Talk:Book of Joshua

Regarding the inherent wickedness of Canaanites

Actually, many fundamentalists often rationalize Yahweh's genocides by insisting that the Canaanites were a grossly immoral people, who even sacrificed children to placate their gods. In the Bible, Yahweh allegedly claims that the Israelites did not "inherit" the land by virtue of their goodness, for they were stiff-necked and rebellious, but on account of Canaanite depravity. Of course, this apologetic ignores the egregious hypocrisy of murdering an entire group of people, presumably including children and infants, in retaliation for ritual child-murder. Moreover, the Hebrews were divinely permitted to stone their own rebellious children when necessary, and Yahweh cared even less about gentile children, as the ancient Egyptians in Exodus could reportedly attest. Some apologists, such as Richard Deem of God and Science, counter that the massacred children were "saved" from cultural corruption and damnation as adults, but that reasoning further contradicts Yahweh's apparent hatred of child sacrifice, as well as his supposed goodness. It also begs the question of why Yahweh couldn't kill the adults, wipe the memories of their undoubtedly traumatized children, and have the Hebrews adopt them. Maybe one of this wiki's contributors could mention the justifications for these genocides, and point out their various ethical and logic problems?

TLDR: Christians will say that the evil Canaanites deserved it. Could you please include and poke holes in their rationalizations? --76.117.133.191 (talk) 16:45, 24 September 2017 (UTC)ES