Judaism pt 1

We'll begin with Judaism as it leads quite logically into Christianity and Islam.

Analysis here can be difficult due to the wide range of interpretations and analysis offered but we're going to stick to basics, the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament) .

While we could engage in endless debate about Genesis, I shall here and for all other religions be generous and stick to only that which can be reasonably defended with hope of resolution.

Lets look right into Exodus (ואלה שמות) One significant event is when God proclaims the Israelites His people because he set them free out of his (oddly limited) omnipotence...wherein a whole series of earthly events must occur rather then God just making it happen. This supposedly all powerful being already contradicts our rules (See rule 2 on internal consistency violated by premise of all-powerful God)

But lets add a little more fuel to our fire before drawing our conclusions...

Let's see the 10 commandments (Ex34:28 / DT10:4):

1. "I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. Thou shalt have no other gods besides Me... .."
   • No Problems here
     
2. "Do not make a sculpted image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above..."
   • Here I do see a problem. God says not to make sculpted images or any likeness of what's in the heavens or on the earth... Yet when God commands the creation of the ark of the covenant he specifies the creation of the images of two Cherubim (angels) to be placed upon it(Ex 25:18 - And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.). Thus GOD COMMANDS VIOLATION OF HIS OWN LAW.
     
3. "Thou shalt not swear falsely by the name of the LORD..."
   • Again, no problems here.
4. "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy"
   • Again, no problems here.
5. "Thou shalt honour your father and your mother..."
   • Don't know enough off hand, I'll look into it, for now I'll give the benefit of the doubt and say no problems.
     
6. "Thou shalt not kill"
   • I do assume this means only cold blooded murder and does not refer to self defense and (obviously) not the slaughter of animals. Violation of this is repeatedly commanded by God in the bible.
     
   • Ex20:17 "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"
     
   • Ex22:19 "Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed."
     
   • Ex31:15 "whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death."
   • Lev20:9 "For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him"
   • Lev20:27 "A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them."
   • 2Chron15:12-13 "And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman."

   • Deut13:13-18 "Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword. And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again. And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God."

7. "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
   • no problems
     
8. "Thou shalt not steal."
   • I've had this mentioned to me as "do not kidnap" since stealing is not a "capitol" offense... but in either case, no problem.
     
9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor"
   • no problem (though I do question this...I have no evidence)
     
10. "Thou shalt not covet your neighbor's house...
• no problem

To sum up a little, if you worship another god, practice a different religion not only are you condemned to die, but the entire city in which you live and all who live there must be destroyed...Yes kill innocent people because they live in the same city as someone who worships a different god. Thou shalt not kill...unless you can find a way to do so in the name of God.

So... in just the second book of the Bible we find three internal consistency problems. I think this case is closed. Feel free to argue, we are after the truth here after all.