Madison Church

Ever grappled with the violence in the Old Testament and wondered how it can be understood in today's context? Brace yourself for a riveting discussion that aims to demystify this complex issue. We embark on this mission to decode the stories of graphic violence - cannibalism, incest, and human sacrifice - a challenging prospect, especially when teaching the younger generation and addressing critics like atheist writer Richard Dawkins.Richard Dawkins' perspective sets the tone for much of our discourse. He views God as the villain in these violent narratives, but we go beyond the surface, analyzing the context and steering the conversation towards a more wholistic understanding of God's character. We open up about our struggles with the 'no apology' and 'Bible is wrong' approaches to Old Testament violence and propose an alternative - understanding the violence as a specific period in Hebrew history. The conversation deepens as we contemplate God's patience in dealing w