This is a comic idea that has been sitting in my notebook for a while. It is based on two contradictory verses sitting pretty close to each other. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 says eye for an eye is bad, specifically
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.But then in the very next verse of the bible, it says that eye for an eye is exactly what you should do, specifically 2 Thessalonians 1:6 says
since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you
But don't you see? It's OK for God to be a hypocrite, because He knows everything perfectly. It's like how parents tell their children to do something, while the parents themselves do something else because they know better. :-p
ReplyDeleteThat's the kind of excuse I've heard when bringing up contradictions like this. Begrudgingly, I have to admit that there is some truth to that sentiment. But it's not a carte blanche excuse. When we are talking about cases absolute moratily (as Christians are so fond of saying exists), there should not be anything which is morally wrong for us, yet perfectly acceptable for God.
Interesting, the do as I say not as I do defense. I do agree with you that objective morality would seem to destroy this defense.
DeleteAlso, since this is supposed to be the book where we get our morality from, wouldn't it be wrong for God to put this in there as an example for us? Put it this way, suppose God wants us to not use eye for an eye but it is fine for him to use it, shouldn't he not tell us he's using it as it sets a poor example and confuses his message?
Oh, I absolutely agree with you, Hausdorff! I get a kick out of people who try to use the defense that God was just establishing a progressive step in morality, and that the Law was just so much better than the system they had before. That idea to me is a bunch of bunk! If you are going to fix the system, and you have perfect foreknowledge of what is right and wrong, then why not do it right the first time!?!?! :-)
DeleteExactly! I think these types of arguments are interesting because they really do seem to be the best defense they can come up with. It really shows what a poor position they are in, because the arguments are not that good.
DeleteThose are my go-to contradiction verses now, mostly because they are so close together.
ReplyDeleteyeah, I still remember when I came across the 2 thess verse, I was like "wait, I just read the opposite thing...yesterday."
DeleteI had no idea they were that close together!
ReplyDeleteThere is no contradiction here. 1 Thes 5:15 is a command. 2 Thes 1:6 is an observation. We are not to judge and we are not to punish. God does. Not always, He is merciful but sometimes He afflicts those who afflict.
ReplyDeleteBut the observation is that eye for an eye is just. It's not just an observation that God does this sometimes, but that justice has been served. If it is sometimes just for God to do it, why would it also not be just for us to do it sometimes?
DeleteIt seems to me that the best you can do is "do as I say, not as I do", which doesn't make sense in a setting of objective morality.