds of millions of worshipers worldwide. Yet, if it be argued that this most horrendous of false gods is no longer worshipped I am sure that the Jews would say, “You’re welcome!”
On second thought, would Prof. Richard Dawkins ever write “Allah is arguably the most unpleasant character_”? That would certainly be interesting but I would not expect it-ever! Not from a militant activist atheist who thunders condemnations of whom he considers to be the world’s true evil: Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, the Bishop of Canterbury and the Pope-all from the safety, comfort and freedom of countries premised upon Judeo-Christian values. Keep in mind that this is the same Prof. Richard Dawkins who stated,
“What’s to prevent us from saying Hitler wasn’t right? I mean, that is a genuinely difficult question.”2
Yet, even he has his standards and so declared,
“It is evil to describe a child as a Muslim child or a Christian child. I think labelling [sic] children is child abuse and I think there is a very heavy issue”3
Hitler-who knows? The friendly theist next door raising their families-evil!
Let us consider one more entry on evilbible.com simply entitled, “Human Sacrifice”:
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; (Wisdom 3:5-7 NAB The Book of The Wisdom of Solomon is mostly in Catholic versions of the Bible.)
In this case the translation switches to the Roman Catholic NAB, of course, since reference is being made to the apocrypha which is only found in Jewish or Protestant Bibles with significant qualifiers in place (see here for info).
Yet, even here evilbible.com’s author misses the most basic of basic concepts; need it be pointed out that this is metaphor? Is the text not clear? It states, “As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings_” “As” and “as” equal metaphor.
Moreover, consider the context which is in praise of these souls (vss. 1-8):
But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality;Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself.As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever.
I will offer two correlative concepts:
1) This may be in reference to the unbiblical doctrine of Purgatory (discussed here).2) Or in reference to the metaphor described in 1st Corinthians 3:11-15,
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Note that “the fire will test each one’s work” the “work” will be tested by fire and not the person. As for the person whose work is mostly burned away “he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire,” “so as” equals metaphor (this text is discussed here as part of the aforementioned discussion of Purgatory).
And so, we patiently await an example of “Ritual Human Sacrifice in the Bible”-maybe next time.
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