• Welcome to the new Internet Infidels Discussion Board, formerly Talk Freethought.

Morality in Bible stories that you don't understand

An modern day example of animal sacrifice that is more Bible related....
While Jews no longer offer sacrificial lambs during Passover, a festival marking their ancestors’ liberation from slavery in Egypt, Samaritans keep the tradition alive on their holy mountain.

With many in white ceremonial dress and red fez hats, the Samaritans this year sacrificed around 60 sheep then roasted them in accordance with the process explained in the Book of Exodus.

According to tradition, the sacrifice and command to smear blood on their door frames allowed for the plague of the first-born to pass over the houses of the Israelites.

On Thursday night, when the prayers were finished, the blades went to work on the sheep.

Immediately afterward, splotches of blood were smeared on foreheads, including on the children — a newer version of smearing it on door posts.
 
Last edited:
dhaka__-blood_moss2_091316091322.jpg


Citizens of Dhaka witnessed a horrific sight amidst the celebration of Eid al-Adha on Tuesday. Rainfall and animal sacrifices across the city created a dreadful scene of blood streams across streets in the city.
 
This is wonderful, highlighting in some of the posts, sacrifices weren't just done by the Hebrews alone. Which should suggest: during biblical times...everyone on earth was sacrificing animals (and humans) in the ancient past - including my ancestors and yours, lol - this is the irony.

I mean comparing Israelites to people today is faulty thinking, with so-called claims about who is said to be evil etc., when ignoring all the other nations of the times. The Israelites IOW where Saints (pun accidental, but nice) when compared to the other nations back then!
 

Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle (Hebrews 9)​

"9 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

The Blood of Christ​

11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,[a] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining[b] eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to YHWH, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the living YHWH!

15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

16 In the case of a will,[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18 This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”[e] 21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."

So the one demanding all this blood is YHWH...The sacrifice of blood is to appease YHWH...And he needs a LOT of blood!!!
 
Of course the Hebrews were not the only ones!!!

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-ancient-traditions/ritual-sacrifice-0017159

Fortunately, ritual human sacrifice is not as common as it once was. According to modern scholars, few places still practice this type of sacrifice, and it is often done in secret. Between modern laws and religious shifts over time, human sacrifice is now globally seen for what it truly is - murder.
 
The sacrifice is quite consistent with the earliest covenant with Noah, before Moses, who laws are also consistent and conceptually in line with Noah's.

Covenants still stand regardless of where in time it's made!
Simply from the promise made and for them to to be honoured by God....
...because without the animal blood sacrifices in the past for the Israelites and the ultimate sacrifice from Jesus. No one will make it without them, if God requires an accounting for each person etc

Gen9: 5-6, 8-9

5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.

6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood,
By man his blood shall be shed;
For in the image of God
He made man.

8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you,
(Noah's descendants is us all)
 
The fascination with an ancient group of nomads is strange .

I get it, but then I don't.

There is evidence of human sacrifice in Central and South American cultures.

Nobody today even modern Jews know what the ancient Heb-brews were really likeculturally and what they did.

The modern Jewish myth is that they represent a continuity of culture goig back to UT times.
 

Noahic​


The Noahic covenant[9] applies to all of humanity and all other living creatures.[10] In this covenant with all living creatures, God promises never again to destroy all life on Earth by flood[11] and creates the rainbow as the sign of this "everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth".[12]

Noah and the generations of his posterity were required in their turn to procreate, not shed human blood (murder), because mankind was made in the image of God. Jews are forbidden to consume meat with the blood in it, but Bnei Noah Noahidism are allowed the blood of a living animal (Maimonides, Laws of Kings and Wars, Chapter IX Law 10).[13]

So no more world flood...
 

Noahic​


The Noahic covenant[9] applies to all of humanity and all other living creatures.[10] In this covenant with all living creatures, God promises never again to destroy all life on Earth by flood[11] and creates the rainbow as the sign of this "everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth".[12]
Yes it's all those things.

Noah and the generations of his posterity were required in their turn to procreate, not shed human blood (murder, Kill) because mankind was made in the image of God.
As I was previously pointing to...

... the verse below for example shows why an animal sacrifice (in place of man) was needed. And the last ultimate sacrifice i.e. a 'savior' is needed for all the descendants of Noah (all mankind)! Corroborative harmony between the prophets of both the OT and NT. This is scriptural consistency.

Gen 9:5 Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man.

(Beasts defined in various forms like 2. and 3. is described in the last days, so the word beast in this context is fitting )
  1. An animal other than a human, especially a large four-footed mammal.
  2. Animal nature as opposed to intellect or spirit.
  3. A very large or powerful person or thing.
Jews are forbidden to consume meat with the blood in it, but Bnei Noah Noahidism are allowed the blood of a living animal (Maimonides, Laws of Kings and Wars, Chapter IX Law 10).[13]
Its not biblical. A modern (rabbinic) alternative belief. This is like describing people who consider themselves under the Christian label, who regularly go out picking up women each week

So no more world flood...

Yes you're right, but the wrath of God happens again. The early covenant with Noah, 'Gen 9:5' about requiring an accounting for each man also applies in the last days 'like it was in the days of Noah'.

Mathew 24:37-39
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.


Luke:17:26-30
26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.


The consistency is remarkable imo - summing up the concept understanding: mankind needs a savior, through the blood sacrifice etc.. because... keeping to the covenant, God has to keep to His word, keep up His end of the bargain - so, there will be an accounting for each creature.
 
Last edited:
The fascination with an ancient group of nomads is strange .

I get it, but then I don't.

There is evidence of human sacrifice in Central and South American cultures.

Nobody today even modern Jews know what the ancient Heb-brews were really likeculturally and what they did.

The modern Jewish myth is that they represent a continuity of culture goig back to UT times.

This might explain it a bit... Joseph John Campbell was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human experience.

 
I watched his PBS series Power Of Myth.

One thing I remember is that the images of Buddha in Asia vary to match local physical facial characteristics.

His conclusion as I understood it was all myths across cultures represent the same human traits in different metaphors. Cultures make gods in their own images.
 
I watched his PBS series Power Of Myth.

One thing I remember is that the images of Buddha in Asia vary to match local physical facial characteristics.

His conclusion as I understood it was all myths across cultures represent the same human traits in different metaphors. Cultures make gods in their own images.
 
I watched his PBS series Power Of Myth.

One thing I remember is that the images of Buddha in Asia vary to match local physical facial characteristics.

His conclusion as I understood it was all myths across cultures represent the same human traits in different metaphors. Cultures make gods in their own images.
BTW, I love his PBS series "The Power of Myth". I've seem them all.

 
''The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.''Psalm 145:9

''You shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded...'' Deuteronomy 20:17
 
''The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.''Psalm 145:9

''You shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded...'' Deuteronomy 20:17
Deuteronomy 20:17-18 In-Context
17 Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you. 18 Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.

So what do you think about that?
 
Back
Top Bottom