YoYoMama,
The explanation you posted from the WT CD is pure speculation.
Note the following speculative words (in capitals) the Society uses to try to justify this account:
The fact that bloodguilt was upon both Saul and his household SUGGESTS that, although Saul PROBABLY took the lead in the murderous action, the “sons” of Saul MAY directly or indirectly have shared in it. (2Sa 21:1-9) IN THAT EVENT this WOULD not be a case of sons dying for the sins of their fathers (De 24:16) but WOULD involve the administration of retributive justice in harmony with the law “soul will be for soul.”—De 19:21.[/b]
This sort of rhetoric is typical of both the Society and Bible apologists in general.
How do they proceed?
ASSUMPTION #1: The Bible is ALWAYS, ALWAYS right and true and just. The opposite possibility can't even be contemplated!
ASSUMPTION #2: Since the Bible is so perfect, anything in it that looks stupid or barbarous or unintelligible has to be explained away, attributing that interpretation to the imperfect understanding of human readers.
ASSUMPTION #3: When something as barbarous as mass murder is involved, the easiest way to get around it and justify it is to invoke some huge abstract principle of justice or balancing the scales or whatever: "They all had to die so that God's righteous law would be obeyed!" This tactic is used for everything from the blood-soaked pages of the Hebrew Scriptures right up to Armageddon.
ASSUMPTION #4: EVEN when it isn't clearly stated that one of these abstract principles of justice had to be satisfied by means of killing large numbers of people, the Society or the Bible apologist will drag one in from left field to make the horrible event more palatable.
Try going into court some day and, say, telling the judge: "Oh yes, I did kill this man, but you see, his behavior SUGGESTS that he MAY have been transgressing the divine law against fornication, in which case it WOULD NOT be classified as murder but only as upholding God's righteous standards. No, I don't have any firm proof that he even did fornicate, but still, this is how it is, and you have to accept it."
Oh yes, let us all be more like righteous David.
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