Why did God wage war against the Canaanites?

by hamilcarr 10 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  hamilcarr

  From the Watchtower, January 1, 2010 (p. 13):

  Why were the Canaanites displaced?

  The Canaanites were, in a sense, squatters in a land that did not belong to them. How so? Some 400 years earlier, God had promised the faithful man Abraham that his descendants would possess the land of Canaan. (Genesis 15:18) God kept that promise when he caused the nation of Israel, which descended from Abraham, to occupy the region. Of course, some might protest that the Canaanites already lived there and therefore had a right to the land. But surely, as the Sovereign of the universe, God has the ultimate right to determine who will live where.-Acts 17:26; 1 Corinthians 10:26.
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  hamilcarr

  Same logic, modern adaptation

  Why should the Palestinians be displaced?

  The Palestinians are, in a sense, squatters in a land that does not belong to them. How so? Some 4000 years ago, God promised the faithful man Abraham that his descendants would possess the land of Canaan. (Genesis 15:18) God kept that promise when he caused the nation of Israel, which descended from Abraham, to occupy the region. Of course, some might protest that the Palestinians already live there and therefore have a right to the land. But surely, as the Sovereign of the universe, God has the ultimate right to determine who will live where.-Acts 17:26; 1 Corinthians 10:26.
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  JAFO

  Because they were teaching the truth.. that jehoober was a trumped up, tinpot little agricultural demon with delusions of grandeur...
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  WTWizard

  Because the Canaanites were not giving all their value to that Almighty Lowlife Scumbag. For that, He wanted them to pay for their freedom with their lives--Jehovah hates freedom for anyone but His Fat Self.
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  Farkel

  :Why did God wage war against the Canaanites?

  They were in favor of Nationalized Health Care.

  Farkel
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  VM44

  "Some 400 years earlier, God had promised the faithful man Abraham that his descendants would possess the land of Canaan. "

  And who lived in the land at the time God made this promise to Abraham?

  Squatters?

  The Watchtower doesn't know squat about what it talks about.
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  hamilcarr

  JWs used to be a religion with at least some interest in scholarship and historical accuracy. I wonder if any documented JW apologist could defend such simplistic claims as these about the Canaanites.
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  Robdar

  God didnt wage war against the canaanites, the Israelites did. Like most nations, they thought themselves to be righteous and God was on their side.

  Don't we still think the same way today--personally and as a society? How many self-righteous pricks do you know? I'm guessing quite a few. God's on their side. Just ask 'em.

  "God is on the side of the biggest battalions" --Napoleon
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  OUTLAW

  From a militarty view Moses was a Frigg`n military genius..

  He was also a Crazy F*cking Butcher..

  He wiped out entire citys to get what he wanted..

  Moses engaged in mass genocide..

  He was no better than Hitler..

  .......................... ...OUTLAW
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  Leolaia

  God didnt wage war against the canaanites, the Israelites did. Like most nations, they thought themselves to be righteous and God was on their side.

  Though like other ANE nations, they believed that their god was a divine warrior actively participating in their battles, and the OT presents this idea in what is now considered to be authoritative scripture (e.g. Exodus 15:3-17, Judges 1:4, 19, 5:19-21, etc.).

  It bears repeating too that the Israelites were not discontinuous with the earlier Canaanites; the latter were not wiped out but absorbed into the new political entities called Israel and Judah. There are many allusions to this in the OT in spite of the overarching nationalist ideology that construes "Israel" as a single people who conquered the land from Canaanite foes.