Adam and Eve?

[Silvertusk]

Starting to read "God is not moral monster" by Paul Copan and it covers some of the aspect of slavery in there. Basically the process of the rules and laws of the old testament was to move society to a better way of life - but not in an instant - it was a gradual process and slaves in Israel where a lot better off than the slaves in other cultures around. God was meeting the Israelites where they were and slowly improving their attitude and culture. Making radical changes very quickly on a large scale does not work and is very detrimental to societies as witnessed in the sudden regime changes around the world with Iraq, Afganistan and probably now Lybia.

Silvertusk.

[BGoodForGoodSake]

Starting to read "God is not moral monster" by Paul Copan and it covers some of the aspect of slavery in there. Basically the process of the rules and laws of the old testament was to move society to a better way of life - but not in an instant - it was a gradual process and slaves in Israel where a lot better off than the slaves in other cultures around. God was meeting the Israelites where they were and slowly improving their attitude and culture. Making radical changes very quickly on a large scale does not work and is very detrimental to societies as witnessed in the sudden regime changes around the world with Iraq, Afganistan and probably now Lybia.

Silvertusk.

The biblical analysis makes sence. However the assertion that sudden change is untenable does not pass analysis.

Don't forget the America Revolution, The rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, the fall of Comunism, The fall of Hitler, the Communist revolution, etc etc.
What one needs to keep in mind is that progress sometimes occurs in spurts. To expect that the democracy which rises out of the ashes in the middle east would resemble ours, only shows ones ignorance of how long it took democracy to reach it's current form since the Declaration of Independance was made. For example women's suffrage did not pass until 1920.

[Byblos]

Starting to read "God is not moral monster" by Paul Copan and it covers some of the aspect of slavery in there. Basically the process of the rules and laws of the old testament was to move society to a better way of life - but not in an instant - it was a gradual process and slaves in Israel where a lot better off than the slaves in other cultures around. God was meeting the Israelites where they were and slowly improving their attitude and culture. Making radical changes very quickly on a large scale does not work and is very detrimental to societies as witnessed in the sudden regime changes around the world with Iraq, Afganistan and probably now Lybia.

Silvertusk.

The biblical analysis makes sence. However the assertion that sudden change is untenable does not pass analysis.

Don't forget the America Revolution, The rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, the fall of Comunism, The fall of Hitler, the Communist revolution, etc etc.
What one needs to keep in mind is that progress sometimes occurs in spurts. To expect that the democracy which rises out of the ashes in the middle east would resemble ours, only shows ones ignorance of how long it took democracy to reach it's current form since the Declaration of Independance was made. For example women's suffrage did not pass until 1920.

By your last example you've proven the point that even with sudden changes sometimes things do take time regardless.

[BGoodForGoodSake]

By your last example you've proven the point that even with sudden changes sometimes things do take time regardless.

You're right

[DannyM]

This whole argument is silly. Projecting our modern ‘values’ and ideals onto ancient cultures is just fruitless. Moaning about ancient people having servants is about as meaningful as moaning that there were no ‘Give Way’ signs where camels might have crossed paths. It’s like those who argue the Bible is ’sexist’. . . I mean, the concept of ‘sexism’ would have been rather alien to ancient peoples. It is just another case of ‘enlightened’ man getting it all wrong.