Abele Derer wrote: claimed that God commanded millions of their ancestors on Mount Sinai that they must keep Sabbath. If your scenario is true, then the Jews would have rejected the Torah. They would have said, "How can you claim that millions of our ancestors, the entire nation, was commanded to keep the Sabbath,...

Abele Derer wrote: Where is God genocidal in the Old Testament? Although God commands the Jews to eradicate certain nations, the Oral Tradition states that the Jews were required to allow anyone who followed the "Seven Noahide Laws" to live. So only evil people were killed.

Abele Derer wrote:First of all, the Sabbath - the fact that all Jews keep the same Sabbath - serves as proof for the truths of Judaism. You skeptics claim that some later dude invented the Sabbath, and, istead of taking the credit for himself, claimed that God commanded millions of their ancestors on Mount Sinai that they must keep Sabbath. If your scenario is true, then the Jews would have rejected the Torah. They would have said, "How can you claim that millions of our ancestors, the entire nation, was commanded to keep the Sabbath, while we haven't heard of the damn thing from our ancestors." It is for this very reason that the Sabbath is given such prominence in the Torah, and it incurs the death penalty, because it serves as one of the strongest proofs for Judaism.

Second, this whole blog is shockingly stupid. Your basically claiming that "since we can't understand why God would care if we light a match, it therefore must be that God did not command us not to light a match." Does that sound logical to you? If so read it again.

Main article: Shabbat elevator

Operating an elevator is generally prohibited for multiple reasons. However, Shabbat elevators have been designed automatically to travel from one floor to the next regardless of whether a human is riding the elevator or not, so many authorities permit the use of such elevators under certain circumstances.

Abele Derer wrote:I assume your response was to my third point. Are you surrenduring to my first two points? Regarding your point (that there seems to be a contradiction between the Oral Tradition and the verses in Joshua), please see the classic commentators on this very point. Specifically, Rabbi David Kimchi. If you do not find his response compelling, please explain why.

Operating an elevator is generally prohibited for multiple reasons. However, Shabbat elevators have been designed automatically to travel from one floor to the next regardless of whether a human is riding the elevator or not, so many authorities permit the use of such elevators under certain circumstances.

Abele Derer wrote:This is a response to Trouble76's point. You claim that you don't want to serve the Bible's God, since He is genocidal.

1. Why? Do you not have a selfish bone in your body? This "genocidal" God promises you eternal reward, and you still ignore His word!

Abele Derer wrote:
3. Where is God genocidal in the Old Testament? Although God commands the Jews to eradicate certain nations, the Oral Tradition states that the Jews were required to allow anyone who followed the "Seven Noahide Laws" to live. So only evil people were killed.

Alan B wrote:How is the following not genocide?
"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox, and sheep, camel and ass,"(Samuel I, 15:3)
According to you it's OK because they upset 'God'. Yeuk!

Abele Derer wrote:This is a response to Trouble76's point. You claim that you don't want to serve the Bible's God, since He is genocidal.

1. Why? Do you not have a selfish bone in your body? This "genocidal" God promises you eternal reward, and you still ignore His word! I am impressed by your willingness to sacrifice to principle, but I doubt you really thought about the implications of your position.
2. Assuming it is God who created and sustains all life, why would it be "genocidal" for God Himself to decide to end those very lives before the "average" lifespan of, say, seventy years?
3. Where is God genocidal in the Old Testament? Although God commands the Jews to eradicate certain nations, the Oral Tradition states that the Jews were required to allow anyone who followed the "Seven Noahide Laws" to live. So only evil people were killed.

Berthold wrote:

Alan B wrote:How is the following not genocide?
"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox, and sheep, camel and ass,"(Samuel I, 15:3)
According to you it's OK because they upset 'God'. Yeuk!

Why include the farm animals?

Tyrannical wrote:Jesus Christ tried to explain the silliness of following the letter of the law to that extreme by performing healing miracles on the Sabbath.

Abele Derer wrote:First of all, the Sabbath - the fact that all Jews keep the same Sabbath - serves as proof for the truths of Judaism. You skeptics claim that some later dude invented the Sabbath, and, istead of taking the credit for himself, claimed that God commanded millions of their ancestors on Mount Sinai that they must keep Sabbath.

If your scenario is true, then the Jews would have rejected the Torah. They would have said, "How can you claim that millions of our ancestors, the entire nation, was commanded to keep the Sabbath, while we haven't heard of the damn thing from our ancestors." It is for this very reason that the Sabbath is given such prominence in the Torah, and it incurs the death penalty, because it serves as one of the strongest proofs for Judaism.

Second, this whole blog is shockingly stupid. Your basically claiming that "since we can't understand why God would care if we light a match, it therefore must be that God did not command us not to light a match." Does that sound logical to you? If so read it again.

DoctorE wrote:Here they are with the stupid elevator
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Psf6atoivI[/youtube]

Abele Derer wrote:I assume your response was to my third point. Are you surrenduring to my first two points? Regarding your point (that there seems to be a contradiction between the Oral Tradition and the verses in Joshua), please see the classic commentators on this very point. Specifically, Rabbi David Kimchi. If you do not find his response compelling, please explain why.

Tyrannical wrote:

I just saved 14% off my tenets electricty bill.