I don't disagree with what you're saying, and I'm not some rabid antitheist or atheist, but the story of Abraham has always rubbed me the wrong way. The teachings of Jesus make a lot of sense, but the idea that the very first covenant included a child sacrifice (whether the child was metamorphosized into a goat or simply whisked away to heaven) has never been one to inspire faith in me.
I understand what you’re saying, and I felt that way for a long time too. But if you read the Bible, especially the first couple books after the Torah it will make you realize that the world was such a different place back then. Joshua basically led armies and destroyed dozens of cities, killing all the women and children along with the men. Killing was such a part of life that we can’t really understand the way these people thought
I appreciate your thoughtful answer. I can appreciate your perspective that the story in no way actually condones child sacrifice, which makes us essentially on the same side whether we disagree about the semantics.
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