UMC Pastor, Democrat candidate Adam Hamilton's 3 controversial Bible takes
1. ‘Christians must address’ God’s command for Israel to commit ‘genocide’ in the Bible
Hamilton has stated publicly that “Christians must address” portions of the Old Testament in which God punishes both Israel and Israel’s enemies.
“My premise is that the Bible is the words of people who were influenced by God, and yet who were also shaped by the times in which they lived. The violence attributed to God in the Bible is a serious issue that Christians must address,” he said, adding such behavior is “inconsistent with the character of God described in many places in the Old Testament, and certainly inconsistent with the Word of God revealed in Jesus Christ who calls His followers to love their enemies.”
While his campaign frequently references Leviticus for Moses’ command for the Israelites to “love your neighbor,” Hamilton expressed personal offense to Leviticus 21:9, which states that if a daughter of a Levitical priest becomes a prostitute, she must be “burned to death."
As for God’s command in Joshua 6:21 for Israel to take the Promised Land by putting to death every man, woman and child, Hamilton calls this divine order “genocide,” adding, “God commands priests to burn their daughters alive if they become prostitutes. I cannot imagine God calling me to burn one of my children alive, regardless of what they had done.”
Ian M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ian.giatti@christianpost.com.
