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By Derek Mathias - 18 Mar 2010

Well, that's convenient. But it's unwise to take just anyone's claim for anything, so I did some research online and found a Hebrew interlinear Bible (http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/OTpdf/gen1.pdf). Yes indeed, it appears that the original Hebrew, directly translated, refers to "soul living" for animals--or at least some of them. So even bacteria have souls? I guess human life isn't special after all.

But it still doesn't address why God would commit such atrocities on all the animals. I'm glad to hear you agree there's no excuse for atrocities on animals...but then why would you support God? Isn't supporting him essentially saying you excuse what he did to them? Isn't that a double standard?

If you are vegan, then by definition you eat vegetables. I'm curious what you have against vegetables. Fruits I can understand eating, since they are largely designed to be eaten as part of the process to spread the plant's seeds. But vegetables require the death or maiming of a plant in most cases. Some animals have such rudimentary (or no) nervous systems that they can't experience any more pain than plants, including many fish, arthropods, nematodes, scyphozoans, and more, plus eggs of any species. But I understand you don't eat any of those. If causing pain and suffering is your criterion for limiting what you eat, as you imply, why would you not eat those animals incapable of suffering?

Anyway, I HAVE separated the will of God from the corrupted state of the Earth. Setting aside all the direct judgments God makes on the wicked, there are many instances of God either ordering or directly committing atrocities on INNOCENTS, not the guilty. Like ordering rape victims to marry their rapists. Or ordering wives to be raped in order to punish a husband. Or ordering soldiers to murder male babies. Or ordering families to murder their own friends and families. Or threatening to make people cannibalize their own children. Or torturing people forever, with no hope of redemption. Or drowning billions of animals. The list goes on and on. In most of those cases it's God ordering the atrocities to be committed on innocents (and in the others it's inflicting horror and misery to no useful purpose).

Which is why I ask, what acts would God have to commit in order for you to consider him evil?

Derek Mathias

Go on to comments: By Frank and Mary Hoffman - 18 Mar 2010
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