Of course, Perry we must wonder about the case of the greedy ever-whining wimp-nephew of Abraham - Lot, who by his whining caused others not to perish who were themselves on the hit list, namely those in Zoar.
"18 Then Lot said to them: “Not that, please, Jehovah! 19 Please, now, your servant has found favor in your eyes so that you are magnifying your loving-kindness, which you have exercised with me to preserve my soul alive, but I—I am not able to escape to the mountainous region for fear calamity may keep close to me and I certainly die. 20 Please, now, this city is nearby to flee there and it is a small thing. May I, please, escape there—is it not a small thing?—and my soul will live on.” 21 So he said to him: “Here I do show you consideration to this extent also, by my not overthrowing the city of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry! Escape there, because I am not able to do a thing until your arriving there!” That is why he called the name of the city Zo′ar." - Ge. 18:19-22
Why would a whining wimp cause God to change his mind as regards those who were truly wicked?
(point is that they weren't)
Oh, and no. You are wrong about Abraham.
If you are right, then were Abraham just cave to the "Whatever Jehovah does is Ok, because he does it." would make Abraham as much of an immoral imbecile as any other who makes that claim of God.
Being bigger, smarter, stronger, and longer lived and impossible to effectively thwart does not a moral being make.
Abraham knew this and this is why he said:
"Is the God of all the earth not going to do what is right?!!"
Any other explanation is PC-spinning as regards his words in the same manner as the WTS has excused Samson for his lack of morality in the matter of selecting a Philistine woman with big jugs as a wife. "
"14 Then Samson went down to Tim′nah and saw a woman in Tim′nah of the daughters of the Phi·lis′tines. 2 So he went up and told his father and his mother and said: “There is a woman that I have seen in Tim′nah of the daughters of the Phi·lis′tines, and now get her for me as a wife.” 3 But his father and his mother said to him: “Is there not among the daughters of your brothers and among all my people a woman, so that you are going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Phi·lis′tines?” Still Samson said to his father: “Get just her for me, because she is the one just right in my eyes.” 4 As for his father and his mother, they did not know that that was from Jehovah, that he, Jehovah was looking for an opportunity against the Phi·lis′tines, as at that particular time the Phi·lis′tines were ruling over Israel." - Judges 14:1-4
Samson was just an ass of a jawbone in the hands of Jehovah. Morality had sunk so low that the champion was no better than an amoral Rambo on steroids. Samson, in my eyes only became a moral being at his choice of death at the end. Before all that he was nothing but a tool.
Of course the WTS and other Bible writers simply cannot tolerate that their heroes should be less than the best (even if this points out how Jehovah is in control)
Narkissos, I'm at the point where I must examine each statement in the bible as to its context w/in the times as an anthropologist might do as well as ask the question "Is this really the express will of the Almighty?, Or just a record of what transpired?...Or neither..." Quite frankly I'm at the point where I'm not sure I can do anything except take personal responsibility as if I were Jehovah and determine what I think ought or ought not to have been done in each and every case.
If I'm supposed to imitate God as beloved children, then must I not know why, when, where and if he has said or done any of the things which were said or done in his name?
I have to. I can't accept something just because others have, because it's convenient or even soothing.
