Dan
Posts: 77
Joined: Sep. 2009
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FL has gotten it into his head that there is a "big fifth" incompatibility between evolution and Christianity, namely that evolution is "cruel and sadistic".
The reason this is not an incompatibility is simple: Christianity is totally compatible with cruel and sadistic behavior. For example:
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Leviticus 1: 14-17:
"If the offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, he is to offer a dove or a young pigeon. The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. He is to remove the crop with its contents and throw it to the east side of the altar, where the ashes are. He shall tear it open by the wings, not severing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is on the fire on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD."
Joshua 6:21:
They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
Mark 11:
Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. ... In the [next] morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
Matthew 21:19:
As he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.
Acts 5:
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.
[Peter tells Ananias that he has not donated the whole of his proceeds to the apostles.] When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.
[Peter tells Sapphira that she has not donated the whole of the proceeds to the apostles.] At that moment she fell down at his feet and died.
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And then, if you want to look post-Biblically, Christian churches have sponsored inquisitions, have burned at the stake, have wiped out the native populations in parts of America, have invited pogroms against Jews, have invited crusades against Muslims, etc.
Please don't get me wrong: Christianity is consistent with kindness and healing as well cruelty and massacre. It is consistent with good scholarship as well as stupidity, it is consistent with great spirituality as well as conniving greed.
But the facts are plain: Christianity is totally compatible with cruel and sadistic behavior. As FL demonstrates, it's also compatible with the inability to learn.
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