The Crisis Interviews

Volume One: Anti-Mike

[Anti-Mike]

I recently became intrigued with the concept of interviewing thoughtful friends on their "favorite" scriptural passages.  And Anti-Mike is the first subject of this experiment.

Anti-Mike is a smart guy and a relentless seeker of truth.  Whether or not one shares his perspective on some issues, it is undeniable that his views are both thought provoking and well thought out.  I always look forward to his comments on my blogs (they keep me sharp), and I think his blogs are well worth reading, whatever your religious or philosophical persuasion.  Check them out!  And if you like (or even hate) what he has to say, please let us know.

Jesus Crisis interviews Anti-Mike

Jesus Crisis: Are you ready to be the premiere guest (or guinea pig) on "The Crisis Interviews"?

Anti-Mike: Sounds good!

Jesus Crisis: Since despite your youthful appearance you strike me as a learned man, I consider it an honor to interview you first.  So what is your favorite scripture passage anyway?

Anti-Mike: Well, first let me tell you that the honor is all mine.  You host some of the most insightful blogs I've read, and seeing the intelligent responses by your readers is a breath of fresh air to me.

Jesus Crisis: Thanks.  I really appreciate that.  Some of the comments I've enjoyed and been intellectually stimulated by most have been yours.

Anti-Mike: As for my favorite scripture passage, well, that's kind of a hard one.  I don't read the Bible looking for guidelines or encouragement.  I try to look at it from a skeptic's standpoint.  While my analysis of scripture has been ridiculed as biased and one-sided, I only make a passive attempt at objectivity.

But to answer your question, I would probably have to say the story of Asa.  You can find it starting in 2 Chronicles Chapter 14, Verses 8-13.

Jesus Crisis: Ah... from a relatively obscure Old Testament book.

Anti-Mike: It is the account of the single largest God-assisted slaughter within the Bible.  Within this chapter, God helps Asa slaughter 1 million Ethiopians.

Jesus Crisis: That could be described as genocide.

Anti-Mike: Yes, you're right.  For me, this is the most vulgar and blatant display of abuse that can be found within the Old Testament.  It is a testimony to the horrendous cruelty that the so-called 'God of Love' is truly capable of, and speaks volumes about His character before the more politically-correct tales of the New Testament.

Jesus Crisis: One million!  I wonder how that number compares to what's going on currently in Darfur… or the number of Kurds Saddam Hussein killed in his notorious "ethnic cleansing."

Anti-Mike: I can't say offhand, but that would be an interesting comparison.

Jesus Crisis: We tend to think of these as acts of evil, counter to "Biblical" morality.

Anti-Mike: Yes, which is a misconception that many people fall for.  The Christian God is consistently involved in many damnable acts through both the Old and New Testaments.  But Christians generally fail to acknowledge this because they tend to focus more on the sacrifice of Jesus and the salvation of mankind.  
According to external resources, it is estimated that the total number of people killed by God in the Bible is somewhere around 2,200,000.

Jesus Crisis: How do we reconcile what you're calling "damnable acts" with the commandment (found in Exodus 20 and Deuternomy 5) that "thou shalt not kill"?  Richard Dawkins' recent book The God Delusion brought up an interesting suggestion that this commandment carried with it (in the minds of the Israelites) the connotation "Thou shalt not kill another Jew."

Anti-Mike: Honestly, if I knew how to reconcile some of the inherent flaws found within the scripture I might not see them as I do right now.  So much of the text is open to interpretation, and people draw from it what they wish.  The assertion by Dawkins that the commandment could mean "Thou shalt not kill another Jew" fits a lot better than the all-encompassing "Thou shalt not kill" as there are many instances within the Bible in which either God Himself or one of his followers condemns people to death.  This particularly applies to heathens and homosexuals, who, according to Romans 1:32 are 'worthy of death.'

Jesus Crisis: Interestingly, Romans is the same book that at one point proclaims that "All Israel will be saved" [Romans 11:26].  Why not "All Ethiopians," "All Midianites" or "All Americans"?  But I guess that's straying off the subject....

Was the "crime" of these people killed in II Chronicles 14 merely that they inhabited the land ...and didn't worship "the Lord"?

Anti-Mike: The slaughter of the Ethiopians by Asa is a somewhat unique tale, as there isn't really any mention of what they did to deserve death.  According to 14:2, 'Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.'  He took down the altars of strange gods and broke their images.  He commanded Judah to seek the Lord and obey the commandments.

Jesus Crisis: Killing a million people was "good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God"?

Anti-Mike: When the Ethiopians come into the picture, Asa confronted them on his own.  Asa asks God to give him His favor in the battle, and with God's help Asa slaughters 1 million Ethiopians.

It wasn't necessarily that the Ethiopians had offended God.  From what I've read, it seems that God was simply rewarding Asa for his good faith by giving him the power to slaughter untold numbers of people.

Jesus Crisis: Things like that make me think it more likely that man created God in his image, rather than God creating man in His image. 

Anti-Mike: Exactly.  Before Man came into the picture, God was simply The Creator.

Jesus Crisis: Because if "God is Love," as the New Testament asserts (in 1^st John 4:16), I can't imagine Love favoring someone who kills a million people, no matter what their crime.

Anti-Mike: After Man, however, God becomes a ruthless tyrant who lusts after destruction.

Jesus Crisis: Well, thank you so much, Mike!  I'm sure this will stimulate a lot of discussion in the comments.

Anti-Mike: I certainly hope so.  And of course I would like to take this opportunity to shamelessly promote my writing.  So make sure to throw a link to my blog in here somewhere and advise your readers to drop by.  The debate should be moving along nicely tonight, and it would be a perfect opportunity for some new people to come in and share their insights.

Jesus Crisis: Absolutely... I enjoy your writing....  And I think many of my readers will as well, even if they don't necessarily agree with everything you say.  You certainly think before you draw your conclusions, and you encourage your readers to think.  That's an admirable quality.

Anti-Mike: Yes.  I'm not asking for people to jump on the bandwagon and agree with my every thought.  I'm simply trying to provoke independent thought and analysis.  I'm just trying to get the ball rolling.  We all have to find answers for ourselves.

Jesus Crisis: And you've certainly gotten the ball rolling here... LOL

Anti-Mike: Indeed.  Well, my friend, thank you so much for the interview.  I'm looking forward to seeing how your readers respond to my rantings and I'm certainly awaiting your next blog.

Jesus Crisis: Thanks again, Mike.  And I look forward to reading more of your writing.  Is it true that Equal Opportunity Joker and you are collaborating on a new project?

Anti-Mike: As a matter of fact, we are.  The tentative title right now is "G.I. Jesus".  It's going to be a collaborative effort between the both of us to analyze the biblical Jesus and compare him to what was likely the true historical Jesus.

Jesus Crisis: I can't wait to check it out.

Anti-Mike: I don't want to spoil things for everyone, but it's definitely going to be a blast.

Jesus Crisis: I can easily imagine that, knowing you and Joker!  Thanks again, bro!

Anti-Mike: Thank you!

Anti-Mike's recent blog Grand Theft Punkin made me chuckle, while his Cruelty and Violence: Jesus Christ inspired some almost rabidly passionate responses.

Anti-Mike's latest blog is DEBATE: The Path to Salvation, in which he and Connie (a smart, well-spoken Christian lady) are taking on each other in a quest for the truth about Salvation.  I recommend it.