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If you were Abraham, and God asked you to murder your beloved son, what would you have told him?
Just curious.
When I was young this is the one of the biggest questions I would always ask my folks....how could a loving god ask this evil task of a human and then just before the knife was to be plunged in to say...."Oh, just kidding, don't really do it. I just wanted to see if you would obey my instructions".
This is one of the reasons I don't take the bible literally anymore. I think the bible was written by men with a faulty understanding of what god was, is, will be etc...
If god ever gave me such an evil instruction as this I would immediately know that this is someone I want nothing to do with and would certainly not worship such an evil being.
Bible thumpers get real evasive, defensive and change the subject real quick when you ask about the Abraham/Isaac situation in the bible.
Let's just see if we can have any bible believers explain this one to us who don't quite understand how god works My guess is that there won't be many defending this instruction by god. Let's see how many literal bible believers there are out there who really think about what they believe rather than just blindly following with no thought.
Last edited by jasper1372; 01-25-2009 at 11:45 AM..
Hmmm...as a parent I can sympathize with the thougts and emotions that must have run through Abraham. Unthinkable, I can imagine! However, remember that Abraham was told that his wife Sarah would conceive a son in her old age. He saw that God had the power to restore Sarah's reproductive powers. He also knew that God had promised that the nations would bless themselves through Isaac. Abraham's faith in God and the convenant that God made in regards to Isaac must have reassured Abraham that somehow, Isaac's death would be temporary. Still not an easy task by any means!
Thankfully, God stopped Isaac and didn't allow him to go through with it. This account helps us understand God's own feelings sacrificing His own first born son (John 3:16). Although God knew that Jesus' suffering on earth in human form was temporary, it must have been difficult (as difficult as it was for Abraham) to watch. If the Messiah was to come through anyone, it would have to be someone with extreme faith in God.
If you were Abraham, and God asked you to murder your beloved son, what would you have told him?
Just curious.
I think what's hard to grasp about this story, is not so much that Abraham was willing to kill his son,
but that he knew unequivecally, that it was God speaking to him.
I think what's hard to grasp about this story, is not so much that Abraham was willing to kill his son,
but that he knew unequivecally, that it was God speaking to him.
So, I'm just curious. If god told you to sacrifice your son/daughter via a knife into the chest cavity....would you do it ?
If you noticed your neighbor strapping his son/daughter to an alter in the backyard and raising a knife to kill him/her...what would you do ? Would you accept his explanation that god told him to do it or would you call the authorities and rant about the demon possessed crazed man next door that attempted to kill his kid ?
Just questions I've always wanted to ask of someone who thinks this story in the bible is true and believes god would do this type of thing.
Allaah says of His slave and Close Friend (Khaleel) Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): “99. And he said (after his rescue from the fire): “Verily, I am going to my Lord. He will guide me!” 100. “My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous.” 101. So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. 102. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offering you in sacrifice to Allaah). So look what you think!” He said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded, In shaa’ Allaah (if Allaah wills), you shall find me of As-Saabiroon (the patient).” 103. Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allaah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering); 104. We called out to him: “O Ibraaheem! 105. You have fulfilled the dream!” Verily, thus do We reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers). 106. Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial. 107. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. a ram); 108. And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among the later generations. 109. “Salaam (peace) be upon Ibraaheem!” 110. Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers). 111. Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves. 112. And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaaq (Isaac) ¾ a Prophet from the righteous. 113. We blessed him and Ishaaq (Isaac). And of their progeny are (some) that do right, and some that plainly wrong themselves.” [al-Saaffaat 37:99-113)
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
[quote=jasper1372;7164256]So, I'm just curious. If god told you to sacrifice your son/daughter via a knife into the chest cavity....would you do it ?
If you noticed your neighbor strapping his son/daughter to an alter in the backyard and raising a knife to kill him/her...what would you do ? Would you accept his explanation that god told him to do it or would you call the authorities and rant about the demon possessed crazed man next door that attempted to kill his kid ?
Just questions I've always wanted to ask of someone who thinks this story in the bible is true and believes god would do this type of thing.[/quote]
I assume by your response, you don't believe in God.
I do believe in God, so we're speaking different languages here, and any response I give will not answer your question.
The answer to this is found in the book of Hebrews. In Abraham's mind he had already concluded that God could raise Isaac from the dead. It was an act of faithful obedience. Today God does not talk aduibly so I would stop the person in the backyard from killing their child.
If you read the whole bible you might get some of your questions answered, but only if you really want the answers.
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